Single-crystal – oriented-crystal – and epitaxy growth processes; – Processes of growth from liquid or supercritical state
Patent
1998-12-10
2000-06-13
Utech, Benjamin L.
Single-crystal, oriented-crystal, and epitaxy growth processes;
Processes of growth from liquid or supercritical state
117 54, 117 73, 117206, 117902, 23295R, C30B 900, C30B 2900
Patent
active
060744766
ABSTRACT:
A system and method for forming spherical semiconductor crystals is disclosed. The system includes a receiver tube 18 for receiving semiconductor granules 104. The granules are then directed to a chamber 14 defined within an enclosure 20. The chamber maintains a heated, inert atmosphere with which to melt the semiconductor granules into a molten mass. A nozzle, 40, creates droplets from the molten mass, which then drop through a long drop tube 16. As the droplets move through the drop tube, they form spherical shaped semiconductor crystals 112. The drop tube is heated and the spherical shaped semiconductor crystals may be single crystals. An inductively coupled plasma torch positioned between the nozzle and the drop tube melts the droplets, but leaving a seed in-situ. The seed can thereby facilitate crystallization.
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Appl. No. 08/858,004, filed May 16, 1997, now U.S. patent 5,955,776.
Appl. No. 09/033,180, filed Mar. 2, 1998, Murzin, et al. Inductively Coupled Plasma Powder Vaporization for Fabricating Integrated Circuits, allowed Dec. 15, 1999, patent pending.
Nakata et al., "Gravity-Dependent Silicon Crystal Growth Using a Laser Heating Systems", Jap. Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 33 (1994): 1202-1204.
Hanabe Murali
Patel Nainesh J.
Vekris Evangellos
Ball Semiconductor Inc.
Champagne Donald L.
Utech Benjamin L.
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