Patent ID: 8652257
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: C30B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for continuously growing single crystals from a melted raw material, comprising: a substantially cylindrical crucible with an inclined flange at its upper part for containing a melt of said material from which a growing crystal is pulled, said crucible being enclosed in a housing of a growth furnace; two independent heaters surrounding said crucible; a drive to rotate said crucible relative to said heaters during pulling said growing crystal from said melt contained therein; drives to pull and rotate said growing crystal; a receiving container for melting raw material in a particle or powder form which has fallen in it, said container being enclosed in a housing of a melting furnace which is mounted adjacent said housing of the growth furnace; a heater surrounding said receiving container to maintain therein the temperature above the melting point of said raw material; a set of slope-wise plates in the form of a round cone and in the form of a truncated cone being enclosed in said receiving container which is shaped like a cylinder with a conical bottom and a flat cover, having two holes for passing through them a rotary rod and an inlet pipe for supplying said receiving container with said raw material, the upper conical plate being suspended on said rotary rod, the underlying fixed plate, having the shape of the truncated cone, with several alternating fixed plates (cones and truncated cones) being placed in the downward direction, and also with the axis of said rotary rod being coincident with the axis of said cylinder and the axis of said inlet pipe being approximately halfway between said rotary rod and the edge of said upper conical plate, providing on the surface of this plate during its rotation a uniform circular distribution of raw material particles falling through said inlet pipe and therefore providing a uniform circular distribution of partially melted particles on underlying plates to get complete and rapid melting of said raw material through unobstructed sliding of partially melted raw material particles over the surfaces of said plates; a conveying tube, extending slantingly from the bottom of said receiving container to said crucible through coaxial openings in both of said housings, to ensure a flow of melted raw material for replenishing said melt during pulling said growing crystal; a feeder mounted above said housing of the melting furnace to supply raw material in a particle or powder form into said receiving container; a replaceable hopper for containing raw material in a particle or powder form positioned above said feeder; and a vertical transport pipe connecting said hopper with said feeder which with a system of valves and seals provides uninterrupted supply of raw material in a particle or powder form to said feeder during the whole growth process.