US 7,608,146 B2 · Method and apparatus for the production of crystalline silicon substrates

Abstract

An apparatus and method for producing a crystalline ribbon continuously from a melt pool of liquid feed material, e.g. silicon. The silicon is melted and flowed into a growth tray to provide a melt pool of liquid silicon. Heat is passively extracted by allowing heat to flow from the melt pool up through a chimney. Heat is simultaneously applied to the growth tray to keep the silicon in its liquid phase while heat loss is occurring through the chimney. A template is placed in contact with the melt pool as heat is lost through the chimney so that the silicon starts to “freeze” (i.e. solidify) and adheres to the template. The template is then pulled from the melt pool thereby producing a continuous ribbon of crystalline silicon.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for producing a continuous, ribbon comprising a feed material, said apparatus comprising:

a melt chamber for melting said feed material, said melt chamber having an outlet;
a growth tray positioned to receive melted feed material from said outlet in said melt chamber, a baffle positioned in said outlet of said melt chamber and adapted to allow only melted feed material to flow through said outlet and into said growth tray, retaining any solids within the melt chamber;
and a heat-extracting means spaced from but in thermal communication with said melted feed material in said growth tray and positioned downstream of said outlet in said melt chamber, said heat-extracting means including an adjustable means adapted to regulate the amount of heat which will radiate from said melted feed material in said growth tray.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for the production of crystalline silicon substrates

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for the production of crystalline silicon substrates

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8