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:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 10, 1998
Ball Semiconductor, Inc., Allen, TX (US);
Abstract
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.