A crystal growth apparatus including a shaped partition and a shaped partition

Abstract

The present application relates to a crystal growth device containing a special-shaped partition plate and the special-shaped partition plate. The growth device comprises a furnace shell, an insulation layer, a crucible and a heating body. The insulation layer is arranged in the furnace shell and forms a closed hollow cavity to provide a crystal growth operation space. The heating body is arranged on the inner wall of the insulation layer to provide a heat source for melting the crystal. The crucible comprises an equal-diameter part, a shoulder part and a seed crystal part arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the seed crystal part is smaller than that of the equal-diameter part. The special-shaped partition plate is arranged below the heating body to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones so that the crystal grows in the zones corresponding to the special-shaped partition plate. The special-shaped partition plate comprises an upper narrow part, a middle slope part and a lower wide part arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide part is larger than that of the upper narrow part. The middle slope part of the special-shaped partition plate is arranged in parallel with the shoulder part of the crucible to solve the problem of wall surface supercooling of the shoulder part of the crucible and ensure the smooth progress of crystal crystallization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of crystal growth technology using the crucible lowering method for crystal growth, and specifically to a crystal growth apparatus containing an irregularly shaped partition and the irregularly shaped partition. Background Technology

[0002] Please see Figure 1 The figure shows a crystal growth apparatus using the crucible descent method. This apparatus mainly comprises a furnace shell, an insulation layer, a heating element, a partition, a crucible, and a support rod. The upper space within the insulation layer is heated by the heating element, while the lower space is cooled by cooling water within the support rod. A central annular partition separates the upper hot zone from the lower cold zone. In the crucible descent method, the melt solidifies and crystallizes continuously in the central gradient zone as the crucible slowly descends. For cost and quality considerations, actual crystal growth typically begins with a small-sized seed crystal, gradually expanding outwards to the target large size after successful seeding. Therefore, the growth crucible needs to be designed with a small-diameter seed crystal section, a shoulder section transitioning from the small seed crystal to the large crystal, and a final large-diameter, constant-diameter section.

[0003] However, this leads to a situation where, when the crystal grows to the shoulder, the inverted frustum shape of the crucible means that the shoulder wall cannot directly receive heat radiation from the heating element and must instead radiate heat downwards to the colder area, resulting in overcooling of the crucible shoulder wall. Overcooling of the crucible wall can cause a series of adverse consequences, such as the solid-liquid interface becoming concave towards the crystal, excessive radial temperature differences in the crystal below the interface inducing dislocation multiplication, and the formation of flow cells in the melt above the interface that carry impurities towards the center of the crucible from the edge. Furthermore, overcooling of the crucible wall can induce wall nucleation, producing impurities, and the concave interface can further cause these impurities to propagate towards the crystal center, severely affecting the final crystal quality and single crystal diameter.

[0004] In existing technologies, to address issues such as overcooling of the shoulder wall and concavity of the solid-liquid interface during the shoulder growth stage of the crucible lowering method, Kuppurao et al. proposed using a crucible support with surrounding insulation and a high thermal conductivity core to wrap the crucible shoulder and seed crystal portion. This allows heat to be drawn axially from the bottom of the crystal, preventing radial heat loss from the shoulder wall. This method does improve the overcooling of the crucible wall and achieves a convex interface during the shoulder growth stage. However, when the crucible seed crystal and shoulder portion are insulated and wrapped, in the later stages of constant diameter growth, bottom water / air cooling alone cannot effectively remove the latent heat of phase transformation, resulting in a more deteriorated solid-liquid interface shape in the later stages compared to not using a crucible support.

[0005] Jansiski and Volz et al. proposed placing an additional local heater above the junction of the solid-liquid interface and the crucible wall. This direct, targeted local heating helps prevent the crucible wall near the growth interface from overcooling, thus achieving an ideal convex interface morphology throughout the growth process. However, the crucible shape changes continuously from the seed crystal to the shoulder formation and then to the constant-diameter growth stage. Ensuring that the local heater remains near the junction of the solid-liquid interface and the crucible wall throughout the entire growth process is practically challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a crystal growth apparatus and an irregularly shaped partition, which solves at least one of the problems of undercooling of the crucible shoulder and the depression of the growth interface during crystal growth, while not hindering the obtaining of convex interfaces in other growth stages.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions, comprising a furnace shell, a heat insulation layer, a crucible, and a heating element. The heat insulation layer is disposed within the furnace shell and forms a sealed hollow cavity to provide a space for crystal growth operations. The heating element is disposed on the inner wall of the heat insulation layer to provide a heat source for crystal melting. The crucible includes a constant-diameter portion, a shoulder portion, and a seed portion fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the seed portion is smaller than that of the constant-diameter portion.

