To provide an apparatus and a method for efficiently refining silicon with high purity.
A gate valve 13 to open/close an upper end face of a melting furnace 1 storing a crucible 2 with molten crude silicon S contained therein is provided. At least one of a gate valve (Fig. 4) to open/close a lower end face, a gas seal mechanism (Figs. 5 and 6) to seal a lower portion from the atmosphere, a gas outlet (Fig. 7) for the down-flow of the gas from an upper surface of an inner wall, a vacuum exhaust pipe (Fig. 8) penetrating through a top wall, and an internal heater (Fig. 9) to heat and melt silicon high in purity is provided on a take-out unit 14 storing a hollow rotary cooling body 4 with highly pure silicon 6 crystallized on an outer circumferential surface 27. The hollow rotary cooling body 4 can be repeatedly immersed in molten silicon S without solidifying molten silicon S in the melting furnace 1.
FUKUYAMA TOSHIAKI
YANO KOZABURO
KOMA SHUJI
SHARP KK
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