A crystal ingot puller includes a crucible for holding a crystal melt, a crystal puller housing that defines a growth chamber, and a polycrystalline feed system for supplying chunk polycrystalline to the crucible. The polycrystalline feed system includes a feed tube having an outer sidewall, an inlet end and an outlet end, and a cooling jacket surrounding the outer sidewall of the feed tube at the outlet end of the feed tube. The cooling jacket cools the outlet end during operation of the ingot puller.

Methods for producing an off-orientation single crystal silicon wafer are disclosed. After a single crystal silicon ingot is grown, the single crystal silicon ingot is ground to increase an off-orientation of the single crystal silicon ingot. A wafer is sliced from ground single crystal silicon ingot. The wafer has an off-orientation greater than the ground single crystal silicon ingot.

Methods for producing an off-orientation single crystal silicon wafer are disclosed. After a single crystal silicon ingot is grown, the single crystal silicon ingot is ground to increase an off-orientation of the single crystal silicon ingot. A wafer is sliced from ground single crystal silicon ingot. The wafer has an off-orientation greater than the ground single crystal silicon ingot.

An apparatus for growing a silicon crystal substrate comprising a heat source, an anisotropic thermal load leveling component, a crucible, and a cold plate component is disclosed. The anisotropic thermal load leveling component possesses a high thermal conductivity and may be positioned atop the heat source to be operative to even-out temperature and heat flux variations emanating from the heat source. The crucible may be operative to contain molten silicon in which the top surface of the molten silicon may be defined as a growth interface. The crucible may be substantially surrounded by the anisotropic thermal load leveling component. The cold plate component may be positioned above the crucible to be operative with the anisotropic thermal load leveling component and heat source to maintain a uniform heat flux at the growth surface of the molten silicon.

A process produces a single crystal of silicon. The process includes: installing a feed rod in a float-zone apparatus, having a diameter between 230-270 mm; installing a first hollow cylinder having an internal diameter larger, by 30-50 mm, than the feed rod's diameter; installing a second hollow cylinder having an internal diameter larger, by not 20-60 mm, than a crystal target diameter that is 290-310 mm; and pulling the single crystal of silicon. A pulling speed is 1.3-1.5 mm/min. A vertical distance of the bottom edge of the first hollow cylinder from the outer melting edge is smaller than 2 mm. The top edge of the second cylinder protrudes 1-10 mm over the crystallizing edge. A length of the single crystal is removed to form an ingot piece having a length 15-50 cm.

A process produces a single crystal of silicon. The process includes: installing a feed rod in a float-zone apparatus, having a diameter between 230-270 mm; installing a first hollow cylinder having an internal diameter larger, by 30-50 mm, than the feed rod's diameter; installing a second hollow cylinder having an internal diameter larger, by not 20-60 mm, than a crystal target diameter that is 290-310 mm; and pulling the single crystal of silicon. A pulling speed is 1.3-1.5 mm/min. A vertical distance of the bottom edge of the first hollow cylinder from the outer melting edge is smaller than 2 mm. The top edge of the second cylinder protrudes 1-10 mm over the crystallizing edge. A length of the single crystal is removed to form an ingot piece having a length 15-50 cm.

In one embodiment, a sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel configured to hold a melt of a material. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet of the material on the melt. A first gas jet is configured to direct a gas toward an edge of the vessel. A sheet of a material is translated horizontally on a surface of the melt and the sheet is removed from the melt. The first gas jet may be directed at the meniscus and may stabilize this meniscus or increase local pressure within the meniscus.

An apparatus for drawing a crystalline sheet from a melt. The apparatus may include a crucible configured to contain the melt and having a dam structure, where the melt comprises an exposed surface having a level defined by a top of the dam structure. The apparatus may further include a support apparatus disposed within the crucible and having an upper surface, wherein the crystalline sheet is maintained flush with the exposed surface of the melt when drawn over the support apparatus, and may include a melt-back heater directing heat through the upper surface of the support apparatus to partially melt the crystalline sheet when the crystalline sheet is drawn over the support apparatus.

Provided is a cylindrical ingot manufacturing method including: an operation of supplying a silicon raw material to an inside of a crucible and heating the crucible to melt the silicon raw material; an operation of supplying a seed crystal having one end fastened to a seed shaft to the inside of the crucible; and an operation of moving the seed crystal from a lower portion of the crucible to an upper portion thereof by the crucible rotating in one direction relative to the seed shaft and the seed shaft rotating in the other direction and moving upward. According to the present disclosure, since a ring-shaped seed crystal is grown, a cylindrical silicon ingot can be manufactured, and since a cylindrical silicon ingot having an inner diameter is formed, a wafer retaining ring can be manufactured from the ingot without a coring task.

Provided is a cylindrical ingot manufacturing method including: an operation of supplying a silicon raw material to an inside of a crucible and heating the crucible to melt the silicon raw material; an operation of supplying a seed crystal having one end fastened to a seed shaft to the inside of the crucible; and an operation of moving the seed crystal from a lower portion of the crucible to an upper portion thereof by the crucible rotating in one direction relative to the seed shaft and the seed shaft rotating in the other direction and moving upward. According to the present disclosure, since a ring-shaped seed crystal is grown, a cylindrical silicon ingot can be manufactured, and since a cylindrical silicon ingot having an inner diameter is formed, a wafer retaining ring can be manufactured from the ingot without a coring task.