Abstract: In a method for growing a silicon single crystal, a silicon single crystal is grown by the Czochralski method to have an oxygen concentration of 12×1017 to 18×1017 atoms/cm3 on ASTM-F121 1979. A mixed gas of an inert gas and a gaseous substance containing hydrogen atoms is used as an atmospheric gas for growing the single crystal. A temperature of the silicon single crystal is controlled during the growth of the crystal such that the ratio Gc/Ge of an axial thermal gradient Gc at the central portion of the crystal between its melting point and its temperature of 1350° C. to an axial thermal gradient Ge at the periphery of the crystal between its melting point and its temperature of 1350° C. is 1.1 to 1.4. The axial thermal gradient Gc at the central portion of the crystal is 3.0 to 3.5° C./mm.

Abstract: When pulling and growing a single crystal from a raw material melt by the Czochralski method, a boundary between the single crystal and the raw material melt is imaged by an optical sensor, and also the weight of the single crystal is measured by a weight sensor, a diameter value of the single crystal is calculated on the basis of first measured values of the diameter of the single crystal derived from image data captured by the optical sensor and second measured values of the diameter of the single crystal derived from weight data captured by the weight sensor, and a pulling rate of the single crystal and the temperature of the raw material melt are adjusted on the basis of the calculated diameter value to thereby control the diameter of the single crystal, and thus it is possible to accurately measure the diameter of a growing single crystal.

Abstract: After melting raw materials, a distance between a raw material melt surface and a heat-shielding member disposed so as to face to the melt surface is adjusted based on temporal changes in chamber inside conditions, such as the heater temperature at the time of completion of the seed crystal equilibration operation carried out after completion of the raw material melting procedure and/or lag time required for completion of the seed crystal equilibration operation following completion of the raw material melting procedure. As a result, single crystals can be produced efficiently and in high yield, and further, by controlling the crystal interior temperature gradient by modifying the distance between the melt surface and the heat-shielding member, it becomes possible to control the ratio V/G (V:pulling speed, G:crystal interior temperature gradient) to thereby produce single crystals free of crystal defects such as COPs and/or dislocation clusters.

Abstract: A single crystal pulling apparatus comprises: a chamber; a crucible disposed within the chamber for containing a melt; a water-cooling means disposed within the chamber in such a manner as surrounding a single crystal pulled up from the melt in the crucible; water piping for feeding cooling water to and discharging the same from the water-cooling means; and supporting arms connected to the chamber for supporting the water-cooling means, wherein the supporting arms are disposed between the single crystal and the water piping. According to this configuration, the supporting arms can prevent the water piping from being damaged in the event of fall and collapse of the single crystal due to failure of the seed neck portion or in the event of rupture of the single crystal due to thermal stress, for instance.

Abstract: A silicon single crystal is grown using the Czochralski method. During the crystal growth, a thermal stress is applied to at least a portion of the silicon single crystal. A gaseous substance containing hydrogen atoms is used as an atmospheric gas for growing the crystal.

Abstract: This method for producing silicon single crystals includes: growing a silicon single crystal by the Czochralski method while cooling at least part of the silicon single crystal under growth with a cooling member which circumferentially surrounds the silicon single crystal and has an inner contour that is coaxial with a pull axis, wherein an ambient gas in which the silicon single crystal is grown includes a hydrogen-atom-containing substance in gaseous form. This silicon single crystal is produced by the above method.

Abstract: An apparatus is used to pull a single crystal, wherein a flow of an inert gas to the single crystal to be grown, a pressure in an apparatus body, and a temperature environment are always kept constant by keeping a melt level at a prescribed position in spite of changes in volume of a quartz crucible between batches and thermal deformation of the quartz crucible, so that high quality single crystals can be pulled.

Abstract: A bus-bar integrated plate and outer frame section, arranged into a double-deck structure and having numerous bus bars molded with a resin molding plate portion, is provided as a wiring for connecting power switching elements and a smoothing capacitor, fixed on an outer surface of a cylindrical wall of a motor housing, to a printed circuit board serving as a control circuit.

Abstract: In a method for growing a silicon single crystal, a silicon single crystal is grown by the Czochralski method to have an oxygen concentration of 12×1017 to 18×1017 atoms/cm3 on ASTM-F121 1979. A mixed gas of an inert gas and a gaseous substance containing hydrogen atoms is used as an atmospheric gas for growing the single crystal. A temperature of the silicon single crystal is controlled during the growth of the crystal such that the ratio Gc/Ge of an axial thermal gradient Gc at the central portion of the crystal between its melting point and its temperature of 1350° C. to an axial thermal gradient Ge at the periphery of the crystal between its melting point and its temperature of 1350° C. is 1.1 to 1.4. The axial thermal gradient Gc at the central portion of the crystal is 3.0 to 3.5° C./mm.

