Abstract: An inlet passage portion, which is a substantially columnar space through which a tip end of a guide wire is inserted into an opening portion to pass the guide wire, a shaping portion, which is a space communicating with the inlet passage portion through an outlet portion, which is a portion located at a deepest part of the inlet passage portion, and flatly expanding from the outlet portion, an annular inner wall, which forms an inner circumferential portion of the shaping portion, an extension line intersection portion, which is an inner wall intersecting an extension line of a center line of the inlet passage portion at an obtuse angle, and an obtuse angle side inner wall portion, which is an inner wall extending from the outlet portion to the extension line intersection portion and forming an obtuse angle with the extension line are included.

Abstract: To provide a guide wire shaping mold that reduces damage to a blood vessel by folding back a tip end of the guide wire and do not require heating treatment, and a guide wire shaping method using the guide wire shaping mold. A guide wire shaping mold configured to shaping by reducing an annular diameter of the guide wire in which a tip end is annularly arranged, the guide wire shaping mold includes a wire shaping portion configured such that an annular portion of the guide wire is arranged, and a wire drawing path formed in a passage way shape, communicating with the wire shaping portion, and configured to retract the guide wire in a linear direction and in a base end direction.

Abstract: A method for producing semiconductor particles includes the steps of: forming granules of predetermined mass from a feedstock including a semiconductor powder by a granulation process; heating the granules to melt and fuse the semiconductor powder included in the granules, to obtain molten spheres; and cooling the molten spheres to solidify them, to obtain spherical semiconductor particles. The granules preferably contain a binder that binds the particles of the semiconductor powder together. When the granules contain a binder, it is preferable to perform a preliminary heating step for removing the binder from the granules before the heating step for melting the semiconductor powder.

Abstract: To miniaturize a crystal holding apparatus which mechanically holds and pulls up a single crystal at a top thereof. To avoid harmful influence on crystal growing resulting from crystal holding. A plurality of pivot clamps 40, 40 are circumferentially mounted at regular intervals on a cylindrical frame 30 which lifts and lowers and rotates for pulling up the single crystal. A clamp operation mechanism 50 is incorporated in the frame 30, which is pushed by a seed chuck 2 lifting in the frame 30 to shift the pivot clamps 40, 40 from an open condition to a close condition. The clamp operation mechanism 50 shifts the pivot clamps 40, 40 from the open condition to close condition when a neck passes inside the pivot clamps 40, 40, and release the pivot clamps 40, 40 after the shift.

Abstract: To miniaturize a crystal holding apparatus which mechanically holds and pulls up a single crystal at a top thereof. To avoid harmful influence on crystal growing resulting from crystal holding. A plurality of pivot clamps 40, 40 are circumferentially mounted at regular intervals on a cylindrical frame 30 which lifts and lowers and rotates for pulling up the single crystal. A clamp operation mechanism 50 is incorporated in the frame 30, which is pushed by a seed chuck 2 lifting in the frame 30 to shift the pivot clamps 40, 40 from an open condition to a close condition. The clamp operation mechanism 50 shifts the pivot clamps 40, 40 from the open condition to close condition when a neck passes inside the pivot clamps 40, 40, and release the pivot clamps 40, 40 after the shift.

Abstract: A method for improving the productivity when a single crystal is pulled while being mechanically held at a knob section formed at an upper end of the crystal. By controlling the crucible rotational speed, a reproducible knob section having a complex shape can be formed in a more time efficient manner than if the knob section were formed by controlling the temperature of the heater.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing silicon single crystals with excellent dielectric strength of gate oxide films by adjusting the temperature gradient of the pulled-up silicon single crystal without loss of its rate of pulling. The process of producing silicon single crystals by pulling up the single crystal from a melt of material of the single crystal imposes a certain average temperature gradient on the grown single crystal while it is still at high temperature. The apparatus is provided with a heating element outside a crucible and pulling shaft with which a single crystal is pulled up from the melt of the material in the crucible. The ratio of length h of the heating element to the inside diameter .phi. of the crucible is adjusted so as to be between 0.2 and 0.8 whereby the temperature gradient can be maintained below 2.5.degree. C./mm.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a single crystal comprising a heater which is arranged on the outer periphery of a crucible and movable along the axis of growth of a single crystal. The heater is moved along the direction of growth of the single crystal in accordance with the surface position of the molten liquid layer in the crucible. The apparatus for producing a single crystal further comprising means for adjusting the speed at which the seed crystal is pulled. For example, the pulling speed of the seed crystal is adjusted in accordance with the position of the heater.

Abstract: A solid layer is melted from the upper part thereof by the heat of a heater while the contact area between a molten liquid layer and an inner wall of a crucible is adjusted in a Double Layered CZ method, so that the eluting amount of oxygen from the crucible to the molten liquid layer is controlled. Accordingly, silicon single crystals of the low concentration of oxygen are produced.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing silicon single crystals with excellent dielectric strength of gate oxide films by adjusting the temperature gradient of the pulled-up silicon single crystal without loss of its rate of pulling. The process of producing silicon single crystals by pulling up the single crystal from a melt of material of the single crystal imposes a certain average temperature gradient on the grown single crystal while it is still at high temperature. The apparatus is provided with a heating element outside a crucible and pulling shaft with which a single crystal is pulled up from the melt of the material in the crucible. The ratio of length h of the heating element to the inside diameter .phi. of the crucible is adjusted so as to be between 0.2 and 0.8 whereby the temperature gradient can be maintained below 2.5.degree. C./mm.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a single crystal comprising a heater which is arranged on the outer periphery of a crucible and movable along the axis of growth of a single crystal. The heater is moved along the direction of growth of the single crystal in accordance with the surface position of the molten liquid layer in the crucible. The apparatus for producing a single crystal further comprising means for adjusting the speed at which the seed crystal is pulled. For example, the pulling speed of the seed crystal is adjusted in accordance with the position of the heater.