Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a spherical silicon single-crystal, which comprises the steps of heating and melting a silicon material held in a vessel, keeping the molten silicon material at a temperature around its melting point for a given time-period to partly solidify the molten silicon material, and dropping the molten silicon material including a solidified portion, from the vessel into a gas phase. The spherical silicon single-crystal production method of the present invention makes it passable to obtain a spherical silicon single-crystal having a higher degree of crystallinity with enhanced efficiency in a simplified manner.

Abstract: Two conductive solid materials with their respective different compositions are joined in parallel with a gravity direction thereof, and then, heated and melted under static magnetic field orthogonal to the gravity direction to form two conductive melts with their respective different compositions. Then, the conductive melts are maintained for a predetermined period of time under the static magnetic field, and cooled and solidified.

Abstract: Two conductive solid materials with their respective different compositions are joined in parallel with a gravity direction thereof, and then, heated and melted under static magnetic field orthogonal to the gravity direction to form two conductive melts with their respective different compositions. Then, the conductive melts are maintained for a predetermined period of time under the static magnetic field, and cooled and solidified.

Abstract: A magnetic alloy raw material is heated and melted to create a melt with floating said raw material by means of electromagnetic field from an inductive type heating coil. The melt is located in between a pair of cupper cooling plates driven by a solenoid coil, and then, splat-cooled below the peritectic point of the raw material by the cooling plates.

Abstract: When a crystalline nucleus generated from an under-cooled silicon droplet is grown up to a mono-crystalline silicon ball, a critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is determined in response to a diameter d of the silicon droplet so as to satisfy the relationships of (d=5 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=100K), (d=3 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=120K) and (d=1 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=150K). A crystal grown up from the crystalline nucleus at an under-cooling &Dgr;T less than the critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is a mono-crystalline silicon ball with high quality free from cracks or twins.

Abstract: When a crystalline nucleus generated from an under-cooled silicon droplet is grown up to a mono-crystalline silicon ball, a critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is determined in response to a diameter d of the silicon droplet so as to satisfy the relationships of (d=5 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=100K), (d=3 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=120K) and (d=1 mm, &Dgr;Tcr=150K). A crystal grown up from the crystalline nucleus at an under-cooling &Dgr;T less than the critical under-cooling &Dgr;Tcr is a mono-crystalline silicon ball with high quality free from cracks or twins.