Patent ID: 6214109
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: C30B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A crystal puller apparatus having a purge system for use in removing vapors and particulate generated during the production of a single crystal silicon rod having a radius and which is pulled from a silicon melt in accordance with the Czochralski method, the crystal puller apparatus comprising:a shell enclosing a volume including a crystal growth chamber, the shell being capable of substantially maintaining an atmosphere therein;a crucible for containing the silicon melt, the crucible having a central axis and being mounted for rotation about the central axis within the crystal growth chamber;a heater for heating the crucible and melt contained therein;a crystal pulling mechanism including a seed crystal pull cable connected to a supporting structure capable of raising a seed crystal for pulling the single crystal rod from the melt;a purge system comprising a purge gas delivery structure positioned within the crystal puller apparatus shell and having at least one gas outlet positioned for delivering high velocity gas in a stream located radially outwardly from a radially outer perimter of an open top of the crucible and directed generally downwardly in a curtain generally around and spaced from the central axis of the crucible and radially outwardly from the radially outer perimeter of the open top of the crucible, whereby the stream of high velocity gas can create a region of low pressure relative to the pressure above the center of the crucible whereby vapors and particulate are aspirated radially outwardly from the surface of the silicon rod and away from above the center of the crucible toward the stream of gas; andexhaust ports in the shell for passage of purge gas and vapors and particulate entrained therein out of the shell.