Seed Pulling Patents (Class 117/208)
  • Patent number: 12027411
    Abstract: Semiconductor processing tools are provided that include a support framework, semiconductor processing chambers arranged along an axis, an attachment point connected to the support framework, and a detachable hoist system. Each chamber includes a base portion fixedly mounted relative to the support framework and a removable top cover including one or more hoisting features. The detachable hoist system includes a vertical member including a top end including a complementary attachment point and a bottom end including a movement mechanism supported by a floor. The complementary attachment point is detachably connected to the attachment point. The detachable hoist system further includes a hoist arm connected to the vertical member. The hoist arm is configured to pivot about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the axis, and includes one or more links and a hoist feature engagement interface configured to engage with the hoisting features of any of the removable top covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Albert Avanzino, Jerrel K. Antolik, Daniel Arthur Brown, Jason Lee Treadwell
  • Patent number: 11703452
    Abstract: A measurement method and a measurement apparatus are capable of measuring the transmittance of a quartz crucible accurately. A measurement method includes: emitting a parallel light from a light source disposed on a side of one wall surface of a quartz crucible toward a predetermined measurement point of the quartz crucible; measuring reception levels of light transmitted through the quartz crucible at a plurality of positions by disposing a detector at the plurality of positions on a circle centered around an exit point of the parallel light on the other wall surface of the quartz crucible; and calculating a transmittance of the quartz crucible at the predetermined measurement point based on a plurality of the reception levels of the transmitted light measured at the plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunobu Shimizu, Keiichi Takanashi, Takeshi Fujita, Eriko Kitahara, Masanori Fukui
  • Patent number: 11629429
    Abstract: A quartz glass crucible including bottom, curved, and straight body portions, where the quartz glass crucible includes an outer layer including opaque quartz glass containing bubbles, and an inner layer including transparent quartz glass, the outer layer fabricated from different types of raw material powder, the outer layer having regions sectioned by bubble content densities, and bubble content densities of two outer layer adjacent regions, when da (pcs/mm3) is defined as content density of a region “a” having a greater content density, and db (pcs/mm3) is defined as content density of a region “b” having a smaller content density, a difference D=(da?db)/db between content densities of the two regions is 10% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU QUARTZ PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Baba
  • Patent number: 11408089
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a device for preparing a crystal and a method for growing a crystal. The device may include a growth chamber configured to execute a crystal growth; and a temperature control system configured to heat the growth chamber to cause that a radial temperature difference in the growth chamber does not exceed a first preset range of an average temperature in the growth chamber during the crystal growth. The method may include placing a seed crystal and a source material in a growth chamber to grow a crystal; and controlling a heating component based on information of a temperature sensing component, to cause that a radial temperature difference in the growth chamber does not exceed a first preset range of an average temperature in the growth chamber during a crystal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: MEISHAN BOYA ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Wang, Tian Yang, Zhenxing Liang, Min Li
  • Patent number: 11326270
    Abstract: A single-crystal production equipment which includes, at least: a raw material supply apparatus which supplies a granular raw material to a melting apparatus positioned therebelow; the melting apparatus heats and melts the granular raw material to generate a raw material melt and supplies the raw material melt into a single-crystal production crucible positioned therebelow; and a crystallization apparatus which includes the single-crystal production crucible in which a seed single crystal is placed on the bottom, and a first infrared ray irradiation equipment which irradiates an infrared ray to the upper surface of the seed single crystal in the single-crystal production crucible, and the single-crystal production equipment is configured such that the raw material melt is dropped into a melt formed by irradiating the upper surface of the seed single crystal with the infrared ray, and a single crystal is allowed to precipitate out of the thus formed mixed melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Crystal Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Isamu Shindo
  • Patent number: 10844514