[0008] It also includes irregularly shaped partitions, which are disposed below the heating element to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, allowing the crystal to grow in the region corresponding to the partition. The irregularly shaped partition includes an upper narrow portion, a middle sloping portion, and a lower wide portion fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide portion is larger than that of the upper narrow portion.

[0009] The middle slope of the irregularly shaped partition is arranged approximately parallel to the shoulder of the crucible, which solves the problem of overcooling of the wall surface of the shoulder of the crucible while ensuring the smooth crystallization of the crystal.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is disposed on the outer side of the inner wall surface of the heating element, or

[0011] The inner wall surface of the upper narrow section is flush with the inner wall surface of the heating element.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, when the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is disposed on the outer side of the inner wall surface of the heating element, the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is disposed on the outer side of the outer wall surface of the heating element.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the irregularly shaped partition is made of a low thermal conductivity material to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, wherein...

[0014] The surface of the irregularly shaped partition is fixedly provided with a highly reflective material.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the difference between the inclination angle of the middle slope of the irregularly shaped partition and the inclination angle of the shoulder of the crucible does not exceed 5°.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the height of the irregularly shaped partition is 3-4 times the height of the shoulder of the crucible.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the radial distance between the lower wide portion of the irregularly shaped partition and the equal-diameter portion of the crucible is 5-15 mm.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the furnace shell is used to isolate the external environment, wherein...

[0019] The furnace shell is equipped with a jacket and is circulated with cooling water to prevent workers from being burned by the high temperature of the outer wall of the furnace shell during crystal growth.

[0020] A second aspect of the present invention provides an irregularly shaped partition, disposed in a crystal growth apparatus containing an irregularly shaped partition as provided in the first aspect of this application. The growth apparatus includes a furnace shell, a heat insulation layer, a crucible, and a heating element. The heat insulation layer is disposed within the furnace shell and forms a sealed hollow cavity to provide a space for crystal growth operations. The heating element is disposed on the inner wall of the growth furnace to provide a heat source for crystal melting. The crucible includes a constant-diameter portion, a shoulder portion, and a seed portion fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the seed portion is smaller than that of the constant-diameter portion.

[0021] The irregularly shaped partition is disposed below the heating element to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, allowing the crystal to grow in the region corresponding to the partition. The partition includes an upper narrow section, a middle sloping section, and a lower wide section fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide section is larger than that of the upper narrow section.

[0022] The middle slope of the irregularly shaped partition is arranged approximately parallel to the shoulder of the crucible to increase the heat reflection from the irregularly shaped partition to the shoulder.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present invention, the width of the upper narrow portion of the irregularly shaped partition is 3-15mm, and the height of the lower wide portion of the irregularly shaped partition is 5-20mm.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0025] By setting the irregularly shaped partition, the thermal radiation from the heating element can be allowed to propagate downwards to the middle slope through the channel between the crucible and the narrow part of the partition. Simultaneously, the high-reflectivity surface of the middle slope, which is roughly parallel to the crucible shoulder, reflects the thermal radiation onto the wall of the crucible shoulder. This solves the problem of wall overcooling during crystal growth at the crucible shoulder, and consequently addresses a series of issues caused by wall overcooling, such as solid-liquid interface depression, edge-to-center eddies in the melt above the interface, excessive radial temperature difference within the crystal below the interface, and spontaneous nucleation of impurities on the crucible wall. Furthermore, the low thermal conductivity material of the partition body and the lower wide part of the partition effectively block heat exchange between the upper hot zone and the lower cold zone, maintaining a sufficient axial temperature gradient, thus ensuring smooth solidification and crystallization of the melt within the corresponding gradient region of the partition. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a growth apparatus for preparing crystals using the crucible lowering method in the prior art;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a crystal growth apparatus containing an irregularly shaped partition provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of part A.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 100, furnace shell; 200, insulation layer; 300, heating element;

[0032] 400, irregularly shaped partition; 410, upper narrow section; 420, middle sloping section; 430, lower wide section;

[0033] 500, crucible; 510, seed crystal section; 520, shoulder section; 530, equal diameter section;

[0034] 600, support rod;

[0035] l 1. Radial dimension of the upper narrow section; l 2. Height of the lower width section; l 3. Radial dimension of the lower width portion; l 4. Height of irregularly shaped partitions;

[0036] α Adjust the shoulder angle; β , the slope angle of the middle section. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In the present invention, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper," "middle," "lower," "inner," and "outer" generally refer to upper, middle, lower, inner, and outer in the actual use or working state of the device, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings.

