Cleaning tool and method for cleaning lift cable of ingot puller device

Abstract

A cleaning tool for cleaning a lift cable of an ingot puller apparatus and a method for cleaning the lift cable are disclosed. The cleaning tool includes a chamber for receiving the lift cable. The pressurized fluid is discharged through one or more nozzles to separate debris from the lift cable. The fluid and debris are collected in an exhaust cavity of the cleaning tool and discharged through an exhaust pipe. The cleaning tool includes one or more guides that guide the cleaning tool in an upper section of the ingot puller apparatus.

Description

[0001] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 335,447, filed on April 27, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The field of the disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of a billet puller device and to a method for cleaning a pulling cable of a billet puller device. Background Art

[0004] A single crystal silicon ingot can be grown by the so-called Czochralski process, in which a silicon seed crystal is contacted with a silicon melt. The silicon seed crystal is removed from the melt, causing a single crystal silicon ingot to be formed suspended by the seed crystal. The silicon seed crystal is secured to a seed chuck connected to a pulling cable. The pulling cable supports the chuck and the seed crystal (and the ingot during crystal growth). The pulling cable is connected to a pulling mechanism that lowers and raises the pulling cable within the ingot puller apparatus.

[0005] During ingot growth, silicon oxide may form in the melt. Silicon oxide is transported from the melt and deposited within the ingot puller apparatus, including on the pulling cables of the ingot puller apparatus. Other deposits, such as carbon, may be transported from the melt and may adhere to the pulling cables. Deposits formed on the pulling cables may fall from the pulling cables during ingot growth, which may result in loss of zero dislocation growth of the single crystal silicon ingot or cause defects (e.g., slips or twin lamellas) to form in the ingot. Silicon oxide may be periodically removed from the pulling cables to prevent oxides from falling into the melt. Cleaning operations that contact the pulling cables may cause cable damage. A damaged cable may break during ingot growth, causing the ingot to fall into the melt.

[0006] There is a need for tools and methods for cleaning a pulling cable that are capable of removing deposits from the pulling cable and that do not cause damage to the pulling cable during the cleaning process.

[0007] This paragraph is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may be related to the various aspects of the present disclosure described and / or claimed below. This discussion is considered to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these statements are read from this perspective and not as an admission of prior art. Summary of the invention

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of a puller apparatus. The cleaning tool comprises a frame and a chamber extending through the frame for receiving the pulling cable. One or more nozzles direct a pressurized fluid toward the pulling cable. An exhaust duct carries away the fluid discharged from the one or more nozzles.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of a billet puller apparatus. The cleaning tool includes a frame and a chamber extending through the frame for receiving the pulling cable. One or more nozzles direct a pressurized fluid toward the pulling cable. The tool includes an extendable handle for raising and lowering the one or more nozzles into an upper chamber of the billet puller apparatus.

[0010] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for cleaning a pulling cable of an ingot puller apparatus. The ingot puller apparatus includes a puller housing defining a growth chamber for pulling a silicon ingot from a silicon melt. The puller housing includes a lower dome-shaped section and an upper cylindrical section removably connected to the lower dome-shaped section. The pulling cable is positioned within a chamber of a cleaning tool. A pressurized fluid is directed toward the pulling cable. The pressurized fluid directed toward the pulling cable is removed by an exhaust cavity of the cleaning tool for handling the pressurized fluid.

[0011] There are various improvements of the features described in connection with the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure. Additional features may also be incorporated into the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure. These improvements and additional features may exist alone or in any combination. For example, various features discussed below in connection with any of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any of the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an ingot puller apparatus during ingot growth;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an ingot puller apparatus having an upper section and a lower section removably connected to the upper section;

[0014] Figure 3 A perspective view of a cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of a puller apparatus;

[0015] Figure 4 is another perspective view of the cleaning tool, wherein the guide is not shown;

[0016] Figure 5 is a top view of the cleaning tool body;

[0017] Figure 6 is a front view of a cleaning tool;

[0018] Figure 7 is a top view of the cleaning tool; and

[0019] Figure 8 A side view of a cleaning tool.