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an open Czochralski furnace for single crystal growth. The crystal growth apparatus may include a furnace chamber which includes a furnace body and a furnace cover. The furnace cover may be mounted on a top of the furnace body. The furnace cover may include a first through hole. The first through hole may be configured to place a temperature field. The crystal growth apparatus in the present disclosure can solve a problem that a traditional vacuum furnace needs to firstly pump a high vacuum and secondly recharge a protecting gas, thereby improving the apparatus safety; simplify the structure of the furnace body such that components that need maintenance and repair can be disassembled quickly, thereby reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs; improve the operation accuracy and stability of the apparatus; and reduce the influence of heat convection on the stability of weighing signals in the open furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: MEISHAN BOYA ADVANCED MATERIALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Wang, Weiming Guan, Zhenxing Liang
  • Patent number: 10845777
    Abstract: A teaching apparatus is provided with an arm-side position sensor attached to arms, a dummy wafer placed on a stage, a dummy-wafer-side position sensor attached to the dummy wafer, and a signal receiver configured to receive a position signal from the arm-side position sensor to determine a position coordinate of the arm-side position sensor, and receive a position signal from the dummy-wafer-side position sensor to determine a position coordinate of the dummy-wafer-side position sensor. A control part, based on the position coordinate of the dummy-wafer-side position sensor, calculates a position coordinate of the arm-side position sensor when the arms hold the wafer, and moves the arms such that the arm-side position sensor moves to the calculated position coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidetatsu Isokawa
  • Patent number: 10724151
    Abstract: A device of manufacturing a silicon carbide single crystal includes a crucible, a first resistive heater, a second resistive heater, and a first support portion. The crucible has a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a tubular side surface located between the top surface and the bottom surface. The first resistive heater is disposed to face the bottom surface. The second resistive heater is provided to surround the side surface. The first support portion supports the crucible such that the bottom surface is separated from the first resistive heater, and the side surface is separated from the second resistive heater. The first support portion is in contact with at least one of the top surface and the side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hori, Shin Harada
  • Patent number: 10323334
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for producing a quartz glass crucible for pulling a single crystal silicon from a silicon melt held therein, including the steps of: producing a quartz glass crucible having an outer layer including an opaque quartz glass containing bubbles therein and an inner layer including a transparent quartz glass containing substantially no bubbles; roughening a region of an inner surface of the produced quartz glass crucible, the region being in contact with the silicon melt when holding the silicon melt; and heating the quartz glass crucible having the roughened inner surface to crystallize a surface of the roughened region. This can produce a quartz glass crucible for pulling a single crystal silicon which can suppress generation of a brown ring on the inner surface of the crucible during pulling the single crystal silicon and can suppress crystallinity disorder of the single crystal silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU QUARTZ PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Baba
  • Patent number: 10221500
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming an ingot from a melt are disclosed. A system includes a crucible defining a cavity for receiving the melt, and a first and second barrier to inhibit movement of the melt. A first passageway and a second passageway are arranged to allow the melt located within an outer zone to move into and through a transition zone and into an inner zone. Conditioning members are placed in at least one of the zones and arranged to contact the melt to reduce the number of micro-voids in the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Corner Star Limited
    Inventors: Salvador Zepeda, Richard J. Phillips, Christopher Vaughn Luers, Steven Lawrence Kimbel, Harold W. Korb, John D. Holder, Carissima Marie Hudson, Hariprasad Sreedharamurthy, Stephan Haringer, Marco Zardoni
  • Patent number: 10094042
    Abstract: A growing single crystal is supported in the region of a conical section of the single crystal via a supporting body during crystallization of the single crystal by the FZ method. The method comprises pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal at a temperature at which a first material of the supporting body becomes soft, and continuing pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal until the first material and a second material of the supporting body that remains hard at the cited temperature touch the conical section of the growing single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Kurt Niederer, Helmut Teroerde, Josef Berger, Goetz Meisterernst, Frank Muemmler, Simon Zitzelsberger
