US5961944A — Process and apparatus for manufacturing polycryst…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 210 words

A process for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon from metallic silicon, comprising the steps of: melting metallic silicon under a vacuum to remove the phosphorus contained in said metallic silicon by evaporation, thereby generating a residue containing impurity elements; carrying out directional solidification by solidifying said residue upwardly from a lower portion of said residue to an upper portion of said residue thereby obtaining a first ingot, wherein said first ingot contains an impurity concentrated portion; physically removing said impurity concentrated portion of said first ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first ingot having a reduced impurity concentration; re-melting said remaining portion of said first ingot, thereby forming a melt; removing boron and carbon from said melt by oxidizing said melt in an oxidizing atmosphere, and in succession, blowing argon gas or a mixed gas of argon and hydrogen into said melt for deoxidization thereby forming a deoxidized melt; casting said deoxidized melt in a mold; subjecting the resulting deoxidized casting to directional solidification wherein said deoxidized casting is solidified upwardly from a lower portion of said deoxidized casting to produce a second ingot wherein said second ingot contains a second impurity concentration portion; and physically removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second ingot to obtain the polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 210 words

A process for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon from metallic silicon, comprising the steps of: melting metallic silicon under a vacuum to remove the phosphorus contained in said metallic silicon by evaporation, thereby generating a residue containing impurity elements; carrying out directional solidification by solidifying said residue upwardly from a lower portion of said residue to an upper portion of said residue thereby obtaining a first ingot, wherein said first ingot contains an impurity concentrated portion; physically removing said impurity concentrated portion of said first ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first ingot having a reduced impurity concentration; re-melting said remaining portion of said first ingot, thereby forming a melt; removing boron and carbon from said melt by oxidizing said melt in an oxidizing atmosphere, and in succession, blowing argon gas or a mixed gas of argon and hydrogen into said melt for deoxidization thereby forming a deoxidized melt; casting said deoxidized melt in a mold; subjecting the resulting deoxidized casting to directional solidification wherein said deoxidized casting is solidified upwardly from a lower portion of said deoxidized casting to produce a second ingot wherein said second ingot contains a second impurity concentration portion; and physically removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second ingot to obtain the polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 18 words

A process according to claim 1, wherein said metallic silicon is obtained by reductive smelting of silicon oxide.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 191 words

A process for the production of polycrystalline silicon, which comprises: transferring a melt of metallic silicon, obtained by reductive smelting of silicon oxide, into a crucible, removing boron and carbon by oxidizing said melt in an oxidizing atmosphere, subjecting said melt to directional solidification to obtain a first ingot, said first ingot having a first impurity concentrated portion, said directional solidification comprising solidifying said molten metallic silicon upwardly from a lower portion of said melt to an upper portion of said melt; physically removing said first impurity concentrated portion of said first ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first ingot having a reduced impurity concentration; melting said remaining portion of said first ingot under a vacuum thereby forming a re-melt and removing phosphorus from said re-melt; casting said re-melt in a mold, forming a re-melt casting; subjecting said re-melt casting to directional solidification wherein said re-melt casting is solidified upwardly from a lower portion of said re-melt casting to produce a second ingot wherein said second ingot contains a second impurity concentrated portion; and physically removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second ingot to obtain the polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 191 words

A process for the production of polycrystalline silicon, which comprises: transferring a melt of metallic silicon, obtained by reductive smelting of silicon oxide, into a crucible, removing boron and carbon by oxidizing said melt in an oxidizing atmosphere, subjecting said melt to directional solidification to obtain a first ingot, said first ingot having a first impurity concentrated portion, said directional solidification comprising solidifying said molten metallic silicon upwardly from a lower portion of said melt to an upper portion of said melt; physically removing said first impurity concentrated portion of said first ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first ingot having a reduced impurity concentration; melting said remaining portion of said first ingot under a vacuum thereby forming a re-melt and removing phosphorus from said re-melt; casting said re-melt in a mold, forming a re-melt casting; subjecting said re-melt casting to directional solidification wherein said re-melt casting is solidified upwardly from a lower portion of said re-melt casting to produce a second ingot wherein said second ingot contains a second impurity concentrated portion; and physically removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second ingot to obtain the polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 56 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said oxidizing atmosphere is formed from a gas selected from the group consisting of H 2 O, CO 2 , and O 2 gas, wherein the amount of said gas is controlled such that the interface between said melt and said gas is covered with silicon oxide.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

The process according to claim 4, wherein said silicon oxide is removed by locally heating said silicon oxide by plasma arc.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a gas is blown into the melt and said gas being selected from the group consisting of H 2 O, CO 2 , and O 2 gas.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a mold releasing agent is used, said mold releasing agent being selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 .

