Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
  • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C30B21/00—Unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials
  • C30B21/02—Unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials by normal casting or gradient freezing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F71/00—Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass
  • H10F71/121—The active layers comprising only Group IV materials
  • H10F71/1221—The active layers comprising only Group IV materials comprising polycrystalline silicon
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
  • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C30B28/00—Production of homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure
  • C30B28/04—Production of homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure from liquids
  • C30B28/06—Production of homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure from liquids by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
  • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C30B29/00—Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure characterised by the material or by their shape
  • C30B29/02—Elements
  • C30B29/06—Silicon
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
  • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C30B35/00—Apparatus not otherwise provided for, specially adapted for the growth, production or after-treatment of single crystals or of a homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure
  • C30B35/002—Crucibles or containers
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
  • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C30B9/00—Single-crystal growth from melt solutions using molten solvents
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
  • Y02E10/546—Polycrystalline silicon PV cells
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

• the disclosed invention comprises an improved process for producing a ⁇ Q crystalline silicon ingot, a crystalline silicon wafer and a photovoltaic cell using the directional solidification process, and more particularly to loading and preparing a mold for the process of directional solidification, thereby increasing packing density and thermal conductivity of the polysilicon contents while reducing contamination and resources expended to process a production cycle.
• Photovoltaic cells which essentially comprise silicon in a crystalline form.
• photovoltaic cells are produced from
• Such photovoltaic cells and likewise their parent crystalline silicon wafers and crystalline silicon ingots, may be either a monocrystalline (single-crystal) structure or a polycrystalline (multi-crystal) structure - creating two distinct families of photovoltaic cells, crystalline silicon wafers and crystalline silicon
• Photovoltaic cells, crystalline silicon wafers and crystalline silicon ingots representing a monocrystalline structure are typically prepared in a process called the Czochralski process.
• refined and reasonably pure silicon feedstock commonly referred to as “polysilicon” is loaded into a cylindrical,
• the second family of photovoltaic cells, crystalline silicon wafers and crystalline silicon ingots are polycrystalline and contain a plurality of crystal structures. This characteristic makes them slightly less efficient as a photovoltaic cell, however, in most applications the lower manufacturing costs of polycrystalline silicon wafers and polycrystalline silicon ingots more than offset the lower efficiency and thus provide the highest economic returns.
• Crystalline silicon ingots with a polycrystalline structure are produced by the Bridgman-Stockbarger crystal growth process, also called the "directional solidification" process.
• a generally rectangular, flat bottom container (herein called a "mold") is filled with polysilicon and subsequently melted under an inert atmosphere.
• the charge When the polysilicon contents of the mold, called the “charge”, have thoroughly melted to a desired state of a molten silicon mass, the bottom of the mold (and thus the charge contained inside) is allowed to cool in a controlled manner. As this cooling occurs, one or more crystals nucleate and grow upward in the charge, thereby pushing impurities out of the expanding crystal microstructure. This slow cooling process of the entire molten silicon mass allows the crystals to grow to a large size.
• crucibles utilized in the Czochralski process are cylindrical, typically 45 to 60 cm in diameter, and have a hemispherical bottom or a bottom with substantially rounded corners. These round features are necessary for optimum crystal dipping/pulling conditions.
• molds utilized for the directional solidification process tend to be rectangular (or square) with generally right angle corners, flat sides and a flat bottom - resembling a box rather than a cylinder.
• the crystalline silicon ingot produced by a Czochralski crucible will be rounded or cylindrical in shape
• a crystalline silicon ingot produced by a directional solidification mold will be a generally rectangular ingot with generally right angle corners. This rectangular shape resembling a block results in a more efficient shape for a subsequent wafer slicing operation when manufacturing photovoltaic cells.
• Czochralski crucible occurs only when the crucible is effectively empty and no more 15 silicon can be practically withdrawn at the end of a production cycle.
• Czochralski process the majority of molten silicon mass is cooled as it is withdrawn and crystallized upon the seed crystal ⁇ occurring near the top surface of the molten silicon mass or outside the crucible altogether.
