Patents by Inventor Milind S. Kulkarni

Milind S. Kulkarni 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: 8906313
    Abstract: Gas distribution units of fluidized bed reactors are configured to direct thermally decomposable compounds to the center portion of the reactor and away from the reactor wall to prevent deposition of material on the reactor wall and process for producing polycrystalline silicon product in a reactor that reduce the amount of silicon which deposits on the reactor wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: SunEdison, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Puneet Gupta, Balaji Devulapalli, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar, Kwasi Foli
  • Patent number: 8728574
    Abstract: Gas distribution units of fluidized bed reactors are configured to direct thermally decomposable compounds to the center portion of the reactor and away from the reactor wall to prevent deposition of material on the reactor wall and process for producing polycrystalline silicon product in a reactor that reduce the amount of silicon which deposits on the reactor wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Puneet Gupta, Balaji Devulapalli, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar, Kwasi Foli
  • Patent number: 8673248
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a single crystal silicon ingot or wafer wherein the lateral incorporation effect of intrinsic point defects has been manipulated such that the formation of agglomerated intrinsic point defects and/or oxygen precipitate clusters in a ring extending radially inward from about the lateral surface of the ingot segment is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Milind S. Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 8404206
    Abstract: Gas distribution units of fluidized bed reactors are configured to direct thermally decomposable compounds to the center portion of the reactor and away from the reactor wall to prevent deposition of material on the reactor wall and process for producing polycrystalline silicon product in a reactor that reduce the amount of silicon which deposits on the reactor wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Puneet Gupta, Balaji Devulapalli, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar, Kwasi Foli
  • Patent number: 8216362
    Abstract: Processes for preparing a single crystal silicon ingot are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the processes involve controlling (1) a growth velocity, v, of the ingot as well as (2) an average axial temperature gradient, G, a corrected average axial temperature gradient, Gcorrected, or an effective average axial temperature gradient, Geffective, during the growth of at least a segment of the constant diameter portion of the ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Milind S. Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20120100059
    Abstract: Processes for producing polycrystalline silicon by thermal decomposition of trichlorosilane are disclosed. The processes generally involve thermal decomposition of trichlorosilane in a fluidized bed reactor operated at reaction conditions that result in a high rate of productivity relative to conventional production processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Satish Bhusarapu, Yue Huang, Puneet Gupta, Milind S. Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20110244124
    Abstract: Gas distribution units of fluidized bed reactors are configured to direct thermally decomposable compounds to the center portion of the reactor and away from the reactor wall to prevent deposition of material on the reactor wall and process for producing polycrystalline silicon product in a reactor that reduce the amount of silicon which deposits on the reactor wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Puneet Gupta, Balaji Devulapalli, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar, Kwasi Foli
  • Patent number: 7878883
    Abstract: A system and method for slicing an ingot into wafers using the wire saw process. A slurry collection system collects and supplies slurry to a slurry handling system for controlling temperatures and/or flow rates of the slurry thereby providing slurry output at a controlled temperature and/or a controlled flow rate to slicing system for cutting the ingot, which may be preheated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: MEMC Electronics Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Puneet Gupta, Milind S. Kulkarni, Carlo Zavattari, Roland R. Vandamme
  • Publication number: 20090324819
    Abstract: Processes for producing polycrystalline silicon include contacting silicon particles with a thermally decomposable silicon compound in a reaction chamber. A portion of the silicon decomposable compound decomposes to produce silicon dust which is discharged from and reintroduced into the reaction chamber. The discharged silicon dust agglomerates with the silicon particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Steven L. Kimbel, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar
  • Publication number: 20090324479
    Abstract: Gas distribution units of fluidized bed reactors are configured to direct thermally decomposable compounds to the center portion of the reactor and away from the reactor wall to prevent deposition of material on the reactor wall and process for producing polycrystalline silicon product in a reactor that reduce the amount of silicon which deposits on the reactor wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Puneet Gupta, Balaji Devulapalli, Jameel Ibrahim, Vithal Revankar, Kwasi Foli
  • Publication number: 20090320743
    Abstract: A system for growing silicon crystals that facilitates controlling a shape of a melt-solid interface is described. The crystal growing system includes a heated crucible including a semiconductor melt from which a monocrystalline ingot is grown according to a Czochralski process. The ingot is grown on a seed crystal pulled from the melt. The method includes applying an unbalanced cusped magnetic field to the melt, and rotating the ingot and the crucible in the same direction while the ingot is being pulled from the melt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hariprasad Sreedharamurthy, Milind S. Kulkarni, Richard G. Schrenker, Joseph C. Holzer, Harold W. Korb
  • Publication number: 20070266929
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a single crystal silicon ingot, as well as to the ingot or wafer resulting therefrom. In one embodiment, the process comprises controlling the growth velocity, v, and the effective or corrected axial temperature gradient, as defined herein, such that, within a given segment of the ingot, the ratio v/Geffective, or v/Gcorrected, is substantially near the critical value thereof over a substantial portion of the radius of that segment, and controlling the cooling rate of the segment between (i) solidification and about 1250° C., and (ii) about 1250° C. and about 1000° C., in order to manipulate the effect of the lateral incorporation of intrinsic point defects therein, and thus limit the formation of agglomerated intrinsic point defects and/or oxygen precipitate clusters in a ring extending radially inward from about the lateral surface of the ingot segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Milind S. Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20070269361
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a single crystal silicon ingot or wafer wherein the lateral incorporation effect of intrinsic point defects has been manipulated such that the formation of agglomerated intrinsic point defects and/or oxygen precipitate clusters in a ring extending radially inward from about the lateral surface of the ingot segment is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Milind S. Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20020034881
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous etching solution, a method for tailoring the composition of the solution to provide a desired surface quality for a given quantity of stock to be removed, a process for etching a silicon wafer using said solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: Milind S. Kulkarni, Henry F. Erk, Judith Schmidt