Crystal growth station with adjustable crystal pulling mechanism for rapid production

Abstract

A crystal growth station comprising an adjustable crystal pulling system, which includes an adjustment mechanism and a moving head connected to the adjustment mechanism. The crystal growth station further includes a movable furnace chamber configured to be repositioned relative to the docking region of the adjustable crystal pulling system. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the attitude of the moving head relative to the docking region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to crystal growth for nuclear medicine imaging, and more particularly to a Chokralski crystal growth station used to facilitate crystal growth and production.

Background Art

[0002] The Chokralski crystal growth process (often simply referred to as the "Chokralski method" or "CZ method") is a process widely used to produce bulk crystals used in a wide range of electronic and optical devices. The Chokralski crystal growth process begins by introducing a small seed crystal into a melt contained in a crucible. The seed is then gradually pulled or "lifted" to form a single crystal boule.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] A crystal growth station according to a non-limiting embodiment includes an adjustable crystal pulling system implementing an adjustment mechanism and a motion head connected to the adjustment mechanism. The crystal growth station further includes a movable furnace chamber configured to be positioned relative to a docking region of the adjustable crystal pulling system. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the posture of the motion head with respect to the docking region.

[0004] A crystal growth station according to a non-limiting embodiment includes an adjustable crystal pulling system configured to receive a furnace chamber. The adjustable crystal pulling system includes at least one pillar connected to a base, a motion head connected to the at least one pillar, and one or more movable joints configured to adjust one or both of the motion head and the at least one pillar.

[0005] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following description, the claims, and the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1A is a side view of a conventional Czochralski crystal growth station, and Figure 1B is a top view of the Czochralski crystal growth station shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2A] A side view of a crystal growth station including an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] A non-limiting embodiment of this disclosure shows an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism docked with a movable furnace chamber. [Figure 2C] Figure 2B shows the adjustable crystal pulling mechanism and a top view of the docked movable furnace chamber. [Figure 2D] An adjustable crystal extraction mechanism, moved to a position within the chamber extraction mechanism, is shown according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2E] A chamber removal mechanism for removing the crystal growth chamber 216, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 3A] A crystal growth station including an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism in a first position, according to another non-limiting embodiment, is shown. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A shows a crystal growth station in a second position, in which an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism is located, according to a non-limiting embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Please understand that various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and means shown in the drawings.

[0008] The present invention can be more readily understood by referring to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and the examples contained herein. All numerical values ​​herein are assumed to be qualified with “approximately,” whether expressly indicated or not. “Approximately” generally refers to a range of numerical values ​​that a person with ordinary skill in the art would consider equivalent to (i.e., having the same function or result as) the listed values. Often, “approximately” may include numerical values ​​rounded to the nearest significant figure.

[0009] Figures 1A and 1B show a conventional Czochralski crystal growth station 100, including a furnace chamber 108 and a crystal drawing mechanism 101. Figure 1A is an exemplary side view of the Czochralski crystal growth station, and Figure 1B is an exemplary top view of the Czochralski crystal growth station. The furnace chamber 108 is positioned on a stationary platform 102 of the crystal drawing mechanism 101. This platform 102 is fixed to a surface (e.g., a building floor) and remains stationary throughout the crystal production process. The furnace chamber 108 is configured to receive a crystal growth chamber 116 that holds a crucible into which the raw materials (e.g., in powder form) for producing crystals are placed and heated. The crystal drawing mechanism 101 includes a heating device that uses an induction coil (not shown) to melt and react the raw materials (e.g., powder) to form a "molten material". The crystal drawing mechanism 101 further includes a moving head 106 attached to a pillar 104. The moving head 106 includes a motor (not shown) that drives a shaft 122 rotatably connected to the moving head 106. The rotating shaft 122 rotates while contacting the molten material contained in the crucible and "pulling up" the molten material from the crucible, thereby generating a single-crystal boule 120.

[0010] To pull the molten material, the rotating shaft moves upward along arrow 124. When the crystal boule reaches the desired size, the moving head 106 is disassembled and the crystal growth chamber 116 is removed from the furnace chamber 108. Removing the moving head 106 involves disconnecting the motor from the rotating shaft 122 and moving each of these components away from the path of the crystal growth chamber 116. After this, the crucible is replenished with raw materials and put back into the furnace chamber 108. Then the moving head 106 is reassembled and the entire process restarts. Because disassembly and reassembly of the moving head 106 are necessary, it is time-consuming and results in a significant increase in production time. Therefore, in order to improve production efficiency, it is desirable to reduce the time required to remove and replenish the crystal growth chamber 116 / crucible.

