A novel CVD method for preparing a layer including refractory carbide crystals, silicon carbide crystals, wherein at least part of the layer is formed from a gas mixture containing a silicon source and an aromatic carbon source, wherein the molar C/Si ratio in said gas mixture is from about 0.85 to about 1.45. Also, layers obtainable by the method and their various uses and applications.

A substrate processing method is described for forming a titanium nitride material that may be used for superconducting metallization or work function adjustment applications. The substrate processing method includes depositing by vapor phase deposition at least one monolayer of a first titanium nitride film on a substrate, and treating the first titanium nitride film with plasma excited hydrogen-containing gas, where the first titanium nitride film is polycrystalline and the treating increases the (200) crystallographic texture of the first titanium nitride film. The method further includes depositing by vapor phase deposition at least one monolayer of a second titanium nitride film on the treated at least one monolayer of the first titanium nitride film, and treating the at least one monolayer of the second titanium nitride film with plasma excited hydrogen-containing gas.

Provided is a polycrystalline silicon rod suitable as a raw material for production of single-crystalline silicon. A crystal piece (evaluation sample) is collected from a polycrystalline silicon rod grown by a Siemens method, and a polycrystalline silicon rod in which an area ratio of a crystal grain having a particle size of 100 nm or less is 3% or more is sorted out as the raw material for production of single-crystalline silicon. When single-crystalline silicon is grown by an FZ method using the polycrystalline silicon rod as a raw material, the occurrence of dislocation is remarkably suppressed.

Electrode assemblies useful, inter alia, for mounting thin rods in Siemens reactors for manufacture of polysilicon, have a base segment which receives a holder segment, and an insert, interfacial surface(s) of which have depressions and/or elevations which reduce contact surface area, allowing the holder, base segment, insert, and optional intermediate segments to be constructed of materials having different thermal conductivities.

Electrode assemblies useful, inter alia, for mounting thin rods in Siemens reactors for manufacture of polysilicon, have a base segment which receives a holder segment, and an insert, interfacial surface(s) of which have depressions and/or elevations which reduce contact surface area, allowing the holder, base segment, insert, and optional intermediate segments to be constructed of materials having different thermal conductivities.

A polysilicon rod has a diameter of 120 mm or more, the polysilicon rod having a lowest resistivity of 3300 ?cm or more and an RRG of 100% or less. A polysilicon rod has a diameter of 140 mm or more, the polysilicon rod having a lowest resistivity of 3300 ?cm or more and an RRG of 150% or less.

A polysilicon rod has a diameter of 120 mm or more, the polysilicon rod having a lowest resistivity of 3300 ?cm or more and an RRG of 100% or less. A polysilicon rod has a diameter of 140 mm or more, the polysilicon rod having a lowest resistivity of 3300 ?cm or more and an RRG of 150% or less.

Provided is an inexpensive seed material for liquid phase epitaxial growth of silicon carbide. A seed material 12 for liquid phase epitaxial growth of a monocrystalline silicon carbide includes a surface layer containing a polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph. Upon X-ray diffraction of the surface layer thereof, a first-order diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal plane is observed as a diffraction peak corresponding to the polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph but no other first-order diffraction peak having a diffraction intensity of 10% or more of the diffraction intensity of the first-order diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal plane is observed.

Provided is an inexpensive seed material for liquid phase epitaxial growth of silicon carbide. A seed material 12 for liquid phase epitaxial growth of a monocrystalline silicon carbide includes a surface layer containing a polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph. Upon X-ray diffraction of the surface layer thereof, a first-order diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal plane is observed as a diffraction peak corresponding to the polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph but no other first-order diffraction peak having a diffraction intensity of 10% or more of the diffraction intensity of the first-order diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal plane is observed.

A plate-shaped sample with a cross-section perpendicular to a radial direction of a polycrystalline silicon rod as a principal surface is sampled from a region from a center (r=0) of the polycrystalline silicon rod to R/3. Then, the sample is disposed at a position at which a Bragg reflection from a (111) Miller index plane is detected. In-plane rotation with a rotational angle on the sample is performed with a center of the sample as a rotational center such that an X-ray irradiation region defined by a slit performs -scanning on the principal surface of the sample to obtain a diffraction chart indicating dependency of a Bragg reflection intensity from the (111) Miller index plane on a rotational angle of the sample. A ratio (S.sub.p/S.sub.t) between an area S.sub.p of a peak part appearing in the diffraction chart and a total area S.sub.t of the diffraction chart is calculated.