[0020] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of a billet puller device and a method for cleaning a pulling cable of a billet puller device. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , an example ingot puller apparatus (or more simply “ingot puller”) having a pulling cable is generally indicated as “100”. The ingot puller apparatus 100 includes a crucible assembly 102 for holding a melt 104 of semiconductor or solar grade material silicon. The crucible assembly 102 is supported by a susceptor 106.

[0022] The ingot puller apparatus 100 includes a puller housing 108 defining a growth chamber 152 for pulling a silicon ingot from a silicon melt 104 along a pulling axis A. Figure 2 , the growth chamber 152 includes two parts: a lower growth chamber 155 (or simply referred to as “lower chamber”) and an upper growth chamber 165 (or simply referred to as “upper chamber”) disposed above the lower growth chamber 155. The hot zone of the ingot puller apparatus 100 (e.g., crucible, reflector, susceptor, heater, and the like) is disposed in the lower chamber 155. During ingot growth, the ingot 113 is pulled through the lower chamber 155, and continues to be pulled through the upper chamber 165 as the ingot is elongated.

[0023] The crystal puller housing 108 includes a domed lower section 119 defining a lower chamber 155 and an upper section 140 defining an upper chamber 165. The lower domed section 119 includes a domed portion 169 that tapers in size to the diameter of the upper section 140. The upper section 140 is generally cylindrical and includes a lower end 159 and an upper end 163. The upper section 140 of the crystal puller housing 108 is removably connected to the lower section 119 (e.g., by fasteners, spacers, or the like). For example, the lower section 119 can be lowered away from the upper section 140 to allow a cleaning tool 200, described below, to be inserted into the upper section 140 to clean the pulling cables 118.

[0024] Crucible assembly 102 ( Figure 1 ) is disposed in the lower chamber 155. The crucible assembly 102 has sidewalls 131 and a bottom plate 129, and rests on a susceptor 106. The susceptor 106 is supported by an axle 105. The susceptor 106, the crucible assembly 102, the axle 105, and the ingot 113 have a common longitudinal axis or "pulling axis" A.

[0025] A pulling mechanism 114 is provided in the ingot puller apparatus 100 for growing and pulling an ingot 113 from the melt 104. The pulling mechanism 114 includes a pulling cable 118, a seed holder or chuck 120 coupled to one end of the pulling cable 118, and a seed crystal 122 coupled to the chuck 120 for starting crystal growth. One end of the pulling cable 118 is connected to a pulley (not shown) or a roller (not shown) of the pulling mechanism 114, and the other end is connected to the chuck 120 holding the seed crystal 122. The pulling mechanism 114 includes a motor that rotates the pulley or the roller.

[0026] In operation, the seed crystal 122 is lowered to contact the surface 111 of the melt 104. The pulling mechanism 114 is operated to cause the seed crystal 122 to rise. This causes the single crystal ingot 113 to be pulled from the melt 104.

[0027] During heating and crystal pulling, the crucible drive unit 107 (e.g., a motor) rotates the crucible assembly 102 and the susceptor 106. During the growth process, the lifting mechanism 112 raises and lowers the crucible assembly 102 along the pulling axis A. For example, the crucible assembly 102 can be in the lowest position (near the bottom heater 126) in which the charge of solid phase silicon 133 previously added to the crucible assembly 102 is melted. Crystal growth begins by contacting the melt 104 with the seed crystal 122 and lifting the seed crystal 122 by the pulling mechanism 114.

[0028] The crystal drive unit (not shown) may also rotate the pulling cable 118 and the ingot 113 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the crucible drive unit 107 rotates the crucible assembly 102 (e.g., counter-rotation). In embodiments using co-rotation, the crystal drive unit may rotate the pulling cable 118 in the same direction as the crucible drive unit rotates the crucible assembly 102.

[0029] The ingot puller apparatus 100 includes a bottom insulating layer 110 and side insulating layers 124 to retain heat in the pulling apparatus 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the ingot puller apparatus 100 includes a bottom heater 126 disposed below a crucible bottom plate 129. The crucible assembly 102 can be moved relatively close to the bottom heater 126 to melt solid silicon loaded into the crucible assembly 102.

