US PATENT SUBCLASS 117 / 37
.~ Having moving solid-liquid-solid region

Current as of: June, 1999
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117 /   HD   SINGLE-CRYSTAL, ORIENTED-CRYSTAL, AND EPITAXY GROWTH PROCESSES; NON-COATING APPARATUS THEREFOR

11  DF  PROCESSES OF GROWTH FROM LIQUID OR SUPERCRITICAL STATE {7}
37.~ Having moving solid-liquid-solid region {8}
38  DF  .~.~> Including a step of measuring, testing, or sensing {1}
40  DF  .~.~> Liquid precursor penetrating only a portion of a single-crystal, thereby liquefying it, and single-crystal formation therefrom which adjoins the never-liquefied portion of the single-crystal (e.g., liquid wire migration)
41  DF  .~.~> Precursor composition intentionally different from product (e.g., excess component, non-product forming component, dopant, non-stoichiometric precursor, travelling solvent, flux) {1}
43  DF  .~.~> Distinctly layered product (e.g., twin, SOI, epitaxial crystallization) {2}
46  DF  .~.~> Movement includes a horizontal component
47  DF  .~.~> Flat, free-standing (i.e., substrate-free) product (e.g., ribbon, film, sheet)
48  DF  .~.~> Solid heating means contacting the liquid (e.g., immersed)
49  DF  .~.~> Liquid zone contacts only precursor and product solids (e.g., crucibleless, liquid encapsulant, float zone) {1}

DEFINITION

Classification: 117/37

Having moving solid-liquid-solid region:

(under subclass 11) Subject matter in which solid precursor* material is subjected to localized heating to liquefy a region, thereby forming two solid-liquid interfaces, usually substantially parallel to each other, followed by moving the means of heating or moving said solid precursor* so as to effect additional liquid formation at one interface and concomitant cooling at the other interface, thereby obtaining single-crystal* product at the trailing solidifying

interface.

(1) Note. Common terminology includes crucible-free and floating zone methods.

(2) Note. This subclass and its indents include processes in which during liquefying an additional component may be introduced so as to prepare a product of different composition than the starting solid, so long as the process does not meet the criteria of crystal pulling processes.

(3) Note. See the (5) Note located in subclass 13 for discussion of distinguishing characteristics among several liquid phase processes.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

13+, for processes of growing while pulling crystal from a liquid, such as zone pulling or zone drawing.

219+, for corresponding apparatus other than coating apparatus. SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

438, Semiconductor Device Manufacturing: Process, for a process consisting of the single crystallization of a semiconductor material by a moving solid-liquid-solid region which is combined with named operations or treatments, including those noted in the Class 117 definition, section I, C, Note (4).