Cable assembly for crystal puller

A cable assembly for supporting a seed chuck in a crystal puller to grow monocrystalline ingots according to the Czochralski method, the seed chuck being adapted for holding a seed crystal therein;

• the cable assembly being for use in lowering the seed crystal into a source of molten material disposed in the crystal puller to initiate growth of a silicon ingot and raising the growing ingot upward from the molten source material within the crystal puller, the cable assembly comprising:
• a cable adapted for generally vertical movement within the crystal puller relative to the molten source material;
• a chuck support connected to an end of the cable within the crystal puller, the chuck support being configured for supporting the seed chuck, said chuck support being constructed of a refractory material having a high creep rupture strength, the chuck support comprising an elongate shank having an upper end and a lower end and an enlarged end member at the lower end of the shank;
• and
• a coupling constructed of a malleable material and being deformable into engagement with said one end of the cable and the upper end of the shank to join the chuck support to the cable, the elongate shank spacing the coupling from the enlarged end member of the chuck support so that during operation of the crystal puller the coupling is substantially further above the molten source material than the chuck support as the cable assembly pulls the growing ingot upward within the crystal puller.