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a solidification interface moving rate is set at 5 mm/min or less for obtaining the first ingot, and a solidification interface moving rate for obtaining the second ingot is set at 2 mm/min or less.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said first ingot is cut such that the impurity concentrated portion of about 30% or less of the height of said first ingot is removed.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 21 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said phosphorus concentration of the polycrystalline silicon is 0.3 ppm or less.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 21 words

The process according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said boron concentration of the polycrystalline silicon is 0.6 ppm or less.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 22 words

The process according to of claim 1 or 3, wherein said carbon concentration of the polycrystalline silicon is 10 ppm or less.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 259 words

An apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, which comprises a retaining container for retaining metallic silicon, heating means for heating said retaining container, thereby maintaining said metallic silicon in a molten state; a first mold into which said metallic silicon in said molten state is cast from said retaining container; a vacuum chamber for removing phosphorus from said metallic silicon by evaporation, wherein said vacuum chamber surrounding said retaining container and said first mold; means for effecting directional solidification of cast metallic silicon, wherein a first cast silicon ingot is formed, said first cast silicon ingot having a first impurity concentrated portion; means for removing said first impurity concentrated portion of said first cast silicon ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot; a smelting container positioned to receive said remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot, said smelting container having a re-melting means for controllably heating at least a portion of said remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot, thereby forming a re-melt, said smelting container having a spraying means for spraying a gas from a gas source on said re-melt, said gas source comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing gas, a hydrogen gas and a mixed gas of hydrogen and argon, and a second mold positioned to receive said re-melt, means for effecting directional solidification of said re-melt for forming said re-melt into a second cast silicon ingot having a second impurity concentrated portion; means for removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second cast silicon ingot.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 259 words

An apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, which comprises a retaining container for retaining metallic silicon, heating means for heating said retaining container, thereby maintaining said metallic silicon in a molten state; a first mold into which said metallic silicon in said molten state is cast from said retaining container; a vacuum chamber for removing phosphorus from said metallic silicon by evaporation, wherein said vacuum chamber surrounding said retaining container and said first mold; means for effecting directional solidification of cast metallic silicon, wherein a first cast silicon ingot is formed, said first cast silicon ingot having a first impurity concentrated portion; means for removing said first impurity concentrated portion of said first cast silicon ingot, leaving a remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot; a smelting container positioned to receive said remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot, said smelting container having a re-melting means for controllably heating at least a portion of said remaining portion of said first cast silicon ingot, thereby forming a re-melt, said smelting container having a spraying means for spraying a gas from a gas source on said re-melt, said gas source comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing gas, a hydrogen gas and a mixed gas of hydrogen and argon, and a second mold positioned to receive said re-melt, means for effecting directional solidification of said re-melt for forming said re-melt into a second cast silicon ingot having a second impurity concentrated portion; means for removing said second impurity concentrated portion of said second cast silicon ingot.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 24 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the degree of vacuum in said vacuum chamber is set at about 10 -3 torr or higher.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said retaining container is a water cooled copper crucible or a graphite crucible; and the smelting container is selected from the group consisting of a crucible made of SiO 2 , SiO 2 stamped crucible, and a SiO 2 lined crucible.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 14 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said heating means is an electron gun.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 25 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said re-melting means is selected from the group consisting of a plasma torch and a DC arc source.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 44 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first and second molds have side walls formed of a heat insulating material and have a bottom formed of a water-cooled jacket and wherein a heating source for heating the melt is disposed above the casts.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 37 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first cast silicon ingot and said second cast silicon ingot have a diameter W and a height H, and the ratio of W/H is set at 0.5 or more.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

A process for the production of a silicon wafer for a solar cell, which comprises slicing an ingot of polycrystalline silicon obtained in the process according to claim 1 or 3 into thin plates having a thickness of about 100 to 450 μm.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-10-04	2003-04-05	2003-10-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-10-04	2007-04-05	2007-10-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-10-04	2011-04-05	2011-10-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Process and apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, and process for manufacturing silicon wafer for solar cell

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