[0011] Referring together to Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, a crystal growth station 200 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The crystal growth station 200 includes a movable furnace chamber 201, an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism 250, and a chamber removal mechanism 300.

[0012] The movable furnace chamber 201 includes a chamber body 208 connected to a movable platform 202. According to a non-limiting embodiment, the movable platform 202 may include one or more wheels 214 that enable the movable platform 202 to move in all directions (e.g., toward and toward the crystal pulling mechanism 250 and / or the chamber removal mechanism 300). According to another non-limiting embodiment, the movable platform 202 is configured to pivot or move along rails (not shown) provided on the floor of the room housing the crystal growth station 200. According to another non-limiting embodiment, the movable platform 202 is configured to pivot or move along tracks (not shown) provided on the ceiling of the room housing the crystal growth station 200.

[0013] The chamber body 208 surrounds an internal chamber 209 accessible through an upper opening 218. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the upper opening 218 may include a removable cap providing access to the internal chamber 209. The internal chamber 209 is configured to receive a crystal growth chamber 216. The crystal growth chamber 216 may be selectively positioned relative to a radio frequency (RF) heater (not shown) that heats the crystal growth chamber 216 during a crystal growth cycle. For simplicity of the diagram, known internal components within the crystal growth chamber 216, such as the crucible, ceramic insulating layer, and apparatus for introducing and exhausting inert gas into the chamber, are not shown.

[0014] The adjustable crystal pulling system 250 is configured to maintain the movable furnace chamber 201 docked in the docking region 215. The adjustable crystal pulling system 250 includes a height adjustment mechanism 203 and a moving head 206. The height adjustment mechanism 203 is fixed to the base 223 and includes an adjustable pillar 204 and a cylinder 205. The adjustable pillar 204 is slidably incorporated into the cylinder 205 and can be raised or lowered relative to the base 223 and / or the docking region 215 (indicated by arrow 224). Thus, when a crystal boule (not shown) is produced in a crucible housed in the crystal growth chamber 216, the moving head 206 can be displaced upward away from the furnace chamber 201 (as indicated by arrow 224). The movement of the moving head 206 away from the furnace chamber 201 clears a path for the movement of the furnace chamber 201 away from the moving head 206 (e.g., represented by arrow 226). In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the adjustable crystal pulling system 250 is configured as a hydraulic jack for raising and lowering the adjustable pillar 204 relative to the base 223. In another non-limiting embodiment, the adjustable crystal pulling system 250 is configured as an electric jack or lift including a motor (not shown) for driving the adjustable pillar 204 upward or downward relative to the base 223. In yet another non-limiting embodiment, the adjustable crystal pulling system 250 is configured as a link mechanism that can be manually adjusted to raise and lower the adjustable pillar 204 relative to the base 223.

[0015] The motion head 206 has an end connected to the adjustable pillar 204 so as to rise and fall in response to the adjustment of the pillar 204. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the motion head 206 and / or the pillar 204 may include one or more joints 210. For example, the motion head 206 may be connected to the pillar 204 via a movable joint 210, and the adjustment mechanism 203 may be movably connected to the base 223 and pivot around it. The movable joint 210 may include a hinge joint, a ball-socket joint, a universal joint, or another type of joint that allows the motion head 206 to act relative to the pillar 204. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, a motor 207 may be connected to the adjustment mechanism 203 so as to pivot the adjustment mechanism 203 relative to the base 223.

[0016] The motion head 206 further includes a rotatable pull shaft 222 connected to a motor.

[0017] Referring to Figure 2B, for example, the movable furnace chamber 201 can be smoothly moved to a position directly below the moving head 206 and aligned with the rotatable pull shaft 222. Next, the pillar 204 can be lowered so that the pull shaft 222 comes into contact with the molten material. The pull shaft 222 can then rotate while pulling the molten material away from the crystal growth chamber 216, thereby generating crystal boules.

[0018] As described herein, the moving head 206 and / or the movable furnace chamber 201 can be rapidly shifted to separate themselves from each other. As a result, the production time and efficiency of the crystal growth process by the crystal growth station 200 can be significantly improved. Referring to Figure 2C, for example, the movable furnace chamber 201 can be moved from the crystal growth station 200 in a wide range of directions, as indicated by arrows 402, 404, and 406. In addition, the moving head 206 can also be shifted in any direction relative to the movable furnace chamber 201, as indicated by arrows 408 and 410. Thus, the platform 202 can be moved in multiple different directions relative to the crystal pulling system 250. For example, when the platform 202 is mounted on wheels 214, the furnace chamber 201 can be moved on the floor in any direction from arrow 404 to arrow 406 (without track guidance).

