PROCESS AND HEATING DEVICE FOR MELTING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

摘要

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A PROCESS FOR MELTING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL IN A CRUCIBLE WHICH IS LOCATED IN A CONTAINER, AND IS ENCLOSED BY A FIXED HEATING DEVICE. THE INVENTION ALSO RELATES TO A HEATING DEVICE WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS IS ONE WHEREIN A HEATER OF A DISPLACEABLE HEATING DEVICE IS LOWERED FROM A LOCK CHAMBER ABOVE THE CONTAINER THROUGH AN OPEN SHUT-OFF VALVE INTO THE CONTAINER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, AND THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL IS MELTED USING THE FIXED HEATING DEVICE AND THE LOWERED HEATER. THE HEATER IS THEN RAISED BACK OUT OF THE CONTAINER INTO THE LOCK CHAMBER AFTER THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAS BEEN MELTED. A DOOR IS PROVIDED IN THE LOCK CHAMBER TO ALLOW THE DISPLACEABLE HEATER TO BE REMOVED AFTER THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAS BEEN MELTED. (FIG. 1)