• directional solidification molds and the entire molten silicon mass contained within the mold are 20 cooled from the bottom, with the crystallization phase beginning at the bottom of the molten silicon mass and traveling upwards.
• directional solidification Since the directional solidification process does not require the slow dipping/pulling process required of the Czochralski process, directional solidification is a quicker and more cost effective means to produce crystalline silicon ingots on a per kilogram basis. When utilizing the directional solidification process, the cost of
• the present invention provides for a process of preparing a mold for directional solidification.
• the process includes providing a mold suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by the process of directional solidification, and loading at least one rod polysilicon section into the mold.
• the process further includes loading at least one polysilicon selected from the group consisting of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon and granular polysilicon into the mold, and placing the mold into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by the process of directional solidification.
• the present invention provides a process of preparing a plurality of molds for directional solidification.
• the process includes providing a plurality of molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by a process of directional solidification, wherein each mold is rectangular and has a flat bottom.
• the process further includes loading a plurality of rod polysilicon sections into each mold in an offset-layered configuration or crisscross-layered configuration, and loading at least one polysilicon material selected from the group consisting of chunk polysilicon, chip polysilicon and granular polysilicon into the mold.
• the process also includes placing the mold into a furnace suitable for melting and cooling the polysilicon contents by the process of directional solidification.
• Fig. 1 is an isometric view of rod polysilicon stacked in a pyramidal configuration
• Fig. 2 is an isometric view of rod polysilicon stacked in an offset-layered configuration
• Fig. 3 is an isometric view of rod polysilicon stacked in an alternate configuration
• Fig. 4 is an isometric view of rod polysilicon stacked in a crisscross-layered configuration
• Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chunk polysilicon in a horizontal offset-layered configuration
• Fig. 6 is a frontal cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chunk polysilicon in a horizontal offset-layered configuration shown in Fig. 5;
• Fig. 7 is the side cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chunk polysilicon in a horizontal offset-layered configuration shown in Fig. 5;
• Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon, wherein the rod polysilicon is configured in a crisscross-layered configuration;
• Fig. 9 is the frontal cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a crisscross-layered configuration shown in Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10 is the top cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a crisscross-layered configuration shown in Fig. 8;
• Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon, wherein the rod polysilicon is configured in a mixed configuration;
• Fig. 12 is the frontal cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a mixed configuration shown in Fig. 11 ;
• Fig. 13 is the top cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a mixed configuration shown in Fig. 11 ;
• Fig. 14 is an isometric view of a mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a vertical offset-layered configuration
• Fig. 15 is a frontal cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chip polysilicon in a vertical offset-layered configuration shown in Fig. 14;
• Fig. 16 is the top cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and chunk polysilicon in a vertical offset-layered configuration shown in Fig. 14;
• Fig. 17 is an isometric view of a mold loaded with rod polysilicon and granular polysilicon;
• Fig. 18 is a frontal cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and granular polysilicon shown in Fig. 17;
• Fig. 19 is the top cross-section view of the mold loaded with rod polysilicon and
• rod polysilicon 11 is typically cut or broken into smaller, loose polysilicon pieces (chunk polysilicon 12 or chip polysilicon 13) immediately after harvesting from the reactor.
• Chunk polysilicon 12 (Figs. 5-7) (or chunks of polysilicon) for the purposes of this discussion, may be characterized by those loose pieces of polysilicon which typically, though not necessarily, range from about 2 to 20 cm across their largest dimension. Usually, but not always, chunk polysilicon 12 possesses an irregular shape, having sharp, jagged edges as a result of the fact that they originate and are 5 typically broken from rod polysilicon 11 that has been subjected to severe mechanical impact or forces.
• Chip polysilicon 13 (Figs. 8-16), (or chips of polysilicon) for the purposes of this discussion, typically, though not necessarily, represent pieces of polysilicon that are smaller than chunk polysilicon 12 and may frequently resemble flake-like shapes. Chips may, but not necessarily, be derived from the debris left over when a rod harvested from a Siemens reactor is broken into chunk polysilicon 12.