[0019] In another embodiment, the moving head 206 can be moved 408 away from the platform 202 and the furnace chamber 201. When the moving head 206 is moved, the furnace chamber 201 and the platform 202 can be maintained in their original positions, and the hoist 302 can be moved toward the furnace chamber 201 to remove the crystal growth chamber. In one embodiment, both the moving head 206 and the furnace chamber 201 can be moved away from each other. In one or more embodiments, the moving head 206 can also be swiveled in the direction of arrow 410 so as not to obstruct the furnace chamber 201. This is achieved by rotating or swiveling the crystal pulling system 250 relative to the base 223.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 2D, the movable furnace chamber 201 is shown at a position directly below the chamber extraction mechanism 300, and the chamber extraction mechanism 300 extracts the crystal growth chamber 216 from the inner chamber 209 of the movable furnace chamber 201. The crane mechanism 302 is configured to raise and lower the attachment device 304, and this attachment device is designed to be sized to fit inside the inner chamber 209 and is configured to establish attachment and detachment with the crystal growth chamber 216. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the crane mechanism 302 can include a pulley system or hoist that operates according to a crane motor (not shown) and / or manually. The attachment device 304 can be implemented as a gripping device 304 that can grasp the crystal growth chamber 216. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the chamber extraction mechanism 300 can be movable. For example, the chamber extraction mechanism 300 can be attached to a track laid on the roof of a building. The roof track can be aligned with the floor track so that the attachment device 304 can be positioned directly above the furnace chamber 201 to extract the crystal growth chamber 216. When the crystal growth chamber 216 is coupled to the attachment device 302, the crane mechanism 302 raises the attachment device 304 to extract the crystal growth chamber 216 from the inner chamber 209 of the movable furnace chamber 201 as shown in FIG. 2E.

[0021] Next, referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a crystal growth station 200 including an adjustable crystal pulling mechanism 250 according to another non-limiting embodiment is shown. As described herein, the adjustable crystal pulling mechanism 250 is configured to perform a crystal pulling process to form a crystal boule from a melt contained in a crucible within the crystal growth chamber 216 placed in the furnace chamber 201. As described herein, the furnace chamber 201 can hold the crystal growth chamber 216 and can be shifted in any direction with respect to the adjustable crystal pulling mechanism 250 to improve the production time and efficiency of the crystal growth process.

[0022] According to one or more non-limiting embodiments, the adjustable crystal pulling mechanism 250 includes one or more adjustable pillars 204, a moving head 206 coupled to the pillars 204, and one or more movable joints 210 configured to adjust one or both of the moving head 206 and the one or more pillars 204. Although two pillars 204 are shown, it should be understood that fewer or more pillars 204 can be included without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] According to the non-limiting embodiments described in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a first end of the moving head 206 is operatively coupled to a first end of a first pillar 204 via a first joint 210, a second end of the first pillar 204 is coupled to a first end of a second pillar 204 via a second joint 210, and a second end of the second pillar 204 is coupled to a base 223 via a third joint 210. Although three joints 210 are illustrated, it should be understood that more or fewer joints 210 can be implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention. The joint 210 can include any of a variety of joints that facilitate movement of the moving head 206 and / or the pillar 204. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the joint 210 is implemented as a universal joint that facilitates 360-degree movement. Thereby, the moving head 206 can operate 360° with respect to the first pillar 204 via the first joint 210, the first pillar can operate 360° with respect to the second pillar 204 via the second joint 210, and the second pillar 204 can operate 360° with respect to the base 223 via the third joint 210.

[0024] As described herein, the chamber body 208 can be repositioned relative to the adjustable crystal pulling system 250 using the movable furnace chamber 201. Similarly, one or more of the moving head 206 and pillars 204 can also be repositioned and adjusted relative to the furnace chamber 201. As shown in Figure 3A, for example, the furnace chamber 201 can be docked to the docking region 215 of the adjustable crystal pulling system 250, and the moving head 206 and / or pillars 204 can be adjusted so that the moving head 206 is positioned directly above the chamber opening 218. This allows the first end of the rotatable pull shaft 222 to be connected to the motor 207, and its second end to be positioned inside the crystal growth chamber 216 to perform the crystal pulling process.

[0025] Once the crystal boule is formed, one or more of the moving heads 206 and / or pillars 204 can be adjusted to provide access to the chamber opening 218, as shown in Figure 3B. This allows the crystal growth chamber 216 to be removed from the furnace chamber 201 (for example, via the chamber removal mechanism 300, as shown in Figures 2C and 2D).

