Patents by Inventor Winfried Schulmann

Winfried Schulmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6758901
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for supporting a crystal ingot while pulling a single crystal, in particular such a crystal composed of silicon, according to the Czochralski method. To this end, a crystal support is provided which engages with a specialized bead, which is formed on the neck of the single crystal ingot and which has the shape of a bicone, by means of bearings in a housing. A support of the crystal ingot is thus achieved which may be disengaged at any time, and which has no disruptive effects on crystal growth and which acts independently of the length of the grown crystal. The bearings are moved into the support position on the bicone by a central pulling element which can be independently displaced relative to a second pulling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Crystal Growing Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Helmut Kaiser
  • Publication number: 20020124795
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for supporting a crystal ingot while pulling a single crystal, in particular such a crystal composed of silicon, according to the Czochralski method. To this end, a crystal support is provided which engages with a specialized bead, which is formed on the neck of the single crystal ingot and which has the shape of a bicone, by means of bearings in a housing. A support of the crystal ingot is thus achieved which may be disengaged at any time, and which has no disruptive effects on crystal growth and which acts independently of the length of the grown crystal. The bearings are moved into the support position on the bicone by a central pulling element which can be independently displaced relative to a second pulling element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Helmut Kaiser
  • Patent number: 6412821
    Abstract: A device for connecting two bodies, especially a quartz body and a metallic body, which assures with few and simply formed components a high sealing ability at high temperature differences and at very low pressures and makes possible an easy assembly and disassembly. The device for the vacuum-tight connecting of two bodies of different materials, each of which has an essentially tubular end section (20, 30) and in the connected state of which the tubular end section (30) of the first body surrounds at least partially the end section (20) of the second body, includes an intermediate conduit (13) for intermediate suction removal of gases and is formed between the tubular end sections (20, 30) of the bodies with two seals (100, 150) which seal off the intermediate conduit (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Helmut Kaiser, Udo Wenske
  • Patent number: 6299684
    Abstract: A grip for a crystal ingot mounted on a pull shaft has grip arms which cross each other. These grip arms have respective holding jaws on the side of the crystal ingot opposite the swivel bearing of the respective grip arm. Furthermore, a respective activating arm is provided on them on the side of the grip arm opposite the swivel bearing. As a result of this configuration, the grip is biased by the weight of a gripped crystal ingot in the closing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Leybold Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Winfried Schulmann
  • Patent number: 6010569
    Abstract: In a device for handling heavy components of a crystal puller according to the Czochralski method, a supporting beam that can be pivoted about one vertical leg of a supporting frame and vertically adjusted includes holding claws for accommodating components or auxiliary devices. Profile rails, on which a carriage can be laterally displaced, are arranged perpendicular to the supporting beam. The carriage can be connected to a receptacle for gripping and holding the crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignees: Balzers and Leybold Deutschland Holding AG, Leybold Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Udo Wenske, Helmut Kaiser, Franz Thimm
  • Patent number: 5935329
    Abstract: In a lifting unit for a device for pulling monocrystals, a frame that extends in the horizontal direction and surrounds a pulling shaft and/or a crystal is provided with at least two bearings as well as two-armed grippers that are held in the aforementioned bearings and can be pivoted in vertical planes. The respective gripping arms are aligned with the rotational axis of the frame and have such a length that the end surfaces of the gripping arms which face one another tightly adjoin one another in the closed position and only allow a limited pivoting movement. The respective free ends of the two-armed grippers are coupled to tie rods that approximately extend in the vertical direction. The upper ends of the tie rods are connected in articulated fashion via a horizontally extending crossbeam, where the crossbeam with a spindle nut can be adjusted along the pulling shaft via a threaded spindle. The frame is suspended on cables that serve for pivoting the gripping arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Leybold Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Winfried Schulmann
  • Patent number: 5846322