  • Patent number: 9908282
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor includes providing a mold defining a planar capillary space; placing a measure of precursor in fluid communication with the capillary space; creating a vacuum around the mold and within the planar capillary space; melting the precursor; allowing the melted precursor to flow into the capillary space; and cooling the melted precursor within the mold such that the precursor forms a semiconductor, the operations of melting the precursor, allowing the precursor to flow into the capillary space, and cooling the melted precursor occurring in the vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Mossey Creek Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John Carberry
  • Patent number: 9863061
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a vitreous silica crucible 1 includes a cylindrical straight body portion 10a, a corner portion 10c formed at lower end of the straight body portion 10a, and a bottom portion 10b connected with the straight body portion 10a via the corner portion 10c. Moreover, the vitreous silica crucible 1 includes a bubble-containing opaque layer 11 constituting an outer layer, and a bubble-free transparent layer 12 constituting an inner layer. A boundary surface, between the opaque layer 11 and the transparent layer 12 in at least the straight body portion 10a, forms a periodic wave surface in a vertical direction. The vitreous silica crucible can suppress deformation under high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Ken Kitahara, Eriko Kitahara
  • Patent number: 9822468
    Abstract: A method for producing a SiC single crystal by a solution process is provided, which allows generation of miscellaneous crystals to be reduced. Method for producing a SiC single crystal wherein a crucible has thickness Lu in horizontal direction at same height as liquid level of Si—C solution, and thickness Ld in horizontal direction at same height as bottom inner wall, Ld/Lu is 2.00 to 4.21, and thickness in horizontal direction of crucible monotonously increases between Lu and Ld from Lu toward Ld, wall thickness of crucible is 1 mm or greater, bottom thickness Lb in vertical direction of crucible is between 1 mm and 15 mm, bottom outer wall of crucible has flat section with area of 100 mm2 or greater, depth of Si—C solution from bottom inner wall is 30 mm or greater, and method includes heating and electromagnetic stirring Si—C solution with high-frequency coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori Daikoku, Kazuhito Kamei, Kazuhiko Kusunoki, Kazuaki Seki, Yutaka Kishida
  • Patent number: 9777400
    Abstract: A method for producing a single crystal includes a step of placing a source material powder and a seed crystal within a crucible, and a step of growing a single crystal on the seed crystal. The crucible includes a peripheral wall part and a bottom part and a lid part that are connected to the peripheral wall part to close the openings of the peripheral wall part, the lid part having a holder that holds the seed crystal. The bottom part has a connection region connected to the peripheral wall part and a thick region that is thicker than the connection region and that surrounds a central axis passing through a center of gravity of orthogonal projection of the bottom part, the orthogonal projection being formed on a plane perpendicular to a growth direction of the single crystal, the central axis extending in the growth direction of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsaku Ueta, Tsutomu Hori, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9758901
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which inhibits a deformation even when used under a high temperature condition for a long time, and a method for manufacturing the same. The vitreous silica crucible comprises: a substantially cylindrical straight body portion having an opening on the top end and extending in a vertical direction, a curved bottom portion, and a corner portion connecting the straight body portion with the bottom portion and a curvature of which is greater than that of the bottom portion, wherein, the vitreous silica crucible comprises a transparent layer on the inside and a bubble layer on the outside thereof, a compressive stress layer in which compressive stress remains in the inner surface side of the transparent layer, and a tensile stress layer in which tensile stress remains and is adjacent to the compressive stress layer at a gradual rate of change of stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Ken Kitahara, Akihiro Aiba, Kazushi Ousyuya, Fumie Yoshida, Makiko Hinooka, Eriko Kitahara, Tadahiro Sato
  • Patent number: 9657408
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ingot manufacturing apparatus that includes: an inner wall which has a growth zone where an ingot IG grows from molten silicon; a crucible which surrounds the inner wall; and a heat reflector which is formed convexly toward an interface between a surface of the molten silicon of the growth zone and the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: TECHNOVALUE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun Goo Kwon, Yeo Kyun Yoon, Min Soo Son