• rods harvested from a Siemens reactor may instead be cut or broken into sections (or segments) of a desired length, rather than broken into chunks or chips.
• a suitable diameter in a Siemens reactor typically, but not limited to 80 to 140 mm
• the rods of polysilicon are harvested intact in the usual manner, placed on suitable clean-room grade transport and sent to a breaking area. After inspection, the rods are broken, as necessary, to a maximum length as dictated by the mold size or specifications provided by the customer.
• Breaking into sections can be accomplished with hammers, manual low- contamination impact devices, mechanical shears, saws, or multiple-hammer mechanical or hydraulic breakers. No special care or treatment of the broken ends is required, with the possible exception of cleaning after the use of a saw.
• the ends of the sections of rod polysilicon 11 can have any desired shape (e.g. they can be left as- broken, chipped, cut flat, or cut to a desired angle).
• Shorter sections can be combined into one package of a desired length for packaging standardization and ease of handling. There is a significant advantage to keeping the shorter pieces derived from a single harvested rod together, as they will interlock better than random pieces from different rods. Such tight interlocking of segments allows for a high packing density of polysilicon in the mold 10 at a later time.
• a "bridge section" harvested from a Siemens reactor is the short horizontal section of polysilicon that carries the electric current between two vertical rods. Bridge sections of the harvested rods can also be inspected, broken to a desired length, (if necessary), and packaged as usable segments of rod polysilicon 1 1.
• rod polysilicon For purposes of the discussion and claims herein, and particularly to the topic of loading polysilicon into a mold 10 (Figs. 5-19) for directional solidification, whole rods of polysilicon, portions of rods of polysilicon or any polysilicon resembling a solid cylindrical shape, whether intentionally or unintentionally configured to a given length, shall be collectively referred to as "rod polysilicon.”
• One such standard size mold 10 is 69 cm square (69 cm long and 69 cm wide) and 42 cm tall.
• Another standard mold 10 that is smaller in size is 59 cm square (59 cm long and 59 cm wide) and 39 cm tall. Therefore, an optimal size of a segment of rod polysilicon 11 can be determined by the mold 10 for which the rod polysilicon 11 is intended.
• Granular polysilicon 14 (Figs. 17-19), which is a form of polysilicon that which has a generally uniform spherical shape, can be also used to load a mold 10 for the directional solidification process.
• granular silicon when used in 5 conjunction with rod polysilicon 11 , granular silicon is particularly well suited to filling airspaces or voids in a mold 10 containing rod polysilicon 11 and further provides stability against rod polysilicon 11 shifting during the melting process.
• Granular polysilicon 14 contrary to rod polysilicon 11 , chunk polysilicon 12 and chip polysilicon 13, is typically prepared by a fluidized-bed reaction process (rather than the Siemens process) and ranges from about 0.5 to 10 mm in diameter. Granular polysilicon 14 tends to be somewhat smaller than chip polysilicon 13, although the sizes may overlap.
• chip polysilicon 13 has a preferable packing density of roughly 57%, although this number may vary depending upon the actual size, shape and diversity of oU the chips.
• the best packing density possible for perfectly spherical objects in a given volume ranges between 74% (corresponding to the Face-Centered Cubic configuration) and 65% (corresponding to a random loose fill).
• granular polysilicon 14 has demonstrated a practical packing density of roughly 60% when placed into a mold 10 for directional solidification.
• the aforementioned exclusive forms of polysilicon and their corresponding packing densities reflect the industry practices of loading a mold for directional solidification.
• Granular silicon created by a fluidized-bed process tends to possess a low bulk thermal conductivity, thus requiring a significantly higher thermal demand to melt the polysilicon charge.
• This increased thermal demand is typically overcome either by: (a) extending the time required for the melting process or (b) increasing the heat applied by the furnace.
