Apparatus and method for the horizontal, crucible-free growth of silicon sheet crystals

Patent · 31 December 1986

OSTI ID:866181

Ciszek, Theodore F ^[1]

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1. Evergreen, CO

Apparatus for continuously forming a silicon crystal sheet from a silicon rod in a noncrucible environment. The rod is rotated and fed toward an RF coil in an inert atmosphere so that the upper end of the rod becomes molten and the silicon sheet crystal is pulled therefrom substantially horizontally in a continuous strip. A shorting ring may be provided around the rod to limit the heating to the upper end only. Argon gas can be used to create the inert atmosphere within a suitable closed chamber. By use of this apparatus and method, a substantially defect-free silicon crystal sheet is formed that can be used for microcircuitry chips or solar cells.

• Research Organization: MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4650541
• OSTI ID: 866181
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/117/136/
apparatus
argon
atmosphere
cells
chamber
chips
closed
closed chamber
coil
continuous
continuous strip
continuously
create
crucible-free
crystal
crystals
defect-free
environment
fed
formed
forming
free silicon
gas
growth
heating
horizontal
horizontally
inert
inert atmosphere
limit
method
microcircuitry
molten
noncrucible
provided
pulled
rf
rf coil
rod
rotated
sheet
shorting
silicon
silicon crystal
silicon sheet
solar
solar cell
solar cells
strip
substantially
substantially defect
substantially horizontal
suitable
therefrom
upper