Abstract: Disclosed is a method of growing a single crystal from a melt contained in a crucible. The method includes the step of making the temperature of a melt increase gradually to a maximum point and then decrease gradually along the axis parallel to the lengthwise direction of the single crystal from the interface of the single crystal and the melt to the bottom of the crucible. The increasing temperature of the melt is kept to preferably have a greater temperature gradient than the decreasing temperature thereof. Preferably, the axis is set to pass through the center of the single crystal. Preferably, the convection of the inner region of the melt is made smaller than that of the outer region thereof.

Abstract: A semiconductor single crystal manufacturing apparatus capable of lowering the local deterioration of a wire under high temperature atmosphere in the furnace of a chamber, wherein a crucible (24) in which silicon melt (28) is filled is installed in the furnace of the chamber (22), a pull-chamber (23) is disposed above the chamber (22), and a seed holder (32) lifting between the inside of the pull-chamber (23) and the inside of the furnace is suspended by a wire (50) through a coupling member (31). A collar (52) is fitted to the wire (50) so that, when the seed holder (32) is positioned to touch the melt, the exposed portion of the wire (50) near the tip thereof becomes a specified temperature or below under the high temperature atmosphere in the furnace.

Abstract: A single crystal pulling apparatus having a heater 4 melting material silicon by thermal radiation from a cylindrical exothermic part 4a which surrounds a crucible 3 inside a furnace body 2 and an electromagnet 13 which is prepared to surround the furnace body 2 and applies a transverse magnetic field to the silicon liquid melt in the crucible 3 is provided. A length h in a pull-up axis direction in the exothermic part 4a of the heater 4 is arranged to be 0.5 times to 0.9 times an inner diameter of the crucible 3, a first middle position in the pull-up axis direction in the exothermic part 4a is arranged below a second middle position in the pull-up axis direction in the electromagent 13, and a distance difference d between the first and second middle positions is 0.15 times to 0.55 times the inner diameter R of the crucible 3.

Abstract: A semiconductor single crystal manufacturing apparatus which can manufacture a single crystal of high oxygen concentration to that of low oxygen concentration within a prescribed standard range of oxygen concentration, as a wafer material for semiconductor integrated circuits, with a high yield, is provided. Heat shields 20, 21 are provided in the entire annular area between respective adjacent heaters of the heaters 4a, 4b, 4c for heating the crucible 3 from the outside periphery side. By using the heat shields 20, 21 for localizing the respective heating regions for the heaters to actively control the temperature distribution for the crucible 3 and melt 8 in the crucible, a single crystal of high oxygen concentration to that of low oxygen concentration can be manufactured within a prescribed standard range of oxygen concentration with a high yield.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for growing silicon carbide crystals is provided. The apparatus includes a sublimation chamber with a plurality of spaced apart dividers that can direct the direction of silicon carbide crystal growth into passages between the dividers to form a plurality of silicon carbide crystal plates. The silicon carbide crystal plates can be used as seed crystals in subsequent sublimation steps in a manner that promotes the growth of silicon carbide crystals in different crystallographic directions to thereby terminate defect formation.

Abstract: This apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor single crystal includes: a crucible; a heater; a crucible driving unit; a chamber for housing the crucible and the heater; and a hydrogen mixed gas supplying device for supplying into the chamber a hydrogen mixed gas including an inert gas in admixture with a hydrogen-containing gas that contains hydrogen atoms, wherein the hydrogen mixed gas supplying device includes: a hydrogen-containing gas supply unit; an inert gas supply unit; a hydrogen-containing gas flow rate controller; an inert gas flow rate controller; and a gas mixing unit for uniformly mixing together the hydrogen-containing gas and the inert gas so as to form a hydrogen mixed gas.

Abstract: A heat shielding member 20 that thermally shields the periphery of a single crystal 16 used in a Czochralski single crystal pulling device that pulls the single crystal 16 from a melt 15 that is collected in a crucible 10 is disclosed. The heat shielding member 20 is provided with an approximately cylindrical main body portion 21 arranged so as to surround the single crystal 15, with a lower end portion thereof extending to the vicinity of the melt 15, and an approximately annular bottom plate portion 22 that extends in the diameter direction from the bottom end portion of the main body portion 21 to cover the melt. The bottom plate portion 22 is attached to the main body portion 21 in the state of being severed in the circumferential direction at least one location. With this constitution it is possible to provide a heat shielding member with superior durability and a single crystal pulling device that employs the heat shielding member.

