A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material includes a housing defining a growth chamber, a crucible disposed within the growth chamber containing the melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material, a vacuum pump for drawing exhaust gases out of the growth chamber, and a fluid-cooled exhaust tube connected between the growth chamber and the vacuum pump.

In a known method for pulling a semiconductor single crystal according to the Czochralski method, a semiconductor melt is produced in a silica glass crucible and the semiconductor single crystal is pulled from said melt. The inner wall of the silica glass crucible and the exposed melt surface are in contact with one another and with a respective melt atmosphere in the region of a contact zone running radially around the crucible inner wall, and primary oscillations of the melt are triggered in said contact zone. On this basis, in order to provide a method characterized by reduced melt vibrations and in particular by a simple, short accretion process, according to the invention primary oscillations are triggered which differ from one another in their frequency.

An improved system based on the Czochralski process for continuous growth of a single crystal ingot comprises a low aspect ratio, large diameter, and substantially flat crucible, including an optional weir surrounding the crystal. The low aspect ratio crucible substantially eliminates convection currents and reduces oxygen content in a finished single crystal silicon ingot. A separate level controlled silicon pre-melting chamber provides a continuous source of molten silicon to the growth crucible advantageously eliminating the need for vertical travel and a crucible raising system during the crystal pulling process. A plurality of heaters beneath the crucible establish corresponding thermal zones across the melt. Thermal output of the heaters is individually controlled for providing an optimal thermal distribution across the melt and at the crystal/melt interface for improved crystal growth. Multiple crystal pulling chambers are provided for continuous processing and high throughput.

Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible or fall of a sidewall into the crucible is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, dislocations in a silicon single crystal are suppressed to enhance the yield of the single crystal. The vitreous silica crucible is used to pull single-crystal silicon and includes the cylindrical sidewall having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom including a curve, and a round portion connecting the sidewall and the bottom. The round portion is provided in such a manner that the curvature of the inner surface thereof is gradually increased from the sidewall toward the bottom in a section passing through the rotation axis of the vitreous silica crucible.

Ingot puller apparatus for preparing a single crystal silicon ingot by the Czochralski method are disclosed. The ingot puller apparatus includes a heat shield. The heat shield has a leg segment that includes a void (i.e., an open space without insulation) disposed in the leg segment. The heat shield may also include insulation partially within the heat shield.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for growing an ingot from silicon melt contained in a crucible by using a seed crystal, the apparatus comprising a chamber including a lower portion for accommodating the crucible and an upper portion through which the growing ingot passes, and a cooling rate control unit which is disposed at the upper portion of the chamber to extend to the lower portion of the chamber and has a hole through which the growing ingot passes, wherein the cooling rate control unit comprises an insulation part for insulating the ingot, a cooling part disposed over the insulation part to cool the ingot, and a blocking part disposed between the insulation part and the cooling part to prevent heat exchange therebetween.

An apparatus (10) for producing an SiC single crystal is used in the solution growth includes a seed shaft (28) and a crucible (14). The seed shaft (28) has a lower end surface (28S) to which an SiC seed crystal (32) is to be attached. The crucible (14) holds an SiC solution (15). The seed shaft (28) includes a cylinder part (28A), a bottom part (28B), and a low heat conductive member (28C). The bottom part (28B) is located at the lower end of the cylinder part (28A) and has the lower end surface (28S). The low heat conductive member (28C) is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom part (28B) and has a thermal conductivity lower than that of the bottom part (28B). This production apparatus can make the temperature within the crystal growth surface of the SiC seed crystal less liable to vary.

A method of producing a single crystal silicon ingot from a silicon melt includes positioning a crucible in an interior of a susceptor assembly defined by a susceptor base and a sidewall, where each of the susceptor base and the sidewall are formed of a carbon-containing material and the susceptor assembly includes a removable sacrifice ring interposed between the susceptor base and the sidewall, adding polycrystalline silicon to the crucible, heating the polycrystalline silicon to cause a silicon melt to form in the crucible, pulling a single crystal silicon ingot from the melt, where silicon carbide (SiC) deposits accumulate on the sacrifice ring during the pulling the single crystal silicon ingot from the melt, and after the pulling the single crystal silicon ingot from the melt, removing the sacrifice ring having the accumulated SiC deposits from the susceptor base.

A method for producing a single crystal silicon ingot includes adding polycrystalline silicon to a crucible disposed within a chamber defined by a housing of an ingot puller apparatus, maintaining the chamber at a first pressure, heating the chamber using radiant heat to melt the polycrystalline silicon and form a silicon melt in the crucible, pulling a single crystal silicon ingot from the silicon melt, channeling a liquid dopant at a second pressure greater than the first pressure into a feed tube positioned in the chamber, vaporizing the liquid dopant into a vaporized dopant by flash evaporation at the first pressure within the feed tube, and directing the vaporized dopant from the feed tube toward a surface of the silicon melt to cause the vaporized dopant to enter the silicon melt as a dopant while pulling the single crystal silicon ingot from the silicon melt.

A heater assembly is for a single crystal puller. The single crystal puller includes a puller body. A crucible assembly is arranged in the puller body, and a bottom of the crucible assembly is supported by a support structure. The support structure includes a support shaft, and the crucible assembly is driven by the support shaft to rotate. The heater assembly includes a heating part and a conductive part. The heating part covers an outer surface of the crucible assembly, and the heating part is able to rotate synchronously with the crucible assembly. The heating part includes a plurality of connecting electrodes. The conductive part is arranged on the support shaft, and includes a plurality of annular conductive members connected to the plurality of connecting electrodes respectively. External electrodes are connected to the plurality of annular conductive members respectively.