公开(公告)号：US20180213603A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-26

申请号：US15416321

申请日：2017-01-26

Applicant: REC Silicon Inc

Inventor： Matthew J. Miller ,  Robert J. Geertsen ,  Stein Julsrud ,  Sefa Yilmaz ,  Raymond Desbordes

IPC: H05B3/06 ,  H01L21/67 ,  F16L9/14 ,  F16L9/22 ,  F27D3/00 ,  F27D3/10 ,  F27D3/16 ,  C01B33/037

CPC classification number: C01B33/037 ,  F16L9/22 ,  F27D3/0033 ,  F27D3/10 ,  F27D3/16 ,  F27D2003/166 ,  F27D2019/0068 ,  H05B3/148

Abstract: This disclosure concerns embodiments of an annealing device and a method for annealing granular silicon to reduce a hydrogen content of the granular silicon. The annealing device comprises at least one tube through which granular silicon is flowed downwardly. The tube includes a heating zone and (i) a residence zone below the heating zone, (ii) a cooling zone below the heating zone, or (iii) a residence zone below the heating zone and a cooling zone below the residence zone. An inert gas is flowed upwardly through the tube. The tube may be constructed from two or more tube segments. The annealing device may include a plurality of tubes arranged in parallel and housed within a shell. The annealing device and method are suitable for a continuous process.