Abstract: A semiconductor single crystal manufacturing apparatus and method are provided which are capable of improving the speed of designing and arranging a silicon single crystal manufacturing apparatus while reducing labor by making it possible to instantaneously find optimum design values and optimum arrangement for a cooler without requiring a lot of labor or time, regardless of a housing structure of a CZ furnace, in-furnace members' configuration, and manufacturing conditions. Stable manufacture of defect-free silicon single crystals is also made possible by designing and arranging the cooler such that when a heat absorption amount of the cooler is denoted by Q and a semiconductor single crystal radius is denoted by r, the heat absorption amount of the cooler Q satisfies r2/1100?Q?r2/400, or alternatively Q satisfies r2.7/20500?Q?r2.7/19300.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a single crystal semiconductor achieves an object to reduce the impurity concentration nonuniformity within a semiconductor wafer plane and thus to improve the wafer planarity by introducing an impurity into the single crystal semiconductor more uniformly during the pulling of the single crystal semiconductor from a melt. In the course of pulling the single crystal semiconductor (6), the rotating velocity (?2) of the single crystal semiconductor (6) being pulled is adjusted to a predetermined value or higher, and a magnetic field having a strength in a predetermined range is applied to the melt (5). Particularly, the crystal peripheral velocity is adjusted to 0.126 m/sec or higher, and M/V1/3 is adjusted to 35.5?M/V1/3?61.3. More desirably, the crystal peripheral velocity is adjusted to 0.141 m/sec or higher, and M/V1/3 is adjusted to 40.3?M/V1/3?56.4.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metod of fabrication of high quality silicon single crystal at high growth rate. The method grows silicon single crystal from silicon melt by Czochralski method, wherein the silicon single crystal is grown according to conditions that the silicon melt has an axial temperature gradient determined according to an equation, {(?Tmax??Tmin)/?Tmin}×100?10, wherein ?Tmax is a maximum axial temperature gradient of the silicon melt and ?Tmin is a minimum axial temperature gradient of the silicon melt, when the axial temperature gradient is measured along an axis parallel to a radial direction of the silicon single crystal.

Abstract: A graphite member utilized in a pulling device for pulling a silicon single crystal is provided. An edge part of the graphite member is rounded off which is exposed to a reactive gas. The graphite member may comprise: a plate part having a thickness of ‘t’ wherein a curvature radius of ‘r’ satisfies the formula: t/8?r?t/4.

Abstract: A vapor-phase growth apparatus includes: at least a reaction furnace which is hermetically closable, a wafer container which is disposed in the reaction furnace, for disposing a wafer at a predetermined position, a gas supply member for supplying a source gas toward the wafer, and a heating member for heating the wafer, wherein the apparatus is designed to form a grown film on a front surface of the wafer by supplying the source gas in a high temperature state while the heating member heats the wafer in the reaction furnace through the wafer container. The wafer container is made of a single material or a single member, and has a ratio R2/R1, which is not less than 0.4 to not more than 1.0, where R1 is a heat resistance for a heat transfer route from a rear surface of the wafer container toward the front surface of the wafer, and R2 is a heat resistance for a heat transfer route from the rear surface of the wafer container toward a front surface of the wafer container.

Abstract: An implementation of a Czochralski-type crystal growth has been shown and embodied. More particularly, a furnace with suitable insulation and flow arrangement is shown to improve the cost-efficiency of production of crystals. That is achieved by the shown new hot-zone structure, gas flows and the growth process which can decrease the power consumption, increase the lifetime of hot-zone parts and improve the productivity, e.g., by giving means for opening the hot-zone and easily adapting the hot-zone to a new crystal diameter.

