A crystal of semiconductor material is produced in an apparatus having a crucible with a crucible bottom and a crucible wall, the crucible bottom having a top surface, an underside, and a multitude of openings disposed between the crucible wall and a center of the crucible bottom, and elevations disposed on the top surface and the underside of the crucible bottom; and an induction heating coil disposed below the crucible for melting semiconductor material and stabilizing a melt of semiconductor material covering a growing crystal of semiconductor material. The growth process comprises generating a bed of a semiconductor material feed on the top surface of the crucible bottom and melting semiconductor material on the bed using the induction heating coil.

A crystal of semiconductor material is produced in an apparatus having a crucible with a crucible bottom and a crucible wall, the crucible bottom having a top surface, an underside, and a multitude of openings disposed between the crucible wall and a center of the crucible bottom, and elevations disposed on the top surface and the underside of the crucible bottom; and an induction heating coil disposed below the crucible for melting semiconductor material and stabilizing a melt of semiconductor material covering a growing crystal of semiconductor material. The growth process comprises generating a bed of a semiconductor material feed on the top surface of the crucible bottom and melting semiconductor material on the bed using the induction heating coil.

An apparatus for producing a single crystal of silicon comprises a plate with a top side, an outer edge, and an inner edge, a central opening adjoining the inner edge, and a tube extending from the central opening to beneath the bottom side of the plate; a device for metering granular silicon onto the plate; a first induction heating coil above the plate, provided for melting of the granular silicon deposited; a second induction heating coil positioned beneath the plate, provided for stabilization of a melt of silicon, the melt being present upon a growing single crystal of silicon. The top side of the plate consists of ceramic material and has elevations, the distance between the elevations in a radial direction being not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm.

An apparatus for producing a single crystal of silicon comprises a plate with a top side, an outer edge, and an inner edge, a central opening adjoining the inner edge, and a tube extending from the central opening to beneath the bottom side of the plate; a device for metering granular silicon onto the plate; a first induction heating coil above the plate, provided for melting of the granular silicon deposited; a second induction heating coil positioned beneath the plate, provided for stabilization of a melt of silicon, the melt being present upon a growing single crystal of silicon. The top side of the plate consists of ceramic material and has elevations, the distance between the elevations in a radial direction being not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm.

The present invention aims at providing a zone melting furnace thermal field with a dual power heating function and a heat preservation method. The zone melting furnace thermal field comprises a primary heating coil and an auxiliary heater, wherein the auxiliary heater has a wavy appearance bent repeatedly up and down and forms a circular loop by surrounding in the horizontal direction, wherein both end parts of the auxiliary heater are provided with ports and are connected with an auxiliary heating power supply through cables; and the auxiliary heating power supply is also sequentially connected with a data analysis module and an infrared temperature measuring instrument through single lines. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.5 inches, and simultaneously can improve the thermal field distribution in the growth process of 3-6 inch zone-melted silicon single crystals.

The present invention aims at providing a zone melting furnace thermal field with a dual power heating function and a heat preservation method. The zone melting furnace thermal field comprises a primary heating coil and an auxiliary heater, wherein the auxiliary heater has a wavy appearance bent repeatedly up and down and forms a circular loop by surrounding in the horizontal direction, wherein both end parts of the auxiliary heater are provided with ports and are connected with an auxiliary heating power supply through cables; and the auxiliary heating power supply is also sequentially connected with a data analysis module and an infrared temperature measuring instrument through single lines. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.5 inches, and simultaneously can improve the thermal field distribution in the growth process of 3-6 inch zone-melted silicon single crystals.

A single crystal manufacturing apparatus to grow a single crystal upward from a seed crystal, the apparatus including an insulated space thermally insulated from a space outside the single crystal manufacturing apparatus, an induction heating coil placed outside the insulated space, a thermal insulation plate that divides the insulated space into a first space including a crystal growth region to grow the single crystal and a second space above the first space and includes a hole above the crystal growth region, a heating element that is placed in the second space and generates heat by induction heating using the induction heating coil to heat the inside of the insulated space, and a support shaft to vertically movably support the seed crystal from below.

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.

A method of performing regional heating of a substrate by electromagnetic induction heating. The method may include applying a semiconductor film to the substrate and controllably energizing a coil positioned near the substrate. The energized coil(s) thereby generates a magnetic flux, which induces a current in the substrate and/or the semiconductor film, thereby heating the substrate and/or semiconductor film. The method may also include relative motion between the coil and the substrate to provide translation heating of the semiconductor film. Additionally, a crystal seeding mechanism may be employed to further control the crystallization process.