Method of operating a growing hall containing puller cells

Abstract

A crystal puller cell (18) provides a low particulate environment for an individual crystal puller (28). The airflow within each cell is adjustable so that a particulate level appropriate to the activity within the cell is maintained, thereby avoiding the cost of maintaining an entire growing hall (10) at a constant high level of cleanliness. Each cell includes a multi-level floor (46) that includes an operator floor (48) and a maintenance floor (52). A door (62) at the maintenance floor level opens onto a maintenance aisle used to service the machines. A door (64), at the operator floor level, opens onto a clean aisle for transporting raw material and finished product. The cell walls can include magnetic shielding if a magnetic growing process is used to reduce exposure of operators and other machines to intense magnetic fields.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.