A convection pattern control method includes: heating a silicon melt in a quartz crucible using a heating portion; and applying a horizontal magnetic field to the silicon melt in the quartz crucible being rotated. In the heating of the silicon, the silicon melt is heated with the heating portion whose heating capacity differs on both sides across an imaginary line passing through a center axis of the quartz crucible and being in parallel to a central magnetic field line of the horizontal magnetic field when the quartz crucible is viewed from vertically above. In the applying of the horizontal magnetic field, the horizontal magnetic field of 0.2 tesla or more is applied to fix a direction of a convection flow in a single direction in a plane orthogonal to an application direction of the horizontal magnetic field in the silicon melt.

A convection pattern control method includes: heating a silicon melt in a quartz crucible using a heating portion; and applying a horizontal magnetic field to the silicon melt in the quartz crucible being rotated. In the heating of the silicon, the silicon melt is heated with the heating portion whose heating capacity differs on both sides across an imaginary line passing through a center axis of the quartz crucible and being in parallel to a central magnetic field line of the horizontal magnetic field when the quartz crucible is viewed from vertically above. In the applying of the horizontal magnetic field, the horizontal magnetic field of 0.2 tesla or more is applied to fix a direction of a convection flow in a single direction in a plane orthogonal to an application direction of the horizontal magnetic field in the silicon melt.

The present invention provides a method of growing a single-crystal silicon, comprising: loading a batch of polysilicon material in a crucible of a furnace, heating the crucible to melt the polysilicon material into a mass of silicon melt, confirming a liquid surface of the mass of silicon melt, applying a superconducting magnetic field to the mass of silicon melt with a magnetic field generator and adjusting a position of the magnetic field generator to position a maximum point of the superconducting magnetic field within a predetermined range under the liquid surface, and dipping a seed crystal into the silicon melt, and pulling the seed crystal during rotation of the seed crystal to crystallize the single crystal under the seed crystal until forming an ingot of single-crystal silicon. Oxygen content in the ingot is controlled through positioning the maximum point of the superconducting magnetic field under the liquid surface. According to the present invention, it is needless to change heat field, cost is low and success rate to pull the single crystal is high.

The present invention provides a method of growing a single-crystal silicon, comprising: loading a batch of polysilicon material in a crucible of a furnace, heating the crucible to melt the polysilicon material into a mass of silicon melt, confirming a liquid surface of the mass of silicon melt, applying a superconducting magnetic field to the mass of silicon melt with a magnetic field generator and adjusting a position of the magnetic field generator to position a maximum point of the superconducting magnetic field within a predetermined range under the liquid surface, and dipping a seed crystal into the silicon melt, and pulling the seed crystal during rotation of the seed crystal to crystallize the single crystal under the seed crystal until forming an ingot of single-crystal silicon. Oxygen content in the ingot is controlled through positioning the maximum point of the superconducting magnetic field under the liquid surface. According to the present invention, it is needless to change heat field, cost is low and success rate to pull the single crystal is high.

Single crystals of semiconductor material are produced by an FZ method, wherein a molten zone is created between a feed rod and a growing single crystal; the method involving melting feed rod material in a high frequency magnetic field of a first induction coil; crystallizing material of the molten zone on top of the growing single crystal; rotating the growing single crystal about an axis of rotation and changing the direction of rotation and the speed of rotation according to a predetermined pattern; and imposing an alternating magnetic field of a second induction coil on the molten zone, wherein the alternating magnetic field is not axisymmetric with respect to the axis of rotation of the growing single crystal.

Single crystals of semiconductor material are produced by an FZ method, wherein a molten zone is created between a feed rod and a growing single crystal; the method involving melting feed rod material in a high frequency magnetic field of a first induction coil; crystallizing material of the molten zone on top of the growing single crystal; rotating the growing single crystal about an axis of rotation and changing the direction of rotation and the speed of rotation according to a predetermined pattern; and imposing an alternating magnetic field of a second induction coil on the molten zone, wherein the alternating magnetic field is not axisymmetric with respect to the axis of rotation of the growing single crystal.

An ingot growing apparatus is disclosed. An ingot growing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a growth furnace in which a main crucible for receiving molten silicon in order to grow an ingot is disposed; a susceptor formed so as to surround the outer surface of the main crucible and including a plurality of heating members which are electrically insulated from each other; and a heater which generates a magnetic field and heats the plurality of heating members through electromagnetic induction by the magnetic field, wherein the plurality of heating members form loops along the outer surface of the main crucible.

An ingot growing apparatus is disclosed. An ingot growing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a growth furnace in which a main crucible for receiving molten silicon in order to grow an ingot is disposed; a susceptor formed so as to surround the outer surface of the main crucible and including a plurality of heating members which are electrically insulated from each other; and a heater which generates a magnetic field and heats the plurality of heating members through electromagnetic induction by the magnetic field, wherein the plurality of heating members form loops along the outer surface of the main crucible.

An optical element is provided. The optical element includes a solid crystal including crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined alignment pattern at least partially defined by an alignment structure.

A device including a templating structure and a magnetic layer on the templating structure is described. The templating structure includes D and E. A ratio of D to E is represented by D.sub.1-xE.sub.x, with x being at least 0.4 and not more than 0.6. E includes a main constituent. The main constituent includes at least one of Al, Ga, and Ge. Further, E includes at least fifty atomic percent of the main constituent. D includes at least one constituent that includes Ir, D includes at least 50 atomic percent of the at least one constituent. The templating structure is nonmagnetic at room temperature. The magnetic layer includes at least one of a Heusler compound and an L1.sub.0 compound, the magnetic layer being in contact with the templating structure.