    Abstract: A crucible is mounted on a crucible support bolt (11, 34) in a vacuum chamber (33) resting on a base stand (32) and can be heated by the thermal radiation of a heating element. A drawing element (35) is provided above the melt, by means of which the crystal can be drawn up from the surface of the melt into a transfer lock chamber (36), which can be pivoted laterally with respect to the base stand (32). A separating device is provided between the crystal and the drawing element (35) to separate the crystal from the drawing element (35). The base stand (32) is formed by a platform (38) supported by four posts (37) three additional legs (39) of equal length extend upward from three of the four corners of the rectangular platform (38) holding the vacuum chamber (33), these (39) being held together at their top ends by a horizontal frame (40), which forms a right triangle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Balzers UND Leybold Deutschland Holding AG
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Helmut Kaiser, Franz Thimm
  • Patent number: 5766348
    Abstract: A rotating head (11) for crystal pulling systems (1) according to Czochralski has a reference platform (16) which is able to rotate around a vertical rotation axis (A--A) with a vertical feed-through opening (25) for a pulling cable (13) that can be wound up and a drive assembly (23) for driving a shaft (22). A winding drum (15) with a helical winding groove (29) for the pulling cable is located on this shaft in a fixed manner so it cannot rotate, but can be moved axially. In order to avoid abrasion and contamination and to accurately guide the cable (13), a helical guiding element (30) with the same pitch as the winding groove is located on the shaft (22) at a location remote from the vertical rotation axis (A--A). This guiding element is able to rotate with the shaft. The guiding element works together with a guiding nut (31) in such a way that the part of the cable (13) which faces tangentially away from the winding drum (15) is directly guided in the vertical rotation axis (A--A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Franz Thimm, Helmut Kaiser
  • Patent number: 5762703
    Abstract: A puller (22) above the melt extracts a crystal (8) upwardly out of the melt surface into a laterally turnable airlock chamber (5) An uncoupling device (7) provided between the crystal (8) and the puller permits the severance of the crystal (8) from the puller. The device (7) is formed by a coupling ring (10) connected to the pull shaft (22) and having a longitudinal slot (9) which cooperates with a crystal holder which is provided with a mushroom-shaped head part (11), and by an airlock ring (14) held by the cover plate (15) of the airlock chamber (5). Airlock gates (13, 13') journaled on the airlock ring (14) pivot about horizontal axes (35, 35') from a horizontal locking position to a vertical open position and vice versa, their end faces (16, 16') forming an opening (17) in the locking position, thereby encompassing the shaft (19) of the seed holder (12) to lock it in the plane of the airlock ring (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Balzers UND Leybold Deutschland holding AG
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Franz Thimm, Helmut Kaiser
  • Patent number: 5707447
    Abstract: A crystal pulling apparatus for producing a crystal boule (17) from a material melted in a crucible (4) has, in a tank (1), a heater (5) surrounding the crucible (4). The tank (1) has in the area of the crucible (4) an annular chamber (8) defined on the heater (5) side by an inner protective wall (6) and connected to the shielding gas outlet (14, 15), and on the outside by an outer protective wall (7) behind which the thermal insulation (10) of the tank (1) is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding AG
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Johann Scholler
  • Patent number: 5702523
    Abstract: A rotating head (11) for crystal pulling systems (1) according to Czochralski has a reference platform (16) which is able to rotate around a vertical rotation axis (A--A) with a vertical feed-through opening (25) for a pulling cable (13) that can be wound up and a drive assembly (23) for driving a horizontal shaft (22). A winding drum (15) with a helical winding groove (29) for the pulling cable is located on this shaft in a fixed manner so it cannot rotate, but can be moved axially. In order to avoid abrasion and contamination and to accurately guide the cable (13), a helical guiding element (30) with the same pitch as the winding groove is located on the horizontal shaft (22) at a location remote from the vertical rotation axis (A--A). This guiding element is able to rotate with the horizontal shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Franz Thimm, Helmut Kaiser
  • Patent number: 5631511
    Abstract: A gear motor (1), with an electric motor (4) whose rotor (7) has a hollow shaft (8), drives, through at least one gear box (26) with at least one drive step, at least one load. For the purpose of compact configuration combined with low vibration, there is coaxially disposed in the hollow shaft (8) an output shaft (19) which can be shifted selectively by means of a first clutch (24) to the hollow shaft (8), and by means of a second clutch (16) via the gear box (26) to the hollow shaft (8). Preferably the clutches are configured as magnetic clutches, and again preferably the first clutch (24) is disposed for the direct shifting of the hollow shaft (8) to the output shaft (19) at the one end of the hollow shaft (8), and the second clutch (16) at the other end of the hollow shaft (8). The gear motor (1) is used preferentially for driving rotary parts in crystal pulling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Winfried Schulmann, Franz Thimm, Helmut Kaiser