[0030] According to the Czochralski single crystal growth process, a certain amount of solid phase silicon, such as multicrystalline silicon or "polysilicon", is first loaded into the crucible assembly 102. The semiconductor or solar grade solid silicon introduced into the crucible assembly 102 is melted by heat provided by one or more heating elements. Once the melt 104 is fully formed, the seed crystal 122 is lowered and contacts the surface 111 of the melt 104. The pulling mechanism 114 is operated to pull the seed crystal 122 from the melt 104. The resulting ingot 113 includes a crown 142, in which the ingot transitions outward from the seed crystal 122 and gradually thickens to reach a target diameter. The ingot 113 includes a constant diameter portion 145 of the crystal or a cylindrical "body" that grows by increasing the pulling rate. The body 145 of the ingot 113 has a relatively constant diameter. The ingot 113 includes a tail or end cone (not shown) in which the ingot gradually decreases in diameter after the body 145. When the diameter becomes small enough, the ingot 113 separates from the melt 104 .

[0031] The crystal growth process can be a batch process, where solid silicon is first added to the crucible assembly 102 to form a silicon melt, and during crystal growth, no additional solid silicon is added to the crucible assembly 102. In other embodiments, the crystal growth process is a continuous Czochralski process, where a certain amount of silicon is added to the crucible assembly during ingot growth.

[0032] The ingot puller apparatus 100 includes side heaters 135 and susceptors 106 that surround the crucible assembly 102 to maintain the temperature of the melt 104 during crystal growth. The side heaters 135 are disposed radially outward of the crucible sidewall 131 as the crucible assembly 102 moves up and down along the pulling axis A. The side heaters 135 and the bottom heater 126 can be any type of heater that allows the side heaters 135 and the bottom heater 126 to operate as described herein. In some embodiments, the heaters 135, 126 are resistive heaters. The side heaters 135 and the bottom heater 126 can be controlled by a control system (not shown) so that the temperature of the melt 104 is controlled throughout the pulling process.

[0033] The ingot puller apparatus 100 may include a heat shield 151. The heat shield 151 may cover the ingot 113 and may be disposed within the crucible assembly 102 during crystal growth. The ingot puller apparatus 100 may include an inert gas system to introduce and exhaust an inert gas, such as argon, from the growth chamber 152.

[0034] The illustrated ingot puller apparatus 100 is an example, and the cleaning tool 200 described below can generally be used to clean the pulling cable 118 of any ingot puller apparatus that includes such a pulling cable 118. The pulling cable 118 may include a metal wire or a series of metal wires (e.g., stranded metal wires) combined to form a cable. The pulling cable 118 may be made of tungsten, such as stranded tungsten wires.

[0035] Reference Figure 3 , a cleaning tool for cleaning the pulling cables of a billet puller apparatus is generally indicated by "200". The cleaning tool 200 includes a frame 210 and a chamber 214 extending through the frame 210 for receiving the pulling cables 118. The frame 210 can generally be any structure that forms the chamber 214 for receiving the pulling cables 118. For example, the frame 210 can be a series of wires, cables, rods, plates or other frame members through which the pulling cables 118 extend. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 210 includes a body 220. The body 220 has a top 223 and a bottom 225. One or more side walls 229 partially circumferentially surround the body 220. The chamber 214 extends from the top 223 to the bottom 225. The slot 233 extends through the one or more side walls 229 and through the top 223 and the bottom 225. The slot 233 provides an opening through which the lifting cable 118 can pass to receive the lifting cable 118 in the chamber 214.

[0036] The cleaning tool 200 includes one or more external guides 240, 242, 244 that are moved within the upper chamber 165 ( 166 ) of the puller apparatus 100 during cleaning of the pulling cable 118. Figure 2 ) guides the cleaning tool 200 inside. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more outer guides include three guides: a first guide 240, a second guide 242, and a third guide 244. The guides 240, 242, 244 contact the inner surface of the upper chamber 165 and guide the chamber 214 so that the chamber 214 is aligned with the pull cable 118. The outer guides 240, 242, 244 are disposed radially outside the body 220.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the outer guides 240, 242, 244 are each arms extending radially outward from the body 220. The outer guides 240, 242, 244 may have other shapes, such as one or more rings surrounding the frame 210 (i.e., the body 220). In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more guides include three guides 240, 242, 244. In general, unless otherwise noted, any number of guides that allows the cleaning tool to function as described herein may be used.