  • Patent number: 9611565
    Abstract: A method for preventing molten material breach in a crystal growth apparatus includes providing a chamber of the crystal growth apparatus which is coated with a ceramic material. The chamber can be coated on an interior surface to prevent damage to the chamber itself, which is made of steel, and to prevent steam explosions in the water-cooled chamber. Ceramic blanket layers also can be provided over the coated interior surface of the chamber. As a result, it is possible to produce high quality crystalline products while minimizing the hazards and costs in the event of a spill of molten material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: GTAT Corporation
    Inventors: Bhuvaragasamy G. Ravi, Parthasarathy S. Raghavan, Chandra P. Khattak, Carl Chartier, Dave Lackey, Dean C. Skelton
  • Patent number: 9592506
    Abstract: A method of crystallization is disclosed, the method comprises the steps of providing a microfluidic system comprising at least three channels having at least one junction; providing within the at least three channels a continuously flowing water-immiscible carrier-fluid, a continuously flowing first aqueous fluid comprising a crystallization target, and a continuously flowing second aqueous fluid comprising a precipitant; forming at least one plug comprising the first and second aqueous fluids by partitioning the aqueous fluids with the flowing carrier-fluid at the junction of the at least three channels, flowing the at least one plug through an outlet port into a tubing, and stopping the flow of the at least one plug in the tubing, wherein the crystallization target forms a crystal in the tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Chicago
    Inventors: Rustem F. Ismagilov, Joshua David Tice, Cory John Gerdts, Bo Zheng
  • Patent number: 9382640
    Abstract: The present invention provides a single-crystal silicon pulling silica container including an outer layer made of opaque silica glass containing gaseous bubbles and an inner layer made of transparent silica glass that does not substantially contain the gaseous bubbles; the container also including: a bottom portion, a curved portion, and a straight body portion, wherein continuous grooves are formed on a surface of the inner layer from at least part of the bottom portion to at least part of the straight body portion through the curved portion. As a result, there are provided the single-crystal silicon pulling silica container that can reduce defects called voids or pinholes in the pulled single-crystal silicon and a method for manufacturing such a silica container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU QUARTZ PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamagata
  • Patent number: 9376762
    Abstract: An apparatus for growing ingots by the Czochralski method includes a growth chamber defining an enclosure configured to circulate a purge gas about the growing ingot and a crucible provided in the growth chamber configured to hold the molten silicon. A weir is supported in the crucible and is configured to separate the molten silicon into an inner growth region surrounding the melt/crystal interface from an outer region configured to receive the crystalline feedstock. The weir comprises at least one sidewall extending vertically and a cap extending substantially perpendicularly to the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Solaicx
    Inventor: Tirumani N. Swaminathan
  • Patent number: 9187844
    Abstract: A single-crystal manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal ingot according to the Czochralski method including: a crucible that contains a raw material melt; a heater having a cylindrical heat generating portion that surrounds the crucible; a main chamber that accommodates the heater; a heater electrode that supports the heater and supplies current to the heater; and a heat insulating plate provided below the cylindrical heat generating portion of the heater, wherein the heat insulating plate is fixed to and supported by the heater electrode through an insulating stationary member, and an insulating support member is provided on an upper surface of the heat insulating plate at a position at which the insulating support member faces a lower end of the cylindrical heat generating portion. Provided is a single-crystal manufacturing apparatus that can inhibit heater deformation and prevent deterioration of heat efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 9115019
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal which can suppress melt surface vibration of silicon melt filled therein and has a long lifetime. The crucible includes a peripheral wall portion, a curved portion and a bottom portion, and has a plurality of micro recesses on the specific region of the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Hiroshi Kishi, Eriko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9040010
