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

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

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, Kansas City, MO (United States)
• 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

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