[0038] It should be noted that the order of description of the following embodiments is not intended to limit the preferred order of embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the descriptions of each embodiment in the following embodiments have their own emphasis; for parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0039] Please see Figures 2-3 , Figure 2 The image shows a crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions, which can be understood as follows: Figure 2 This is only a two-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram. To approximate the actual growth apparatus, it is necessary to rotate the diagram 360° around its vertical central axis. The crystal growth apparatus with irregularly shaped partitions includes a furnace shell 100, an insulation layer 200, a heating element 300, a crucible 400, irregularly shaped partitions 500, and a support rod 600.

[0040] The furnace shell 100 is a cylindrical stainless steel component used to isolate the external environment and provide rigid support for the various components inside the furnace. The furnace shell 100 is equipped with a jacket, and circulating cooling water is circulated in the jacket to prevent workers from being burned by the high temperature of the outer wall of the furnace shell during crystal growth.

[0041] The insulation layer 200 further isolates a cylindrical space for crystal growth from within the furnace shell 100, forming a sealed hollow cavity. In other words, the insulation layer 200 is disposed within the furnace shell 100 and forms a sealed cavity to provide space for crystal growth operations. The insulation layer 200 is composed of low thermal conductivity carbon felt or multiple layers of thin metal arranged at certain intervals, which can reduce heat loss during crystal growth and improve energy utilization efficiency.

[0042] The heating element 300 is a ring-shaped graphite component located inside and above the insulation layer 200. When the heating element 300 is powered on, it generates heat and transfers the heat to the crucible through radiation, causing the crystal raw material inside the crucible to melt and remain in a molten state.

[0043] The irregularly shaped partition 400 has a three-dimensional ring structure, and its main body is made of a low thermal conductivity insulation material. It is positioned below the heating element 300 and divides the internal space of the insulation layer 200 into an upper hot zone, a middle gradient zone, and a lower cold zone. The temperature of the upper hot zone is higher than that of the middle gradient zone, and the temperature of the middle gradient zone is higher than that of the lower cold zone. The upper hot zone is the area above the hollow cavity corresponding to the irregularly shaped partition 400, and the heating element 300 provides the heat source for the upper hot zone. The middle gradient zone is the area of ​​the hollow cavity corresponding to the irregularly shaped partition 400, where the melt in the crucible solidifies and crystallizes. The lower cold zone is the area below the hollow cavity corresponding to the irregularly shaped partition 400, used to keep the crystal in a solidified state.

[0044] A crucible 500 is housed within a cylindrical hollow cavity isolated by an insulation layer 200 and can move up and down within the hollow cavity. The melt inside the crucible 500 continuously solidifies and crystallizes in the central gradient region as the crucible 500 slowly descends. The crucible 500 includes an integrally formed seed crystal portion 510, a shoulder portion 520, and a constant-diameter portion 530. The seed crystal portion 510 is located below the shoulder portion 520, and the constant-diameter portion 530 is located above the shoulder portion 520. The seed crystal portion 510 is a small-sized cylindrical structure used to hold the seed crystal. The constant-diameter portion 530 is a cylindrical structure with a radius larger than that of the seed crystal portion 510, used for growing large-sized crystal rods. The shoulder portion 520 is a frustum-shaped structure; its upper end connects to the constant-diameter portion 530, and its lower end connects to the seed crystal portion 510.

[0045] The support rod 600 partially penetrates the insulation layer 200 and the furnace shell 100. The top of the support rod 600 supports the bottom of the crucible 500, enabling the crucible 500 to move up and down. The hollow interlayer inside the support rod 600 is filled with circulating cooling water to remove heat from the bottom of the crucible while maintaining the low temperature of the lower cold zone.

