Method of growing crystalline bodies from the melt

Claim 2

METHOD OF GROWING A CRYSTALLINE BODY OF A SELECTED MATERIAL FROM A MELT THEREOF COMPRISING ESTABLISHING A MOLTEN FILM OF SAID MATERIAL OVERLYING AND VOVERING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF PREDETERMINED CONFIGURATION, GROWNING AND PULLING A CRYSTALLINE BODY FORM SAID FILM, MOVING A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE INTO CONTIGUOUS AND EDGEALIGNED RELATION WITH SAID FIRST SURFACE AFTER SAID BODY HAS GROWN TO A SELECTED LENGTH, SPREADING SAID FILM SO THAT IT OVERLIES BOTH SAID SURFACES, GROWING AND PULLING SAID BODY FORM THE FILM OVERLYING BOTH SAID SURFACES, AND CONTINOUSLY REPLENISHING SAID FILM AS SAID BODY IS BEING GROWN AND PULLED.

Claim 3

Method of claim 1 wherein said film is replenished by feeding a melt of said material to an opening in said first surface.

Claim 4

Method of claim 2 wherein said film is replenished by feeding melt to said opening from a crucible.

Claim 5

Method of claim 1 wherein said body is grown with a cross-section corresponding to the full-horizontal expanse of said film.

Claim 6

Method of claim 1 further including the step of withdrawing said second surface out of contiguous and edge-aligned relation with said first surface, and continuing to grow and pull said body only from the film overlying said first surface.

Claim 7

Method of claim 1 wherein said second surface has an outside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of said first surface.

Claim 8

Method of producing a monocrystalline tube of a selected material from a melt of said material comprising disposing in a crucible a member having a first annular end surface and at least one capillary leading down from said annular surface into said crucible, and a second member disposed within said first member havibng a second annular end surface, providing in said crucible a melt of said material in a quantity sufficient to flow up said at least one capillary by action of capillary rise, establishing on said first annular end surface a molten film of said material that extends to and is continuous with the melt in said capillary, growing and pulling from said film a substantially mono-crystalline tube of said material having a cross section corresponding substantially to the configuration of said first end surface and simultaneously replenishing said film with melt in said capillary, moving said second member to place said second end surface in close-fitting and flush relation with said first end surface, spreading said film so that it overlies both said end surfaces and growing said tube so that it has an outer edge configuration like that of said second end surface.

Claim 9

Method of producing a monocrystalline tube of a selected material from a melt of said material comprising disposing in a crucible a member having a first annular end surface and at least one capillary leading down from said annular surface into said crucible, and a second member disposed within said first member havibng a second annular end surface, providing in said crucible a melt of said material in a quantity sufficient to flow up said at least one capillary by action of capillary rise, establishing on said first annular end surface a molten film of said material that extends to and is continuous with the melt in said capillary, growing and pulling from said film a substantially mono-crystalline tube of said material having a cross section corresponding substantially to the configuration of said first end surface and simultaneously replenishing said film with melt in said capillary, moving said second member to place said second end surface in close-fitting and flush relation with said first end surface, spreading said film so that it overlies both said end surfaces and growing said tube so that it has an outer edge configuration like that of said second end surface.

Claim 10

Method of claim 7 further including moving said second member to place said second end surface below the level of said first end surface and thereafter growing said tube so that it has a cross section corresponding substantially to said first end surface.

Claim 11

Method of producing a subStantially monocrystalline tube of a selected material so that said tube includes spaced flanges, comprising establishing a molten film of said material on an annular end surface of a first fixed member so that said film substantially fully covers said end surface, growing and pulling from said film a monocrystalline body of said material having a configuration in cross section corresponding substantially to the edge configuration of said end surface, continuously replenishing said film by feeding a melt of said material to said end surface from a crucible via an orifice in said end surface, placing another annular end surface of a second moveable member in close-fitting and flush relation with the annular end surface of said first member, expanding said film so that it substantially fully covers both said end surfaces, and continuing to grow and pull said body so that at its interface with said expanded film it grows to a cross section having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of one end surface and an inner diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the other end surface, thereafter moving the end surface of said second member out of flush relation with the end surface of said fixed member so that said growing body has an interface only with the film on the end surface of said first member, continuing to grow and pull said body so that at its interface with the film it has a cross sectional configuration corresponding generally to the gross configuration of the end surface of said first member, and repeating the foregoing steps commencing with the step of placing the end surface of said second member in flush relation with the end surface of said first member.

Claim 12

Method of producing a subStantially monocrystalline tube of a selected material so that said tube includes spaced flanges, comprising establishing a molten film of said material on an annular end surface of a first fixed member so that said film substantially fully covers said end surface, growing and pulling from said film a monocrystalline body of said material having a configuration in cross section corresponding substantially to the edge configuration of said end surface, continuously replenishing said film by feeding a melt of said material to said end surface from a crucible via an orifice in said end surface, placing another annular end surface of a second moveable member in close-fitting and flush relation with the annular end surface of said first member, expanding said film so that it substantially fully covers both said end surfaces, and continuing to grow and pull said body so that at its interface with said expanded film it grows to a cross section having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of one end surface and an inner diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the other end surface, thereafter moving the end surface of said second member out of flush relation with the end surface of said fixed member so that said growing body has an interface only with the film on the end surface of said first member, continuing to grow and pull said body so that at its interface with the film it has a cross sectional configuration corresponding generally to the gross configuration of the end surface of said first member, and repeating the foregoing steps commencing with the step of placing the end surface of said second member in flush relation with the end surface of said first member.

Claim 13

Method of claim 9 wherein the end surface of said second member is moved into and out of flush relation with the end surface of said first member by reciprocating said second member vertically relative to said first member.

Claim 14

Method of claim 1 wherein said second surface is concentric and has a larger diameter than said first surface.

Claim 15

Method of claim 1 wherein said material is alumina.