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot having a dual crucible for silicon melting which can be reused due to a dual crucible structure. The apparatus includes a dual crucible for silicon melting, into which raw silicon is charged, a crucible heater heating the dual crucible to melt the raw silicon into molten silicon, a crucible drive unit controlling rotation and elevation of the dual crucible, and a pull-up drive unit disposed above the dual crucible and pulling up a seed crystal dipped in the molten silicon to produce a silicon ingot. The dual crucible has a container shape open at an upper side thereof, and includes a graphite crucible having an inclined surface connecting an inner bottom and an inner wall, and a quartz crucible inserted into the graphite crucible and receiving the raw silicon charged into the dual crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
    Inventors: Jin-Seok Lee, Bo-Yun Jang, Young-Soo Ahn
  • Publication number: 20150136017
    Abstract: A carbon crucible (1) has a structure including a straight trunk portion (9) and a tray portion (10) vertically separated from each other. The straight trunk portion (9) is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon composite material and the tray portion (10) is made of graphite. An upper end face of the tray portion (9) is provided with a step portion (11) having an outer circumference-side region that is higher relative to an inner circumference-side region thereof. The straight trunk portion (9) is fitted to the step portion (11), and in the straight trunk portion (9) and the step portion (9) that are fitted to each other, a gap is provided between an inner circumferential surface (11a) of the step portion (11) and an outer circumferential surface (9a) of the straight trunk portion (9). The gap is preferably from 0.1% to 1.0% of the diameter of the straight trunk portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: TOYO TANSO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Hiraoka, Hiroshi Machino, Masaaki Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20150114284
    Abstract: The present invention provides a silica container for pulling single crystal, the container having a straight body portion, a curved portion, and a bottom portion, wherein an outer side of the container is made of opaque silica glass containing bubbles, and an inner side of the container is made of transparent silica glass, and a mixed silica layer in which a phase in which a crystalline silica powder is fused and a phase in which an amorphous silica powder is fused are mixed in a granular texture is provided on at least an inner surface layer portion of the straight body portion. As a result, there is provided the silica container for pulling single crystal silicon which can suppress melt surface vibration of a silicon melt in the silica container at a high temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamagata
  • Patent number: 8992682
    Abstract: A graphite crucible for silicon single crystal manufacturing by the Czochralski method, having a long life cycle, contains at least one gas venting hole provided in a corner portion of the crucible. Gas generated by reaction between the graphite crucible and a quartz crucible is released to the outside through the gas venting hole, and formation of SiC on the surface of the graphite crucible and deformation of the quartz crucible caused by the pressure of the generated gas are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventors: Hideo Kato, Hideaki Murakami, Mikio Suehiro
  • Publication number: 20150075418
    Abstract: A crucible for growing crystals, the crucible being formed from Molybdenum and Rhenium. A crucible for growing crystals, the crucible being formed from a metal selected from Group V of the Periodic Table of the Elements. A crucible for growing crystals, the crucible comprising a body and a layer formed on at least a portion of the body, the layer being formed out of Molybdenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Matthew V. Fonte
  • Patent number: 8980004
    Abstract: A crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal has a double structure comprising a silica crucible and a graphite crucible covering an outside of the silica crucible, wherein the silica crucible is provided at its opening end portion with an inward falling prevention means for imparting a radially outward force to a body portion of the silica crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Sato, Masaki Morikawa
  • Patent number: 8968470
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a graphite crucible for electromagnetic induction-based silicon melting and an apparatus for silicon melting/refining using the same, which performs a melting operation by a combination of indirect melting and direct melting. The crucible is formed of a graphite material and includes a cylindrical body having an open upper part through which a silicon raw material is charged into the crucible, and an outer wall surrounded by an induction coil, wherein a plurality of slits are vertically formed through the outer wall and an inner wall of the crucible such that an electromagnetic force created by an electric current flowing in the induction coil acts toward an inner center of the crucible to prevent a silicon melt from contacting the inner wall of the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
    Inventors: Bo Yun Jang, Young Soo Ahn, Joon Soo Kim, Sang Hyun Park, Dong Kook Kim, Gwon Jong Yu
  • Patent number: 8956455
