Abstract: Systems and methods for forming an ingot from a melt are disclosed. A method includes placing conditioning members within a cavity defined by a crucible and placing feedstock material into the cavity. The method also includes melting the feedstock material to form the melt. A melt line is defined by a surface of the melt. The conditioning members including quartz bodies arranged at the melt line to contact the melt and reduce the number of micro-voids in the melt.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming an ingot from a melt are disclosed. A system includes a crucible defining a cavity for receiving the melt, and a first and second barrier to inhibit movement of the melt. A first passageway and a second passageway are arranged to allow the melt located within an outer zone to move into and through a transition zone and into an inner zone. Conditioning members are placed in at least one of the zones and arranged to contact the melt to reduce the number of micro-voids in the melt.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming an ingot from a melt are disclosed. A system includes a crucible defining a cavity for receiving the melt, and a first and second barrier to inhibit movement of the melt. A first passageway and a second passageway are arranged to allow the melt located within an outer zone to move into and through a transition zone and into an inner zone. Conditioning members are placed in at least one of the zones and arranged to contact the melt to reduce the number of micro-voids in the melt.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for displaying an automatically generated graphical display of a business process flow to facilitate user interaction with enterprise software applications. A compact symbolic annotation language is used in conjunction with a flow generator to automatically generate a computer renderable description of the business process flow. The method commences by defining symbols to form an alphabet to be used in the symbolic annotation language. The compact symbolic language is capable of representing rich semantics including process operations, fork operations, and join operations. Once an agent (e.g., a person, a computer agent) has captured a particular business process flow using symbols of the compact symbolic annotation language, then a computer process performs a mapping of the symbols to a markup language. The markup language can be rendered in a graphical display. The markup language can be HTML/CSS, SVG, UML, or another markup language.

Abstract: A vitreous crucible for holding semiconductor material during a moncrystalline ingot growing process has a sidewall. Part of the sidewall is coated with a devitrification promoter and part of the sidewall is substantially free from devitrification promoter coating. When the crucible is heated as it would be during an ingot growing process, the devitrification promoter induces crystallization of portions of the sidewall, thereby forming enhanced stiffness sidewall portions. Areas that are substantially free from devitrification promoters remain vitreous and are softened by the heat. These become stress accommodating sidewall portions. Flow of the vitreous material in the stress accommodating sidewall portions relieves stresses that would otherwise build up in the sidewall.

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: A process for controlling the amount of insoluble gas trapped by a silicon melt is disclosed. Polycrystalline silicon is charged to a crucible in a crystal pulling apparatus and the apparatus sealed and evacuated. After evacuation, the crystal pulling apparatus is backfilled at least once with a gas having a high solubility in silicon, such as nitrogen. The highly soluble gas fills in cavities between the polycrystalline silicon pieces and between the pieces and the crucible such that when the silicon is melted and bubbles form in the molten silicon the bubbles will solubilize into the melt instead of becoming entrapped in the growing crystal.

Abstract: A method and system for determining polycrystalline silicon chunk size for use with a Czochralski silicon growing process. Polycrystalline silicon chunks are arranged on a measuring background. A camera captures an image of the chunks. An image processor processes the image and determines the dimensions of the chunks based on the captured image. A size parameter associated with the chunks is determined.

Abstract: A method for reducing the concentration of near-surface bubbles in a quartz crucible suitable for growing monocrystalline silicon ingots by the Czochralski method is provided. The method comprises etching the inner surface of the crucible, preferably with an acidic solution, to substantially eliminate or reduce the concentration of near-surface bubbles from the inner surface of the crucible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing silicon single crystals with reduced iron contamination is disclosed. The apparatus contains at least one structural component constructed of a graphite substrate and a silicon carbide protective layer covering the surface of the substrate that is exposed to the atmosphere of the growth chamber. The graphite substrate has a concentration of iron no greater than about 1.5*1012 atoms/cm3and the silicon carbide protective layer has a concentration of iron no greater than about 1.0*1012 atoms/cm3.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing molten silicon melt from polycrystalline silicon in a crystal pulling apparatus entails loading an amount of polycrystalline silicon loaded into the crucible less than a predetermined total amount of polycrystalline silicon to be melted. The crucible is heated to form a partially melted charge in the crucible having an island of unmelted polycrystalline silicon exposed above an upper surface of melted silicon. Granular polycrystalline silicon is fed from a feeder onto the island of unmelted polycrystalline silicon until the predetermined total amount of polycrystalline silicon has been loaded into the crucible. The position of the island relative to the crucible side wall is electronically determined as granular polycrystalline silicon is fed onto the island.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for monitoring the gaseous environment within a sealed crystal pulling furnace, used for the growth of an ingot of a semiconductor material in a growth chamber maintained at a sub-atmospheric pressure. The process comprises sealing the chamber, reducing the pressure within the sealed chamber to a sub-atmospheric level, introducing a process gas into the chamber to purge the chamber and form a gaseous environment therein, and analyzing the gaseous environment within the chamber for the presence of a contaminant gas in a concentration which is greater than the concentration of the contaminant gas in the process gas.