[0046] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3The main body of the irregularly shaped partition 400 is made of a low thermal conductivity material, and its surface is covered with a high reflectivity material. The irregularly shaped partition 400 includes an integrally formed upper narrow portion 410, a middle sloping portion 420, and a lower wide portion 430. The upper narrow portion 410 is located above the middle sloping portion 420, and the lower wide portion 430 is located below it. The cross-section of the upper narrow portion 410 is a narrow rectangular strip; the cross-section of the middle sloping portion 420 is a right-angled trapezoid with its hypotenuse widening inwards at a certain angle; and the cross-section of the lower wide portion 430 is a wide rectangular strip. The short side of the rectangle of the upper narrow portion 410 coincides with the upper base of the right-angled trapezoid of the middle sloping portion 420, and the long side of the wide rectangular strip of the lower wide portion 430 coincides with the lower base of the right-angled trapezoid of the middle sloping portion 420.

[0047] The middle slope 420 of the irregular partition 400 is arranged roughly parallel to the shoulder 520 of the crucible 500.

[0048] Therefore, the thermal radiation from the heating element 300 can be allowed to propagate downwards to the middle slope 420 through the channel between the crucible 500 and the narrow portion 410 of the irregularly shaped partition 400. Simultaneously, the thermal radiation is reflected to the wall of the crucible shoulder by the highly reflective surface of the middle slope, which is roughly parallel to the crucible shoulder 520. This solves the problem of wall overcooling during crystal growth at the crucible shoulder, thereby resolving a series of issues caused by wall overcooling, such as solid-liquid interface depression, edge-to-center eddies in the melt above the interface, excessive radial temperature difference within the crystal below the interface, and spontaneous nucleation of impurities on the crucible wall. Furthermore, the low thermal conductivity material of the main body of the irregularly shaped partition 400 and the lower wide portion 430 of the partition effectively block heat exchange between the upper hot zone and the lower cold zone, maintaining a sufficient axial temperature gradient. This ensures the smooth solidification and crystallization of the melt within the corresponding gradient region of the irregularly shaped partition.

[0049] Understandable, Figure 1 In the existing crucible-lowering crystal growth apparatus shown in the prior art, although the problem of excessive cooling of the crucible shoulder wall can be solved to some extent by adding a lower heating element and adjusting the power of the lower heating element, this will reduce the temperature difference between the upper hot zone and the lower cold zone in the insulation layer, and significantly reduce the temperature gradient value in the middle temperature gradient zone, which hinders the smooth solidification and crystallization of the melt.

[0050] The irregularly shaped partition proposed in this invention can not only ensure that the wall surface of the crucible shoulder 520 can receive the heat radiation reflected by the wide part of the irregularly shaped partition, thus solving the problem of wall surface overcooling, but also will not affect the temperature gradient value necessary for crystal growth, thus ensuring the smooth solidification and crystallization of the melt.

[0051] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 The slope angle of the irregularly shaped partition is 420 degrees. β Angle of 520° with respect to the shoulder of the crucible αThe advantage of keeping the angle within 5° is that when the heat radiation emitted from the heating element reaches the highly reflective inclined surface of the middle slope 420, if the middle slope 420 and the inclined surface of the crucible shoulder 520 are set approximately parallel, the wall surface of the crucible shoulder 520 can receive the reflected heat radiation to the maximum extent. However, if the angle exceeds 5°, some of the heat radiation reaching the inclined surface of the middle slope 420 will not reach the wall surface of the crucible shoulder 520 after reflection.

[0052] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 In order to better receive and reflect the heat radiation emitted by the heating element 300, the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion 410 is outside the outer wall surface of the heating element 300, or at least flush with the outer wall surface of the heating element 300, so that the heat radiation of the heating element 300 can fully pass through the gap between the upper narrow portion 410 and the crucible 500 to reach the middle slope portion 420, thereby increasing the heat reflected from the middle slope portion 420 to the crucible 500.

[0053] It should be noted that, although theoretically the inner wall of the upper narrow portion 410 only needs to be outside the outer wall of the heating element 300, in a preferred embodiment, the upper narrow portion 410 still needs to have a certain thickness. With this arrangement, the high reflectivity surface of the upper narrow portion 410 can be used to concentrate heat inward, while if the thickness is 0, the corresponding thermal radiation will be absorbed by the inner wall of the insulation layer 200.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment, the radial dimension of the upper narrow portion 410 l Within the range of 3 to 15 mm, a good balance can be achieved between focusing, reflecting energy and manufacturing cost.

