Abstract: The apparatus is provided with a vessel 1 for accommodating a melt 3 of material sought to be crystallized, and heaters 2 disposed symmetrically on both sides of the vessel. The vessel 1 has an interior space whose front cross section is symmetrical in shape along a vertical center line. The heaters 2 heat the vessel to create a temperature distribution in the melt in which the upper part of the vessel 1 is at a higher temperature, and the lower part thereof is at a lower temperature. The temperature distribution causes symmetrical convection flows of the melt in such a manner that two flows each move up along the side walls of the interior space of the vessel 1 and meet with each other at the top of the interior space where the vertical center line runs, and move together down along the vertical center line toward the bottom of the interior space. A single crystal is formed as the temperature at the lower end of the vessel 1 is gradually lowered below the melting point of the material.

Abstract: A shaper (2) is arranged within a shaping vessel (1). A raw material for a crystal is inserted into the shaping vessel (1) and a crystal melt (5) is formed by setting it in a predetermined atmosphere and heating it. A mechanical force F1 is applied to the crystal melt (5), which is present on the upper surface of the shaper (2), by a pressuring member (4) from above. The crystal melt (5) has nowhere to escape but a gap (3) formed by the shaper(2), so it is injected into that gap (3) as shown by the arrow. This method of fabricating a shaped crystal is suitable for fabricating a monocrystal or multicrystal semiconductor from a material such as silicon, germanium, or bismuth telluride.