Abstract: Silicon single crystals are grown from the melt by providing the melt in a crucible; imposing a horizontal magnetic field on the melt; directing a gas between the single crystal and a heat shield to a melt free surface, and controlling the gas to flow over a region of the melt free surface extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the magnetic induction. A suitable apparatus has a crucible for holding the melt; a heat shield surrounding the silicon single crystal having a lower end which is connected to a bottom cover facing a melt free surface and a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to a crucible axis, such that gas which is directed between the crystal and the heat shield to the melt free surface is forced to flow over a region of the melt which extends substantially perpendicular to the magnetic induction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are used to simultaneously slice a multiplicity of slices from a workpiece. The workpiece is held with a feed device so as to position an axis of the workpiece parallel to axes of wire guide rolls of a wire saw and is moved from above through a web of the wire saw. A slurry is supplied as abrasive to wire sections of the web while the wire sections are moved relative to the workpiece. The relative movement guides the wire sections from an entry side to an exit side through the workpiece. A coolant is sprayed from the side and below through nozzles into slicing gaps in the workpiece. The nozzles are arranged below the web parallel to the axes of the wire guide rolls. The coolant is sprayed into the slicing gaps through a nozzle situated opposite the entry side of the respective wire section.

Abstract: A single crystal of semiconductor material is produced by a method of melting semiconductor material granules by means of a first induction heating coil on a dish with a run-off tube consisting of the semiconductor material, forming a melt of molten granules which extends from the run-off tube in the form of a melt neck and a melt waist to a phase boundary, delivering heat to the melt by means of a second induction heating coil which has an opening through which the melt neck passes, crystallizing the melt at the phase boundary, and delivering a cooling gas to the run-off tube and to the melt neck in order to control the axial position of an interface between the run-off tube and the melt neck.

Abstract: A method of polishing a semiconductor wafer using a holding system including a lined cutout the size of the semiconductor wafer that is fixed to a carrier. The method includes holding the semiconductor wafer in the cutout through adhesion of a first side of the semiconductor wafer to a bearing surface in the cutout and polishing a second side of the held semiconductor wafer using a polishing pad that is fixed on a polishing plate while introducing a polishing agent between the second side of the semiconductor wafer and the polishing pad, the polishing pad including fixedly bonded abrasive materials. The carrier is guided during polishing such that a portion of the second side of the semiconductor wafer temporarily projects beyond a lateral edge of a surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: Single crystals are produced by means of the floating zone method, wherein the single crystal crystallizes below a melt zone at a crystallization boundary, and the emission of crystallization heat is impeded by a reflector surrounding the single crystal, wherein the single crystal is heated in the region of an outer edge of the crystallization boundary by means of a heating device in a first zone, wherein a distance ? between an outer triple point Ta at the outer edge of the crystallization boundary and a center Z of the crystallization boundary is influenced. An apparatus for producing the single crystal provides a heat source below the melting induction coil and above the reflector.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is polished, wherein in a first step, the rear side of the wafer is polished by a polishing pad comprising fixedly bonded abrasives having a grain size of 0.1-1.0 ?m, while supplying a polishing agent free of solid materials having a pH of at least 11.8, and, in a second step, the front side of the semiconductor wafer is polished, wherein a polishing agent having a pH of less than 11.8 is supplied. A polishing pad for use in apparatuses for polishing semiconductor wafers, has a layer containing abrasives, a layer composed of a stiff plastic and also a compliant, non-woven layer, wherein the layers are bonded to one another by means of pressure-sensitive adhesive layers.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are treated in a liquid container filled at least partly with a solution containing hydrogen fluoride, such that surface oxide dissolves, are transported out of the solution along a transport direction and dried, and are then treated with an ozone-containing gas to oxidize the surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein part of the semiconductor wafer surface comes into contact with the ozone-containing gas while another part of the surface is still in contact with the solution, and wherein the solution and the ozone-containing gas are spatially separated such that they do not come into contact with one another.