[0026] While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to a particular preferred version, other versions are also possible. Therefore, the gist and scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred version included herein.

[0027] The reader's attention is directed to all documents and materials submitted concurrently with this Specified and made available to the public together with this Specified. All such documents and materials are incorporated herein by reference.

[0028] All features disclosed herein (including the claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purposes unless otherwise expressly stated. That is, unless otherwise specified, each disclosed feature is merely an example of a general set of equivalent or similar features.

[0029] Any element in a claim that does not explicitly describe a “means” or a “step” for performing a particular function should not be construed as a “means” or “step” clause as defined in Section 112, paragraph 6 of the United States Patent Act. In particular, the use of “step” in the claims of this application is not intended to invoke the provisions of Section 112, paragraph 6 of the United States Patent Act.

Claims

1. It is a crystal growth station, Adjustable crystal pulling system, Adjustment mechanism, A moving head connected to the adjustment mechanism, Includes a movable furnace chamber configured to change position relative to the docking region of the adjustable crystal drawing system, A system in which the adjustment mechanism adjusts the posture of the moving head relative to the docking area.

2. The crystal growth station according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable crystal pulling system includes an adjustable pillar configured to rise or fall relative to the docking region.

3. The crystal growth station according to claim 2, wherein the adjustable crystal pulling system includes a hydraulic jack configured to raise and lower the adjustable pillar relative to the docking region.

4. The crystal growth station according to claim 2, wherein the adjustable crystal pulling system includes an electric jack, the electric jack includes a motor that drives the adjustable pillar upward or downward relative to the docking area.

5. The crystal growth station according to claim 2, wherein the adjustable crystal pulling system includes a link mechanism configured to raise and lower the adjustable pillar relative to the docking region.

6. The crystal growth station according to claim 2, wherein the motion head has an end connected to the adjustable pillar so as to move up and down in accordance with the adjustment of the adjustable pillar.

7. The aforementioned moving head is Motion head motor and, The crystal growth station according to claim 6, further comprising a pull shaft having a first end rotatably connected to the motion head motor and a second end on the opposite side configured to enter the inner chamber of the movable furnace chamber.

8. The crystal growth station according to claim 1, wherein the movable furnace chamber includes a movable platform having one or more wheels, the wheels being configured to move the movable platform relative to the docking area.

9. The crystal growth station according to claim 1, further comprising a chamber removal mechanism configured to remove the crystal growth chamber from the movable furnace chamber.

10. The crystal growth station according to claim 9, wherein the chamber removal mechanism includes a crane mechanism, and the crane mechanism is configured to raise and lower an attachment device connected to the crane mechanism.

11. The crane mechanism is configured to lower the mounting device into the movable furnace chamber in order to connect with the crystal growth chamber. The crystal growth station according to claim 10, wherein the crane mechanism is configured to raise the mounting device connected to remove the crystal growth chamber, and to remove the crystal growth chamber from the movable furnace chamber.

12. A crystal growth station comprising a controllable crystal pulling system configured to accept a furnace chamber, The aforementioned adjustable crystal drawing system is At least one pillar connected to the base, A motion head connected to at least one of the pillars, A crystal growth station comprising one or more movable joints configured to adjust one or both of the moving head and the at least one pillar.

13. The crystal growth station according to claim 12, wherein the first end of the moving head is operably connected to the first end of the first pillar via a first joint.

14. The crystal growth station according to claim 13, wherein the first joint is a universal joint, and the moving head is capable of 360-degree movement relative to the first pillar via the first joint.

15. The crystal growth station according to claim 13, wherein the second end of the first pillar is connected to the first end of the second pillar, and the second end of the second pillar is connected to the base.

16. The crystal growth station according to claim 15, wherein the second end of the first pillar is operably connected to the first end of the second pillar via a second joint.

17. The crystal growth station according to claim 16, wherein the second joint is a universal joint, and the first pillar is capable of 360-degree movement relative to the second pillar via the second joint.

18. The crystal growth station according to claim 17, wherein the second end of the second pillar is connected to the base via a third joint.

19. The crystal growth station according to claim 18, wherein the third joint is a universal joint, and the second pillar is capable of 360-degree movement relative to the base via the third joint.

20. The aforementioned furnace chamber is a movable furnace chamber that includes a chamber body connected to a movable platform, The crystal growth station according to claim 12, wherein the chamber body can be repositioned relative to the adjustable crystal pulling system using the movable platform.

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