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
  • 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
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B33/00—Silicon; Compounds thereof
  • C01B33/02—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
  • C30B11/00—Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method
• • 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
  • C30B11/00—Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method
  • C30B11/003—Heating or cooling of the melt or the crystallised material
• • 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
• • 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 invention relates to an apparatus for melting and / or crystallizing non-ferrous metals, in particular silicon. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for melting and / or crystallizing non-ferrous metals, in particular of silicon. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the crystallized by the novel non-ferrous metal, in particular of silicon, in photovoltaic.
• the object of the invention is to refine an apparatus and a method for melting and / or crystallizing non-ferrous metals, in particular silicon, in such a way that the quality of the solidified The non-ferrous metal and the resulting photovoltaic efficiency of non-ferrous metal solar cells is increased.
• control in the sense of this invention means control in the strict sense without feedback of a measurable variable that characterizes the crystallization, but also rules with a feedback of a measurable variable that characterizes the crystallization.
• at least one controllable cooling element is provided, which serves for the active removal of heat from the non-ferrous metal.
• the controlled crystallization of the liquid non-ferrous metal reduces thermal stresses, resulting in a reduction of dislocations and contaminants diffused back into the interior of the block non-ferrous metal.
• Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus for melting and / or crystallizing non-ferrous metals.
• a device designated as a whole by 1 for melting and / or crystallizing a non-ferrous metal 2, in particular silicon, has a mold designed as a container 3, which is essentially in the form of an upwardly open cuboid and an essentially cuboidal interior 4 limited to five pages.
• the mold 3 is integrally formed of quartz and has a mold bottom 5 and two opposite Kokillen- side walls 6 and two opposite mold end walls 7. Opposite to the mold bottom 5, a mold opening 8 is provided for filling the mold 3.
• the interior 4 of the mold 3 is approximately filled to the mold opening 8 with silicon 2.
• the respective outer walls of the mold bottom 5, the mold side walls 6, the mold end walls 7 and the mold opening 8 are hereinafter also referred to as side surfaces, wherein these substantially parallel to corresponding outer surfaces of the silicon 2 within the interior. 4 are.
• at least one, in particular at least two, in particular at least four heating elements 9 may be arranged at a distance from a corresponding number of side surfaces.
• Each heating element 9 extends substantially over the entire associated side surface.
• the heating elements 9 are, with the exception of the heating element opposite the mold opening 8 Element 9 fixed relative to the mold 3.
• each heating element 9 is movable either manually or automatically by means of a drive, not shown, along the side surfaces, so that in a deactivated state the heating elements 9 do not face the associated side surfaces.
• each cooling element 10 is arranged for active removal of heat from the silicon 2.
• Each cooling element 10 is disposed substantially parallel and spaced from the associated side surface, with the cooling element 10 extending over the entire side surface.
• the cooling elements 10 are fixed relative to the mold 3, with the exception of the cooling element 10 opposite the mold opening 8.
• each cooling element 10 can be moved either manually or automatically by means of an unillustrated drive along the side surfaces, so that in a deactivated state, the cooling elements 10 do not face the associated side surfaces.
• cooling elements 10 between the heating elements 9 and the associated side surfaces can be provided that with respect to a side surface either a heating element 9 or a cooling element 10 is arranged.
• a heating element 9 or a cooling element 10 is arranged.
• two heating elements 9 may be arranged opposite to the mold side walls 6 and two cooling elements 10 opposite to the mold bottom 5 and the mold opening 8.
• Each cooling element 10 has a meander-shaped cooling tube 11, which is flowed through for the removal of heat from a cooling fluid, in particular a cooling gas 12.
• the cooling tubes 11 consist of neither of a high-temperature-resistant, non-metallic material, in particular of graphite, or of a high-temperature-resistant, metallic material.
• a high-temperature resistant material according to this invention has a melting temperature of more than 1600 ° C, in particular of more than 2000 ° C and in particular of more than 2400 ° C.
