# US 9,040,010 B2 · Apparatus for manufacturing single crystal silicon ingot having reusable dual crucible for silicon melting

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- Number: US 9,040,010 B2
- Document ID: US9040010B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/267,490
- Filed: 2011-10-06
- Published: 2012-11-15
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-12
- Assignees: Korea Institute of Energy Research
- Applicants: Jin-Seok Lee; Bo-Yun Jang; Young-Soo Ahn
- Inventors: Jin-Seok Lee; Bo-Yun Jang; Young-Soo Ahn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040010B2

## CPC

- C30B 29/06: Silicon
- C30B 15/10: Crucibles or containers for supporting the melt
- C30B 35/002: {Crucibles or containers}
- Y10T 117/1032: Seed pulling
- Y10T 117/1068: including heating or cooling details [e.g., shield configuration]
- Y10T 117/1072: including details of means providing product movement [e.g., shaft guides, servo means]
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot having a dual crucible for silicon melting which can be reused due to a dual crucible structure. The apparatus includes a dual crucible for silicon melting, into which raw silicon is charged, a crucible heater heating the dual crucible to melt the raw silicon into molten silicon, a crucible drive unit controlling rotation and elevation of the dual crucible, and a pull-up drive unit disposed above the dual crucible and pulling up a seed crystal dipped in the molten silicon to produce a silicon ingot. The dual crucible has a container shape open at an upper side thereof, and includes a graphite crucible having an inclined surface connecting an inner bottom and an inner wall, and a quartz crucible inserted into the graphite crucible and receiving the raw silicon charged into the dual crucible.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot, the apparatus comprising:
a dual crucible configured to melt raw silicon charged into the dual crucible;
a crucible heater configured to heat the dual crucible to melt the raw silicon into molten silicon;
a crucible drive unit configured to control rotation and elevation of the dual crucible; and
a pull-up drive unit disposed above the dual crucible, and configured to
pull up a seed crystal dipped in the molten silicon, and
produce a silicon ingot from the seed crystal,
wherein the dual crucible has a container shape which is open at an upper side thereof, and comprises:
a graphite crucible having a lower wall, an upper wall and an inclined surface connecting the lower wall; and
a quartz crucible inserted into the graphite crucible, and configured to receive the raw silicon charged into the dual crucible,
wherein the graphite crucible comprises a discharge port formed through the lower wall thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crucible heater comprise a coil surrounding an outside wall of the dual crucible.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pull-up drive unit comprises:
a seed crystal securing shaft configured to secure the seed crystal; and
a securing shaft drive unit connected to the seed crystal securing shaft, and configured to control rotation and elevation of the seed crystal securing shaft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crucible drive unit comprises:
a support chuck supporting a lower side of the dual crucible; and
a support chuck drive unit configured to control rotation and elevation of the support chuck.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphite crucible comprises:
a plurality of slits longitudinally extending through a wall of the graphite crucible.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a gate bar disposed between the dual crucible and the crucible drive unit, and configured to open and close the discharge port of the dual crucible.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inclined surface of the graphite crucible has a gradient of 3 degrees or more with respect to the lower wall of the graphite crucible.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quartz crucible is configured to be reused at least twice or more.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quartz crucible has a surface area corresponding to that of the graphite crucible to prevent the graphite crucible from contacting the raw silicon.