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US 7,141,114 B2Granted
Process for producing a crystalline silicon ingot
AssigneeREC Silicon Inc
InventorsMichael V. Spangler, Carl D. Seburn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved process for producing a crystalline silicon ingot, a crystalline silicon wafer and a photovoltaic cell using the directional solidification process, and more particularly to loading and preparing a mold for the process of directional solidification. At least one rod polysilicon section and at least one chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon is loaded into the mold, increasing packing density and thermal conductivity of the polysilicon contents while reducing contamination and resources expended to process a production cycle.
Claims50
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a mold suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon using a directional solidification process;
- loading at least two rod polysilicon sections into the mold, wherein at least two rod polysilicon sections are in contact with one another;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into the mold;
- heating the mold until the at least two rod polysilicon sections and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon melt to form a molten silicon mass;
- and
- cooling the molten mass by the directional solidification process to cause the molten silicon mass to crystallize and form a polycrystalline silicon ingot within the mold.
3 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a plurality of molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon using a directional solidification process;
- loading at least two rod polysilicon sections into each mold, wherein at least two rod polysilicon sections are in contact with one another;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into each mold;
- heating the plurality of molds until the at least two rod polysilicon sections and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon melt to form molten silicon masses;
- and
- cooling the plurality of molds by the directional solidification process thereby causing the molten silicon masses to crystallize within the molds and form a plurality of polycrystalline silicon ingots.
3 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a mold suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein the mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom, the mold is defined by a length, a width and a height, the length of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 70 cm, the width of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 50 cm and the height of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 43 cm;
- loading at least one rod polysilicon section defined by a diameter and a length into the mold, wherein the diameter of the at least one rod polysilicon section is within the range of 80 mm to 140 mm, the length of the at least one rod polysilicon section is within the range of 8 cm to 68 cm;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into the mold;
- and
- placing the mold into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the at least one rod polysilicon section and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon by the directional solidification process.
2 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a plurality of molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein each mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom, the mold is defined by a length, a width and a height, the length of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 70 cm, the width of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 50 cm and the height of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 43 cm;
- loading at least one rod polysilicon section defined by a diameter and a length into each mold, wherein the diameter of the at least one rod polysilicon section is within the range of 80 mm to 140 mm, the length of the at least one rod polysilicon section is within the range of 8 cm to 68 cm;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into each mold;
- and
- placing the molds into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the at least one rod polysilicon section and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon in each mold by the directional solidification process.
2 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a mold suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein the mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom;
- loading a plurality of rod polysilicon sections into the mold in an offset-layered configuration or a crisscross-layered configuration;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into the mold;
- heating the mold until the rod polysilicon sections and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon melt to form a molten silicon mass;
- and
- cooling the the molten mass by the directional solidification process to cause the molten silicon mass to crystallize and form a polycrystalline silicon ingot within the mold.
3 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a plurality of molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein each mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom;
- loading a plurality of rod polysilicon sections into each mold in an offset-layered configuration or a crisscross-layered configuration;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into each mold;
- and
- placing the plurality of molds into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the plurality of rod silicon sections and the at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon by the directional solidification process.
2 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a mold suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein the mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom, the mold is defined by a length, a width and a height, the length of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 70 cm, the width of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 50 cm and the height of the mold is within the range 10 cm to 43 cm;
- loading a plurality of rod polysilicon sections into the mold in an offset-layered configuration or a crisscross-layered configuration, wherein the plurality of rod polysilicon sections have been prepared by a Siemens process, the rod polysilicon sections are each defined by a length and a diameter, the diameter of the plurality of rod polysilicon sections is within the range of 80 mm to 140 mm and the length of the at least one of the rod polysilicon sections is within the range of 8 cm to 68 cm;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into the mold;
- and
- placing the mold into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the plurality of rod polysilicon sections and at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon by a directional solidification process.
2 more elements
A directional solidification process, comprising:
- providing a plurality of molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a directional solidification process, wherein each mold is rectangular and includes a flat bottom, each mold is defined by a length, a width and a height, the length of each mold is within the range 10 cm to 70 cm, the width of each mold is within the range 10 cm to 50 cm and the height of each mold is within the range 10 cm to 43 cm;
- loading a plurality of rod polysilicon sections into each mold in a offset-layered configuration or a crisscross-layered configuration, wherein the plurality of rod polysilicon sections have been prepared by a Siemens process, the rod polysilicon sections are each defined by a length and a diameter, the diameter of the plurality of rod polysilicon sections is within the range of 80 mm to 140 mm and the length of the plurality of rod polysilicon sections is within the range of 8 cm to 68 cm;
- loading at least one of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon into each mold;
- and
- placing the plurality of molds into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the plurality of rod polysilicon sections and the at least one chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon or granular polysilicon by the directional solidification process.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.