A method of heat-treating a silicon wafer using a lateral heat treatment furnace that can improve the product yield by restricting reduction in the lifetime value of silicon wafers placed in the vicinity of dummy blocks placed to equalize the temperature of the region where the wafers are placed. In a method of heat-treating a silicon wafer using a lateral heat treatment furnace, a boat is placed in a hollow cylindrical furnace core tube, and on the boat, at least one of a first additional block between a first dummy block and a wafer group and a second additional block between a second dummy block and the wafer group is placed.

A method of heat-treating a silicon wafer using a lateral heat treatment furnace that can improve the product yield by restricting reduction in the lifetime value of silicon wafers placed in the vicinity of dummy blocks placed to equalize the temperature of the region where the wafers are placed. In a method of heat-treating a silicon wafer using a lateral heat treatment furnace, a boat is placed in a hollow cylindrical furnace core tube, and on the boat, at least one of a first additional block between a first dummy block and a wafer group and a second additional block between a second dummy block and the wafer group is placed.

Provided are a method of polishing a silicon wafer and a method of producing a silicon wafer which can reduce the formation of step-forming microdefects on a silicon wafer. The method includes: a double-side polishing step of performing polishing on front and back surfaces of a silicon wafer; a notch portion polishing step of performing polishing on a beveled portion of a notch portion of the silicon wafer after the double-side polishing step; a peripheral beveled portion polishing step of performing polishing on the beveled portion on the periphery of the silicon wafer other than the beveled portion of the notch portion after the notch portion polishing step; and a finish polishing step of performing finish polishing on the front surface of the silicon wafer after the peripheral beveled portion polishing step. The notch portion polishing step is performed in a state where the front surface is wet with water.

Provided are a method of polishing a silicon wafer and a method of producing a silicon wafer which can reduce the formation of step-forming microdefects on a silicon wafer. The method includes: a double-side polishing step of performing polishing on front and back surfaces of a silicon wafer; a notch portion polishing step of performing polishing on a beveled portion of a notch portion of the silicon wafer after the double-side polishing step; a peripheral beveled portion polishing step of performing polishing on the beveled portion on the periphery of the silicon wafer other than the beveled portion of the notch portion after the notch portion polishing step; and a finish polishing step of performing finish polishing on the front surface of the silicon wafer after the peripheral beveled portion polishing step. The notch portion polishing step is performed in a state where the front surface is wet with water.

A method for manufacturing a silicon single-crystal substrate having a carbon diffusion layer on a surface, proximity gettering ability, and high strength near the surface, and hardly generating dislocation or extending dislocation, includes: a step of adhering carbon on a surface of a silicon single-crystal substrate by an RTA treatment of the silicon single-crystal substrate in a carbon-containing gas atmosphere; a step of forming a 3C-SiC single-crystal film on the surface of the silicon single-crystal substrate by reacting the carbon and the silicon single-crystal substrate; a step of oxidizing the 3C-SiC single-crystal film to be an oxide film and diffusing carbon inward the silicon single-crystal substrate by an RTA treatment of the silicon single-crystal substrate on which the 3C-SiC single-crystal film is formed, the RTA treatment being performed in an oxidative atmosphere; and a step of removing the oxide film.

A method for manufacturing a silicon single-crystal substrate having a carbon diffusion layer on a surface, proximity gettering ability, and high strength near the surface, and hardly generating dislocation or extending dislocation, includes: a step of adhering carbon on a surface of a silicon single-crystal substrate by an RTA treatment of the silicon single-crystal substrate in a carbon-containing gas atmosphere; a step of forming a 3C-SiC single-crystal film on the surface of the silicon single-crystal substrate by reacting the carbon and the silicon single-crystal substrate; a step of oxidizing the 3C-SiC single-crystal film to be an oxide film and diffusing carbon inward the silicon single-crystal substrate by an RTA treatment of the silicon single-crystal substrate on which the 3C-SiC single-crystal film is formed, the RTA treatment being performed in an oxidative atmosphere; and a step of removing the oxide film.

Methods for growing single crystal silicon ingots that involve silicon feed tube inert gas control are disclosed. Ingot puller apparatus that include a flange that extends radially from a silicon funnel or from a silicon feed tube to reduce backflow of gases from the silicon feed tube into the growth chamber are also disclosed.

Methods for growing single crystal silicon ingots that involve silicon feed tube inert gas control are disclosed. Ingot puller apparatus that include a flange that extends radially from a silicon funnel or from a silicon feed tube to reduce backflow of gases from the silicon feed tube into the growth chamber are also disclosed.

Methods for growing single crystal silicon ingots that involve silicon feed tube inert gas control are disclosed. Ingot puller apparatus that include a flange that extends radially from a silicon funnel or from a silicon feed tube to reduce backflow of gases from the silicon feed tube into the growth chamber are also disclosed.

A silicon wafer having a layer of oxygen precipitates and method of manufacturing thereof wherein the wafer exhibiting robustness characterized as having a ratio of a first average density from a first treatment that to a second average density from a second treatment is between 0.74 to 1.02, wherein the first treatment includes heating the wafer or a portion of the wafer at about 1150° C. for about 2 minutes and then between about 950 to 1000° C. for about 16 hours, and the second treatment includes heating the wafer or a portion of the wafer at about 780° C. for about 3 hours and then between about 950 to 1000° C. for about 16 hours. The wafer exhibits heretofore unattainable uniformity wherein a ratio of an oxygen precipitate density determined from any one cubic centimeter in the BMD layer of the wafer to another oxygen precipitate density from any other one cubic centimeter in the BMD layer of the wafer is in a range of 0.77 to 1.30.