Mechanical seed coupling
An apparatus and method of manufacturing silicon seed rod in which two silicon seeds are joined into one long silicon seed rod by mechanical coupling. A mechanical seed coupler is a body in having an outer wall, an upper surface with an upper aperture, a lower surface with a lower aperture, and an inner wall surrounding an inner space. The mechanical seed couple can be of a shape including a cylinder shape, an elliptical tube shape, a rectangular tube shape and a square tube shape. Furthermore the mechanical seed coupler can be of unitary construction, made from one solid piece of material, or it can be composed of subparts.
1. A mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods comprising:
a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface,
wherein the body is made from polycrystalline silicon.
2. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an angle, relative to a horizontal surface defined by a top or bottom of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively, within the range of 30 to 70°.
3. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at a 45° angle, relative to a horizontal surface defined by a top or bottom of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively.
4. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein when two seed rod tips are inserted therein the seed rod tips do not contact each other.
5. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an 18° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.
6. A mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods comprising:
a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface,
wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an angle, from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively, within the range of 14 to 22°, and
wherein the body is made from polycrystalline silicon.
7. A silicon rod comprising:
two seed rods;
a mechanical seed coupler for coupling the two seed rods, the coupler comprising: a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface.