Apparatus for producing pure silicon

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A SILICON CRYSTAL FROM A GAS CONTAINING SILICON ATOMS COMPRISING, AN ENCOSED CRACKING CHAMBER INCLUDING AN ENTRANCE CONDUIT AT ONE END AND AN EXIT CONDUIT AT THE OTHER END, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A STEADY FLOW OF SILICON BEARING GAS THROUGH THE ENTRANCE CONDUIT INTO THE CRACKING CHAMBER, A BASE MOUNTING FOR A ROD OF SOLID METALLIC SILICON DISPOSED NEAR THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CRACKING CHAMBER WITH MOTOR MEANS FOR TURNING THE MOUNT AND LOWERING IT AS THE SILICON IS DEPOSITED, INDUCTION HEATING MEANS CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF HIGH FREQUENCY POWER FOR MAINTAIN THE TOP PORTION OF THE SILICON ROD IN A MOLTEN STATE, MEANS FOR EXPELLING THE CRACKED GAS THROUGH SAID EXIT CONDUIT, AND A SHIELD DISPOSED IN SAID CRACKING CHAMBER ADJACENT TO THE SILICON ROD TO PREVENT DEPOSITION OF SILICON FROM HE VAPOR ONTO THE SOLID PORTION OF THE SILICON CRYSTAL AND FOR MAINTAINING THE INERT GAS PRESSURE ADJACENT TO THE SOLID PORTION OF THE ROD AT A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THE PRESSURE DUE TO THE SILICON BEARING GAS.