Abstract: A silicon single crystal which, over an ingot length of over 10 percent of the total ingot length, has a uniform defect picture and narrow radial dopant and oxygen variations. The process in accordance with the Czochralski method involves bringing about a temperature distribution in the melt in the region of the solidification interface which deviates from rotational symmetry.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for producing a single crystal in accordance with Czochralski method by flowing an inert gas downward in a chamber 1 of a single crystal-pulling apparatus 11 and surrounding a single crystal 3 pulled from a raw material melt 2 with a gas flow-guide cylinder 4, wherein when a single crystal within N region outside OSF region generated in a ring shape in the radial direction of the single crystal is pulled, the single crystal within N region is pulled in a condition that flow amount of the inert gas between the single crystal and the gas flow-guide cylinder is 0.6 D(L/min) or more and pressure in the chamber is 0.6 D(hPa) or less, in which D (mm) is a diameter of the single crystal to be pulled. It is preferable that there is used the gas flow-guide cylinder that Fe concentration is 0.05 ppm or less, at least, in a surface thereof.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a SiC single crystal from a SiC seed crystal is provided. The method includes the steps of: measuring a diameter of the SiC single crystal during a crystal growth of the SiC single crystal; and controlling the diameter of the SiC single crystal to be a predetermined diameter on the basis of the measured diameter. The method provides the SiC single crystal with high quality and large size.

Abstract: An apparatus having a crucible (1) for holding a raw material, a heating means (11) for heating the raw material in the crucible (1) and a crystal transporting means (17) for transporting a seed crystal (13) upwards from the inside of the crucible (1), which further comprises a heat conducting member (3) which extends upwards at least from the vicinity of the upper end of the crucible (1), surrounds a single crystal (15) formed, and is made of a material having heat conductivity, and an interface portion radiation heat blocking member (7) for blocking, at least during cooling after the formation of a single crystal, the radiation heat toward an upper portion above the interface between a taper portion (15a) of the formed single crystal (15) connecting with the seed crystal (13) and a straight bulge portion (15b) having a cylindrical shape connecting with the taper portion (15a) of the formed single crystal (15).

Abstract: This apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor single crystal includes: a crucible; a heater; a crucible driving unit; a chamber for housing the crucible and the heater; and a hydrogen mixed gas supplying device for supplying into the chamber a hydrogen mixed gas including an inert gas in admixture with a hydrogen-containing gas that contains hydrogen atoms, wherein the hydrogen mixed gas supplying device includes: a hydrogen-containing gas supply unit; an inert gas supply unit; a hydrogen-containing gas flow rate controller; an inert gas flow rate controller; and a buffer tank for mixing together the hydrogen-containing gas and the inert gas so as to form a hydrogen mixed gas and for holding the hydrogen mixed gas.

Abstract: A heat shielding member is provided in a device pulling up a silicon single crystal rod from a silicon melt stored in a quartz crucible, and equipped with a tube portion which shields radiant heat from the heater surrounding the outer peripheral face of the silicon single crystal rod, a swelling portion provided at the lower portion of the tube portion, and a ring-shape heat accumulating portion provided at the inside of the swelling portion. The heat accumulating portion is a thermal conductivity of 5 W/(m·° C.) or less, its inner peripheral face is a height (H1) of 10 mm or more and d/2 or less when the diameter of the silicon single crystal rod is referred to as d and the minimum distance (W1) between the outer peripheral face of the silicon single crystal rod and the inner peripheral face of the heat accumulating portion is formed so as to be 10 mm or more and 0.

Abstract: A heat shield and a crystal growth equipment are provided, in which the length-adjustable and hybrid-angle heat shield is provided for the crystal growth equipments. The heat shield is adapted for not only guiding the inert gas flow but also speeding up the flow rate of the gas and the cooling rate of the crystal so as to raise the axial temperature gradient at the solid-molten interface, the growth rate of the crystal and the productivity. The heat shield further can also reduce the possibility of microdefect nucleation to improve the quality of crystal at the same time. In addition, the length of heat shield can be adjusted according to the distance between the heat shield and the semiconductor material melt in different crucibles in case that the crucibles are made by different factories. This can reduce the cost of the heat shield manufacturing.

