Abrégé

A crystal growing system includes a rotating seed lift assembly to rotate and lift a seed crystal supported by a cable. The seed lift assembly includes a spool that rotates to wrap the cable around the spool, thus raising the cable. As the spool rotates, it moves in an axial direction to avoid displacing the cable in the axial direction. Movement of the spool and rotation of the seed lift assembly induce deviations in the center of mass of the seed lift assembly with respect to its axis of rotation, which can cause undesired movement of the cable and thus seed crystal. A dynamic counterweight system makes use of one or more sensors to detect movement of the seed lift assembly and dynamically control a motor-driven, movable counterweight to offset these deviations, thus maintaining the center of mass at or substantially in line with the axis of rotation.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée
• C30B 15/32 - Porte-germe, p. ex. mandrins
• C30B 15/20 - Commande ou régulation

Abrégé

A vacuum system for silicon crystal growth includes a silicon crystal growth chamber, a first vacuum pipe, a second vacuum pipe, and an oxides container. The first vacuum pipe is coupled to the chamber and has within a first brush that is movable in a first direction for removing internal oxides. The second vacuum pipe is coupled to the first vacuum pipe for receiving the internal oxides via the first brush and has within a second brush that is movable in a second direction different from the first direction. The second brush transports the received internal oxides away from the first vacuum pipe. The oxides container is coupled to the second vacuum pipe for receiving the internal oxides via the second brush.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 25/14 - Moyens d'introduction et d'évacuation des gazModification du courant des gaz réactifs
• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée
• C30B 23/00 - Croissance des monocristaux par condensation d'un matériau évaporé ou sublimé
• C30B 27/02 - Croissance de monocristaux sous un fluide protecteur par tirage à partir d'un bain fondu
• C30B 29/16 - Oxydes

Abrégé

A lift arm can be rotatably mounted to a crystal growing apparatus to service a hot-zone of the crystal growing apparatus. A low-speed, high-power lift arm actuator can control vertical positioning of the lift arm. Movable clamp arms secured to the lift arm can engage a lip of a furnace tank to facilitate lifting and moving the furnace tank to a desired location by correlated raising, lowering, or rotating of the lift arm. A winch mounted to a distal end of the lift arm can control spooling of a cable that passes through an interior of the lift arm and out an opening between the clamp arms. The cable can include an attachment mechanism for coupling to a crucible. The winch can thus lift the crucible at vertical speeds far in excess of the lift arm actuator's vertical speed.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 15/30 - Mécanismes pour faire tourner ou pour déplacer soit le bain fondu, soit le cristal
• C30B 15/20 - Commande ou régulation

Abrégé

A lift assembly includes a lift housing, a drum with a helical groove about its exterior surface, and a drive shaft coupled to the drum to cause the drum to rotate. A roller guide mounted to the lift housing engages the helical groove of the drum such that rotation of the drum causes the drum to translate due to the engagement of the helical groove of the drum with the roller guide. The roller guide can be part of a roller guide assembly that includes a mounting plate and a shaft.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée
• C30B 15/30 - Mécanismes pour faire tourner ou pour déplacer soit le bain fondu, soit le cristal
• C30B 29/06 - Silicium
• B21B 39/14 - Guidage, présentation ou alignement des pièces travaillées

Abrégé

A crystal growing system includes a rotating seed lift assembly to rotate and lift a seed crystal supported by a cable. The seed lift assembly includes a spool that rotates to wrap the cable around the spool, thus raising the cable. As the spool rotates, it moves in an axial direction to avoid displacing the cable in the axial direction. A leadscrew in a counterweight assembly is mechanically coupled to the spool via a coupling (e.g., a sprocket-and-chain coupling coupled to the spool spindle). As the spool rotates, the leadscrew thus rotates at a rate proportional to the spool's rate of rotation. A movable counterweight driven by the leadscrew is thus driven to move in a direction opposite the axial direction (e.g., opposite the movement of the spool). The counterweight assembly is thus configured to offset center-of-mass changes that would have otherwise been introduced by movement of the spool.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 15/32 - Porte-germe, p. ex. mandrins
• B65H 54/28 - Dispositifs de va-et-vientDispositions pour la mise en forme des paquets
• B65H 75/44 - Détails de structure
• C30B 15/10 - Creusets ou récipients pour soutenir le bain fondu
• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée

Abrégé

A roller guide assembly for use in lifting a seed coupled to a cable includes a mounting plate, a shaft, and a roller guide. The mounting plate has a throughhole. The shaft is coupled to the mounting plate such that the shaft is movable relative to the mounting plate in a direction that is generally perpendicular to a central axis of the shaft. The roller guide is rotationally coupled about the shaft and generally positioned within the throughhole of the mounting plate such that at least a portion of the roller guide extends out of the throughhole.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 15/30 - Mécanismes pour faire tourner ou pour déplacer soit le bain fondu, soit le cristal
• C30B 29/06 - Silicium
• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée
• B21B 39/14 - Guidage, présentation ou alignement des pièces travaillées

Abrégé

A vacuum system for silicon crystal growth includes a silicon crystal growth chamber, a first vacuum pipe, a second vacuum pipe, and an oxides container. The first vacuum pipe is coupled to the chamber and has within a first brush that is movable in a first direction for removing internal oxides. The second vacuum pipe is coupled to the first vacuum pipe for receiving the internal oxides via the first brush and has within a second brush that is movable in a second direction different from the first direction. The second brush transports the received internal oxides away from the first vacuum pipe. The oxides container is coupled to the second vacuum pipe for receiving the internal oxides via the second brush.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée
• C30B 23/00 - Croissance des monocristaux par condensation d'un matériau évaporé ou sublimé
• C30B 25/14 - Moyens d'introduction et d'évacuation des gazModification du courant des gaz réactifs
• C30B 27/02 - Croissance de monocristaux sous un fluide protecteur par tirage à partir d'un bain fondu
• C30B 29/16 - Oxydes