A method for growing a single crystal silicon ingot by the continuous Czochralski method is disclosed. The melt depth and thermal conditions are constant during growth because the silicon melt is continuously replenished as it is consumed, and the crucible location is fixed. The critical v/G is determined by the hot zone configuration, and the continuous replenishment of silicon to the melt during growth enables growth of the ingot at a constant pull rate consistent with the critical v/G during growth of a substantial portion of the main body of the ingot. The continuous replenishment of silicon is accompanied by periodic or continuous nitrogen addition to the melt to result in a nitrogen doped ingot.

Disclosed embodiments include external gettering provided by electronic packaging. An external gettering element for a semiconductor substrate, which may be incorporated as part of an electronic packaging for the structure, is disclosed. Semiconductor structures and stacked semiconductor structures including an external gettering element are also disclosed. An encapsulation mold compound providing external gettering is also disclosed. Methods of fabricating such devices are also disclosed.

Provided is a method of evaluating the impurity gettering capability of an epitaxial silicon wafer, which allows for very precise evaluation of the impurity gettering behavior of a modified layer formed immediately under an epitaxial layer, the modified layer containing carbon in solid solution. In this method, a modified layer located immediately under an epitaxial layer, the modified layer containing carbon in solid solution, is analyzed by three-dimensional atom probe microscopy, and the impurity gettering capability of the modified layer is evaluated based on a three-dimensional map of carbon in the modified layer, obtained by the analysis.

A method of manufacturing an epitaxial silicon wafer that includes growing a silicon single crystal ingot doped with a boron concentration of 2.710.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or more and 1.310.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3 or less by the CZ method; producing a silicon substrate by processing the silicon single crystal ingot; and forming an epitaxial layer on a surface of the silicon substrate. During growing of the silicon single crystal ingot, the pull-up conditions of the silicon single crystal ingot are controlled so that the boron concentration Y (atoms/cm.sup.3) and an initial oxygen concentration X (10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3) satisfy the expression X4.310.sup.19Y+16.3.

There is provided a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an emitter region of a first conductivity type provided inside the semiconductor substrate; a base region of a second conductivity type provided below the emitter region inside the semiconductor substrate; an accumulation region of the first conductivity type provided below the base region inside the semiconductor substrate, and containing hydrogen as an impurity; and a trench portion provided to pass through the emitter region, the base region and the accumulation region from an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate.

There is provided a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; an emitter region of a first conductivity type provided inside the semiconductor substrate; a base region of a second conductivity type provided below the emitter region inside the semiconductor substrate; an accumulation region of the first conductivity type provided below the base region inside the semiconductor substrate, and containing hydrogen as an impurity; and a trench portion provided to pass through the emitter region, the base region and the accumulation region from an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate.

A method of manufacturing an imaging apparatus includes: preparing a substrate comprising a wafer and a silicon layer arranged on the wafer, the wafer including a first semiconductor region made of single crystal silicon with an oxygen concentration not less than 210.sup.16 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not greater than 410.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3, the silicon layer including a second semiconductor region made of single crystal silicon with an oxygen concentration lower than the oxygen concentration in the first semiconductor region; annealing the substrate in an atmosphere containing oxygen and setting the oxygen concentration in the second semiconductor region within the range not less than 210.sup.16 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not greater than 410.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3; and forming a photoelectric conversion element in the second semiconductor region after the annealing.

A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a bulk oxygen concentration of at least 610.sup.17 cm.sup.3; an epitaxial layer on a first side of the semiconductor substrate, the epitaxial layer and the semiconductor substrate having a common interface; a superjunction semiconductor device structure in the epitaxial layer; and an interface region extending from the common interface into the semiconductor substrate to a depth of at least 10 m. A mean oxygen concentration of the interface region is lower than the bulk oxygen concentration of the semiconductor substrate.

A semiconductor wafer of single-crystal silicon includes: a polished front side and a back side; a denuded zone, which extends from the polished front side toward the back side to a depth of not less than 45 m; and a region adjacent to the denuded zone, the region having bulk micro defect (BMD) seeds, which are capable of being developed into BMDs. A density of the BMDs at a distance of 120 m from the front side is not less than 310.sup.9 cm.sup.3.

Semiconductor wafers useful for NAND circuitry and having a front side, a rear side, a middle and a periphery, have an Nv region which extends from the middle to the periphery; a denuded zone which extends from the front side to a depth of not less than 20 m into the interior of the semiconductor wafer, where the density of vacancies in the denuded zone, determined by means of platinum diffusion and DLTS is not more than 110.sup.13 vacancies/cm.sup.3; a concentration of oxygen of not less than 4.510.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not more than 5.510.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3; a region in the interior of the semiconductor wafer which adjoins the denuded zone and has nuclei which can be developed by means of a heat treatment into BMDs having a peak density of not less than 6.010.sup.9/cm.sup.3, where the heat treatment comprises heating the semiconductor wafer to a temperature of 800 C. over a period of four hours and to a temperature of 1000 C. over a period of 16 hours. The wafers are produced by a unique RTA treatment of Nv wafers.