The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2019
Filed:
Jan. 26, 2017
Rec Silicon Inc, Moses Lake, WA (US);
Robert J. Geertsen, Eltopia, WA (US);
Matthew J. Miller, Moses Lake, WA (US);
Justin Johnston, Ellensburg, WA (US);
Stein Julsrud, Moses Lake, WA (US);
Sefa Yilmaz, Moses Lake, WA (US);
REC Silicon Inc, Moses Lake, WA (US);
Abstract
This disclosure concerns embodiments of an annealing device and a method for annealing flowable, finely divided solids, such as annealing granular silicon to reduce a hydrogen content of the granular silicon. The annealing device comprises at least one tube through which flowable, finely divided solids are flowed downwardly. The tube includes a heating zone and (i) a residence zone below the heating zone, (ii) a cooling zone below the heating zone, or (iii) a residence zone below the heating zone and a cooling zone below the residence zone. An inert gas is flowed upwardly through the tube. The tube may be constructed from two or more tube segments. The annealing device may include a plurality of tubes arranged and housed within a shell. The annealing device and method are suitable for a continuous process.