The invention provides a device and method for continuous VGF crystal growth through rotation after horizontal injection synthesis, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor crystal synthesis and growth. According to the used technical scheme, the device comprises a furnace body, a synthesis and crystal growth system positioned in a furnace cavity, and a heating system, a temperature measuring system, a heat preservation system and a control system matched therewith, wherein the synthesis and crystal growth system comprises a crucible and a volatile element carrier arranged on a horizontal side of the crucible, and the volatile element carrier is communicated with the crucible through an injection pipe to realize horizontal injection synthesis; the furnace body has a rotational freedom degree by means of a matched rotating mechanism, so that after the direct horizontal injection synthesis of a volatile element and a pure metal element, the entire furnace body is controlled by the rotating mechanism to slowly rotate, such that a high-purity compound semiconductor crystal is prepared through continuous VGF crystal growth after crystal synthesis, and the condition that a seed crystal is molten by the pure metal before VGF crystal growth can be avoided; and the method has characteristics of simple steps, easy operation and control, and is suitable for the industrial production of semiconductor crystals.

A method and apparatus for measuring a melt back of a seed in a boule are provided. The method includes lifting a boule once it has been produced using an actuating device onto a support table to automatically manipulate the boule from a furnace to the support table. The melt back of the seed is then automatically measured using a vision system that is installed on an imaging device disposed below the boule.

The invention provides a device and method for continuous VGF crystal growth through rotation after horizontal injection synthesis, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor crystal synthesis and growth. According to the used technical scheme, the device comprises a furnace body, a synthesis and crystal growth system positioned in a furnace cavity, and a heating system, a temperature measuring system, a heat preservation system and a control system matched therewith, wherein the synthesis and crystal growth system comprises a crucible and a volatile element carrier arranged on a horizontal side of the crucible, and the volatile element carrier is communicated with the crucible through an injection pipe to realize horizontal injection synthesis; the furnace body has a rotational freedom degree by means of a matched rotating mechanism, so that after the direct horizontal injection synthesis of a volatile element and a pure metal element, the entire furnace body is controlled by the rotating mechanism to slowly rotate, such that a high-purity compound semiconductor crystal is prepared through continuous VGF crystal growth after crystal synthesis, and the condition that a seed crystal is molten by the pure metal before VGF crystal growth can be avoided; and the method has characteristics of simple steps, easy operation and control, and is suitable for the industrial production of semiconductor crystals.

In a gallium arsenide crystal body, an etching pit density of the gallium arsenide crystal body is more than or equal to 10 cm.sup.2 and less than or equal to 10000 cm.sup.2, and an oxygen concentration of the gallium arsenide crystal body is less than 7.010.sup.15 atoms.Math.cm.sup.3. In a gallium arsenide crystal substrate, an etching pit density of the gallium arsenide crystal substrate is more than or equal to 10 cm.sup.2 and less than or equal to 10000 cm.sup.2, and an oxygen concentration of the gallium arsenide crystal substrate is less than 7.010.sup.15 atoms.Math.cm.sup.3.

A method and apparatus for growing truly bulk In.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystals from the melt, as well as melt-grown bulk In.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystals are disclosed. The growth method comprises a controlled decomposition of initially non-conducting In.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material (23) during heating-up of a noble metal crucible (4) containing the In.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material (23) and thus increasing electrical conductivity of the In.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material with rising temperature, which is sufficient to couple with an electromagnetic field of an induction coil (6) through the crucible wall (24) around melting point of In.sub.2O.sub.3. Such coupling leads to an electromagnetic levitation of at least a portion (23.1) of the liquid In.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material with a neck (26) formation acting as crystallization seed. During cooling down of the noble metal crucible (4) with the liquid In.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material at least one bulk In.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystal (28.1, 28.2) is formed. We named this novel crystal growth method the Levitation-Assisted Self-Seeding Crystal Growth Method. The apparatus for growing bulk In.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystals from the melt comprises an inductively heated thermal system with a noble metal crucible (4) and evacuation passages (22, 22.1) for gaseous decomposition products of In.sub.2O.sub.3, while keeping very low temperature gradients. Various configurations of the induction coil (6), the noble metal crucible (4) and a lid (12) covering the crucible can be utilized to obtain very low temperature gradients, sufficient evacuation passages and a high levitation force. The electrical properties of the melt grown In.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystals can be modified in a wide range by at least one heat treatment in suitable atmospheres and appropriate temperatures.

Provided are: a method for manufacturing a highly pure silicon by unidirectional solidification of molten silicon, that can inexpensively and industrially easily manufacture highly pure silicon that has a low oxygen concentration and low carbon concentration and is suitable for applications such as manufacturing solar cells; highly pure silicon obtained by this method; and silicon raw material for manufacturing highly pure silicon. A method for manufacturing highly pure silicon using molten silicon containing 100 to 1000 ppmw of carbon and 0.5 to 2000 ppmw of germanium as the raw material when manufacturing highly pure silicon by unidirectionally solidifying molten silicon raw material in a casting container, the highly pure silicon obtained by this method, and the silicon raw material for manufacturing the highly pure silicon.

An investment casting apparatus includes a furnace having an opening, a mold support, and a multi-axis actuator connected with the mold support and configured to retract the mold support from the opening with multiple-axis motion. An investment casting method includes withdrawing, with multiple-axis motion, a mold through the opening of the furnace to solidify a molten metal- or metalloid-based material in the mold. The apparatus and method can be used to form a cast article that has a body formed of the metal- or metalloid-based material. The body has a multi-textured, single crystal microstructure.

Disclosed is a method of growing a zirconia single crystal that has excellent physical properties free from low-temperature degradation and thus enables precise machining, the method including raw material preparation, raw material charging, raw material melting, melt soaking stage, seed production, and single crystal growth.

A crystal growth furnace comprising a crucible containing at least feedstock material and a liquid-cooled heat exchanger that is vertically movable beneath the crucible to extract heat from it to promote the growth of a crystalline ingot is disclosed. The liquid-cooled heat exchanger comprises a heat extraction bulb made of high thermal conductivity material that is vertically movable into thermal communication with the crucible to extract heat from the crucible using a liquid coolant. A liquid-cooled heat exchanger enclosed in a sealed tubular outer jacket is also disclosed as is a method for producing a crystalline ingot using a vertically movable liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

The crystallization system includes a crucible provided with a bottom and with side walls designed to contain the material to be solidified and a device for creating a main thermal gradient inside the crucible in a perpendicular direction to the bottom of the crucible. An additional inductive heating device is arranged at the level of the side walls of the crucible facing the liquid material and without overlapping with the solid phase. This additional inductive heating device is configured to heat a part of the crystalline material located in the vicinity of the triple contact line between the liquid material, the solidified material and the crucible so that the interface between the liquid material and the solidified material forms a convex meniscus in the vicinity of the triple contact line.