The invention provides process for producing a stable Si or Ge electrode structure comprising cycling a Si or Ge nanowire electrode until a structure of the Si nanowires form a continuous porous network of Si or Ge ligaments.

The invention provides process for producing a stable Si or Ge electrode structure comprising cycling a Si or Ge nanowire electrode until a structure of the Si nanowires form a continuous porous network of Si or Ge ligaments.

A method is provided for forming Group IIIA-nitride layers, such as GaN, on substrates. The Group IIIA-nitride layers may be deposited on mesa-patterned semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI, e.g., silicon-on-insulator) substrates. The Group IIIA-nitride layers may be deposited by heteroepitaxial deposition on mesa-patterned semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI, e.g., silicon-on-insulator) substrates.

An embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal ingot by using a silicon single crystal growing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a crucible arranged inside the chamber and accommodating a molten silicon solution; a heater arranged outside the crucible so as to heat the crucible; a heat shielding part arranged inside the chamber; and a pulling part for pulling a single crystal growing from the molten silicon solution, wherein the method can comprise a step of respectively growing a neck part, a shoulder part and a body part.

An embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal ingot by using a silicon single crystal growing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a crucible arranged inside the chamber and accommodating a molten silicon solution; a heater arranged outside the crucible so as to heat the crucible; a heat shielding part arranged inside the chamber; and a pulling part for pulling a single crystal growing from the molten silicon solution, wherein the method can comprise a step of respectively growing a neck part, a shoulder part and a body part.

A plate-shaped sample with a cross-section perpendicular to a radial direction of a polycrystalline silicon rod as a principal surface is sampled from a region from a center (r=0) of the polycrystalline silicon rod to R/3. Then, the sample is disposed at a position at which a Bragg reflection from a (111) Miller index plane is detected. In-plane rotation with a rotational angle φ on the sample is performed with a center of the sample as a rotational center such that an X-ray irradiation region defined by a slit performs φ-scanning on the principal surface of the sample to obtain a diffraction chart indicating dependency of a Bragg reflection intensity from the (111) Miller index plane on a rotational angle of the sample. A ratio (S.sub.p/S.sub.t) between an area S.sub.p of a peak part appearing in the diffraction chart and a total area S.sub.t of the diffraction chart is calculated.

A plate-shaped sample with a cross-section perpendicular to a radial direction of a polycrystalline silicon rod as a principal surface is sampled from a region from a center (r=0) of the polycrystalline silicon rod to R/3. Then, the sample is disposed at a position at which a Bragg reflection from a (111) Miller index plane is detected. In-plane rotation with a rotational angle φ on the sample is performed with a center of the sample as a rotational center such that an X-ray irradiation region defined by a slit performs φ-scanning on the principal surface of the sample to obtain a diffraction chart indicating dependency of a Bragg reflection intensity from the (111) Miller index plane on a rotational angle of the sample. A ratio (S.sub.p/S.sub.t) between an area S.sub.p of a peak part appearing in the diffraction chart and a total area S.sub.t of the diffraction chart is calculated.

In accordance with a method of manufacturing CZ silicon wafers, a parameter of at least two of the CZ silicon wafers is measured. A group of the CZ silicon wafers falling within a tolerance of a target specification is determined. The group of the CZ silicon wafers is divided into sub-groups taking into account the measured parameter. An average value of the parameter of the CZ silicon wafers of each sub-group differs among the sub-groups, and a tolerance of the parameter of the CZ silicon wafers of each sub-group is smaller than a tolerance of the parameter of the target specification. A labeling configured to distinguish between the CZ silicon wafers of different sub-groups is prepared. The CZ silicon wafers falling within the tolerance of the target specification are packaged.

A semiconductor wafer of single-crystal silicon has an oxygen concentration per new ASTM of not less than 5.0×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not more than 6.5×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3; a nitrogen concentration per new ASTM of not less than 1.0×10.sup.13 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not more than 1.0×10.sup.14 atoms/cm.sup.3; a front side having a silicon epitaxial layer wherein the semiconductor wafer has BMDs whose mean size is not more than 10 nm determined by transmission electron microscopy and whose mean density adjacent to the epitaxial layer is not less than 1.0×10.sup.11 cm.sup.−3, determined by reactive ion etching after having subjected the wafer covered with the epitaxial layer to a heat treatment at a temperature of 780° C. for a period of 3 h and to a heat treatment at a temperature of 600° C. for a period of 10 h.

A semiconductor wafer of single-crystal silicon has an oxygen concentration per new ASTM of not less than 5.0×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not more than 6.5×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3; a nitrogen concentration per new ASTM of not less than 1.0×10.sup.13 atoms/cm.sup.3 and not more than 1.0×10.sup.14 atoms/cm.sup.3; a front side having a silicon epitaxial layer wherein the semiconductor wafer has BMDs whose mean size is not more than 10 nm determined by transmission electron microscopy and whose mean density adjacent to the epitaxial layer is not less than 1.0×10.sup.11 cm.sup.−3, determined by reactive ion etching after having subjected the wafer covered with the epitaxial layer to a heat treatment at a temperature of 780° C. for a period of 3 h and to a heat treatment at a temperature of 600° C. for a period of 10 h.