Methods and wafers for low etch pit density, low slip line density, and low strain indium phosphide are disclosed and may include an indium phosphide single crystal wafer having a diameter of 4 inches or greater, having a measured etch pit density of less than 500 cm.sup.?2, and having fewer than 5 dislocations or slip lines as measured by x-ray diffraction imaging. The wafer may have a measured etch pit density of 200 cm.sup.?2 or less, or 100 cm.sup.?2 or less, or 10 cm.sup.?2 or less. The wafer may have a diameter of 6 inches or greater. An area of the wafer with a measured etch pit density of zero may at least 80% of the total area of the surface. An area of the wafer with a measured etch pit density of zero may be at least 90% of the total area of the surface.

A method for designing a baffle including using patterns to produce an array of shell moulds, generating a 3-D image of the outer surface of each shell mould in the array of shell moulds, stacking the individual 3-D images for a plurality of the shell moulds to produce a conglomerate shell mould profile, determining a maximum cross sectional area of the conglomerate shell mould profile in a plane orthogonal to a direction along which the shell moulds are to be drawn through the baffle, defining a baffle profile segment which is consistent with a substantial portion of the conglomerate shell mould profile at the maximum cross sectional area, scaling the baffle profile segment to provide an offset clearance between the baffle profile segment and the maximum cross sectional area of the conglomerate shell mould profile, and reproducing the baffle profile segment to provide an array of baffle profile segments.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor includes providing a mold defining a planar capillary space; placing a measure of precursor in fluid communication with the capillary space; creating a vacuum around the mold and within the planar capillary space; melting the precursor; allowing the melted precursor to flow into the capillary space; and cooling the melted precursor within the mold such that the precursor forms a semiconductor, the operations of melting the precursor, allowing the precursor to flow into the capillary space, and cooling the melted precursor occurring in the vacuum.

An advanced crucible support system is described that allows for greater heat flow to and from the bottom of a crucible, preferably while also preventing excessive heat from reaching a heat exchanger. In particular, a support base is described that includes a plurality of spaced crown features disposed on the support base plate. The crown features receive and vertically support the crucible and are spaced to support the crucible and to allow heat flow between the plurality of crown features. In doing so, a top surface of spaced crown features are in direct contact with the crucible.

The invention provides a crucible assembly and method of manufacturing a crystalline silicon ingot by use of such crucible assembly. The crucible assembly of the invention includes a crucible body and a fiber textile article. The fiber textile article is made of a plurality of carbon fibers, and is loaded on a bottom of the crucible body. The fiber textile article has a plurality of intrinsic pores randomly arranged.

A system for growing an ingot from a melt includes an outer crucible, an inner crucible, and a weir. The outer crucible includes a first sidewall and a first base. The first sidewall and the first base define an outer cavity for containing the melt. The inner crucible is located within the outer cavity, and has a central longitudinal axis. The inner crucible includes a second sidewall and a second base having an opening therein.

A method of manufacturing a directionally solidified article of the present disclosure includes providing a collection of particulate material and additively manufacturing a first article with an outer wall from the particulate material. The outer wall defines at least part of a cavity. The cavity contains an amount of the particulate material. The method also includes encasing at least a portion of the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity that corresponds to the first article. The method further includes heating the outer member and the first article to melt the first article into a molten mass within the internal cavity of the outer member. Additionally, the method includes solidifying the molten mass along a predetermined solidification path within the outer member to form a second article that corresponds to at least a portion of the internal cavity of the outer member.

Disclosed are biodegradable magnesium having a biodegradation rate which is determined by controlling an atom packing density of a surface contacting a living body, and a method for controlling the biodegradation rate of magnesium, wherein the biodegradation rate is determined by controlling an atomic packing density of the surface in contact with a living body.

A container for silicon ingot fabrication and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The method includes the following steps. A base layer made of quartz is provided in a chamber. A powder solution layer is coated over an inner surface of the base layer. The powder solution layer includes silicon nitride or carbon. The base layer having the powder solution layer coated thereon is heated to a temperature of 1000 C. to 1700 C. while a reaction gas is supplied into the chamber for 2 hours to 8 hours to form a barrier layer over the inner surface of the base layer. The barrier layer includes silicon oxynitride represented by Si.sub.xN.sub.yO.sub.z, 1x2, 1y2, and 0.1z1. Moreover, a method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon ingot is also provided.

A semiconductor wafer forms on a mold containing a dopant. The dopant dopes a melt region adjacent the mold. There, dopant concentration is higher than in the melt bulk. A wafer starts solidifying. Dopant diffuses poorly in solid semiconductor. After a wafer starts solidifying, dopant can not enter the melt. Afterwards, the concentration of dopant in the melt adjacent the wafer surface is less than what was present where the wafer began to form. New wafer regions grow from a melt region whose dopant concentration lessens over time. This establishes a dopant gradient in the wafer, with higher concentration adjacent the mold. The gradient can be tailored. A gradient gives rise to a field that can function as a drift or back surface field. Solar collectors can have open grid conductors and better optical reflectors on the back surface, made possible by the intrinsic back surface field.