[0055] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 The radial distance between the lower wide portion 430 of the irregular partition 400 and the equal diameter portion 530 of the crucible 500 is 5-15mm, that is, the distance between the inner side of the lower wide portion 430 and the outer side of the equal diameter portion 530 is 5-15mm, which is also the width (radial dimension) of the lower width 430. l 3 is the value obtained by reducing the distance between the equal-diameter portions of the insulation layer 200 and the crucible 500 by 5-15 mm. This allows for maximizing the length of the entire slope 420 while ensuring that the vertical movement of the crucible 500 within the hollow cavity is not affected. This increases the heat reflection of the slope 420, while maximizing the isolation between the upper hot zone and the lower cold zone, and increasing the temperature gradient value in the middle gradient zone.

[0056] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 The lower width of the irregularly shaped partition 400 is 430 mm high, i.e. l 2 is 5-20mm, which can create a certain height of central gradient zone, providing a certain tolerance space for solidification and crystallization.

[0057] Please continue reading.Figures 2-3 The height of the irregularly shaped partition is 400, that is l The length of the shoulder section 520 of the crucible 500 is 3-4 times that of the crucible 500, which can effectively ensure that the irregular partition 400 has a certain length of inclined surface, thereby improving the supercooling of the entire shoulder wall of the crucible 500.

[0058] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 The main body of the irregularly shaped partition 400 is made of low thermal conductivity material, preferably carbon felt, mullite or alumina, to ensure that the partition can effectively separate the thermal field to form an upper hot zone, a middle gradient zone and a lower cold zone, so as to meet the basic temperature gradient requirements for melt solidification and crystallization.

[0059] Meanwhile, the surface of the irregularly shaped partition 400 is covered with a smooth molybdenum sheet or tungsten sheet and other high reflectivity materials, which can ensure that the surface of the irregularly shaped partition 400 has a high reflectivity, thereby maximizing the reflection of heat radiation.

[0060] It is understood that there are various ways to fix the low thermal conductivity material of the main body of the irregular partition 400 and the high reflectivity material on its surface, and the present invention does not limit this. In one specific embodiment, the high reflectivity material is fixed to the low thermal conductivity material by coating or plating; in another specific embodiment, the high reflectivity material is fixed to the low thermal conductivity material by covering or bonding.

[0061] Please continue reading. Figures 2-3 To ensure uniform heating of the shoulder section 520, the irregularly shaped partition 400 is a near-ring-shaped structure, that is, the irregularly shaped partition 400 is fixedly set on the inner wall of the insulation layer 200 and surrounds the crucible 500.

[0062] This invention also provides an irregularly shaped partition plate, disposed in a crystal growth apparatus containing the irregularly shaped partition plate. The growth apparatus includes a furnace shell 100, a heat insulation layer 200, a heating element 300, an irregularly shaped partition plate 400, a crucible 500, and a support rod 600. The furnace shell 100 isolates the external environment and provides rigid support for the various components inside the furnace. The heat insulation layer 200 further isolates a space for crystal growth using the crucible descent method from within the furnace shell 100. The heating element 300 is located above and inside the heat insulation layer 200, providing a heat source for melting and maintaining the molten state of the crystal raw material inside the crucible. The crucible 500 includes a constant-diameter portion 530, a shoulder portion 520, and a seed crystal portion 510, which are fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the seed crystal portion 510 is smaller than that of the constant-diameter portion 530. The support rod 600 drives the crucible 500 to move up and down. Cooling water inside the support rod 600 is used to remove heat from the bottom of the crucible and maintain the low temperature of the lower cold zone.

[0063] The irregularly shaped partition 400 is disposed below the upper heating element 300 to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones so that the crystal grows in the region corresponding to the irregularly shaped partition 400. The irregularly shaped partition 400 includes an upper narrow portion 410, a middle slope portion 420 and a lower wide portion 430 fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide portion 430 is larger than that of the upper narrow portion 210.

[0064] It should be noted that the present invention does not limit the connection method of the narrow portion 410, the middle slope portion 420, and the lower wide portion 430 on the irregularly shaped partition, as long as a fixed connection can be achieved. In one specific embodiment, the upper narrow portion 410, the middle slope portion 420, and the lower wide portion 430 are integrally connected from top to bottom. In another specific embodiment, the upper narrow portion 410, the middle slope portion 420, and the lower wide portion 430 are detachably and fixedly connected from top to bottom.

