Regulating cylinder unit in a single-crystal pulling apparatus and a jig for installing them

• US 5,928,422 A
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Electronic Metals Co., Ltd. (Sumco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Electronic Metals Co., Ltd. (Sumco Corporation)
• Inventors: Date, Kazuyoshi, Suzuki, Yoshiyuki, Uchiyama, Teruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Garrett, Felisa
• Application Number:
  US09/037,056
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 117/18, 117/200, 117/213, 117/217, 117/218
• US Class Current: 117/217
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 15/14 Heating of the melt or the crystallised materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 117/1068 including heating or cooling details [e.g., shield configuration]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 117/1072 including details of means providing product movement [e.g., shaft guides, servo means]

Abstract

Regulating cylinder unit is divided into three parts, a third regulating cylinder shaped essentially like a cylinder and installed on the protection cylinder; a first regulating cylinder and a second regulating cylinder which are shaped like reversed truncated cones with different diameters and are capable of engaging with the third regulating cylinder. In addition, the second and third regulating cylinders are brought together in a preset ordering, that is, a flange formed at the outer peripheral rim of the upper end of the second regulating cylinder is engaged with a stepped portion of the third regulating cylinder, and a flange formed at the outer peripheral rim of the upper end of the first regulating cylinder is engaged with a flange formed at the inner peripheral rim of the lower end of the second regulating cylinder.

Claims

1. A regulating cylinder unit for a semiconductor single-crystal pulling apparatus, comprising:

a first regulating cylinder;

a second regulating cylinder, said first and second regulating cylinders concentrically surrounding a semiconductor single crystal within said semiconductor single-crystal pulling apparatus; and

first engaging means for engaging a lower end of said second regulating cylinder with an upper end of said first regulating cylinder.

2. A regulating cylinder unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first engaging means comprises a flange formed at an inner peripheral rim of the lower end of said second regulating cylinder and a flange formed at an outer peripheral rim of the upper end of said first regulating cylinder.

3. A regulating cylinder unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third regulating cylinder concentrically surrounding the semiconductor crystal within said semiconductor single-crystal pulling apparatus, said third regulating cylinder covering an above space of a heater of said semiconductor single-crystal pulling apparatus;

wherein said third regulating cylinder remains unmoved when said first and second regulating cylinders are lifted upward.

4. A regulating cylinder unit as claimed in claim 3, comprising a plurality of regulating cylinders.

5. A regulating cylinder unit as claimed in claim 3, further comprising second engaging means for engaging an upper end of said second regulating cylinder with an inner end of said third regulating cylinder.

6. A regulating cylinder unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second engaging means comprises a flange formed at an outer peripheral rim of an upper end of said rectifying second cylinder and a flange formed at a stepped portion of an inner end of said third regulating cylinder.

7. A regulating cylinder-installing jig which is used to install at least a first and a second regulating cylinder, comprising:

a dummy seed capable of being removably fixed to a seed chuck, and

a plurality of hooks swingably suspended at a lower end of said dummy seed via wires;

wherein each hook has at least two engage portions that retain a lower end of each regulating cylinder at each preset location.