# US 5,135,727 A · Automatic single crystal ingot disconnector for single crystal pulling apparatus

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- Number: US 5,135,727 A
- Document ID: US5135727A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/800,307
- Filed: 1991-11-29
- Granted: 1992-08-04
- Earliest claimed: 1990-11-29
- Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Ibe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5135727A

## CPC

- C30B 15/30: Mechanisms for rotating or moving either the melt or the crystal (flotation methods C30B15/28)
- C30B 15/00: Single-crystal growth by pulling from a melt, e.g. Czochralski method (under a protective fluid C30B27/00)
- C30B 33/00: After-treatment of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure (C30B31/00 takes precedence)
- Y10S 117/911: Seed or rod holders
- Y10S 125/901: forming piezoelectric crystals
- Y10T 83/145: Including means to monitor product
- Y10T 83/2098: With means to effect subsequent conveying or guiding
- Y10T 83/4662: To vary an end-product "length" [e.g., "crop cut"]
- Y10T 83/4664: With photo-electric work-sensing means
- Y10T 117/1012: with a window or port for visual observation or examination
- Y10T 117/1072: including details of means providing product movement [e.g., shaft guides, servo means]
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An automatic single crystal ingot disconnector which is mounted on the uppermost chuck of the conventional single crystal ingot removing assembly, which uppermost chuck assembly is adapted to shift in the axial direction of the ingot being chucked; the proposed single crystal ingot disconnector includes: (a) a neck clamper for clamping the neck of the single crystal ingot, (b) a neck cutter for cutting through the neck of the ingot to thereby disconnect the ingot from the seed crystal to which the ingot is connected, and (c) a TV camera to view the position where the neck cutter applies a cutting operation on the neck of the ingot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automatic single crystal ingot disconnector which is mounted on the uppermost chuck assembly of a single crystal ingot removing assembly adapted to hold a grown single crystal ingot, which uppermost chuck assembly is adapted to shift in the axial direction of said ingot being chucked in response to remote controlling; said automatic single crystal ingot disconnector being characterized by comprising a neck clamper means for clamping an upper part of the neck portion of said ingot, a neck cutter means located below said neck clamper means, for cutting through the neck portion of said ingot at a part lower than said upper part to thereby disconnect said single crystal ingot from a seed crystal to which said ingot is connected, and a monitor means for visually monitoring a position where said neck cutter means applies a cutting operation on the neck portion of the single crystal ingot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automatic single crystal ingot disconnector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said neck clamper means comprises two clamp fingers which cooperate to assume an open position and a clamping position by horizontally swinging through an angle of about 90.degree., and an actuator means for driving said clamp fingers in response to remote controlling.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The automatic single crystal ingot disconnector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said neck cutter means comprises a cutter blade adapted to swing horizontally through an angle of about 90.degree. and an actuator means for driving said cutter blade in response to remote controlling.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The automatic single crystal ingot disconnector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monitor means comprises a TV camera adapted to view the position where said neck cutter means applies a cutting operation on the neck of the single crystal ingot, and a viewing screen located at a remote place from the single crystal ingot disconnector for reproducing the picture of the scene viewed by said TV camera.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The automatic single crystal ingot disconnector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said TV camera is located below said neck clamper means and above said neck cutter means.