    Abstract: A seed crystal holder for growing single crystals, such as for use in scintillation detectors for nuclear medicine. The holder includes a cooling shaft, a fastener attached to the cooling shaft, and a gasket for separating the cooling shaft from the seed crystal. The gasket is made of a heat-transferable material such as steel wool or metallic foil to conduct heat from the seed crystal to the cooling shaft, while also providing a cushioning effect to cushion the seed crystal against potentially damaging motion forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Olexy V. Radkevich, Volodimir Protsenko
  • Patent number: 8951346
    Abstract: A silica glass crucible for pulling up a silicon single crystal including an outer layer formed from a natural silica glass layer, and an inner layer formed from a synthetic silica glass layer, wherein the synthetic silica glass layer includes a first synthetic silica glass layer formed in a region within a certain range from the center of a crucible bottom section, and a second synthetic silica glass layer formed in a region which excludes the formation region of the first synthetic silica glass layer, and wherein the first synthetic silica glass layer has a thickness of 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less and a concentration of an OH group included in the first synthetic silica glass layer being 100 ppm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Harada, Masaki Morikawa, Satoshi Kudo
  • Publication number: 20150027364
    Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible 12 or inward fall of a sidewall 15 is effectively suppressed. The vitreous silica crucible 12 includes the cylindrical sidewall 15 having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom 16 including a curve, and a round portion 17 connecting the sidewall 15 and the bottom 16. In the vitreous silica crucible 12, the per-unit area thermal resistance in the thickness direction of the sidewall 15 is higher than that of the round portion 17.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 8936679
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a single crystal pulling-up apparatus of pulling-up silicon single crystals by a Czochralski method, is provided with: a neck diameter measuring portion which measures a diameter of a grown neck portion; a first compensation portion which outputs a first compensated pulling-up speed for the seed crystals based on a difference between a measured value of the diameter of the neck portion and a target value of the neck portion diameter previously stored; a second compensation portion which outputs a second pulling-up speed while limiting an upper limit of the first pulling-up speed to a first limit value; and a crucible rotation number compensation portion which lowers the number of a rotation of a crucible at least in a period where the upper limit of the first pulling-up speed is limited to the first limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Globalwafers Japan Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hironori Banba, Hiromichi Isogai, Yoshiaki Abe, Takashi Ishikawa, Shingo Narimatsu, Jun Nakao, Hiroyuki Abiko, Michihiro Ohwa
  • Patent number: 8936685
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can suppress the sidewall lowering of the crucible under high temperature during pulling a silicon single crystal, and a method of manufacturing such a vitreous silica crucible. The vitreous silica crucible 10 includes an opaque vitreous silica layer 11 provided on the outer surface side of the crucible and containing numerous bubbles, and a transparent vitreous silica layer 12 provided on the inner surface side. The opaque vitreous silica layer 11 includes a first opaque vitreous silica portion 11a provided on the crucible upper portion, and a second opaque vitreous silica portion 11b provided on the crucible lower portion. The specific gravity of the second opaque vitreous silica portion 11b is 1.7 to 2.1, and the specific gravity of the first opaque vitreous silica portion 11a is 1.4 to 1.8, and smaller than that of the second opaque vitreous silica portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Makiko Kodama, Minoru Kanda, Hiroshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 8936684
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can suppress buckling and sidewall lowering of the crucible and the generation of cracks. According to the present invention, a vitreous silica crucible is provided for pulling a silicon single crystal having a wall, the wall including a non-doped inner surface layer made of natural vitreous silica or synthetic vitreous silica, a mineralizing element-maldistributed vitreous silica layer containing dispersed island regions each containing a mineralizing element, and wherein the vitreous silica of the island regions and the vitreous silica of a surrounding region of the island regions is a combination of mineralizing element-doped natural vitreous silica and non-doped synthetic vitreous silica, or a combination of mineralizing element-doped synthetic vitreous silica and non-doped natural vitreous silica, and the inner surface layer is made of vitreous silica of a different kind from that of the island region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Hiroshi Kishi, Ken Kitahara
