Edge-defined contact heater apparatus and method for floating zone crystal growth
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorSindo Kou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for growing a monocrystalline body (30) from a polycrystalline feed rod (22) includes a heater (20) that is positioned to heat a short section of the polycrystalline rod (22) to create a molten zone (34). The heater (20) is formed to include a shaper (40) that contacts the polycrystalline rod (22) in the molten zone (34) and has a hole (46) to allow flow in the molten zone (34) between the polycrystalline rod (22) side and the monocrystalline body (30) side of the shaper. The shaper (40) has an edge (42) that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body (30) that is formed as the molten material solidifies.
Claims22
Apparatus for growing a monocrystalline body from a polycrystalline feed rod by floating zone refining such that a molten zone is caused to traverse the polycrystalline rod to convert the polycrystalline rod to a monocrystalline body, comprising:
- (a) a heater that is positioned to heat a short section of the polycrystalline rod to create the molten zone, the heater formed to include a shaper that contacts the polycrystalline rod in the molten zone and that has a hole to allow flow of molten material in the molten zone between the polycrystalline rod side and the monocrystalline body side of the shaper, the shaper having edge means, including an edge that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body that is formed as the molten material solidifies, for allowing molten material to flow up to the edge and no further so that the monocrystalline body assumes the outer boundary defined by the edge;
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- (b) means for moving the heater and the polycrystalline feed rod relative to one another along the rod to form the monocrystalline body.
Apparatus for growing a monocrystalline body from a polycrystalline feed rod by floating zone refining such that a molten zone is caused to traverse the polycrystalline rod to convert the polycrystalline rod to a monocrystalline body, comprising:
- (a) a heater that is positioned to heat a short section of the polycrystalline rod to create the molten zone, the heater formed to include s shaper that contacts the polycrystalline rod in the molten zone and that has a hole to allow flow of molten material in the molten zone between the polycrystalline rod side and the monocrystalline body side of the shaper, the shaper having an edge that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body that is formed as the molten material solidifies, wherein the heater includes a substantially flat sheet portion and the edge of the shaper is defined by a step formed in the sheet which extends downwardly from the sheet, the shaper being immersible within the molten zone and the outer periphery of the step being at the edge that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body, the shaper being formed of a material that is wettable by the molten material in the molten zone such that the molten material flows up to the edge and no further;
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- (b) means for moving the heater and the polycrystalline feed rod relative to one another along the rod to form the monocrystalline body.
Apparatus for growing a monocrystalline body from a polycrystalline feed rod by floating zone refining such that a molten zone is caused to traverse the polycrystalline rod to convert the polycrystalline rod to a monocrystalline body, comprising:
- (a) a heater that is positioned to heat a short section of the polycrystalline rod to create the molten zone, the heater formed to include a shaper that contacts the polycrystalline rod in the molten zone and that has a hole to allow flow of molten material in the molten zone between the polycrystalline rod side and the monocrystalline body side of the shaper, the shaper having an edge that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body that is formed as the molten material solidifies, the hole in the shaper being shaped so that its walls contact the molten material in the molten zone with a bottom surface of the shaper intersecting the wall of the hole to form the edge that defines the boundary of the cross-section of the monocrystalline body such that molten material flows no further than the edge;
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- (b) means for moving the heater and the polycrystalline feed rod relative to one another along the rod to form the monocrystalline body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.