Method and apparatus for producing hyper-pure semiconductor material, particularly silicon

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR SILICON, IN WHICH SILICON IS PRECIPITATED UPON AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED CARRIER BODY CONSISTING OF SILICON, BY DECOMPOSING A GASEOUS COMPOUND OF SILICON IN CONTACT WITH THE CARRIER BODY, THE CARRIER BODY BEING HEATED BY PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT THERETHROUGH, THE GASEOUS COMPOUND BEING MIXED WITH HYDROGEN GAS, THE PROCESS BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1100* C. IN A REACTION SPACE AT LEAST PARTLY ENCLOSED BY A HEAT-CONDUCTIVE STRUCTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING SUPPORTING THE CARRIER BODY IN SAID SPACE IN GAS SEALED AND ELECTRICALLY INSULATED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID STRUCTURE, PASSING HYDROGEN UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN HEATING EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE SAID STRUCTURE TO COOL THE LATTER SO AS TO PROTECT THE ELECTRICAL INSULATING SEAL, SAID COOLING BEING TO NOT LOWER THAN ABOUT 300* C. SO AS TO DISFAVOR PRECIPITATION OF AN OILY, VISCOUS COATING OF SILICON COMPOUND UPON SAID STRUCTURE.