[0065] The above provides a detailed description of the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0066] Throughout this specification, the terms "an embodiment," "embodiment," or "specific embodiment" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment that is included in at least one embodiment of the invention, but not necessarily in all embodiments. Therefore, the various representations of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "in a specific embodiment" in different places throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic of any specific embodiment of the invention can be combined with one or more other embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein may be based on the teachings herein and will be considered part of the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0067] It should also be understood that one or more of the elements shown in the figures may be implemented in a more separate or more integrated manner, or may even be removed because they are inoperable in certain circumstances or provided because they may be useful for a particular application.

[0068] Furthermore, unless otherwise expressly stated, any arrows in the accompanying drawings should be considered illustrative only and not limiting. Additionally, unless otherwise stated, the term "or" as used herein is generally intended to mean "and / or". Where a term is anticipated to provide a separation or combination capability that is unclear, a combination of components or steps will also be considered as indicated.

Claims

1. A crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions, comprising a furnace shell, a heat insulation layer, a crucible, and a heating element, wherein the heat insulation layer is disposed within the furnace shell and forms a sealed hollow cavity to provide a space for crystal growth operations, the heating element is disposed on the inner wall of the heat insulation layer for providing a heat source for crystal melting, and the crucible comprises a constant-diameter portion, a shoulder portion, and a seed portion fixedly connected from top to bottom, wherein the radial dimension of the seed portion is smaller than that of the constant-diameter portion, characterized in that... It also includes irregularly shaped partitions, which are disposed below the heating element to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, allowing the crystal to grow in the region corresponding to the partition. The irregularly shaped partition includes an upper narrow portion, a middle sloping portion, and a lower wide portion fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide portion is larger than that of the upper narrow portion. The upper narrow portion of the irregularly shaped partition is arranged approximately parallel to the equal-diameter portion of the crucible; the middle slope portion of the irregularly shaped partition is arranged approximately parallel to the shoulder portion of the crucible; the lower wide portion is arranged approximately parallel to the seed crystal portion of the crucible; wherein... The inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is located radially outside the inner wall surface of the heating element, or the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is radially flush with the inner wall surface of the heating element.

2. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is disposed on the outer side of the inner wall surface of the heating element, the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is disposed on the outer side of the outer wall surface of the heating element.

3. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The irregularly shaped partition is made of a low thermal conductivity material to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, wherein... The surface of the irregularly shaped partition is fixedly provided with a highly reflective material.

4. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The angle of inclination of the middle slope of the irregularly shaped partition and the angle of inclination of the shoulder of the crucible do not exceed 5°.

5. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The height of the irregularly shaped partition is 3-4 times the height of the shoulder of the crucible.

6. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The radial distance between the lower wide portion of the irregularly shaped partition and the equal-diameter portion of the crucible is 5-15 mm.

7. The crystal growth apparatus containing irregularly shaped partitions according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The furnace shell is used to isolate the external environment, wherein The furnace shell is equipped with a jacket and is circulated with cooling water to prevent workers from being burned by the high temperature of the outer wall of the furnace shell during crystal growth.

8. An irregularly shaped partition, disposed in a crystal growth apparatus containing the irregularly shaped partition, the growth apparatus comprising a furnace shell, a heat insulation layer, a crucible, and a heating element, the heat insulation layer being disposed within the furnace shell and forming a sealed hollow cavity to provide a space for crystal growth operations, the heating element being disposed on the inner wall of the growth furnace for providing a heat source for crystal melting, the crucible comprising a constant-diameter portion, a shoulder portion, and a seed portion fixedly connected from top to bottom, the radial dimension of the seed portion being smaller than that of the constant-diameter portion, characterized in that... The irregularly shaped partition is disposed below the heating element to divide the hollow cavity into different temperature zones, allowing the crystal to grow in the region corresponding to the partition. The partition includes an upper narrow section, a middle sloping section, and a lower wide section fixedly connected from top to bottom. The radial dimension of the lower wide section is larger than that of the upper narrow section. The middle slope of the irregularly shaped partition is arranged approximately parallel to the shoulder of the crucible. The inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is arranged radially outside the inner wall surface of the heating element, or the inner wall surface of the upper narrow portion is radially flush with the inner wall surface of the heating element to increase the heat reflected by the irregularly shaped partition to the shoulder.

9. The irregularly shaped partition according to claim 8, characterized in that, The width of the upper narrow part of the irregularly shaped partition is 3-15mm, and the height of the lower wide part of the irregularly shaped partition is 5-20mm.

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