[0038] Each guide member 240, 242, 244 includes a roller (or simply referred to as a "roller") 258, 260, 262 ( Figure 7 Each roller 258, 260, 262 defines an arc of rotation that is perpendicular to the inner surface of the upper chamber 140 at the point where the respective roller 258, 260, 262 contacts the inner surface of the upper chamber 165 ( Figure 2The rollers 258 , 260 , 262 assist in moving the cleaning tool 200 up and down the upper chamber 165 to clean the lifting cable 118 while reducing or eliminating contact with the lifting cable 118 .

[0039] Reference Figures 5 to 6 The cleaning tool 200 includes one or more nozzles 252, 254 for directing pressurized fluid toward the pull cable 118 ( Figure 3 In general, any nozzle that directs pressurized fluid toward the pull cable 118 (eg, a nozzle that increases fluid velocity) may be used. Although a first nozzle 252 and a second nozzle 254 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, in other embodiments, a single nozzle or more than two nozzles may be used.

[0040] Each nozzle 252, 254 passes through a conduit 265 ( Figure 8 ) is connected to a source of pressurized fluid (e.g., pressurized air or other gas, such as argon or nitrogen). Cleaning tool 200 may include ports 270, 272 ( Figure 6 ) to connect to a source of pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid is directed toward the pull cable 118 through nozzles 252, 254. The pressurized fluid may be controlled by valves in one or more supply conduits integrated into the pressurized fluid source. After contacting the pull cable 118, the fluid enters the exhaust conduit 276 ( Figure 5 ), the exhaust conduit 276 carries away the fluid. The exhaust conduit 276 includes an exhaust cavity 279 within the body 220 of the tool 200, and also includes an exhaust pipe 281 in fluid communication with the exhaust cavity 279. The exhaust cavity 279 is defined by the top 223, the bottom 225, and one or more sidewalls 229 of the body 220. The exhaust pipe 281 is in fluid communication with the exhaust cavity 279 and extends downward from the body 220.

[0041] The exhaust pipe 281 can also be used as a handle for removing the exhaust pipe from the upper chamber 165 ( Figure 2 ) to raise and lower the body 220 (i.e., for raising and lowering one or more nozzles 252, 254 relative to the pull cable 118). The handle 281 may be extendable. For example, the handle 281 may include a telescoping portion 284 ( Figure 4 ), the telescoping portion 284 slides within the outer portion 286 to retract or extend the handle 281. The cleaning tool 200 may include a lock 288 to secure the telescoping portion 284 relative to the outer portion 286 (e.g., when the tool 200 is positioned below the upper chamber 165 and the lifting cable 118 is passed through the slot 233 ( Figure 3 ) when inserted into chamber 214).

[0042] Exhaust tube 281 may be fluidly connected to one or more filters and / or a vacuum source, such as by connecting to exhaust tube port 291. Exhaust tube 281 defines an outlet opening 293 ( Figure 4 ) extends to a fluid passageway of the exhaust pipe port 291.

[0043] The cleaning tool 200 is used to clean the ingot puller apparatus 100. The cleaning tool 200 and the apparatus 100 may together form part of an ingot puller system 50 for manufacturing single crystal silicon ingots and for cleaning the system after use.

