Ball Semiconductor Corporation

Nainesh J Patel

Murali Hanabe

Evangellos Vekris

Michael Perdue

A system and method for making very small (e.g., 1 millimeter diameter) spherical shaped devices is disclosed. The system includes a supply system for providing predetermined amounts of raw material into a chamber, which is used for melting the raw material. The melted raw material is then provided to a dropper for measuring predetermined amounts of the melted raw material (droplets) and releasing the droplets into a drop tube, where they are cooled and solidified into spherical shaped silicon devices. The system includes a container of silicon powder in which the solidified spherical shaped devices are received from the drop tube, the container including a stirring mechanism for agitating the silicon powder. The system also includes a separating device for separating the powder from the solidified spherical shaped devices after the devices have been received into the container.

Jet system for spherical shape devices

A method for doping crystals is disclosed. The method includes a receiver for receiving semiconductor spheres and doping powder. The semiconductor spheres and dopant powder are then directed to a chamber defined within an enclosure. The chamber maintains a heated, inert atmosphere with which to diffuse the dopant to the semiconductor spheres.

Method for doping spherical semiconductors

A system and method for performing diffusion on a three-dimensional substrate is provided. The system includes a furnace for providing a doped (e.g., p-type) molten semiconductor material and a dropper for converting the molten semiconductor material into a series of uniformly sized droplets. The droplets are then provided to a first tube where they solidify into a semiconductor crystals. The semiconductor crystals are then heated for a predetermined period of time until an outer layer of the semiconductor crystals is melted. The melted outer layer can then be doped (e.g., n-type) and then allowed to re-solidify. As a result, a plurality of spherical shaped p-n devices is created.

System and method for performing diffusion on a three-dimensional substrate

Method for antimony and boron doping of spherical semiconductors

A method for doping crystals is disclosed. The method includes a receiver for receiving semiconductor spheres and a dopant. The semiconductor spheres are heated to a molten state. The dopant is absorbed by the semiconductor spheres. The semiconductor spheres are cooled to produce doped semiconductor spheres. The method is performed in a non-contact environment.

Doping of spherical semiconductors during non-contact processing in the liquid state

A system and method for processing crystals is disclosed. The system includes a receiver tube for receiving semiconductor granules. The granules are then directed to a chamber defined within an enclosure. The chamber maintains a heated, inert atmosphere with which to melt the semiconductor granules into a molten mass. A nozzle, located at one end of the chamber, creates droplets from the molten mass, which then drop through a long drop tube. As the droplets move through the drop tube, they form spherical shaped semiconductor crystals. The drop tube is heated and the spherical shaped semiconductor crystals may be single crystals. An inductively coupled plasma torch positioned between the nozzle and the drop tube melts the droplets, but leaving a seed in-situ, or the droplets may be melted and a seed injected in-situ. The seed can thereby facilitate crystallization.

Single crystal processing by in-situ seed injection

A system and method for forming spherical semiconductor crystals is disclosed. The system includes a receiver tube 18 for receiving semiconductor granules 104. The granules are then directed to a chamber 14 defined within an enclosure 20. The chamber maintains a heated, inert atmosphere with which to melt the semiconductor granules into a molten mass. A nozzle, 40, creates droplets from the molten mass, which then drop through a long drop tube 16. As the droplets move through the drop tube, they form spherical shaped semiconductor crystals 112. The drop tube is heated and the spherical shaped semiconductor crystals may be single crystals. An inductively coupled plasma torch positioned between the nozzle and the drop tube melts the droplets, but leaving a seed in-situ. The seed can thereby facilitate crystallization.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Nainesh J Patel