• the heat is increased to offset the higher thermal demand, such additional thermal stress placed upon the mold 10 may distort or deform the mold 10, thereby introducing particles from the mold 10 into the molten silicon mass, (and thus contaminating the resulting crystalline silicon ingot with impurities as well).
• substantial thermal stress placed upon the mold 10 can cause a catastrophic breakdown of the mold 10.
• rod polysilicon 11 , chunk polysilicon 12 and chip polysilicon 13 remain viable alternatives for the production of crystalline silicon ingots.
• Rod polysilicon 11 and chunk polysilicon 12 have advantageous thermal conductivity properties over chip silicon and granular silicon, and thereby distribute heat during the melting process more efficiently. By a substantial margin, rod polysilicon 11 and chunk polysilicon 12 also have the highest density of silicon for a given surface area. Thus, it follows that given a fixed weight in kilograms, rod polysilicon 11 and chunk polysilicon 12 tend to have the lowest cost to melt as well as the lowest surface contamination per kilogram.
• the edges of chunk polysilicon 12 are typically sharp and jagged. As a result, under the weight of a full charge, these sharp and jagged edges tend to scratch and gouge surfaces of a mold 10 and, in particular, the bottom surfaces of a mold 10. These scratches and gouges can cause damage to such an extent that small particles of the mold 10 are broken away from the surfaces of the mold 10. Such particles then become suspended in the molten silicon mass and ultimately incorporated into and 5 contaminate the nucleating crystalline silicon ingot. Additionally, such scratches and gouges on the surfaces of the mold 10 may serve as nucleation sites that start and propagate cracks in the resulting crystalline silicon ingot. Over time, scratches and gouges in the mold 10, through repeated production cycles, may also fester into cracks in the physical structure of the mold 10.
• chip polysilicon 13 While utilizing chip polysilicon 13 exclusively in a charge tends to minimize crucible damage, chip polysilicon 13 may result in higher than acceptable contamination levels, as discussed below.
• Contamination of polysilicon produced by the Siemens process is typically introduced to the surface of the polysilicon product during harvesting and processing 15
• Rod polysilicon 11 typically has between 150 to 200 cm 2 of surface area per kilogram and chunk polysilicon 12 typically ranges from 900 to 1000 cm 2 of surface area per kilogram.
• Chip polysilicon 13 has roughly 6000 cm 2 of surface area per kilogram, although this figure varies significantly depending on the shape and sizing of the chip silicon product.
• granular polysilicon 14 may have over 100,000 cm 2 of surface area per kilogram, granular polysilicon 14 is typically produced and processed by wholly different processes, (e.g. a fluidized-bed process).
• a fluidized-bed process The greatly reduced product 25 handling required for fluid-bed processes provides lower contamination levels than would be expected based solely on its immense surface area.
• rod polysilicon 11 As can be observed, the surface area available for contamination markedly increases as the weight of individual pieces or granules decreases. Since rod polysilicon 11 , chunk polysilicon 12, and chip polysilicon 13 are typically produced by oU the same general process, (i.e. the Siemens process), the observed contamination levels generally correspond to the surface area represented by the given form of polysilicon. In this respect, rod polysilicon 11 provides a significant advantage over other forms of polysilicon, (including granular polysilicon 14), by virtue of its low surface area per kilogram of weight.
• rod polysilicon 11 in its most native form possible for subsequent loading into a mold 10 for the directional solidification process.
• rod polysilicon 11 should be broken only into sections so as to accommodate these specific needs.
• rod polysilicon 1 1 arrives at its destination for the process of directional solidification, it must have its packaging removed (if any) and be loaded into the mold 10. While the particular geometry of the mold 10 is not critical, it's exact dimensions, as well the clearance between it and the furnace walls, will determine how it is to be loaded for optimum results.
• first layer 11 a of rod polysilicon 11 can be placed upon a layer of chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14, or of scrap polysilicon from the wafer forming operations.
• a expansion gap 16 (Figs. 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19) for expansion is typically provided between the sides and ends of the rod polysilicon 11 and the sides of the mold 10.
