Patent ID: 6562132
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: C30B,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for growing a tubular crystalline body of a selected material by the EFG process, the apparatus comprising:a crucible/die unit comprising a crucible having a bottom wall, an outer side wall, and an inner side wall defining a center opening, said bottom wall and said side walls together defining an interior annular space for containing a liquid supply of said selected material, and a capillary die for use in growing shaped bodies from said liquid supply; a susceptor supporting said crucible, said susceptor also having a center hole that is aligned with said center opening; a feed distributor/inner afterheater assembly disposed above said crucible, and comprising a feed director, a feed deflector and a tubular inner afterheater; said feed director comprising a director member having a center aperture and an inclined upper surface surrounding said center aperture, said director member being mounted above and spaced from said crucible and being oriented so that said inclined upper surface decreases in radius with increasing distance from said crucible; said feed deflector being mounted above said feed director and comprising a deflector member having an inclined lower surface that is coaxial with and confronts said inclined upper surface of said director member, said inclined lower surface being in close spaced relation with said inclined upper surface so as to define an inclined annular gap therebetween, and deflector means at the center of said inclined lower surface in position to intercept feed particles introduced through the center aperture of said director member and deflecting them into said gap; said tubular inner afterheater being above said crucible in coaxial relation with said capillary die and in surrounding relation with said feed director and said feed deflector; and a feed tube extending through said center opening of said crucible, said center hole of said susceptor and said center aperture of said director member for receiving feed particles from a particle feeder and discharging said particles at said deflector means, whereby said feed particles will impinge upon and be deflected by said deflector means into said gap; said director member and said deflector member defining an annular discharge orifice for said gap above said crucible, said discharge orifice being located close to the level of the upper end of said crucible and intermediate the inner and outer side walls of said crucible.