Abstract: This method for producing silicon single crystals includes: growing a silicon single crystal by the Czochralski method while cooling at least part of the silicon single crystal under growth with a cooling member which circumferentially surrounds the silicon single crystal and has an inner contour that is coaxial with a pull axis, wherein an ambient gas in which the silicon single crystal is grown includes a hydrogen-atom-containing substance in gaseous form. This silicon single crystal is produced by the above method.

Abstract: A silicon single crystal is grown using the Czochralski method. During the crystal growth, a thermal stress is applied to at least a portion of the silicon single crystal. A gaseous substance containing hydrogen atoms is used as an atmospheric gas for growing the crystal.

Abstract: A bus-bar integrated plate and outer frame section, arranged into a double-deck structure and having numerous bus bars molded with a resin molding plate portion, is provided as a wiring for connecting power switching elements and a smoothing capacitor, fixed on an outer surface of a cylindrical wall of a motor housing, to a printed circuit board serving as a control circuit.

Abstract: A bus-bar integrated plate and outer frame section, arranged into a double-deck structure and having numerous bus bars molded with a resin molding plate portion, is provided as a wiring for connecting power switching elements and a smoothing capacitor, fixed on an outer surface of a cylindrical wall of a motor housing, to a printed circuit board serving as a control circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus is used to pull a single crystal, wherein a flow of an inert gas to the single crystal to be grown, a pressure in an apparatus body, and a temperature environment are always kept constant by keeping a melt level at a prescribed position in spite of changes in volume of a quartz crucible between batches and thermal deformation of the quartz crucible, so that high quality single crystals can be pulled.

Abstract: A bus-bar integrated plate and outer frame section, arranged into a double-deck structure and having numerous bus bars molded with a resin molding plate portion, is provided as a wiring for connecting power switching elements and a smoothing capacitor, fixed on an outer surface of a cylindrical wall of a motor housing, to a printed circuit board serving as a control circuit.

Abstract: The present invention was achieved in order to provide an apparatus for pulling a single crystal, wherein a flow of an inert gas to a single crystal to be grown, pressure in an apparatus body, and a temperature environment are always kept constant by keeping the melt level at a prescribed position in spite of changes in volume of a quartz crucible between batches and thermal deformation of the quartz crucible, so that high quality single crystals can be pulled, comprising a reference reflector arranged inside an apparatus body, a level position measuring means to measure an actual level position by detecting a mirror image position of the reference reflector reflected in the melt surface using a one-dimensional CCD camera arranged outside the apparatus body, a crucible ascent speed adjustment value calculating means to calculate an adjustment value of the crucible ascent speed based on an output from the level position measuring means, an adjustment value adding means to add the adjustment value to the crucib

Abstract: A process for growing a single crystal in which variation in a dopant concentration in a melt contained in a crucible can be reduced and a single crystal having small variation in specific resistance can be produced. The process is the Czhohralski growth of a silicon single crystal including the steps: melting a crystal raw material in a crucible; bringing into contact a seed crystal to a melt contained in the crucible to thereby stabilize the surface temperature of the melt that is called “the seed crystal contact technique;” and adding a dopant into the crucible after carrying out the seed crystal contact technique. Furthermore, in the process, a dopant may be added while the seed crystal contact technique is stopped, and the seed crystal contact technique may be carried out again. Alternatively, a dopant may be added while the seed crystal contact technique is carried out.

Abstract: A charge state detecting device has a battery device including a plurality of batteries connected in series, a current sensor which detects a current flowing from the battery device, and a voltage sensor which detects the voltage of each of the batteries. A main controller calculates a correlation between discharge current and battery voltage, and provides an estimated voltage of each battery of the batteries under a constant energy discharge, based on the correlation. The estimated voltages for the batteries are used for deriving the capacity of each battery with reference to a voltage-capacity characteristic, which is stored in advance. The main controller supplies to a display indicator the minimum one of the derived capacities to warn of an impending need to charge the batteries.

Abstract: A deflection plate for deflecting laser beams includes a transparent plate on which two grating areas are formed on the same surface. The first grating area has a plurality of parallel grooves. The second grating area has a plurality of grooves in a predetermined pattern. The depth and/or the duty ratio of the grooves in the first grating area differs from that in the second grating area.

Abstract: A BTRS (buried Twin-Ridge Substrate) structure laser, wherein an oblong protrusion (10) is provided on a substrate (1) of a first conductivity type and two ridges (9, 9) divided by a groove (31) therebetween are provided on a second layer (2) of a second conductivity type, and thereon plural layers (3, 4, 5, 6) including an active layer (4) are provided is improved to have longer service life such that: the protrusion (10) is shortened so as to have its both ends apart inside cavity facet of the substrate (1), or further by width of each ridge (9, 9) is narrowed at both ends thereof thereby forming narrowed end parts (9', 9'), so that excessive current injection to the active layer near the cavity facet is eliminated.