Methods for preparing single crystal silicon substrates for epitaxial growth are disclosed. The methods may involve control of the (i) a growth velocity, v, and/or (ii) an axial temperature gradient, G, during the growth of an ingot segment such that v/G is less than a critical v/G and/or is less than a value of v/G that depends on the boron concentration of the ingot. Methods for preparing epitaxial wafers are also disclosed.

Methods for preparing an ingot in an ingot puller apparatus are disclosed. Thermal simulations are performed with the length of the ingot puller apparatus side heater being varied in the thermal simulations. A side heater is selected based on the thermal simulations. An ingot puller apparatus having the selected side heater length is provided. A seed crystal is lowered into a melt within a crucible of the ingot puller apparatus and an ingot is withdrawn from the melt.

A crystal piece of monocrystalline silicon suitable for the production of semiconductor wafers has a length of not less than 8 cm and not more than 50 cm and a diameter of not less than 280 mm and not greater than 320 mm, wherein the fraction of the semiconductor wafers produced therefrom that are free from pinholes having a size of not more than 30 μm is greater than 98%.

Methods for forming a unitized crucible assembly for holding a melt of silicon for forming a silicon ingot are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods involve a porous crucible mold having a channel network with a bottom channel, an outer sidewall channel that extends from the bottom channel, and a central weir channel that extends from the bottom channel. A slip slurry may be added to the channel network and the liquid carrier of the slip slurry may be drawn into the mold. The resulting green body may be sintered to form the crucible assembly.

An apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal according to a Czochralski method, including: a main chamber housing crucibles for a raw-material melt and heater for heating the raw-material melt; a pulling chamber at an upper portion of the main chamber and a single crystal pulled from the raw-material melt; a cooling cylinder extending from a ceiling portion of the main chamber toward a surface of the raw-material melt to surround the single crystal; an auxiliary cooling cylinder inside the cooling cylinder; and a diameter-enlargement member to fit into the auxiliary cooling cylinder. The auxiliary cooling cylinder has a slit penetrating in an axial direction to come into close contact with the cooling cylinder by pushing the diameter-enlargement member into the auxiliary cooling cylinder to enlarge the diameter of the auxiliary cooling cylinder. This enables efficient cooling of a growing single crystal and increases the growth rate of the single crystal.

Crystal pulling systems having a fluid-cooled exhaust tube are disclosed. The fluid-cooled exhaust tube extends through the reactor housing and into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the exhaust tube extends through the bottom of the crystal puller housing and through a bottom heat shield within the ingot puller housing.

Crystal pulling systems having a fluid-cooled exhaust tube are disclosed. The fluid-cooled exhaust tube extends through the reactor housing and into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the exhaust tube extends through the bottom of the crystal puller housing and through a bottom heat shield within the ingot puller housing.

A single crystal manufacturing apparatus to grow a single crystal upward from a seed crystal, the apparatus including an insulated space thermally insulated from a space outside the single crystal manufacturing apparatus, an induction heating coil placed outside the insulated space, a thermal insulation plate that divides the insulated space into a first space including a crystal growth region to grow the single crystal and a second space above the first space and includes a hole above the crystal growth region, a heating element that is placed in the second space and generates heat by induction heating using the induction heating coil to heat the inside of the insulated space, and a support shaft to vertically movably support the seed crystal from below.

The present disclosure discloses a method for growing a crystal in oxygen atmosphere. The method may include compensating a weight of a reactant, introducing a flowing gas, improving a volume ratio of oxygen during a cooling process, providing a heater in a temperature field, and optimizing parameters. According to the method, problems may be solved, for example, cracking and component deviation of the crystal during a crystal growth process, and without oxygen-free vacancy. The method for growing the crystal may have excellent repeatability and crystal performance consistency.

Methods for forming a unitized crucible assembly for holding a melt of silicon for forming a silicon ingot are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods involve a porous crucible mold having a channel network with a bottom channel, an outer sidewall channel that extends from the bottom channel, and a central weir channel that extends from the bottom channel. A slip slurry may be added to the channel network and the liquid carrier of the slip slurry may be drawn into the mold. The resulting green body may be sintered to form the crucible assembly.