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US 5,958,133 AGranted
Material handling system for growing high-purity crystals
AssigneeGeneral Signal Corporation
InventorAnatoli S. Boulaev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A crystal-growing machine (10) includes a furnace chamber (12) and two loading chambers (14 and 16) that permit simultaneous processing operations. At least one of the two loading chambers (14 and 16) includes a lifting mechanism (36) for pulling a crystal (40) from a melt (20) in the furnace chamber (12). A positioning mechanism (60) disengages one of the loading chambers (14 and 16) from the furnace chamber (12) for cooling the crystal (40) in an evacuated environment and engages the other of the loading chambers (14 and 16) for simultaneously recharging the melt (20) or starting growth of another crystal.
Claims38
A crystal-growing machine comprising:
- a vacuum furnace chamber for containing a melt of crystal-forming material;
- an opening in said furnace chamber for pulling a crystal from the melt;
- first and second vacuum loading chambers;
- each of said first and second vacuum loading chambers having an opening that is alternately engageable with said opening in the furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure between said furnace chamber and either of said first and second vacuum loading chambers;
- and
- a positioning mechanism that moves said first and second vacuum loading chambers between a first position at which said opening in the first vacuum loading chamber is engaged with said opening in the furnace chamber and a second position at which said opening in the second vacuum loading chamber is engaged with said opening in the furnace chamber.
3 more elements
A multi-chamber loader for a crystal-growing machine of a type including a vacuum furnace chamber for melting crystal-forming material comprising:
- a support;
- first and second vacuum loading chambers mounted from the support;
- each of said first and second vacuum loading chambers having an open end and a valve for closing said open end to maintain vacuum pressure within said vacuum loading chambers;
- said first vacuum loading chamber including a lifting mechanism for pulling a crystal from the vacuum furnace chamber through said open end of the first vacuum loading chamber;
- and
- a positioning mechanism for relatively moving said first and second vacuum loading chambers between respective positions in engagement with the vacuum furnace chamber.
3 more elements
A system for supplying a crystal-growing machine comprising:
- a preheating chamber for preheating crystal-forming material in a solid state;
- an opening in said preheating chamber for removing the preheated crystal-forming material;
- a furnace chamber for melting the preheated crystal-forming material;
- an opening in said furnace chamber for receiving the preheated crystal-forming material;
- a loading chamber for receiving the preheated crystal-forming material from the preheating chamber and for depositing the preheated crystal-forming material in the furnace chamber;
- an opening in said loading chamber being alternately engageable with (a) said opening in said preheating furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure between said preheating chamber and said loading chamber and (b) said opening in said furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure between said furnace chamber and said loading chamber;
- and
- a positioning mechanism that moves said loading chamber between (a) a first position at which said opening in the loading chamber is engaged with said opening in the preheating chamber for receiving the preheated crystal-forming material from the preheating chamber and (b) a second position at which said opening in the loading chamber is engaged with said opening in the furnace chamber for depositing the preheated crystal-forming material in the furnace chamber.
5 more elements
A system for handling crystal materials of a crystal-growing machine comprising:
- a loading chamber mounted from a support and having an opening and a valve within said opening;
- said opening in the loading chamber being shaped for engaging an opening in a furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum environment within which the crystal material can be transferred between the engaged chambers;
- said valve in the loading chamber providing for closing said opening in the loading chamber to maintain a separate vacuum pressure within said loading chamber;
- a transport chamber also having an opening and a valve within said opening in the transport chamber;
- said opening in the transport chamber being shaped for engaging said opening in the loading chamber for maintaining a common vacuum environment within which the crystal material can be transferred between the engaged chambers;
- and
- said valve in the transport chamber providing for closing said opening in the transport chamber to maintain a separate vacuum pressure within said transport chamber.
4 more elements
A cluster tool for simultaneously making a plurality of crystals comprising:
- a first furnace chamber for melting crystal-forming material;
- a first loading chamber engageable with said first furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure with said first furnace chamber;
- a first lifting mechanism for pulling a first crystal from said first furnace chamber into said first loading chamber;
- a second furnace chamber for melting crystal-forming material;
- a second loading chamber engageable with said second furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure with said second furnace chamber;
- a second lifting mechanism for pulling a second crystal from said second furnace chamber into said second loading chamber;
- a third loading chamber alternately engageable with (a) said first furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure with said first furnace chamber and (b) said second furnace chamber for maintaining a common vacuum pressure with said second furnace chamber;
- and
- a positioning device that moves said third loading chamber between positions of engagement with said first and second furnace chambers.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.