Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha

Japan Silicon Co., Ltd.

Koutaro Shimizu

Yoshiaki Banba

Ichiro Yamashita

Yasushi Shimanuki

Akira Higuchi

Hisashi Furuya

An apparatus for growing silicon single-crystals comprising a crucible containing a silicon melt, a furnace for housing the crucible and having an opening located above the crucible, a pulling mechanism for pulling a seed crystal from the melt to grow a silicon single-crystal, a cooling shell having a lower end spaced apart and located above the melt and disposed around said silicon single-crystal for cooling the silicon single crystal from a temperature of 1,050.degree. to 850.degree. C. in no more than 140 minutes as it is being pulled, and, a secondary heater for heating the silicon single crystal as it is being pulled, such that the dwelling time of the single crystal in a temperature zone of 800.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. is at least two hours. The secondary heater is disposed above the cooling shell and coaxial therewith and is arranged so as to define a space between the secondary heater and the cooling shell. Means for introducing an argon flow through the secondary heater into the cooling shell is located at the furnace opening. The argon gas flow is partially diverted by the space between the secondary heater and the cooling shell resulting in a silicon single-crystal having increased oxygen precipitate distribution.

Apparatus for growing silicon crystals

A silicon single-crystal growing method is disclosed which immerses a seed crystal in a silicon melt and pulls the seed crystal from the melt to thereby grow a silicon single-crystal, and in which the dwelling time of the silicon single-crystal, which is being pulled in a temperature range of between 1,050.degree. to 850.degree. C., is set to be no longer than 140 min. The apparatus suitable for practicing the above method has a crucible, a pulling mechanism, and a temperature control shell. The temperature control shell is located above the crucible for cooling said silicon single-crystal at a cooling rate such that the dwelling time of said silicon single-crystal, which is being pulled in a temperature range of between 1,050.degree. to 850.degree. C., is not longer than 140 min.

Method and apparatus for growing silicon crystals

Growing community of inventors

Omiya, Japan

Koutaro Shimizu