Abstract: The invention is directed to apparatus and methods for measuring and for reducing dust in granular polysilicon. In one aspect, a system includes a process vessel having a vacuum port for pulling dust from the polysilicon. Another system of the invention includes a baffle tube for receiving a polysilicon flow. A measuring system includes a manifold and filter for separating and measuring the dust from a flow of polysilicon. The invention is also directed to methods of using the systems, to methods of manufacturing and packaging granular polysilicon, and to a supply of granular polysilicon.

Abstract: [Problem] A silicon single crystal ingot in which point defect agglomerates do not exist over a substantially entire length thereof is manufactured without reducing a pure margin. [Solving Means] A heat shielding member 36 comprises a bulge portion 41 which is provided to bulge in an in-cylinder direction at a lower portion of a cylindrical portion 37 and has a heat storage member 47 provided therein. A flow quantity of an inert gas flowing down between the bulge portion 41 in the heat shielding member 36 and an ingot 25 when pulling up a top-side ingot 25a of the silicon single crystal ingot 25 is set larger than a flow quantity of the inert gas flowing down between the bulge portion 41 and the ingot 25 when pulling up a bottom-side ingot 25b of the silicon single crystal ingot 25, thereby pulling up the ingot 25.

Abstract: In a Czochralski (CZ) single crystal puller equipped with a cooler and a thermal insulation member, which are to be disposed in a CZ furnace, smooth recharge and additional charge of material are made possible. Further, elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method can be performed smoothly. To these ends, there is provided a CZ single crystal puller, wherein a cooler and a thermal insulation member are immediately moved upward away from a melt surface during recharge or additional charge of material or during elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a crucible or other item is provided. The apparatus includes a first support member having a straight portion with two ends. A second support member having a shaped portion is connected to one of the ends of the first support member, wherein the shape of the shaped portion accommodates the crucible or other item. A support material covers the second support member, wherein the support material increases the coefficient of friction between the crucible or other item and the second support member. A spring is coupled to the other end of the first support member, and a third support member is coupled to the spring and configured so as to apply a force to the crucible or other item when the crucible or other item is placed in the shaped portion of the second support member.

Abstract: Numerous embodiments of a method and apparatus for laser annealing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of laser annealing includes performing one or more annealing processes on one or more portions of a semiconductor device, where one or more annealing processes performed on one or more portions of the semiconductor device are varied based at least in part on the particular portion of the semiconductor device being annealed, and/or on one or more desirable characteristics of the particular portion of the semiconductor device being annealed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heater for manufacturing a crystal by the Czochralski method comprising at least terminal portions supplied with current and a heat generating portion by resistance heating, and being arranged so as to surround a crucible containing a raw material melt, wherein the heater has a uniform heat generation distribution to the raw material melt after deformation while in use during crystal manufacture. It is thus possible to prevent hindrance of monocrystallization and unstable crystal quality caused by ununiform temperature in the raw material melt due to deformation of the shape of the heater's heat generating portion while in use during crystal manufacture.

Abstract: An apparatus for growing crystals includes a sealed chamber having a crucible assembly and a seed holder disposed therein. The crucible assembly is adapted to contain a melt therein and the seed holder is selectively positionable within the chamber from a first position relative to the crucible assembly to at least one subsequent position within the crucible assembly. A heater is configured and dimensioned to heat the melt disposed within the crucible assembly and an insulator is included for insulating the heater and the crucible. An actuator rotates at least one of the crucible assembly and the seed holder relative to the other and a support ring suspends the crucible assembly within the sealed chamber. A ceramic thermal shield is disposed atop the support ring and regulates the heat loss from the crucible assembly to an upper portion of the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for pulling the single crystal has a radiation shield. The apparatus can improve the ratio of single crystallization, even if the radiation shield is made of graphite base material and covered with silicon carbide. The apparatus can be manufactured by low cost and can improve heat insulating characteristic. The apparatus does not generate cracks by heat stress even in a large size. In the apparatus for Czochralski method having the radiation shield, the radiation shield is formed of graphite base material covered with silicon carbide. An inside corner of a curvature formed on the base material is formed of a curved surface.

Abstract: The process for growing single crystals, wherein crystal material is melted in a crucible and a crystal nucleus is immersed in the molten crystal material and slowly pulled out, wherein the crystal formed during the pulling is kept at a temperature close to melting temperature of the output material. The invention also includes a device for practicing the above process.

