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:
Apr. 16, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 23, 1990
Gary B Crumley, Oakland, CA (US);
The BOC Group, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a water cooled crucible adapted to be received in a crucible support element of an electron beam evaporation system. The crucible comprises a base wall and a sidewall upstanding from the base wall to form a rim and pocket located between the rim and the base wall for containing molten material to be evaporated. The support element has an inner surface surrounding the sidewall of the crucible to define an annular passage for circulating cooling water in a direction taken from the rim to the base wall of the crucible. The sidewall includes a thickened region positioned to conduct heat generated at the top surface of the molten material and having a thickness such that the outer surface contacts the inner surface of the support element. The thickened region has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, preferably spiral grooves defined at the outer surface of the thickened region. The grooves have a total inner surface area greater than the area of contact between the outer surface of the thickened region and the inner surface of the support element to increase the heat transfer between the sidewall and cooling water in order to prevent the onset of wetting.