Patents by Inventor Thomas Schröck

Thomas Schröck 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).

  • Publication number: 20230011307
    Abstract: A method for producing and classifying polycrystalline silicon. The method includes producing polycrystalline silicon rod within a reaction space of a gas phase deposition reactor by introducing a reaction gas, which in addition to hydrogen contains silane and/or at least one halosilane. Once produced, the polycrystalline silicon rod is extracted from the reactor, and at least one two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image is generated of at least one partial region of the polycrystalline silicon rod or of at least one silicon chunk created. At least one analysis region is selected per generated image and at least two surface-structure indices per analysis region are generated by using image processing methods, each of which is generated using a different image processing method. The surface-structure indices are combined to form a morphology index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Applicant: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schröck, Markus WENZEIS
  • Publication number: 20220234900
    Abstract: A method for producing polycrystalline silicon includes introducing a reaction gas, which in addition to hydrogen contains silane and/or at least one halosilane, into a reaction space of a gas phase deposition reactor. The reaction space includes at least one heated filament rod upon which by deposition silicon is deposited to form a polycrystalline silicon rod. During the deposition, the the morphology of the silicon rod is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Markus Wenzeis, Piotr Filar, Thomas Schröck
  • Patent number: 11060202
    Abstract: Single crystal semiconductor ingots are pulled from a melt contained in a crucible by a method of controlling the pulling the single crystal in a phase in which an initial cone of the single crystal is grown until a phase in which the pulling of a cylindrical section of the single crystal is begun, by measuring the diameter Dcr of the initial cone of the single crystal and calculating the change in the diameter dDcr/dt; pulling the initial cone of the single crystal from the melt at a pulling rate vp(t) from a point in time t1 until a point in time t2, starting from which the pulling of the cylindrical section of the single crystal in conjunction with a target diameter Dcrs is begun, wherein the profile of the pulling rate vp(t) from the point in time t1 until the point in time t2 during the pulling of the initial cone is predetermined by means of an iterative computation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schroeck, Walter Heuwieser
  • Patent number: 11021808
    Abstract: FZ single crystals are pulled by melting a polycrystal with electromagnetic melting apparatus and then recrystallizing. First, a lower end of the polycrystal is melted; second, a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal and melted beginning from an upper end thereof; third, between a lower section of the seed and the polycrystal, a thin neck is formed whose diameter (dD) is smaller than that (dI) of the seed; and fourth, between the thin neck section and the polycrystal, a conical section is formed. Before the conical growth, a switchover position (h?) of the polycrystal, the position at which the rate of polycrystal movement relative to the melting apparatus is to be reduced is determined, and the rate is reduced, in amount when the switchover position (h?) is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 10988856
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by an FZ method, in which a polycrystal is melted by means of an electromagnetic melting apparatus and then recrystallized, wherein a first phase (P1) a lower end of the polycrystal, which is moved toward the melting apparatus, is melted by the melting apparatus to form a drop, and in a second phase (P2) a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal and is melted beginning from an upper end of the seed, where a power (P) of the melting apparatus during the first phase (P1) and during the second phase (P2) is predetermined at least temporarily in dependence on a temperature and/or geometrical dimensions of crystal material used which comprises the drop and/or the seed and/or the polycrystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 10907271
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by the FZ method, in which in a first phase, a lower end of the polycrystal is melted by the melting apparatus, in a second phase, a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal, and in a third phase, between a lower section of the seed and the polycrystal, a thin neck section is formed whose diameter is smaller than that of the seed, where the power of the melting apparatus before the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on a position of a lower phase boundary (PU) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the seed, and where the power of the melting apparatus during the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on the position of an upper phase boundary (PO) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the polycrystal plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 10738392
    Abstract: The diameter (dK) of a cylindrical section and of an end cone of a single crystal being pulled from a melt in a crucible, is determined by measuring the diameter (dK) of the single crystal at an interface with the melt while taking into account a lowering rate (vs) of a surface of the melt relative to the crucible, a lifting rate (vK) with which the crystal is raised relative to the crucible, and a conservation of mass, wherein a diameter of a cylindrical section of the single crystal, determined by means of observing a bright ring on the surface of the melt, and is used for a correction, a plausibility check or a comparison of the diameter (dK) of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schroeck, Thomas Aubrunner
  • Publication number: 20200149183
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by an FZ method, in which a polycrystal is melted by means of an electromagnetic melting apparatus and then recrystallized, wherein a first phase (P1) a lower end of the polycrystal, which is moved toward the melting apparatus, is melted by the melting apparatus to form a drop, and in a second phase (P2) a monocrystal line seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal and is melted beginning from an upper end of the seed, where a power (P) of the melting apparatus during the first phase (P1) and during the second phase (P2) is predetermined at least temporarily in dependence on a temperature and/or geometrical dimensions of crystal material used which comprises the drop and/or the seed and/or the polycrystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas SCHROECK
  • Publication number: 20200141025