Abstract: The present invention teaches an apparatus for pulling a single crystal, whereby a radial temperature gradient of a seed crystal and/or a neck is reduced to a minimum so as to inhibit occurrence of thermal stress and prevent induction of dislocations, thereby resulting in an improvement in dislocation-free rate of single crystals to be pulled in cases where a single crystal is pulled with a seed crystal and/or a neck being heated using an auxiliary heating device. The apparatus comprises a crucible to be charged with a melt, a heater located around the crucible, and an auxiliary heating device including a heating section which can be located so as to surround a seed crystal in a position near and above the melt, a transfer mechanism for withdrawing the heating section from a passing area of a single crystal, and a covering section to cover a clearance between the heating section and the seed crystal extending from the heating section.

Abstract: A single crystal pulling apparatus for a metal fluoride comprising a crucible provided in a chamber for filling with a molten solution of a single crystal material, a melting heater provided to surround the crucible, a vertically movable single crystal pulling bar for attaching a seed crystal on a tip thereof for coming in contact with the molten solution of the single crystal material in the crucible, a heat insulating wall provided in the chamber to surround at least a peripheral side portion of a single crystal pulling region in an upper part of the crucible, a ceiling board for closing an opening portion of an upper end in an upper part of the heat insulating wall, and a single crystal pulling chamber surrounded by the heat insulating wall and the ceiling board, wherein the ceiling board is provided with at least an inserting hole for inserting the single crystal pulling bar, and wherein a coefficient of thermal conductivity in a direction of a thickness of the ceiling board is 1000 to 50000 W/m2·K.

Abstract: In a production method for producing a compound semiconductor single crystal by LEC method using a crystal growth apparatus with a double crucible structure, it was made to grow up a crystal by covering the second crucible with a plate-like member having a pass-through slot for being capable of introducing a crystal pulling-up shaft having a seed crystal holding part at a tip into the second crucible and creating a state where an atmosphere within the second crucible scarcely changes (a semi-sealed structure).

Abstract: In a Czochralski (CZ) single crystal puller equipped with a cooler and a thermal insulation member, which are to be disposed in a CZ furnace, smooth recharge and additional charge of material are made possible. Further, elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method can be performed smoothly. To these ends, there is provided a CZ single crystal puller, wherein a cooler and a thermal insulation member are immediately moved upward away from a melt surface during recharge or additional charge of material or during elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method.

Abstract: A fluid sealing system is provided for use in a crystal puller for growing a monocrystalline ingot. The crystal puller has a housing, a fluid flow path contained in the housing, and a fluid passage through a wall of the housing for passage of fluid. The fluid sealing system includes a fluid connector head adapted for connection to the fluid passage and to the fluid flow path to establish fluid communication between the fluid flow path and the outside of the housing. The head has a port adapted for fluid communication with the fluid passage through the wall of the housing. First and second seals around the port are adapted for sealing engagement with the head. A space is defined generally between the first and second seals, and a leak detector is arranged to monitor the space for detecting fluid leakage past at least one of the seals.

Abstract: A silicon single crystal growing apparatus supplemented with a low melting point dopant feeding instrument and a low melting point dopant feeding method thereof for producing a heavily doped silicon single crystal with a dopant of low melting point. The apparatus includes a quartz crucible containing molten silicon liquid, a heating unit supplying the quartz crucible with a radiant heat, a crystal pulling lifter pulling up a silicon single crystal from a molten silicon liquid contained in the quartz crucible, and a low melting point dopant feeding instrument. The low melting point dopant feeding instrument includes a sidewall portion, an upper portion, and an open bottom portion with net-like structure having many holes, the sidewall and upper portions being vacuum-tight sealed.

