Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090121122 | TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING AND CONTROLLING ION BEAM ANGLE AND DENSITY UNIFORMITY - Techniques for measuring and controlling ion beam angle and density uniformity are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for measuring and controlling ion beam angle and density uniformity. The apparatus may include a measuring assembly having an opening, a cup, and at least one collector at the rear of the cup. The apparatus may further include an actuator to move the measuring assembly along an actuation path to scan an ion beam to measure and control ion beam uniformity. | 05-14-2009 |
20090121149 | TECHNIQUES FOR SHAPING AN ION BEAM - Techniques for shaping an ion beam are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for shaping an ion beam. The apparatus may comprise an entrance electrode biased at a first voltage potential, wherein an ion beam enters the entrance electrode, an exit electrode biased at a second voltage potential, wherein the ion beam exits the exit electrode, and a first suppression electrode and a second suppression electrode positioned between the entrance electrode and the exit electrode, wherein the first suppression electrode and the second suppression electrode are independently biased to variably focus the ion beam. | 05-14-2009 |
20090231597 | FLOATING SHEET MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD - A sheet measurement apparatus has a sheet disposed in a melt. The measurement system uses a beam to determine a dimension of the sheet. This dimension may be, for example, height or width. The beam may be, for example, collimated light, a laser, x-rays, or gamma rays. The production of the sheet may be altered based on the measurements. | 09-17-2009 |
20090233396 | FLOATING SHEET PRODUCTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - This sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt. The melt is configured to flow from a first point to a second point of the channel. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet on the melt. A spillway is disposed at the second point of the channel. This spillway is configured to separate the sheet from the melt. | 09-17-2009 |
20090302281 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A DISLOCATION-FREE CRYSTALLINE SHEET - A dislocation-free sheet may be formed from a melt. A sheet of material with a first width is formed on a melt of the material using a cooling plate. This sheet has dislocations. The sheet is transported with respect to the cooling plate and the dislocations migrate to an edge of the sheet. The first width of the sheet is increased to a second width by the cooling plate. The sheet does not have dislocations at the second width. The cooling plate may have a shape with two different widths in one instance. The cooling plate may have segments that operate at different temperatures to increase the width of the sheet in another instance. The sheet may be pulled or flowed with respect to the cooling plate. | 12-10-2009 |
20090315220 | MELT PURIFICATION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM - An apparatus to pump a melt is disclosed. The pump has a chamber that defines a cavity configured to hold the melt. A gas source is in fluid communication with the chamber. A first valve is between the chamber and a first pipe and a second valve is between the chamber and a second pipe. The valves may be check valves in one embodiment. | 12-24-2009 |
20100038826 | SHEET THICKNESS CONTROL - A method and apparatus for forming a sheet are disclosed. A melt is cooled and a sheet is formed on the melt. This sheet has a first thickness. The sheet is then thinned from the first thickness to a second thickness using, for example, a heater or the melt. The cooling may be configured to allow solutes to be trapped in a region of the sheet and this particular sheet may be thinned and the solutes removed. The melt may be, for example, silicon, silicon and germanium, gallium, or gallium nitride. | 02-18-2010 |
20100050686 | MELT PURIFICATION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM - An apparatus to purify a melt is disclosed. A first portion of a melt in a chamber is frozen in a first direction. A fraction of the first portion is melted in the first direction. A second portion of the melt remains frozen. The melt flows from the chamber and the second portion is removed from the chamber. The freezing concentrates solutes in the melt and second portion. The second portion may be a slug with a high solute concentration. This system may be incorporated into a sheet forming apparatus with other components such as, for example, pumps, filters, or particle traps. | 03-04-2010 |