  • Patent number: 8920561
    Abstract: A silicon single crystal pull-up apparatus includes a pull-up furnace, a sample chamber in which a sublimable dopant is housed, a sample tube which can be raised and lowered between the interior of the sample chamber and the interior of the pull-up furnace, a raising and lowering means for raising and lowering the sample tube, a supply pipe which is installed inside the pull-up furnace and supplies the sublimable dopant to a melt, and a connection means for connecting the sample tube and the supply pipe. The connection means is constructed from a ball joint structure comprising a convex member which projects from one end of the sample tube and a concave member which is provided at one end of the supply pipe and is formed to be engageable with the convex member. The contact surfaces of the convex member and the concave member are formed to be curved surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhito Narushima, Shinichi Kawazoe, Fukuo Ogawa, Toshimichi Kubota, Tomohiro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20140352605
    Abstract: Making a barium-doped silica crucible includes forming a crucible by introducing into a rotating crucible mold bulk silica grains to form a bulky wall. After heating the interior of the mold to fuse the bulk silica grains, an inner silica grain, doped with barium, is introduced into the crucible. Residual heat or additional heat at least partially melts the inner silica grain, allowing the barium-doped silica layer to fuse to the wall of the crucible to form a glossy inner layer. Next, at least a part of the barium-doped silica layer is roughened. Also described are the crucible made thereby as well as silicon ingots made using the crucibles as described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Heraeus Shin-Etsu America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Fallows, Jeffrey S. Bailey, JR., Katsuhiko Kemmochi
  • Publication number: 20140352606
    Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible or fall of a sidewall into the crucible is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, dislocations in a silicon single crystal are suppressed to enhance the yield of the single crystal. The vitreous silica crucible is used to pull single-crystal silicon and includes the cylindrical sidewall having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom including a curve, and a round portion connecting the sidewall and the bottom. The round portion is provided in such a manner that the curvature of the inner surface thereof is gradually increased from the sidewall toward the bottom in a section passing through the rotation axis of the vitreous silica crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Eriko Kitahara, Takeshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 8900981
    Abstract: A feedstock of semiconductor material is placed in a crucible. A closed sacrificial recipient containing a dopant material is placed in the crucible. The content of the crucible is melted resulting in incorporation of the dopant in the molten material bath. The temperature increase is performed under a reduced pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Apollon Solar, Siltronix
    Inventors: Maxime Forster, Erwann Fourmond, Jacky Stadler, Roland Einhaus, Hubert Lauvray
  • Patent number: 8888911
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique which enables production of single crystal silicon having relatively low resistivity by preventing cell growth during crystal growth from occurring, especially in a case where a relatively large amount of dopant is added to a molten silicon raw material. Specifically, the present invention provides a method of producing single crystal silicon by the Czochralski process, comprising producing single crystal silicon having relatively low resistivity by controlling a height of a solid-liquid interface when the single crystal silicon is pulled up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Uto, Tuneaki Tomonaga, Toshimichi Kubota, Fukuo Ogawa, Yasuhito Narushima
  • Publication number: 20140331914
    Abstract: Provided is an ingot growing apparatus, which includes a crucible containing a silicon melt, a pulling device pulling a silicon single crystal ingot grown from the silicon melt, and a dopant supply unit disposed adjacent to the pulling device and for supplying a dopant during growing of the ingot. The neck portion may be doped at a concentration higher than that of the ingot through the dopant supply unit. Therefore, dislocation propagation velocity may be decreased and a propagation length may be shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Ingu Kang, Sanghee Kim
  • Patent number: 8858706
    Abstract: A single-crystal manufacturing apparatus according to the Czochralski method, including: a crucible that contains a raw material; a main chamber configured to accommodate a heater for heating and melting the raw material; and a pulling chamber configured to pull and accommodate a grown single crystal, the pulling chamber being continuously provided above the main chamber; an inner shield provided between the heater and the main chamber and for insulating heat radiated from the heater, and a supporting member for supporting the inner shield from below. The inner shield is supported at three or more supporting points contacting the supporting member, and a lower end of the inner shield except at the supporting points does not contact the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiro Shimada, Kosei Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20140283737