Abstract: A single crystal production method based on the Czochralski method comprises controlling a number of crucible rotations and crystal rotations so that a number of vibrations for driving a melt, determined on the basis of the number of crucible and crystal rotations during a single crystal growing procedure, is outside a range from 95% to 105% of a number of sloshing resonance vibrations of the melt. In another embodiment, the method comprises controlling a number of rotations of a crystal and crucible, so that when a number of vibrations for driving a melt, determined by the number of crucible and crystal rotations during a single crystal growing procedure, is within a range from 95% to 105% of a number of sloshing resonance vibrations of the melt, the number of vibrations of the melt due to sloshing does not exceed 2000 times during a period when the number of vibrations is within that range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for growing a single crystal by the Czochralski method, wherein a single crystal is grown with forced cooling of neighborhood of a crystal growth interface by disposing a cooling cylinder formed of copper or a metal having a heat conductivity larger than that of copper at least in the vicinity of the crystal growth interface so as to surround the single crystal under pulling and circulating a cooling medium in the cooling cylinder. Thus, there are provided a method and apparatus for growing a single crystal, which can exert cooling effect on a growing single crystal to the maximum extent so as to realize higher crystal growth rate, even when a silicon single crystal having a diameter of 300 mm or more is grown.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are useful to add polycrystalline rod material to the crucible of a CZ furnace and thereby increase utilization of crucible volume in the production of large diameter CZ silicon ingots. Multiple silicon rods are melted in the CZ furnace, and the subsequent production of a single crystal silicon ingot can occur without operating the isolation valve or opening the upper chamber of the furnace.

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon ingot having no defect over a wide range of region with stability and good reproducibility, wherein when a silicon single crystal (11) is pulled up form a silicon melt (13), the shape of a solid-liquid interface (14) which a boundary between the silicon melt (13) and the silicon single crystal (11) and the temperature distribution on the side face (11b) of a single crystal under being pulled up are appropriately controlled.

Abstract: An automated macromolecular crystallization screening system wherein a multiplicity of reagent mixes are produced. A multiplicity of analysis plates is produced utilizing the reagent mixes combined with a sample. The analysis plates are incubated to promote growth of crystals. Images of the crystals are made. The images are analyzed with regard to suitability of the crystals for analysis by x-ray crystallography. A design of reagent mixes is produced based upon the expected suitability of the crystals for analysis by x-ray crystallography. A second multiplicity of mixes of the reagent components is produced utilizing the design and a second multiplicity of reagent mixes is used for a second round of automated macromolecular crystallization screening. In one embodiment the multiplicity of reagent mixes are produced by a random selection of reagent components.

Abstract: There are provided a system for manufacturing a single-crystal ingot which is equipped with a cooler for cooling the single-crystal ingot being pulled and is capable of forming a tail without involvement of excessive heating of a crucible, as well as to a method for controlling the system. In a system for manufacturing a single-crystal ingot having a cooler for cooling a single-crystal ingot which is being pulled from molten raw material (called a single-crystal pulled ingot), when a tail of the single-crystal pulled ingot is formed, the cooler is moved away from the solid/melt interface between the single-crystal ingot and the molten raw material, to thereby reduce the power dissipated by the system. In the system, the cooler is moved upward after the end of a product area of the single-crystal ingot has been cooled until it passes through a grown-in defect temperature range.

Abstract: In a method for growing a single crystal by bringing a seed crystal (4) into contact with a melt (2) of raw materials melted under heating in a crucible (1) a blade member (5) or a baffle member in disposed in the raw material melt (2) in the crucible (1) and a single crystal is grown by pulling up it with rotating the crucible (1) to thereby grow various single crystals including CLBO from the highly viscous raw material melt (2) as high quality and high performance crystals.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for efficient utilization of charge replenishment rods in Czochralski silicon crystal growing processes.

Abstract: A fluid sealing system is provided for use in a crystal puller for growing a monocrystalline ingot. The crystal puller has a housing, a fluid flow path contained in the housing, and a fluid passage through a wall of the housing for passage of fluid. The fluid sealing system includes a fluid connector head adapted for connection to the fluid passage and to the fluid flow path to establish fluid communication between the fluid flow path and the outside of the housing. The head has a port adapted for fluid communication with the fluid passage through the wall of the housing. First and second seals around the port are adapted for sealing engagement with the head. A space is defined generally between the first and second seals, and a leak detector is arranged to monitor the space for detecting fluid leakage past at least one of the seals.