20100171042 | TECHNIQUES FOR INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLING DEFLECTION, DECELERATION AND FOCUS OF AN ION BEAM - Techniques for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam. The apparatus may comprise an electrode configuration comprising a set of upper electrodes disposed above an ion beam and a set of lower electrodes disposed below the ion beam. The set of upper electrodes and the set of lower electrodes may be positioned symmetrically about a central ray trajectory of the ion beam. A difference in potentials between the set of upper electrodes and the set of lower electrodes may also be varied along the central ray trajectory to reflect an energy of the ion beam at each point along the central ray trajectory for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam. | 07-08-2010 |
20100221142 | REMOVAL OF A SHEET FROM A PRODUCTION APPARATUS - A melt of a material is cooled and a sheet of the material is formed in the melt. This sheet is transported, cut into at least one segment, and cooled in a cooling chamber. The material may be Si, Si and Ge, Ga, or GaN. The cooling is configured to prevent stress or strain to the segment. In one instance, the cooling chamber has gas cooling. | 09-02-2010 |
20110003024 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A DISLOCATION-FREE CRYSTALLINE SHEET - A dislocation-free sheet may be formed from a melt. A sheet of material with a first width is formed on a melt of the material using a cooling plate. This sheet has dislocations. The sheet is transported with respect to the cooling plate and the dislocations migrate to an edge of the sheet. The first width of the sheet is increased to a second width by the cooling plate. The sheet does not have dislocations at the second width. The cooling plate may have a shape with two different widths in one instance. The cooling plate may have segments that operate at different temperatures to increase the width of the sheet in another instance. The sheet may be pulled or flowed with respect to the cooling plate. | 01-06-2011 |
20110117234 | FLOATING SHEET PRODUCTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - This sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt. The melt is configured to flow from a first point to a second point of the channel. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet on the melt. A spillway is disposed at the second point of the channel. This spillway is configured to separate the sheet from the melt. | 05-19-2011 |
20110155921 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DEFLECTION OF A CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM WITHIN A GRADED ELECTROSTATIC LENS - A method and apparatus for controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. The apparatus may include a graded deflection/deceleration lens including a plurality of upper and lower electrodes disposed on opposite sides of an ion beam, as well as a control system for adjusting the voltages applied to the electrodes. The difference in potential between pairs of upper and lower electrodes are varied using a set of “virtual knobs” that are operable to independently control deflection and deceleration of the ion beam. The virtual knobs include control of beam focus and residual energy contamination, control of upstream electron suppression, control of beam deflection, and fine tuning of the final deflection angle of the beam while constraining the beam's position at the exit of the lens. In one embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while constraining the beam position at the exit of the VEEF. In another embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while measuring the beam position and angle at the wafer plane. In a further embodiment, this is done by tuning a deflection factor to achieve a centered beam at the wafer plane. | 06-30-2011 |
20110271897 | GAS-LIFT PUMPS FOR FLOWING AND PURIFYING MOLTEN SILICON - The embodiments herein relate to a sheet production apparatus. A vessel is configured to hold a melt of a material and a cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt. This cooling plate configured to form a sheet of the material on the melt. A pump is used. In one instance, this pump includes a gas source and a conduit in fluid communication with the gas source. In another instance, this pump injects a gas into a melt. The gas can raise the melt or provide momentum to the melt. | 11-10-2011 |
20110271899 | REMOVING A SHEET FROM THE SURFACE OF A MELT USING GAS JETS - In one embodiment, a sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel configured to hold a melt of a material. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet of the material on the melt. A first gas jet is configured to direct a gas toward an edge of the vessel. A sheet of a material is translated horizontally on a surface of the melt and the sheet is removed from the melt. The first gas jet may be directed at the meniscus and may stabilize this meniscus or increase local pressure within the meniscus. | 11-10-2011 |