Abstract: A process for controlling the amount of insoluble gas trapped by a silicon melt is disclosed. Polycrystalline silicon is charged to a crucible in a crystal pulling apparatus and the apparatus sealed and evacuated. After evacuation, the crystal pulling apparatus is backfilled at least once with a gas having a high solubility in silicon, such as nitrogen. The highly soluble gas fills in cavities between the polycrystalline silicon pieces and between the pieces and the crucible such that when the silicon is melted and bubbles form in the molten silicon the bubbles will solubilize into the melt instead of becoming entrapped in the growing crystal.

Abstract: A process for controlling the amount of insoluble gas trapped by a silicon melt is disclosed. After a crucible is charged with polycrystalline silicon, a gas comprising at least about 10% of a gas having a high solubility in silicon is used as the purging gas for a period of time during melting. After the polycrystalline silicon charge has completely melted, the purge gas may be switched to a conventional argon purge. Utilizing a purge gas highly soluble in silicon for a period of time during the melting process reduces the amount of insoluble gases trapped in the charge and, hence, the amount of insoluble gases grown into the crystal that form defects on sliced wafers.

Abstract: A continuous oxidation process and apparatus for using the same are disclosed. During growth of a semiconductor crystal an oxygen-containing gas is continuously injected into the crystal pulling apparatus in an exhaust tunnel downstream from the hot zone to continuously oxidize hypostoichiometric silicon dioxide, silicon vapor, and silicon monoxide produced in the hot zone during the crystal growth so as to minimize or eliminate the possibility of rapid over-pressurization of the apparatus upon exposure to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A process for preparing doped molten silicon for use in a single silicon crystal growing process is disclosed. Polysilicon is doped with barium and melted in a silica crucible containing less than about 0.5% gases insoluble in silicon. During melting and throughout the crystal growing process the barium acts as a devitrification promoter and creates a layer of devitrified silica on the inside crucible surface in contact with the melt resulting in a lower level of contaminants in the melt and grown crystal.

Abstract: An improved process for forming a single crystal silicon ingot from solid, varying sized chunks of polycrystalline silicon source material according to the Czochralski method. The process includes classifying each chunk of source material by size, placing chunks of source material into a crucible to form a stack in the crucible. The chunks are generally placed within at least three regions of the crucible that are pre-selected according to the size classifications of the chunks. The stack within the crucible is melted in an inert environment at an elevated temperature to form a source melt, and the temperature of the crucible and the source melt is stabilized to an equilibrium level suitable for crystal growth. The single crystal silicon ingot is pulled from the source melt according to the Czochralski method. In another aspect, the step of melting the stack is taken while the crucible has an ambient pressure that is greater than an ambient pressure when the step of stabilizing the temperature is taken.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for regulating the concentration and distribution of oxygen in a single crystal silicon rod pulled from a silicon melt, optionally doped with antimony or arsenic, in accordance with the Czochralski method wherein an atmosphere is maintained over the melt. In batch embodiments of the process, the gas pressure of the atmosphere over the melt is progressively increased to a value in excess of 100 torr as the fraction of silicon melt solidified increases. In continuous embodiments of the process, the gas pressure of the atmosphere over the melt is maintained at or near a constant value in excess of 100 torr. The process and apparatus are further characterized in that a controlled flow of inert gas is used to remove vapors and particulate away from the surface of the rod and melt, resulting in the production of a single crystal silicon rod having zero dislocations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing silicon single crystals with reduced contamination is disclosed. In one embodiment the structural components constructed of graphite and located in the hot zone of the crystal pulling apparatus have two protective layers. The first protective layer is applied directly to the graphite component. The second protective layer is a silicon layer and is applied on top of the first protective layer and covers the first layer. In a second embodiment, the structural components constructed of graphite and located in the hot zone of the crystal pulling apparatus have a single protective layer. The single protective layer is applied directly to the graphite and consists of a mixture of silicon carbide and silicon.

Abstract: A continuous oxidation process and apparatus for using the same are disclosed. During growth of a semiconductor crystal an oxygen-containing gas is continuously injected into the crystal pulling apparatus in an exhaust tunnel downstream from the hot zone to continuously oxidize hypostoichiometric silicon dioxide, silicon vapor, and silicon monoxide produced in the hot zone during the crystal growth so as to minimize or eliminate the possibility of rapid over-pressurization of the apparatus upon exposure to the atmosphere.