• Each cooling element 10 further comprises a flow control element 13 in the form of a controllable valve for controlling the flow rate of the cooling gas 12. Furthermore, to control the pressure of the cooling gas 12, a pressure control element 14 is provided in the form of a controllable pump.
• Each cooling element 10 is connected to the cooling pipe 11 to a heat exchanger, not shown, and forms a closed circuit for the cooling gas 12, wherein in the heat exchanger, the heat absorbed by the cooling gas 12 is dissipated.
• the cooling elements 10 may also form an open circuit for the cooling gas 12, so that the cooling gas 12 is constantly replaced.
• the mold 3 is filled with powdery or granular silicon 2.
• the heating element 9 and the cooling element 10 lying opposite the mold opening 8 are positioned such that the mold opening 8 is freely accessible for filling.
• the heating element 9 and the cooling element 10 facing the mold opening 8 for heating and cooling the silicon 2 are arranged parallel and opposite to the mold opening 8.
• the heating elements 9 are now heated electrically so that the silicon 2 active heat is supplied and this completely melts.
• the heat flows between the meandering cooling tubes 11 of the Cooling elements 10 through.
• already molten and liquid silicon 2 can be filled into the mold 3.
• this liquid After the melting of the silicon 2, this liquid is present within the mold 3. It follows the directional and controlled crystallization and solidification of the silicon 2. Directed in the sense of this invention means from bottom to top, so contrary to gravity.
• heat is actively removed from the liquid silicon 2 by means of the controllable cooling elements 10.
• the cooling gas 12 flowing through the cooling tubes 11 absorbs the radiated heat of the silicon 2 and transports it away.
• any gases or gas mixtures such as, for example, argon, can be used as the cooling gas 12.
• Cooling gas 12 controlled by the valve 13 and / or the pressure of the cooling gas 12 by means of the pump 14.
• the cooling elements 10 are operated with a pressure of the cooling gas 12 of 10 mbar to 10 bar, in particular from 500 mbar to 8 bar, and in particular from 1 bar to 5 bar. Furthermore, the cooling elements 10 with a flow rate of the cooling gas 12 from 1 m 3 / h to 10000 m 3 / h, in particular from 50 m 3 / h to 5000 m Ih, and in particular from 100 m / h to 1000 m / h operated.
• the cooling elements 10 are driven during crystallization in such a way that it is directed.
• the cooling element 10 opposite the mold bottom 5 is controlled in such a way that it has a cooling effect which is increased in comparison to the other cooling elements 10.
• the smaller number of dislocations and foreign substances reduces the possible recombination centers and increases the photovoltaic efficiency of solar cells produced from the block-shaped silicon 2.
• the cycle time in the production of block-shaped solid silicon 2, in particular in the cooling phase of the already solidified silicon 2 is reduced by the active and controllable removal of heat from the silicon 2.
• a targeted adjustment and adjustment of the quality of the solidified silicon 2 as a function of the cooling rates is possible by the flexible and quickly controllable cooling of the silicon 2.
• the melting and crystallization of the silicon 2 can also take place in separate devices.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Silicon Compounds (AREA)
• Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
• Inorganic Compounds Of Heavy Metals (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Country Status (7)

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Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2005
  • 2005-03-23 DE DE102005013410A patent/DE102005013410B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2006
  • 2006-03-11 JP JP2008502280A patent/JP2008534414A/ja active Pending
  • 2006-03-11 US US11/816,943 patent/US7981214B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-03-11 EP EP06723370A patent/EP1866247B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2006-03-11 AT AT06723370T patent/ATE440804T1/de active
  • 2006-03-11 WO PCT/EP2006/002258 patent/WO2006099955A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2006-03-11 DE DE502006004664T patent/DE502006004664D1/de active Active
• 2007
  • 2007-10-18 NO NO20075331A patent/NO20075331L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (3)

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