[0044] To clean the pulling cable 118, the lower dome section 119 of the crystal puller housing 108 is separated from the upper section 140. The exhaust pipe 281 is fluidly connected to a vacuum source (e.g., a blower or pump that generates a vacuum). The fluid ports 270, 272 ( Figure 6 ) is connected to a source of pressurized fluid (e.g., pressurized air). The lifting cable 118 is moved to a lowered position to allow access to the lifting cable 118. The cleaning tool 200 is moved to position the lifting cable 118 through the slot 233 and within the chamber 214 of the cleaning tool 200. The cleaning tool 200 is moved upward and / or downward relative to the lifting cable 118 while pressurized fluid is directed toward the lifting cable 118 through the nozzles 252, 254 (i.e., from the lower end 159 toward the upper end 166 of the upper cylindrical section 140). The cleaning tool 200 can be raised through the upper section 140 of the ingot puller apparatus 100 by unlocking the lock 288 and extending the handle / exhaust tube 281. The guides 240, 242, 244 contact the inner surface of the upper section 140 and help align the chamber 214 of the tool 200 with the lifting cable 118. As the tool 200 moves up and down, the guides 240 , 242 , 244 rotate and facilitate movement of the tool 200 through the cylindrical upper section 140 .

[0045] As the pressurized fluid is discharged from the first nozzle 252 and the second nozzle 254, the fluid impacts the pull cable 118, causing debris and sediment to separate from the pull cable 118. The discharged fluid and debris material enter the exhaust cavity 279 within the body 220 of the tool 200. The discharged fluid and debris are pulled within the exhaust tube 281 and discharged through the port 291 for further processing (e.g., filtering).

[0046] After the ingot has been removed from the ingot puller apparatus 100, and the ingot puller apparatus 100 has cooled to ambient temperature, the pulling cables 118 may be cleaned. In other embodiments, the pulling cables are cleaned after a series of ingot operations.

[0047] The cleaning tool and method for cleaning the pull cable disclosed herein have several advantages over conventional cleaning tools and methods. The cleaning tool removes debris from the pull cable without the debris falling into the lower section of the puller disposed below the upper section and the pull cable. Instead, the debris material is pulled through the exhaust cavity and exhaust pipe for further processing. The guide of the cleaning tool allows the pull cable to be cleaned without the cleaning tool contacting the pull cable and without damaging the cable. The rollers disposed on the guide allow the cleaning tool to be raised more easily in the upper section of the puller. The extendable handle allows the cleaning tool to move upward in the upper section of the puller, and the lock allows the length of the upper section to be fixed (for example, when the cleaning tool is moved below the upper chamber or when the tool is removed from below the upper chamber after cleaning is completed). The use of two or more nozzles in the cleaning tool allows two or more sides of the cable to be cleaned simultaneously, which improves the cleaning efficiency of the tool.

[0048] Examples

[0049] The methods of the present disclosure are further illustrated by the following examples. These examples should not be considered limiting.

[0050] Example 1: Defective rate of ingots with and without cleaning tools

[0051] Figure 3 The cleaning tool shown in FIG. 1 is used to clean the pulling cables of six ingot puller devices similar to Figure 1 Schematic equipment of the invention. The cleaning tool was used for six months before each ingot growth. Compared with the ingots without cleaning the pulling cable, the ratio of twins / faults was observed to be reduced from 1.0% to 0.3% in the ingots that cleaned the pulling cable before ingot growth. In addition, the crystal full bottom ratio (i.e., the entire crystal without dislocations in the formed body) increased from 77.7% to 84.55%.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "about," "substantially," "substantially," and "approximately," when used in conjunction with ranges of size, concentration, temperature, or other physical or chemical properties or characteristics, are meant to encompass variations that may exist in the upper and / or lower limits of the range of the property or characteristic, including, for example, variations resulting from rounding, measurement method, or other statistical variations.

[0053] When introducing elements of the present disclosure or embodiments thereof, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," "containing," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements in addition to the listed elements. The use of terms indicating particular orientations (e.g., "top," "bottom," "side," etc.) is for convenience of description and does not require any particular orientation of the items being described.

[0054] As various changes could be made in the above structures and methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of an ingot puller device, the cleaning tool comprising: frame; a chamber extending through the frame for receiving the lifting cable; one or more nozzles for directing a pressurized fluid at the pulling cable; and An exhaust duct is used to carry away the fluid discharged from the one or more nozzles.

2. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a body including a bottom plate and a top plate, the chamber extending through the bottom plate and the top plate.

3. The cleaning tool according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust duct comprises: an exhaust cavity within said body; and An exhaust conduit extends from the body, the exhaust conduit being in fluid communication with the exhaust cavity.