• molds suitable for melting and cooling polysilicon by the directional solidification process are composed of graphite, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, mullite or other materials capable of sustaining the extreme thermal demands placed upon the molds by the process. Since silicon has a greater thermal expansion coefficient than these materials, polysilicon loaded into a mold 10 and heated by a furnace will tend to expand more than the mold 10. Therefore, this expansion gap 16 provides room for expansion of the rod polysilicon 11 and avoids the buildup of stress, (as the polysilicon charge heats and expands). Failure to provide for this expansion gap 16 could lead to failure of the mold 10 and contamination of the polysilicon contents. Experience has shown that 5 cm of free space for the expansion gap 16 is generally sufficient, although this will depend on the specific dimensions of the mold 10.
• rod silicon While a segment of rod polysilicon 11 can be cut to a specific length for a given mold 10 to fit perfectly into a mold 10, this practice tends to introduce contaminants onto the rod polysilicon 11 in the cutting process. For this reason, it is advantageous for rod silicon to be broken, as precisely as practical, rather than cut to its desired length. While sharp comers may occur on a broken segment of rod polysilicon 1 1 , such sharp corners tend to melt first, mitigating the problems associated with overstressing and fracturing a mold 10.
• the segment(s) can be wedged in place with chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 and/or granular polysilicon 14. Because segments of rod polysilicon 11 are round, they will tend to roll on the bottom of the mold 10 if this step is not performed. This step, therefore, is important as it stabilizes the current layer and provides a foundation for additional layers 11 b, (assuming one or more layers of additional rod polysilicon 1 1 are capable of being loaded into the mold 10).
• Chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14 can then be added throughout the mold to fill any airspace voids left between segments of rod polysilicon 11 and the walls of the mold 10 until the height is about equal to that of the top of the first layer 11 a of rod polysilicon 11 .
• additional layers 11 b of segments of rod polysilicon 11 can ay be placed over the previous layer(s).
• Such layers can advantageously be placed in an offset and layered configuration, (herein called an "offset-layered configuration"), similar to the way round pipe may be stacked, as illustrated in Fig. 2.
• rod polysilicon 11 can alternatively be placed directly over the first layer 11a of rod polysilicon 11 , as shown in Fig. 3, (by keeping the center axes of the rod polysilicon 11 in approximate common vertical planes), this does not provide optimal packing density. Moreover, such a configuration as shown in 5
• Fig. 3 is also less stable than a configuration wherein the center axis of the rods are offset from layer to layer, as shown in Fig. 2.
• crisscross-layered configuration a crisscross-layered configuration
• This is accomplished by positioning the segments so as to rotate the horizontal orientation of each layer by ninety degrees, or other suitable angle, with respect to the previous layer, providing additional stability to each layer and reducing the possibility of rolling or sliding of segments of rod polysilicon 11.
• Such a crisscross-layered configuration can also be 15 accommodated within a quadrant or portion of a layer rather than the whole layer, or mixed with horizontal and vertical orientations of rod polysilicon, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
• additional layers 11 b of rod polysilicon 11 can be provided with an expansion gap 16 between the rod polysilicon 11 and the mold 10 walls, for the same reasons as stated above.
• additional layers 11 b are required, more chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14 can be added on each layer to fill the expansion gap 16 and space between the walls, and other airspace and voids in the mold 10 up the height of the current layer.
• additional chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 and granular polysilicon 14 can be then added on top of the topmost layer of polysilicon in the mold 10 as space allows.
• the top of the contents of the mold 10 consists of rod polysilicon 11 ,
• Sections of rod polysilicon 11 are significantly less likely to fall or slide off the top of an overfilled mold 10 than chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 and granular polysilicon 14. Therefore, sections of rod polysilicon 11 can also be utilized to contain loose polysilicon, holding it in place during the melting process so that overfilling does not cause undesirable effects such as spilling or contamination.
