[Object] To provide a thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment and a thin plate-shaped single-crystal production method that can produce a thin plate-shaped single crystal having a uniform dopant concentration at an optimum chemical composition and a thickness of several hundreds of micrometers continuously at low cost with high precision even when the single crystal is a single crystal of an incongruent melting material or a solid solution material or a single crystal of a congruent melting material.

[Solution] Thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment includes: an infrared ray irradiation apparatus that irradiates an upper surface of a raw material lump for production of a thin plate-shaped single crystal with an infrared ray to melt the upper surface; and an elevator apparatus that causes a lower surface of a thin plate-shaped seed single crystal to be immersed in a melt melted using the infrared ray irradiation apparatus and formed on the upper surface and then pulls the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal immersed in the melt upward. The thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment is configured such that, by using the elevator apparatus to immerse the lower surface of the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal in the melt formed on the upper surface of the raw material lump for the production of the thin plate-shaped single crystal using the infrared ray irradiation apparatus, growth of a single crystal is started from the lower surface of the immersed thin plate-shaped seed single crystal and that, by using the elevator apparatus to pull the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal upward, the thin plate-shaped single crystal is produced continuously.

[Object] To provide a thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment and a thin plate-shaped single-crystal production method that can produce a thin plate-shaped single crystal having a uniform dopant concentration at an optimum chemical composition and a thickness of several hundreds of micrometers continuously at low cost with high precision even when the single crystal is a single crystal of an incongruent melting material or a solid solution material or a single crystal of a congruent melting material.

[Solution] Thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment includes: an infrared ray irradiation apparatus that irradiates an upper surface of a raw material lump for production of a thin plate-shaped single crystal with an infrared ray to melt the upper surface; and an elevator apparatus that causes a lower surface of a thin plate-shaped seed single crystal to be immersed in a melt melted using the infrared ray irradiation apparatus and formed on the upper surface and then pulls the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal immersed in the melt upward. The thin plate-shaped single-crystal production equipment is configured such that, by using the elevator apparatus to immerse the lower surface of the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal in the melt formed on the upper surface of the raw material lump for the production of the thin plate-shaped single crystal using the infrared ray irradiation apparatus, growth of a single crystal is started from the lower surface of the immersed thin plate-shaped seed single crystal and that, by using the elevator apparatus to pull the thin plate-shaped seed single crystal upward, the thin plate-shaped single crystal is produced continuously.

[Object] To provide a single-crystal fiber production equipment and a single-crystal fiber production method that do not at all require high precision control necessary for a conventional single-crystal production equipment, can very easily maintain a stable steady state for a long time, and can stably produce a long single crystal fiber having a length of several hundreds of meters or more.

[Solution] The single-crystal fiber production equipment is used to produce a single crystal fiber by irradiating an upper surface of a raw material rod with a laser beam within a chamber to form a melt, immersing a seed single crystal in the melt, and pulling the seed single crystal upward. The single-crystal fiber production equipment includes: a laser light source that emits the laser beam as a collimated beam; a pulling device configured to be upward and downward movable in a vertical direction with the seed single crystal held thereby; and a flat reflector that reflects the laser beam such that the reflected laser beam is incident vertically on the upper surface of the raw material rod. The upper surface of the raw material rod is irradiated with the laser beam such that the melt has a donut-shaped temperature distribution.

[Object] To provide a single-crystal fiber production equipment and a single-crystal fiber production method that do not at all require high precision control necessary for a conventional single-crystal production equipment, can very easily maintain a stable steady state for a long time, and can stably produce a long single crystal fiber having a length of several hundreds of meters or more.

[Solution] The single-crystal fiber production equipment is used to produce a single crystal fiber by irradiating an upper surface of a raw material rod with a laser beam within a chamber to form a melt, immersing a seed single crystal in the melt, and pulling the seed single crystal upward. The single-crystal fiber production equipment includes: a laser light source that emits the laser beam as a collimated beam; a pulling device configured to be upward and downward movable in a vertical direction with the seed single crystal held thereby; and a flat reflector that reflects the laser beam such that the reflected laser beam is incident vertically on the upper surface of the raw material rod. The upper surface of the raw material rod is irradiated with the laser beam such that the melt has a donut-shaped temperature distribution.

A method and an apparatus for depositing an epitaxial layer on a substrate wafer made of semiconductor material. The method comprises the arrangement of the substrate wafer and a susceptor in a deposition device such that the substrate wafer rests on the susceptor and the susceptor is held by arms of a support shaft; monitoring whether a misalignment of the susceptor exists with respect to its position relative to the position of a pre-heating ring surrounding it; monitoring whether a misalignment of the support shaft exists with respect to its position relative to the position of the pre-heating ring; if at least one of the misalignments is present, elimination of the respective misalignment; and the deposition of the epitaxial layer on the substrate wafer.

In a crystal manufacturing method, first, a feedstock including a tapered tip portion is disposed above a crystal growth region. Then, a side surface of the tip portion is selectively heated and melted by radiant heat traveling diagonally upward while a shape of the tip portion is maintained, and the side surface of the tip portion is physically connected to an upper surface of the crystal growth region by a material melted from the side surface. In a crystal manufacturing apparatus, the radiant heat for melting the feedstock is radiated from an electric resistance heater.

In a crystal manufacturing method, first, a feedstock including a tapered tip portion is disposed above a crystal growth region. Then, a side surface of the tip portion is selectively heated and melted by radiant heat traveling diagonally upward while a shape of the tip portion is maintained, and the side surface of the tip portion is physically connected to an upper surface of the crystal growth region by a material melted from the side surface. In a crystal manufacturing apparatus, the radiant heat for melting the feedstock is radiated from an electric resistance heater.

A growth chamber or a Czochralski crystal growth station has one or more re-sealable caps that are inserted into the chamber body. An O-ring seals the cap within its mating portion of the chamber body. The re-sealable caps facilitate re-use of the chamber body for a future crystal growth cycle.

A growth chamber or a Czochralski crystal growth station has one or more re-sealable caps that are inserted into the chamber body. An O-ring seals the cap within its mating portion of the chamber body. The re-sealable caps facilitate re-use of the chamber body for a future crystal growth cycle.

[Object] To provide a single-crystal fiber production equipment and a single-crystal fiber production method that do not at all require high precision control necessary for a conventional single-crystal production equipment, can very easily maintain a stable steady state for a long time, and can stably produce a long single crystal fiber having a length of several hundreds of meters or more. [Solution] The single-crystal fiber production equipment is used to produce a single crystal fiber by irradiating an upper surface of a raw material rod with a laser beam within a chamber to form a melt, immersing a seed single crystal in the melt, and pulling the seed single crystal upward. The single-crystal fiber production equipment includes: a laser light source that emits the laser beam as a collimated beam; a pulling device configured to be upward and downward movable in a vertical direction with the seed single crystal held thereby; and a flat reflector that reflects the laser beam such that the reflected laser beam is incident vertically on the upper surface of the raw material rod. The upper surface of the raw material rod is irradiated with the laser beam such that the melt has a donut-shaped temperature distribution.