4. The cleaning tool of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising one or more external guides for guiding the cleaning tool within the upper chamber of the spindle puller apparatus during cleaning of the pulling cable.

5. The cleaning tool of claim 4, wherein the frame includes a body, the chamber extending through the body, and the one or more outer guides are disposed radially outward from the body.

6. The cleaning tool of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more outer guides comprises a roller for contacting an inner surface of an upper chamber of the spindle puller apparatus.

7. A cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cleaning tool has an extendable handle for raising and lowering the one or more nozzles into the upper chamber of the ingot puller apparatus.

8. The cleaning tool of claim 7, wherein the extendable handle includes a discharge tube that carries away fluid discharged from the one or more nozzles.

9. The cleaning tool of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more nozzles include a first nozzle and a second nozzle.

10. An ingot puller system for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot and for cleaning the system after use, the ingot puller system comprising: Ingot puller equipment, comprising: a crucible assembly for holding a silicon melt; A crystal puller housing defines a growth chamber for pulling a silicon ingot from the silicon melt, wherein the crucible assembly is disposed in the growth chamber, the crystal puller housing comprising: a lower dome-shaped section; and an upper cylindrical section removably connected to the lower dome-shaped section; and a lifting mechanism, which includes a lifting cable; and A cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A cleaning tool for cleaning a pulling cable of an ingot puller device, the cleaning tool comprising: frame; a chamber extending through the frame for receiving the lifting cable; one or more nozzles for directing pressurized fluid toward the pulling cable; and An extendable handle is provided for raising and lowering the one or more nozzles into the upper chamber of the ingot puller apparatus.

12. The cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the extendable handle includes an exhaust tube having a fluid passage through which fluid discharged from the one or more nozzles passes.

13. A cleaning tool according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the extendable handle comprises a telescoping portion enabling the extendable handle to be extended and retracted.

14. The cleaning tool of any one of claims 11 to 13, comprising one or more external guides for guiding the cleaning tool within the upper chamber of the spindle puller apparatus during cleaning of the pulling cable.

15. The cleaning tool of claim 14, wherein the frame includes a body, the chamber extending through the body, the one or more outer guides being disposed radially outward from the body.

16. The cleaning tool of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more outer guides comprises a roller for contacting an inner surface of an upper chamber of the spindle puller apparatus.

17. An ingot puller system for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot and for cleaning the system after use, the ingot puller system comprising: Ingot puller equipment, comprising: a crucible assembly for holding a silicon melt; A crystal puller housing defines a growth chamber for pulling a silicon ingot from the silicon melt, wherein the crucible assembly is disposed in the growth chamber, the crystal puller housing comprising: a lower dome-shaped section; and an upper cylindrical section removably connected to the lower dome-shaped section; and a lifting mechanism, which includes a lifting cable; and A cleaning tool according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

18. A method for cleaning a pulling cable of an ingot puller apparatus, the ingot puller apparatus comprising a puller housing defining a growth chamber for pulling a silicon ingot from a silicon melt, the puller housing comprising a lower dome-shaped section and an upper cylindrical section removably connected to the lower dome-shaped section, the method comprising: positioning the lifting cable within a chamber of a cleaning tool; directing a pressurized fluid toward the lifting cable; and The pressurized fluid directed toward the pulling cable is removed through an exhaust cavity of the cleaning tool for handling the pressurized fluid.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising moving the cleaning tool relative to the lifting cable while simultaneously directing pressurized fluid toward the lifting cable and simultaneously removing the pressurized fluid through the exhaust cavity for disposal of the pressurized fluid.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising moving the cleaning tool through the upper cylindrical section of the billet puller apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising separating the upper cylindrical section from the lower dome-shaped section and moving the cleaning tool from a lower end to an upper end of the upper cylindrical section.

22. A method according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the cleaning tool comprises one or more external guides which guide the cleaning knife within the upper cylindrical section.

23. The method of any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the pressurized fluid is air.

24. The method of any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the pulling cable comprises a plurality of tungsten wires.

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