Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for controlled growth of silicon and germanium crystal ribbons

US4185076A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
10References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 17, 1977
Grant dateJan 22, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 17, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T117/1048
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the growth of a crystalline body of a selected material so that the body has a selected cross-sectional shape. The apparatus includes the structure normally employed in known capillary die devices and further includes means for observing at least the portion of the surfaces of the growing crystalline body and the meniscus (of melt material from which the body is being pulled) including the solid/liquid/vapor junction in a direction substantially perpendicular to the meniscus surface formed at the junction when the growth of the crystalline body is under steady state conditions. The cross-sectional size of the growing crystalline body can be controlled by determining which points exhibit a sharp change in the amount of reflected radiation of a preselected wavelength and controlling the speed at which the body is being pulled or the temperature of the growth pool of melt so as to maintain those points exhibiting a sharp change at a preselected spatial position relative to a predetermined reference position.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.