Abstract: The invention is an improved method and apparatus for growing crystals that incorporates an isolation valve between the growth and injection chambers to allow the growth chamber to be maintained at operating temperature and pressure while decoupling the injector chamber in order to make changes necessary to restart or advance the process. Separate heating elements in the injector assembly or chamber provide related heating control. Upper and lower load cells and programmable signal amplifiers are configured to weigh and output the dynamic weight range of the loss or gain of process materials of the growth chamber crucible and the injector assembly, and are connected by electrical slip rings or wireless means to a computer control system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 24, 1998
Date of Patent:
February 1, 2000
Assignee:
G.T. Equuipment Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
Ijaz H. Jafri, Mohan Chandra, Rick C. White, Kedar P. Gupta, Robert B. Farmer, Bernard D. Jones, David F. Bliss