• a mold 10 designed for directional solidification tends to distribute the force of a sliding or rolling section of rod polysilicon 11 substantially across its longitudinal contact with the side of the rod. Furthermore, since the furnaces typically utilized for a directional solidification process heat a mold 10 from the top and bottom, the rod polysilicon 11 positioned near the walls tends to be the last material to melt in the mold 10, offering better protection from sliding or rolling rod polysilicon 11.
• rod polysilicon 1 1 on top of other layers, and in direct contact with other layers and adjacent sections, will tend to melt first due to its increased thermal conductivity, avoiding sudden collapses of partially melted material.
• loose polysilicon, particularly chunk polysilicon 12 has the effect of gently melting and slowly lowering rod polysilicon 11 into the melt by degrees, thus averting sudden drops, rolls or slides of the rod polysilicon 11.
• a rectangular mold 10 with flat walls used for directional solidification contrary to a rounded crucible used for the Czochralski process, can be loaded and stacked with sections of rod polysilicon 11 in the previously detailed offset- layering configuration or crisscross-layered configuration, allowing upper layers of rod polysilicon 1 1 to represent the equivalent (or even larger) footprint than comparative lower layers of rod polysilicon 11.
• the offset-layered configuration and criss-cross layered configuration provide for improved packing density, stability and thermal conductivity above and beyond the traditional methods of pyramidal stacking.
• sections of rod polysilicon 11 can be loaded into a mold 10 in a vertical orientation rather than horizontal orientation, (i.e. standing the segments of rod polysilicon 11 on end), as illustrated in Figs. 14, 15 and 16. In such an orientation, it is desirable to also offset the centers of the segments of rod polysilicon 11 , similar to that described in the above offset-layered configuration and crisscross-layered configuration. Again, the addition of chunk, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14 serves to improve the packing density while stabilizing the rod polysilicon 1 1 while it melts.
• a mix of configurations in both horizontal and vertical oriented rod polysilicon 11 can be utilized, provided that a fill of loose polysilicon (chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14) complements the rod polysilicon 11.
• a fill of loose polysilicon chlorunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14
• Such a mixed configuration is illustrated in Figs. 11 , 12 and 13.
• rod polysilicon 11 and loose polysilicon (chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14) as shown in Figs. 17, 18 and 19. While such a configuration may sacrifice a noticeable loss in packing density and thermal conductivity due to the lack of organization of the rod polysilicon 1 1 , such a configuration nonetheless renders advantageous results over the present industry practices of loading a mold 10 with a single form of loose polysilicon (chunk polysilicon 12, chip polysilicon 13 or granular polysilicon 14).
• the rod polysilicon and loose polysilicon melt, at which time crystalline silicon ingots can be formed from the molten silicon.
• the first technique utilizes a mold 10 mounted inside an RF field provided by an induction furnace.
• the mold 10 is much taller than the RF coil, and after melting of the silicon charge occurs, the mold 10 is slowly withdrawn from the RF coil.
• Solidification and crystallization commences at the bottom of the crucible.
• the crystal microstructures continue to grow upwards as the crucible is lowered, until at the end of the process, individual large crystals extend from the bottom of the crucible upward.
• a second and more common technique utilizes a stationary furnace, typically with resistance heaters at the top and bottom.
• the loaded mold 10 is placed in the furnace and the charge is melted under an inert atmosphere. Once the charge is thoroughly melted to a desired state, the power level of the lower heating element is reduced, thereby causing the molten silicon mass to cool from the bottom.
• a crystalline silicon ingot is sliced (or sawn) into smaller sections.
• the slicing process can either produce smaller crystalline silicon ingots that are subsequently sliced to crystalline silicon wafers, (more typical when 5 using inner-diameter saws) or the crystalline silicon ingot can be directly sliced into crystalline silicon wafers (more typical when using wire saws.)
• a mold 10 has been selected for comparison, providing internal dimensions of 69 cm in length, 69 cm in width and 42 cm in height for an internal usable volume of 0.202 cubic meters. Given the density of solid polysilicon, an ingot displacing this entire usable volume would yield a finished weight of 470 kilograms, (i.e. representing a packing density of 100%).

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