G.t. Equipment Technologies, Inc.

S.c. Fluids, Inc.

Ferrofluidics Corporation

Gt Solar Incorporated

Jonathan A Talbott

Mohan Chandra

Kedar Prasad Gupta

Ijaz H Jafri

James A Tseronis

Vishwanath Prasad

Yuepeng Wan

Robert B Farmer

Heiko D Moritz

Jurek K Koziol

Alleppey V Hariharan

Carl Chartier

Michael A Costantini

Santhana Raghavan Parthasarathy

George F Lewis

Heiko D Mortiz

Philippe Leyvraz

Allison Caster

A process for making silicon ingots using a multi-part, reusable, graphite crucible of at least two mold pieces configured for assembly into an open top mold having an interior surface functional as a mold cavity for receiving molten silicon; removing or reducing a prior applied release coating from the interior surface until a uniformly smooth finish is achieved; coating the interior surface with a first layer of release coating comprising silicon nitride; coating the interior surface with a second layer of release coat comprising silica suspended in water; coating the interior surface with a third layer of release coat comprising silicon nitride; curing the release coat on said crucible; casting a silicon ingot in the crucible; and then repeating the prior steps multiple times.

Solidification of crystalline silicon from reusable crucible molds

A method for fabricating multi-cell solar devices using thermal spray deposition techniques to spray metal powder directly on solar cells and on the backing upon which solar cells are assembled, to form collection grid lines, bus bars, electrodes and interconnections between solar cells.

Making and connecting bus bars on solar cells

A pressure vessel for use in production processes requiring elevating and ranging of temperatures and pressures during the process cycle, readily adaptable to production line operation, suitable for wafer processing in the semiconductor industry and for other industries and processes. The pressure vessel is configured within an open support frame with a stationary, preferably inverted, orientation. The cover or closing plate is vertically movable towards the mouth of the pressure vessel and functions as the platform by which the object under process is transferred into the vessel. The moving and locking mechanism for the cover is isolated and shielded from the process environment.

Inverted pressure vessel with horizontal through loading

An inverted pressure vessel system for conducting automated industrial processes requiring elevated pressure and temperatures has a vertically movable pedestal for opening and closing the underside loading port, with pedestal drive system and locking mechanism located below the pedestal top and isolated from the chamber opening. The chamber is connectible to a pressure control and process fluid supply system, and has heat exchangers connected to an external source for temperature control. Process fluids are distributed across a central process cavity through divergent inflow and convergent outflow process fluid channels.

Inverted pressure vessel with shielded closure mechanism

A method and apparatus, and product by process, for the production of bulk polysilicon by a chemical vapor deposition process on a removable tube section. A quartz envelope and base plate form a CVD reactor enclosure, with external radiant heaters providing process heat through the wall of the reactor, and with process gas inlet and outlet ports located in the base plate. A tube section, preferably an EFG silicon tube-section, vertically emplaced on the base plate and capped to close the top is used as the reaction chamber. During the CVD process, deposition occurs on the inside surface of the chamber tube, the inner diameter of the deposit layer becoming increasingly smaller as the yield accumulates. In a two tube reactor, a smaller diameter, vertical middle tube is uniformly spaced and supported inside the chamber tube for fall flow of process gas over and under the middle tube so that deposition occurs on the three exposed tube surfaces. A co-axial core tube and heater mounted on the base plate provides yet more deposition surface area, improved thermal gradient in the reaction chamber, and greater thermal efficiency to the process. The full, double sided deposit on the middle tube and exterior deposit on the core tube are unique products of the process.

Cold wall reactor and method for chemical vapor deposition of bulk polysilicon

A method and apparatus for fabricating and drying wafers, including micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) structures, in a second, supercritical processing fluid environment. The apparatus utilizes an inverted pressure vessel connected to a supercritical processing fluid supply and recover system, with an internal heat exchanger connected to external heating and cooling sources, which is closed with a vertically movable base plate. A wafer cassette configured for supporting multiple wafers is submerged in a first processing fluid within a container, which is installed on the base plate for insertion into the pressure vessel. Vessel inlet and outlet tubes extend vertically downward from the ceiling of the pressure vessel to nearly the base plate. Container inlet and outlet tubes extend vertically downward from the ceiling of the pressure vessel to inside the container and nearly to the bottom of the container. The tubes provide for displacement of the first processing fluid with the second processing fluid still in a liquid state, from which it is raised to supercritical state.

