Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Delaminating processes adapted for specified product – Delaminating in preparation for post processing recycling step
Patent
1981-08-07
1982-09-21
Clements, Gregory N.
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Delaminating processes adapted for specified product
Delaminating in preparation for post processing recycling step
156DIG98, 422249, 269 17, 269 35, 269287, 414210, 414349, 414391, 414399, C30B 1532
Patent
active
043505600
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Crystals, such as single crystal ingots of silicon, are grown by the Czochralski method in a crystal-growing furnace, which usually includes a crucible containing a melt, the crucible being within a contaminant-free, low-pressure chamber, with a pulling-head mechanism for drawing the crystal from the melt along a vertical axis at a steady rate, while providing relative rotation about the vertical axis for the growing crystal with respect to the melt. The method is carried out in a sealed, vacuum-type chamber in which the crucible is placed, and typically the housing includes a generally elongated chamber directly above the crucible, as a crystal-growing chamber of a crystal-receiving chamber. Such crystal-growing or crystal-receiving chamber has been provided with vacuum-sealed doors, wherein, after growth the hot crystal may be removed through the front opening door in the crystal-growing chamber.
The present method of handling crystals and removing crystals from crystal-growing furnaces is through opening the door through the crystal-growing or crystal-receiving chamber by an operator and disconnecting the grown crystal from the seed holder, such as by snapping the neck of the crystal by mechanical means, such as by the use of pliers. The hot, heavy crystal is then removed by the operator from the chamber for further manufacturing and processing. Grown crystals, such as of pure silicon, may be grown in various lengths and diameters; for example, from about 100 millimeters or more in diameter and from 10 to 60 inches or more in length, with the neck of the crystal being about 2 to 3 millimeters. The crystal, after grown, often is quite heavy; for example, 50 to 150 pounds. Usually, the door of the crystal-growing chamber is located several feet off the floor and above the chamber in which the crucible is held, and, therefore, must be reached by the operator through the use of a stepladder. Such an arrangement and method are not wholly satisfactory, since the method of handling and removing the crystal requires manual operation of hot and heavy crystal by the operator, with the possibility of damage to the crystal by falling or contacting during the removing and handling. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an effecient and mechanical means and an improved method for handling and removing crystals from crystal-growing furnaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of handling crystals from a crystal-growing furnace, and in particular concerns a system and method for removing efficiently crystals from crystal-growing chambers of crystal-growing furnaces, employing nonmanual, mechanical means and avoiding the problems associated with the prior-art manual handling of crystals.
The invention involves an apparatus for the handling and removing of crystals from a crystal-growing furnace apparatus, which apparatus comprises a lower, evacuated chamber containing a crucible and a melt, and which includes a removable, upper chamber for the growing and receiving of the crystal, with the upper chamber typically being a removable cylinder. Means are provided to isolate the lower furnace chamber from the upper chamber through the use of a vacuum-tight isolation valve or door, prior to removal of the upper chamber. The apparatus also includes means to retain the crystal and to hold the crystal in place, while the upper chamber is removed from the lower chamber, such as, for example, the employment of locking pins which are slidably inserted into the base of the upper chamber, to hold and retain the grown crystal in place within the upper chamber. The apparatus includes means to remove the upper chamber from the lower chamber, after closing of the isolation valve, such as by the use of a derrick or hoist mechanism to swing the upper cylindrical chamber to one side and free and clear of the lower chamber and the furnace.
The invention includes a vehicle or transport mechanism, such as a wheeled cart, containing a lower receiving chamber, such as a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2975036 (1961-03-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 3940577 (1976-02-01), Christofer
patent: 3961906 (1976-06-01), Keller
patent: 3994690 (1976-11-01), Defosse
patent: 4045183 (1977-08-01), Barowski et al.
patent: 4258009 (1981-03-01), DeLeon et al.
Chartier Carl P.
Helgeland Walter
Kerwin, II Kenneth H.
Teverovsky Alex
Clements Gregory N.
Crowley Richard P.
Ferrofluidics Corporation
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