Abstract: A silicon wafer is provided having controlled distribution of defects, in which denuded zones having a sufficient depth inward from the surface of the wafer are combined with a high gettering effect in a bulk region of the wafer. In the silicon wafer, oxygen precipitates, which act as intrinsic gettering sites, show vertical distribution. The oxygen precipitate concentration profile from the top to the bottom surfaces of the wafer includes first and second peaks at first and second predetermined depths from the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer, denuded zones between the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer and each of the first and second peaks, and a concave region between the first and second peaks, which corresponds to a bulk region of the wafer. For such an oxygen precipitate concentration profile, the wafer is exposed to a rapid thermal annealing process in a gas mixture atmosphere containing nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar) or N2 and hydrogen (H2), in a donor killing step during a wafering process.

Abstract: A single crystal semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which the concentration of oxygen in a single crystal semiconductor is controlled while pulling up a single crystal semiconductor such as single crystal silicon by the CZ method, a single crystal semiconductor manufacturing method, and a single crystal ingot manufactured by the method are disclosed. The natural convection (20) in the melt (5) in a quartz crucible (3) is controlled by regulating the temperatures at a plurality of parts of the melt (5). A single crystal semiconductor (6) can have a desired diameter by regulating the amount of heat produced by heating means (9a) on the upper side. Further the ratio between the amount of heat produced by the upper-side heating means (9a) and that by the lower-side heating means (9b) is adjusted to vary the process condition. In the adjustment, the amount of heat produced by the lower-side heating means (9b) is controlled to a relatively large proportion.

Abstract: The present invention teaches an apparatus for pulling a single crystal, whereby the radial temperature gradient of a seed crystal and/or a neck is reduced to a minimum so as to inhibit the occurrence of thermal stress and prevent induction of dislocations, resulting in an improvement in dislocation-free rate of single crystals to be pulled in cases where a single crystal is pulled with the seed crystal and/or the neck being heated using an auxiliary heating device, comprising a crucible charged with a melt, a heater located around the crucible and an auxiliary heating device including a heating section which can be located so as to surround a seed crystal in a position near above the melt and a transfer mechanism for withdrawing the heating section from a passing area of a single crystal, wherein a covering section to cover a clearance between the heating section and the seed crystal is extended from the heating section.

Abstract: Granules/lumps poly-silicon raw material, low in raw material cost and free of the hazard of crack is additionally charged into a crucible in a safe and steady manner. In a single crystal growth according to the CZ method, poly-silicon raw material ins initially charged into a crucible. Above the initially charged poly-silicon raw material, a heat resistant tubular container is placed. The granules/lumps poly-silicon raw material for use in additional charging is charged inot the tubular container. The poly-silicon raw material initially charged into the crucible is melted. The poly-silicon raw material in the tubular container gradually and spontaneously comes down into the crucible, as the bulk of poly-silicon raw material is decreased according to the melting of the initially charged raw material.

Abstract: In a single crystal pulling apparatus for providing a Czochralski crystal growth process, the improvement of a shallow melt crucible (20) to eliminate the necessity supplying a large quantity of feed stock materials that had to be preloaded in a deep crucible to grow a large ingot, comprising a gas tight container a crucible with a deepened periphery (25) to prevent snapping of a shallow melt and reduce turbulent melt convection; source supply means for adding source material to the semiconductor melt; a double barrier (23) to minimize heat transfer between the deepened periphery (25) and the shallow melt in the growth compartment; offset holes (24) in the double barrier (23) to increase melt travel length between the deepened periphery (25) and the shallow growth compartment; and the interface heater/heat sink (22) to control the interface shape and crystal growth rate.

Abstract: A heat shield assembly is disclosed for use in a crystal puller for growing a monocrystalline ingot from molten semiconductor source material. The heat shield assembly has a central opening sized and shaped for surrounding the ingot as the ingot is pulled from the molten source material. In one aspect, the heat shield assembly includes a multi-sectioned outer shield and a multi-sectioned inner shield. The sections of at least one of the inner and outer shields may be releasably connected to one another so that, in the event a section is damaged, the sections may be separated to allow replacement with an undamaged section. In another aspect the heat shield assembly includes an upper section and a lower section extending generally downward from the upper section toward the molten material. The lower section has a height equal to at least about 33% of a height of the heat shield assembly.