Supercritical fluid drying system and method of use

A method and apparatus, and product by process, for the production of bulk polysilicon by broad area chemical vapor deposition, consisting of a quartz envelope and base plate forming a reactor enclosure, with external radiant heaters providing the heat source. A thin wall, edge-defined film fed growth (EFG) silicon tube section is used as the deposition casing and reaction chamber wall. The tube is capped at the top and sealed to the base plate to form the reaction chamber. External heaters radiate heat through the quartz enclosure to heat the tube wall to deposition temperature. A through flow of process gas is introduced to initiate the deposition. A uniform wide surface area deposit occurs on the inside surface of the tube, causing the diameter to become increasingly smaller as the yield accumulates. In a two tube reactor, a smaller core tube is uniformly spaced and supported inside the outer tube for full flow of process gas around the core tube so that deposition occurs on both the outside and inside surface of the core tube. The outer tube may be configured for preheating by a flow of electrical current from the base plate to the cover plate.

Method and apparatus for chemical vapor deposition of polysilicon

A slurry recycle process for use in free-abrasive machining operations such as for wire saws used in wafer slicing of ingots, where the used slurry is separated into kerf-rich and abrasive-rich components, and the abrasive-rich component is reconstituted into a makeup slurry. During the process, the average particle size of the makeup slurry is controlled by monitoring the condition of the kerf and abrasive components and making necessary adjustments to the separating force and dwell time of the separator apparatus. Related pre-separator and post separator treatments, and feedback of one or the other separator slurry output components for mixing with incoming used slurry and recirculation through the separator, provide further effectiveness and additional control points in the process. The kerf-rich component is eventually or continually removed; the abrasive-rich component is reconstituted into a makeup slurry with a controlled, average particle size such that the products of the free-abrasive machining method using the recycled slurry process of the invention are of consistent high quality with less TTV deviation from cycle to cycle for a prolonged period or series of machining operations.

Method and apparatus for improved wire saw slurry

The present invention is directed toward a melt level detection system for detecting the level of the melt surface in crystal growing systems that utilize a crucible containing a pool of melt from which a seed is withdrawn to grow the crystal. The detection system utilizes a light source for directing a light beam at the melt, and a light detection apparatus positioned on the other side of the melt for receiving the beam of light that is reflected off of the melt. The detection system utilizes a single element linear detector that provides output signals relating to whether the light beam is illuminating the detector, and where on the detector the illumination occurs. A computer system is utilized to implement an algorithm that processes the output signals from the detector which are continually sampled over time. The algorithm disregards the location data sent from the detector if it determines that the light beam was not incident on the detector for a given sample. By analyzing location data only for samples generated when the light beam was incident on the detector, the algorithm determines an average location of the melt level for a predetermined number of samples and assumes that this average is representative of the location of the actual melt level.

Method and apparatus for melt level detection in czochralski crystal

The present invention is directed toward a feeder system for replenishing the melt in a crystal growing system that utilizes a heated crucible containing a pool of melted charge material from which a seen is withdrawn to grow the crystal. The feed system utilizes a storage hopper for storing solid pellets of the charge material. The storage hopper is provided with an opening at the bottom thereof which allows pellets to flow out of the hopper. A rotating plate is provided below the opening for collecting pellets that flow from the opening and enables piles of pellets to be formed thereon. A wiper is provided that extends across a portion of the plate and, as the plate is rotated, contacts the pellet piles to wipe pellets off of the plate. Thereafter, the pellets are collected and sourced to the melt to accomplish replenishment thereof.

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Amherst, NH, United States of America

Jonathan A Talbott