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Title: System and method for crystalline sheet growth using a cold block and gas jet

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1439330
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A crystallizer for growing a crystalline sheet from a melt may include a cold block having a cold block surface that faces an exposed surface of the melt, the cold block configured to generate a cold block temperature at the cold block surface that is lower than a melt temperature of the melt at the exposed surface. The system may also include a nozzle disposed within the cold block and configured to deliver a gas jet to the exposed surface, wherein the gas jet and the cold block are interoperative to generate a process zone that removes heat from the exposed surface at a first heat removal rate that is greater than a second heat removal rate from the exposed surface in outer regions outside of the process zone.

Research Organization:
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc., Gloucester, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
EE0000595
Assignee:
VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATES, INC. (Gloucester, MA)
Patent Number(s):
9,957,636
Application Number:
14/226,991
OSTI ID:
1439330
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Mar 27
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (16)

Lateral pulling growth of crystal ribbons and apparatus therefor patent October 1980
Lateral pulling growth of crystal ribbons and apparatus therefor patent April 1981
Method and apparatus for producing crystalline ribbons patent September 1981
Controlled heat sink for crystal ribbon growth patent November 1983
Method and apparatus for zone recrystallization patent June 1988
Appartus for making inorganic webs and structures formed thereof patent July 1992
Binary and ternary crystal purification and growth method and apparatus patent October 2004
Formation of a silicon sheet by cold surface casting patent November 2007
Method and apparatus for producing a dislocation-free crystalline sheet patent October 2010
Floating sheet production apparatus and method patent December 2010
Sheet manufacturing method, sheet, sheet manufacturing apparatus, and solar cell patent-application June 2003
Apparatus for fabricating large-surface area polycrystalline silicon sheets for solar cell application patent-application July 2007
Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Silicon Substrate, and Silicon Substrate patent-application April 2010
Formation of Silicon Sheets by Impinging Fluid patent-application November 2010
Method for Achieving Sustained Anisotropic Crystal Growth on the Surface of a Melt patent-application August 2013
Improvements in the Horizontal Ribbon Growth technique for single crystal silicon journal September 1980

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