Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

S'tile

Etienne Pihan

Denis Camel

Jean-Paul Garandet

Anis Jouini

Gautier Fortin

Vanessa Amaral De Oliveira

Alain Straboni

Fabrice Coustier

Benoit Marie

Virginie Brize

Florent Dupont

Denis Chavrier

Nelly Plassat

Nicolas Coudurier

Claire Audoin

Damien Ponthenier

Sylvain Rousseau

A method for producing a silicon ingot, provided with symmetrical grain boundaries, including at least steps made of: (i) providing crucible with longitudinal axis, bottom of which includes a paving formed from monocrystalline cuboid silicon seeds with a square or rectangular base and arranged contiguously, the paving, when viewed according to axis, being in shape of a grid of orthogonal directions (x) and (y) parallel to edges of seeds; and (ii) proceeding with controlled solidification of silicon by growth on seeds in a growth direction collinear to axis; wherein paving in step (i) is produced from identical silicon seeds, with two seeds contiguous in direction (x) being images of each other by turning axis (y) and two seeds contiguous in direction (y) being images of each other by turning axis (x), and misorientation 2&#x3b8; between crystalline arrays of two contiguous seeds being greater than 4&#xb0;.

Method for producing a silicon ingot having symmetrical grain boundaries

A method for manufacturing a silicon cylinder by growth on seeds in a directed solidification furnace, including at least the following steps: (i) providing a crucible having a longitudinal axis (Z), in which the bottom is covered with a layer of seeds of monocrystalline silicon in a right prism shape; and (ii) proceeding with directed solidification of silicon by growth on seeds, in a direction of growth that is co-linear with the axis (Z) and with a concave solidification front, spatially or temporally; characterized in that the layer in step (i) of: one or more central seeds G; and one or more peripheral seeds Gcontiguous to the seed(s) G, the peripheral seeds Ghaving a specific size.

Method for manufacturing a silicon cylinder by growth on seeds in a directed solidification furnace

The device forming a crucible for fabrication of crystalline material by directional solidification comprises a bottom and at least one side wall. The bottom presents a first portion having a first thermal resistance and a second portion having a second thermal resistance that is lower than the first thermal resistance. The second portion is designed to receive a seed for fabrication of the crystalline material. The bottom and side wall are at least partially formed by a tightly sealed part including at least one indentation participating in defining said first and second portions. The first portion is covered by a first anti-adherent layer having an additional first thermal resistance. The second portion may be covered by a second anti-adherent layer having an additional second thermal resistance that is lower than the first thermal resistance.

Device for manufacturing a crystalline material from a crucible having non-uniform heat resistance

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an epitactic silicon layer made up of crystallites with a size no lower than 20 &#x3bc;m, including: providing a layer of crystallized silicon the surface of which, being inhomogeneous in terms of the size of the crystallites, is made up of large crystallites with a size no lower than 20 &#x3bc;m, and small crystallites of a smaller size; forming, on the surface of the inhomogeneous silicon layer, a layer of at least one non-nucleating material for the silicon, the thickness of which is adjusted such to cover the entire outer surface of the small crystallites, while leaving all or part of the outer surface of the large crystallites accessible; and carrying out epitaxial growth of a silicon layer on the surface of the assembly obtained at the end of step, under conditions that are suitable for forming the expected epitactic layer.

Method for forming an epitactic silicon layer

Heat exchanger () for a system for solidification and/or for crystallization of a semiconductor material, comprising a first member () and a second member (), the first and second members being movable with respect to each other, characterized in that the first member comprises a first pattern of relief () and the second member comprises a second pattern of relief (), the first pattern of relief being designed to cooperate with the second pattern of relief.

Heat exchanger for a system for solidification and/or crystallization of a semiconductor material

The present invention relates to a method for forming a crystallized silicon layer made up of grains having an average size of no less than 20 &#x3bc;m, including at least the steps that comprise: (1) providing a layer of silicon to be (re)crystallized, the average grain size of which is less than 10 &#x3bc;m; (2) placing said layer of silicon to be (re)crystallized in contact with a liquid composition at least partially made up of a metal solvent; and (3) exposing the assembly to a thermal treatment suitable for (re)crystallizing said layer of silicon with the expected grain size, characterized in that said thermal treatment includes heating the assembly made up of the layer of silicon in contact with said liquid composition to a temperature that is lower than 1410&#xb0; C. and at least equal to the eutectic temperature in the solvent-silicon phase diagram.

Method for preparing a coarse-grain crystallized silicon layer

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La Motte Servolex, France

Etienne Pihan