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a single-crystal silicon pulling silica container, the silica container including a straight body portion, a curved portion, and a bottom portion, wherein the OH group concentration in the straight body portion is 30 to 300 ppm by mass, the OH group concentration in the bottom portion is 30 ppm by mass or less, and the difference in the OH group concentration between the straight body portion and the bottom portion is 30 ppm by mass or more. As a result, a low-cost single-crystal silicon pulling silica container, the silica container that can reduce cavity defects called voids and pinholes in pulled single crystal silicon, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU QUARTZ PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamagata
  • Patent number: 8795432
    Abstract: An apparatus for pulling a silicon single crystal, comprising: a crucible that stores a silicon melt; a heater that heats the crucible; a crucible driving unit for rotating and/or lifting up and down the crucible; a chamber that holds the crucible and the heater; and a magnetic field applying unit that is provided outside the chamber and applies a magnetic field to the chamber, wherein the magnetic field applying unit is formed along the outer peripheral surface of the chamber such that substantially concentric circle-shaped equi-strength lines of the magnetic field are formed about a center axis of the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20140190397
    Abstract: Provided is an ingot growing apparatus, which includes a crucible containing a silicon melt, a pulling device pulling a silicon single crystal ingot grown from the silicon melt, and a dopant supply unit disposed adjacent to the pulling device and for supplying a dopant during growing of the ingot. The neck portion may be doped at a concentration higher than that of the ingot through the dopant supply unit. Therefore, dislocation propagation velocity may be decreased and a propagation length may be shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Jin-Woo Ahn, Bong-Woo Kim, Il-Soo Choi, Do-Yeon Kim
  • Publication number: 20140182510
    Abstract: A single-crystal silicon pulling silica container including: a transparent silica glass layer in the inner side of the silica container; and an opaque silica glass layer containing gaseous bubbles in the outer side of the silica container, wherein the transparent layer constitutes of a high-OH group layer placed on an inner surface side of the silica container containing the OH group at a concentration of 200 to 2000 ppm by mass and a low-OH group layer having the OH group concentration lower than the high-OH group layer containing Ba at a concentration of 50 to 2000 ppm by mass. Resulting in the silica container used for pulling single-crystal silicon, providing the silica container improves etching corrosion resistance of the container inner surface to silicon melt when the entire inner surface of transparent silica glass of the container is crystallized short after using the container and method for such silica container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventor: Shigeru Yamagata
  • Publication number: 20140182511
    Abstract: A susceptor for supporting a crucible includes a body with an interior surface defining a cavity. A coating is disposed on the interior surface to provide a barrier for preventing contact between the body of the susceptor and the crucible disposed within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Shailendra B. Rathod, Richard J. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20140174591
    Abstract: A dopant funnel for loading dopant pellets into a dispenser tube of a dopant dispenser is disclosed. The dopant funnel has a cup connected through a restrictor to a shaft. The cup holds random oriented dopant pellets. The restrictor meters the amount and orientation of dopant pellets being removed from the cup. The shaft is in alignment with the restrictor for delivering dopant pellets from the cup to the dispenser tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Inventors: John David Hilker, Steven L. Kimbel
  • Publication number: 20140174341
    Abstract: A crucible for growing crystals, in particular a sapphire single crystal, includes a base crucible made of W, Mo, Re or an alloy of these materials and an inner lining made of W, Mo, Re or an alloy of these materials. The base crucible has a substantially pot-like form. The inner lining has at least a pot-like first portion, which covers a bottom region of the base crucible, and a jacket-like second portion, which at least partially covers a wall region of the base crucible. The first portion and the second portion are formed by separate components. A process for growing sapphire single crystals using a crucible is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: PLANSEE SE
    Inventors: Bernd Kleinpass, Hermann Walser