IP Library Granted Patent US 9,145,620
Granted Patent B2
US 9,145,620 · App. 12/385,384 · Granted Sep 29, 2015

Single crystal pulling apparatus

Inventors: Shuichi Inami (Tokyo, JP); Ken Hamada (Tokyo, JP); Hiroaki Taguchi (Tokyo, JP); Takuya Yotsui (Tokyo, JP); Takashi Atami (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
C30B15/14C30B15/10C30B15/20C30B15/206C30B35/00Y10T117/1068
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,145,620
App. No.
12/385,384
Granted
Sep 29, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A single crystal pulling apparatus comprises: a chamber; a crucible disposed within the chamber for containing a melt; a water-cooling means disposed within the chamber in such a manner as surrounding a single crystal pulled up from the melt in the crucible; water piping for feeding cooling water to and discharging the same from the water-cooling means; and supporting arms connected to the chamber for supporting the water-cooling means, wherein the supporting arms are disposed between the single crystal and the water piping. According to this configuration, the supporting arms can prevent the water piping from being damaged in the event of fall and collapse of the single crystal due to failure of the seed neck portion or in the event of rupture of the single crystal due to thermal stress, for instance.

Claims (16)

1. A single crystal pulling apparatus, comprising:

a chamber;

a crucible disposed within the chamber for containing a melt;

a water-cooling means within which a water channel is disposed, the water cooling means being disposed within the chamber in such a manner as surrounding a single crystal to be pulled up from the melt in the crucible;

water piping for feeding cooling water to and discharging the same from the water channel of the water-cooling means, the water piping extending above the chamber; and

supporting arms connected to the chamber for supporting the water-cooling means, wherein the supporting arms are disposed between the single crystal and the water piping so as to cover the water piping on the side facing the crystal and the supporting arms are fixedly mounted onto an inner surface of an upper part of the chamber and an upper part of the water-cooling means, wherein the water-cooling means is made of copper, wherein the water piping is extended to the outside of the chamber, and the water piping comprises a part made from copper as being connected to the water-cooling means and the other part made of stainless steel, the copper part and stainless steel part being jointed to each other outside the chamber.

2. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting arms are formed using shape steels.

3. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the supporting arms are made of stainless steel.

4. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the water channel leads the cooling water fed from the water piping downward to the bottom of the water-cooling means and then leads the cooling water gradually upward with circulation flow for discharging the cooling water.

5. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the water channel leads the cooling water fed from the water piping downward to the bottom of the water-cooling means and then leads the cooling water gradually upward with circulation flow for discharging the cooling water.

6. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting arms are made of stainless steel.

7. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the water channel leads the cooling water fed from the water piping downward to the bottom of the water-cooling means and then leads the cooling water gradually upward with circulation flow for discharging the cooling water.

8. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the jointed portion of the copper part and the stainless steel part is exposed.

9. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the water channel leads the cooling water fed from the water piping downward to the bottom of the water-cooling means and then leads the cooling water gradually upward with circulation flow for discharging the cooling water.

10. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water channel leads the cooling water fed from the water piping downward to the bottom of the water-cooling means and then leads the cooling water gradually upward with circulation flow for discharging the cooling water.

11. The single crystal pulling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water cooling means comprises a double wall structure that is constituted by a cylindrical interior wall and a cylindrical exterior wall, the water channel formed on an outer circumferential surface of the interior wall with the outer circumferential surface of the interior wall being covered with the exterior wall.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2009
From: INAMI, SHUICHI; HAMADA, KEN; TAGUCHI, HIROAKI; YOTSUI, TAKUYA; ATAMI, TAKASHI
To: SUMCO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022560/0453 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-100272 · Apr 8, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090249998A1 · Oct 8, 2009