Floating sheet production apparatus and method
View Patent ↗This sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt. The melt is configured to flow from a first point to a second point of the channel. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet on the melt. A spillway is disposed at the second point of the channel. This spillway is configured to separate the sheet from the melt.
1. A sheet production apparatus comprising:
a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt of a material;
a cooling plate disposed above said melt in a first region of said channel, said cooling plate configured to form a sheet of said material on said melt;
a spillway disposed in a second region of said channel where said sheet is separated from said melt by flowing said melt over said spillway; and
an annealing panel disposed above said sheet in said second region of said channel for annealing said sheet.
2. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said material comprises silicon or silicon and germanium.
3. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooling plate is at least 50 K colder than said melt.
4. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooling plate comprises a plurality of cooling segments.
5. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooling plate uses radiative cooling.
6. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cooling plate has a curved edge.
7. A sheet production apparatus comprising:
a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt of a material, said melt configured to flow through said channel;
a cooling plate disposed above said melt in a first region of said channel, said cooling plate configured to form a sheet of said material on said melt;
a spillway disposed in a second region of said channel where said sheet is configured to be separated from said melt by flowing said melt over said spillway; and
an annealing panel disposed above said sheet in said second region of said channel for annealing said sheet.
8. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said material comprises silicon or silicon and germanium.
9. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said cooling plate is at least 50 K colder than said melt.
10. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said cooling plate comprises a plurality of cooling segments.
11. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said cooling plate uses radiative cooling.
12. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said cooling plate has a curved edge.
13. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a pump configured to generate said flow of said melt.
14. A sheet production apparatus comprising:
a channel configured to hold a melt of a material, said melt configured to flow from a first point to a second point of said channel;
a cooling plate disposed proximate said channel, said cooling plate configured to form a sheet of said material on said melt using radiative cooling;
a spillway disposed at said second point of said channel, said spillway disposed within said melt, wherein said sheet is separated from said melt by flowing said melt over said spillway, and said melt flows away from said sheet; and
an annealing panel disposed above said sheet in said second region of said channel for annealing said sheet.
15. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said material comprises silicon or silicon and germanium.
16. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said cooling plate is at least 50 K colder than said melt.
17. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said cooling plate comprises a plurality of cooling segments.
18. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said cooling plate has a curved edge.
19. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a pump configured to generate said flow of said melt.
20. The sheet production apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said annealing panel is maintained at the same temperature as said melt.
21. The sheet production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said annealing panel is maintained at the same temperature as said melt.
22. The sheet production apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said annealing panel is maintained at the same temperature as said melt.