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by the FZ method, in which in a first phase, a lower end of the polycrystal is melted by the melting apparatus, in a second phase, a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal, and in a third phase, between a lower section of the seed and the polycrystal, a thin neck section is formed whose diameter is smaller than that of the seed, where the power of the melting apparatus before the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on a position of a lower phase boundary (PU) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the seed, and where the power of the melting apparatus during the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on the position of an upper phase boundary (PO) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the polycrystal plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas SCHROECK
  • Publication number: 20190352795
    Abstract: FZ single crystals are pulled by melting a polycrystal with electromagnetic melting apparatus and then recrystallizing. First, a lower end of the polycrystal is melted; second, a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal and melted beginning from an upper end thereof; third, between a lower section of the seed and the polycrystal, a thin neck is formed whose diameter (dD) is smaller than that (dI) of the seed; and fourth, between the thin neck section and the polycrystal, a conical section is formed. Before the conical growth, a switchover position (h?) of the polycrystal, the position at which the rate of polycrystal movement relative to the melting apparatus is to be reduced is determined, and the rate is reduced, in amount when the switchover position (h?) is reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas SCHROECK
  • Publication number: 20190345630
    Abstract: Single crystal semiconductor ingots are pulled from a melt contained in a crucible by a method of controlling the pulling the single crystal in a phase in which an initial cone of the single crystal is grown until a phase in which the pulling of a cylindrical section of the single crystal is begun, by measuring the diameter Dcr of the initial cone of the single crystal and calculating the change in the diameter dDcr/dt; pulling the initial cone of the single crystal from the melt at a pulling rate vp(t) from a point in time t1 until a point in time t2, starting from which the pulling of the cylindrical section of the single crystal in conjunction with a target diameter Dcrs is begun, wherein the profile of the pulling rate vp(t) from the point in time t1 until the point in time t2 during the pulling of the initial cone is predetermined by means of an iterative computation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Thomas SCHROECK, Walter HEUWIESER
  • Publication number: 20180363163
    Abstract: The diameter (dK) of a cylindrical section and of an end cone of a single crystal being pulled from a melt in a crucible, is determined by measuring the diameter (dK) of the single crystal at an interface with the melt while taking into account a lowering rate (vS) of a surface of the melt relative to the crucible, a lifting rate (vK) with which the crystal is raised relative to the crucible, and a conservation of mass, wherein a diameter of a cylindrical section of the single crystal, determined by means of observing a bright ring on the surface of the melt, and is used for a correction, a plausibility check or a comparison of the diameter (dK) of the single crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Thomas SCHROECK, Thomas AUBRUNNER
  • Patent number: 9340897
    Abstract: The diameter of a single crystal is controlled to a set point diameter during pulling of the single crystal from a melt contained in a crucible and which forms a meniscus at a phase boundary on the edge of the single crystal, the meniscus having a height which corresponds to the distance between the phase boundary and a level of the surface of the melt outside the meniscus, comprising repeatedly: determining the diameter of a bright ring on the meniscus; calculating a diameter of the single crystal while taking into account the diameter of the bright ring and the dependency of the diameter of the bright ring on the height of the meniscus and on the diameter of the single crystal itself; and calculating at least one manipulated variable for controlling the diameter of the single crystal on the basis of the difference between the calculated diameter of the single crystal and the set point diameter of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Publication number: 20140360425
    Abstract: The diameter of a single crystal is controlled to a set point diameter during pulling of the single crystal from a melt contained in a crucible and which forms a meniscus at a phase boundary on the edge of the single crystal, the meniscus having a height which corresponds to the distance between the phase boundary and a level of the surface of the melt outside the meniscus, comprising repeatedly: determining the diameter of a bright ring on the meniscus; calculating a diameter of the single crystal while taking into account the diameter of the bright ring and the dependency of the diameter of the bright ring on the height of the meniscus and on the diameter of the single crystal itself; and calculating at least one manipulated variable for controlling the diameter of the single crystal on the basis of the difference between the calculated diameter of the single crystal and the set point diameter of the single crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas SCHROECK
  • Patent number: 8906157
    Abstract: Single crystal composed of silicon with a section having a diameter that remains constant, are pulled by a method wherein the single crystal is pulled with a predefined pulling rate vp having the units [mm/min]; and the diameter of the single crystal in the section having a diameter that remains constant is regulated to the predefined diameter by regulating the heating power of a first heating source which supplies heat to the single crystal and to a region of the melt that adjoins the single crystal and is arranged above the melt, such that diameter fluctuations are corrected with a period duration T that is not longer than (2·18 mm)/vp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schroeck, Wilfried von Ammon, Claus Kropshofer
  • Publication number: 20130201734
    Abstract: A device for suppressing high-frequency currents in infeed lines to an inverter having a common-mode impedance. A magnetic core is configured for inductively coupling the infeed lines, wherein the current load on the common-mode impedance is minimized. A snubber impedance unit is inductively coupled to the common-mode impedance and has a frequency-dependent impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Lorenz Jung, Robert Schmid, Thomas Schröck, Gerhard Zimmer
  • Publication number: 20110126757
    Abstract: Single crystal composed of silicon with a section having a diameter that remains constant, are pulled by a method wherein the single crystal is pulled with a predefined pulling rate vp having the units [mm/min]; and the diameter of the single crystal in the section having a diameter that remains constant is regulated to the predefined diameter by regulating the heating power of a first heating source which supplies heat to the single crystal and to a region of the melt that adjoins the single crystal and is arranged above the melt, such that diameter fluctuations are corrected with a period duration T that is not longer than (2·18 mm)/vp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schroeck, Wilfried von Ammon, Claus Kropshofer