Leybold Aktiengesellschaft

Leybold Systems Gmbh

Balzers Und Leybold Deutschland Holding Ag

Unaxis-balzers Aktiengesellschaft

Crystal Growing Systems Gmbh

Balzers and Leybold Deutschland Holding Ag

Helmut Kaiser

Winfried Schulmann

Franz Thimm

Udo Wenske

Winfried Schulman

The invention relates to a method and to a device for supporting a crystal ingot while pulling a single crystal, in particular such a crystal composed of silicon, according to the Czochralski method. To this end, a crystal support is provided which engages with a specialized bead, which is formed on the neck of the single crystal ingot and which has the shape of a bicone, by means of bearings in a housing. A support of the crystal ingot is thus achieved which may be disengaged at any time, and which has no disruptive effects on crystal growth and which acts independently of the length of the grown crystal. The bearings are moved into the support position on the bicone by a central pulling element which can be independently displaced relative to a second pulling element.

Crystal support

A device for connecting two bodies, especially a quartz body and a metallic body, which assures with few and simply formed components a high sealing ability at high temperature differences and at very low pressures and makes possible an easy assembly and disassembly. The device for the vacuum-tight connecting of two bodies of different materials, each of which has an essentially tubular end section ( ) and in the connected state of which the tubular end section ( ) of the first body surrounds at least partially the end section ( ) of the second body, includes an intermediate conduit ( ) for intermediate suction removal of gases and is formed between the tubular end sections ( ) of the bodies with two seals ( ) which seal off the intermediate conduit ( ).

Device for the vacuum-tight connecting of two bodies of different materials

In a device for handling heavy components of a crystal puller according to the Czochralski method, a supporting beam that can be pivoted about one vertical leg of a supporting frame and vertically adjusted includes holding claws for accommodating components or auxiliary devices. Profile rails, on which a carriage can be laterally displaced, are arranged perpendicular to the supporting beam. The carriage can be connected to a receptacle for gripping and holding the crystal.

Device for handling heavy components of a crystal puller according to

In an apparatus for the production of single crystals (103) by the Czochralski melt drawing method, a gripping device (125a, 125b) is provided, by means of which the crystal (103) is held during the growing process by a pressure which is exerted radially on its lateral surface and which exceeds the frictional resistance, as a result of which the weight of the growing crystal is completely supported. The gripping device (125a, 125b) has at least two holding devices (128a, 128b) arranged opposite each other, which, during the crystal growth phase, initially move parallel to the crystal and then, after a certain desired crystal diameter has been reached, are laid against the crystal by means of the holding devices (128a, 128b) in such a way that the growth the crystal in the area of the melting zone is not disturbed.

Crystal holder

A crucible is mounted on a crucible support bolt (11, 34) in a vacuum chamber (33) resting on a base stand (32) and can be heated by the thermal radiation of a heating element. A drawing element (35) is provided above the melt, by means of which the crystal can be drawn up from the surface of the melt into a transfer lock chamber (36), which can be pivoted laterally with respect to the base stand (32). A separating device is provided between the crystal and the drawing element (35) to separate the crystal from the drawing element (35). The base stand (32) is formed by a platform (38) supported by four posts (37) three additional legs (39) of equal length extend upward from three of the four corners of the rectangular platform (38) holding the vacuum chamber (33), these (39) being held together at their top ends by a horizontal frame (40), which forms a right triangle. The surface projected by this frame (40) onto the platform (38) encloses approximately half of the surface of the platform, and a boom or pivot arm (41) is mounted on at least one of the legs (39), for pivoting the transfer lock chamber (36) from a position above the crucible.

Apparatus for drawing single crystals

A rotating head (11) for crystal pulling systems (1) according to Czochralski has a reference platform (16) which is able to rotate around a vertical rotation axis (A--A) with a vertical feed-through opening (25) for a pulling cable (13) that can be wound up and a drive assembly (23) for driving a shaft (22). A winding drum (15) with a helical winding groove (29) for the pulling cable is located on this shaft in a fixed manner so it cannot rotate, but can be moved axially. In order to avoid abrasion and contamination and to accurately guide the cable (13), a helical guiding element (30) with the same pitch as the winding groove is located on the shaft (22) at a location remote from the vertical rotation axis (A--A). This guiding element is able to rotate with the shaft. The guiding element works together with a guiding nut (31) in such a way that the part of the cable (13) which faces tangentially away from the winding drum (15) is directly guided in the vertical rotation axis (A--A). Here, the helical guiding element (30) is designed as a guiding groove and the guiding nut (31) coopertes with the guiding groove by means of rotating balls (32).

Rotating head for crystal pulling systems for carrying out the

A puller (22) above the melt extracts a crystal (8) upwardly out of the melt surface into a laterally turnable airlock chamber (5) An uncoupling device (7) provided between the crystal (8) and the puller permits the severance of the crystal (8) from the puller. The device (7) is formed by a coupling ring (10) connected to the pull shaft (22) and having a longitudinal slot (9) which cooperates with a crystal holder which is provided with a mushroom-shaped head part (11), and by an airlock ring (14) held by the cover plate (15) of the airlock chamber (5). Airlock gates (13, 13') journaled on the airlock ring (14) pivot about horizontal axes (35, 35') from a horizontal locking position to a vertical open position and vice versa, their end faces (16, 16') forming an opening (17) in the locking position, thereby encompassing the shaft (19) of the seed holder (12) to lock it in the plane of the airlock ring (14).

Method and apparatus for pulling monocrystals from a melt contained in a

A rotating head (11) for crystal pulling systems (1) according to Czochralski has a reference platform (16) which is able to rotate around a vertical rotation axis (A--A) with a vertical feed-through opening (25) for a pulling cable (13) that can be wound up and a drive assembly (23) for driving a horizontal shaft (22). A winding drum (15) with a helical winding groove (29) for the pulling cable is located on this shaft in a fixed manner so it cannot rotate, but can be moved axially. In order to avoid abrasion and contamination and to accurately guide the cable (13), a helical guiding element (30) with the same pitch as the winding groove is located on the horizontal shaft (22) at a location remote from the vertical rotation axis (A--A). This guiding element is able to rotate with the horizontal shaft. The guiding element works together with a guiding nut (31) in such a way that the part of the cable (13) which faces tangentially away from the winding drum (15) is directly guided in the vertical rotation axis (A--A). Here, the helical guiding element (30) is designed as a guiding groove and the guiding nut (31) cooperates with the guiding groove by means of rotating balls (32).

Rotating head for crystal pulling systems

A gear motor (1), with an electric motor (4) whose rotor (7) has a hollow shaft (8), drives, through at least one gear box (26) with at least one drive step, at least one load. For the purpose of compact configuration combined with low vibration, there is coaxially disposed in the hollow shaft (8) an output shaft (19) which can be shifted selectively by means of a first clutch (24) to the hollow shaft (8), and by means of a second clutch (16) via the gear box (26) to the hollow shaft (8). Preferably the clutches are configured as magnetic clutches, and again preferably the first clutch (24) is disposed for the direct shifting of the hollow shaft (8) to the output shaft (19) at the one end of the hollow shaft (8), and the second clutch (16) at the other end of the hollow shaft (8). The gear motor (1) is used preferentially for driving rotary parts in crystal pulling apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Bruchkobel, Germany

Helmut Kaiser