A growing single crystal is supported in the region of a conical section of the single crystal via a supporting body during crystallization of the single crystal by the FZ method. The method comprises pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal at a temperature at which a first material of the supporting body becomes soft, and continuing pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal until the first material and a second material of the supporting body that remains hard at the cited temperature touch the conical section of the growing single crystal.

The invention relates to a method and a device for pulling a monocrystalline silicon rod in a pulling system for zone melting, the method comprising the following steps: (I) providing a stock rod made of silicon, which comprises an azimuthal groove at one end; (2) attaching a lower part, which comprises three gripping arms, each gripping arm being shaped such that one end fits into the azimuthal groove of the stock rod and another end is rotatably attached to the lower part; (3) suspending the lower part, together with the stock rod, on an upper part, which contains a connecting element connected to a pulling shaft of the zone-melting pulling system, such that the upper part and the lower part are radially interlockingly connected to each other, the upper part comprising an element for radial orientation, and three length-adjustable spacing elements being attached to the upper part such that the spacing elements can apply force to respective gripping arms; (4) moving the element for radial orientation such that the axis of rotation of the stock rod at the end at which the groove is located corresponds to the axis of rotation of the pulling shaft; (5) setting the length-adjustable spacing elements such that the axis of rotation of the stock rod at the end remote from the groove corresponds to the axis of rotation of the pulling shaft; (6) pulling a conical part of a monocrystalline rod; (7) pulling a cylindrical part of the monocrystalline rod.

A single crystal production apparatus (and a single crystal production method) is configured to produce a single crystal by approaching a raw material M gripped by a raw material grip portion, and a seed crystal S gripped by a seed crystal grip portion by disposing the raw material grip portion and the seed crystal grip portion mutually in a vertical direction and approaching both of them each other, and forming a melting zone M1 by making a portion melted by heating the raw material M by a heating part in contact with the seed crystal S, and cooling the melting zone, wherein the heating part has an infrared generating part, and the seed crystal grip portion is disposed at a vertically top position, and the raw material grip portion is disposed at a vertically bottom position.

A cantilever device for extending capacity of a scale used in a crystal growth apparatus having a pulling head wherein upward movement of a support column in the pulling head decreases a weight measured by the scale. The device includes a horizontal arm having first and second brackets, wherein the first bracket is attached to the pulling head. The device also includes a plate that extends through openings in the first and second brackets, wherein the plate includes a contact end and a free end. Further, the device includes a flexible element attached between the arm and the plate to form a pivot to enable rotation of the plate. A load is positioned on the plate wherein the load causes rotation of the plate about the pivot to cause upward movement of the contact end to move the support column upward to decrease weight measured by the scale.

A single crystal production apparatus (and a single crystal production method) is configured to produce a single crystal by approaching a raw material M gripped by a raw material grip portion, and a seed crystal S gripped by a seed crystal grip portion by disposing the raw material grip portion and the seed crystal grip portion mutually in a vertical direction and approaching both of them each other, and forming a melting zone M1 by making a portion melted by heating the raw material M by a heating part in contact with the seed crystal S, and cooling the melting zone, wherein the heating part has an infrared generating part, and the seed crystal grip portion is disposed at a vertically top position, and the raw material grip portion is disposed at a vertically bottom position.

A pulling head for a crystal growth furnace. The pulling head includes a servomotor and a rotatable housing attached to the servomotor, wherein the housing includes first, second, third and fourth housing magnets. The pulling head also includes a shaft attached to a scale and a connection device having first and second connection magnets. The first connection magnet is arranged between the first and second housing magnets to generate first and second magnetic repulsion forces and the second connection magnet is arranged between the third and fourth housing magnets to generate third and fourth magnetic repulsion forces. A rotation coupling is attached between the shaft and the connection device wherein the scale weighs the shaft, rotation coupling and the connection device. The servomotor rotates the housing and rotation of the housing is transmitted by the magnetic repulsion forces to the connection device to rotate the connection device.