Particulate object conveying apparatus

• US 6,325,571 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsui High-Tec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mitsui High-Tec Incorporated
• Inventors: Ishida, Migaku, Higuchi, Akikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US09/635,440
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 221/162, 221/233, 221/237, 221/202, 221/217, 227/114, 405/85
• US Class Current: 406/85
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67721 the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips, lead frames H01L21/6773 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices

Abstract

A particulate object conveying apparatus for conveying particulate objects of indefinite shape, e.g., particulate polycrystalline silicon, one by one, comprises:

a stagnating portion for stagnating particulate objects;

a rotor having a plural number of grooves formed in and equidistantly arrayed on its outer circumference surface, when ascending, the grooves passing the stagnating portion; and

object driving-out means for driving the particulate object out of each groove of the rotor.

Claims

1. A particulate object conveying device for conveying particles of a predetermined size, comprising:

a stagnating portion;

a disc shaped rotor having an outer circumference with a plurality of grooves formed equidistantly about said outer circumference, said grooves being of a fixed size and shape to hold only a single one of said particles of predetermined size, said rotor rotating within said stagnating portion about a rotary shaft, said stagnating portion being disposed on a side of said rotor and having a gap, said stagnating portion having a cross section defined substantially by two radial lines and an arcuate line to form a partial section of a circle, wherein excess particles taken up in movement of said rotor fall into said stagnating portion;

a discharge path for discharging said particles from said rotor;

a storage section, disposed above said rotor, for storing particulate objects of polycrystalline silicon;

a supplying pipeline having an inner tapered surface, said pipeline connecting said storage section to said stagnating portion; and

a valve disposed in said pipeline closer to said storage section than said stagnating portion.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an accelerating device, operating cooperatively with said discharge path, to provide fluid under pressure to accelerate the movement of said particles through said discharge path.

3. A particulate object conveying device for conveying particles of a predetermined size, comprising:

a stagnating portion;

a disc shaped rotor having an outer circumference with a plurality of grooves formed equidistantly about said outer circumference, said grooves being of a fixed size and shape to hold only a single one of said particles of predetermined size, said rotor rotating within said stagnating portion about a rotary shaft, said stagnating portion being disposed on a side of said rotor and having a gap, said stagnating portion having a cross section defined substantially by two radial lines and an arcuate line to form a partial section of a circle, wherein excess particles taken up in movement of said rotor fall into said stagnating portion;

a discharge path for discharging said particles from said rotor;

a tubular flow passage coupled to said discharge path;

a spiral stream device that allows a fluid into said flow passage from a tangential direction to create a spiral stream of said fluid;

a supply pipe, connected to said discharge path, that receives one of said particles suspended in a first atmosphere;

a first section in which said one of said particles and said first atmosphere contact said spiral stream in proximity to an exit of said supply pipe such that said first atmosphere is separated from said one of said particles; and

a second section that suspends said one of said particles in a second atmosphere, and discharges said one of said particles and said second atmosphere.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said first section further comprises:

an inner pipe connected to said supply pipe; and

a discharge chamber surrounding said inner pipe in which said spiral stream forms.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said discharge chamber is a cylindrical pipe that surrounds said inner pipe, and has a plurality of discharge holes adjacent a downstream end of said cylindrical pipe.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said discharge holes are positioned equidistantly at predetermined intervals about said cylindrical pipe.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said first atmosphere and said fluid are gasses.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a vacuum chamber surrounding said plurality of holes, said vacuum chamber comprising a vacuum pump.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein said inner pipe is porous, and has a diameter larger than said one of said particles.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein said inner pipe is made of mesh material.