20110271901 | REMOVAL OF A SHEET FROM A PRODUCTION APPARATUS - A melt of a material is cooled and a sheet of the material is formed in the melt. This sheet is transported, cut into at least one segment, and cooled in a cooling chamber. The material may be Si, Si and Ge, Ga, or GaN. The cooling is configured to prevent stress or strain to the segment. In one instance, the cooling chamber has gas cooling. | 11-10-2011 |
20110272115 | REMOVING A SHEET FROM THE SURFACE OF A MELT USING ELASTICITY AND BUOYANCY - Embodiments related to sheet production are disclosed. A melt of a material is cooled to form a sheet of the material on the melt. The sheet is formed in a first region at a first sheet height. The sheet is translated to a second region such that it has a second sheet height higher than the first sheet height. The sheet is then separated from the melt. A seed wafer may be used to form the sheet. | 11-10-2011 |
20120168637 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTROSTATIC LENS ABOUT A CENTRAL RAY TRAJECTORY OF AN ION BEAM - A method of controlling deflection of a charged particle beam in an electrostatic lens includes establishing a symmetrical electrostatic lens configuration comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed at unadjusted positions that are symmetric with respect to the central ray trajectory with applied unadjusted voltages that create fields symmetric with respect to the central ray trajectory. A symmetric electric field is calculated corresponding to the set of unadjusted voltages. A plurality of lower electrodes is arranged at adjusted positions that are asymmetric with respect to the central ray trajectory. A set of adjusted voltages is obtained for the plurality of lower electrodes, wherein the set of adjusted voltages corresponds to a set of respective potentials of the symmetric electric field at respective adjusted asymmetric positions. The adjusted voltages are applied to the asymmetric lens configuration when the charged particle beam passes therethrough. | 07-05-2012 |
20130213295 | METHOD FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINED ANISOTROPIC CRYSTAL GROWTH ON THE SURFACE OF A SILICON MELT - An apparatus for growing a crystalline sheet from a melt includes a cold block assembly. The cold block assembly may include a cold block and a shield surrounding the cold block and being at an elevated temperature with respect to that of the cold block, the shield defining an opening disposed along a surface of the cold block proximate a melt surface that defines a cold area comprising a width along a first direction of the cold block, the cold area operable to provide localized cooling of a region of the melt surface proximate the cold block. The apparatus may further include a crystal puller arranged to draw a crystalline seed in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the cold block assembly is disposed proximate the melt surface. | 08-22-2013 |
20130213296 | METHOD FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINED ANISOTROPIC CRYSTAL GROWTH ON THE SURFACE OF A MELT - A method of horizontal ribbon growth from a melt includes forming a leading edge of the ribbon using radiative cooling on a surface of the melt, drawing the ribbon in a first direction along the surface of the melt, and removing heat radiated from the melt in a region adjacent the leading edge of the ribbon at a heat removal rate that is greater than a heat flow through the melt into the ribbon. | 08-22-2013 |
20140096713 | APPARATUS FOR FLOAT GROWN CRYSTALLINE SHEETS - An apparatus for forming a crystalline sheet from a melt may include a crucible to contain the melt. The apparatus may also include a cold block configured to deliver a cold region proximate a surface of the melt, the cold region operative to generate a crystalline front of the crystalline sheet and a crystal puller configured to draw the crystalline sheet in a pull direction along the surface of the melt, wherein a perpendicular to the pull direction forms an angle with respect to the crystalline front of less than ninety degrees and greater than zero degrees. | 04-10-2014 |
20140209016 | REMOVING A SHEET FROM THE SURFACE OF A MELT USING GAS JETS - In one embodiment, a sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel configured to hold a melt of a material. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet of the material on the melt. A first gas jet is configured to direct a gas toward an edge of the vessel. A sheet of a material is translated horizontally on a surface of the melt and the sheet is removed from the melt. The first gas jet may be directed at the meniscus and may stabilize this meniscus or increase local pressure within the meniscus. | 07-31-2014 |
20150040818 | METHOD FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINED ANISOTROPIC CRYSTAL GROWTH ON THE SURFACE OF A MELT - A method of horizontal ribbon growth from a melt of material includes forming a leading edge of the ribbon using radiative cooling, drawing the ribbon in a first direction along a surface of the melt, removing heat radiated from the melt in a region adjacent the leading edge of the ribbon by setting a temperature T | 02-12-2015 |