Czochralski crystal-pulling

Figure 1.8 (a) Czochralski crystal pulling technique (b) commercial Czochralski crystal... 

Fig. 3.4-4. Czochralski crystal pulling unit for the manufacture of silicon single crystals.

Fig. 3 Czochralski crystal pulling and watering. (Courtesy of UNSW Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering Image Library.)...

The next most importtmt parameters in Czochralski growth of crystals are the heat flow and heat losses in the system. Actually, aU of the parameters (with the possible exception of 2 and 9) are strongly ciffected by the heat flow within the crystal-pulling system. A tj pical heat-flow pattern in a Czochralski sjretem involves both the crucible and the melt. The pattern of heat-flow is important but we will not expemd upon this topic here. Let it suffice to point out that heat-flow is set up in the melt by the direction of rotation of the cr5rstal being pulled. It is also ctffected by the upper surface of the melt and how well it is thermally insulated from its surroundings. The circular heat flow pattern causes the surface to radiate heat. The crystal also absorbs heat and re-radiates it... 

The Czochralski Technique. Pulling from the melt is known as the Czochralski technique. Purified material is held just above the melting point in a cmcible, usually of Pt or Ir, most often powered by radio-frequency induction heating coupled into the wall of the crucible. The temperature is controlled by a thermocouple or a radiation pyrometer. A rotating seed crystal is touched to the melt surface and is slowly withdrawn as the molten material solidifies onto the seed. Temperature control is used to widen the crystal to the desired diameter. A typical rotation rate is 30 rpm and a typical withdrawal rate, 1—3 cm/h. Very large, eg, kilogram-sized crystals can be grown. 

Overview of Unit Operations. To maximize the electron or hole (carrier) mobility and thus device speed, ICs are built in single-crystal substrates. Methods of bulk crystal growth are therefore needed. The most common of these methods are the Czochralski and float-zone techniques. The Czochralski technique is a crystal-pulling or melt-growth method, whereas the float-zone technique involves localized melting of a sintered bar of the material, followed by cooling and, thus, crystallization. 

Process Stability and Control. Operationally, automatic control of the crystal radius by varying either the input power to the heater or the crystal pull rate has been necessary for the reproducible growth of crystals with constant radius. Techniques for automatic diameter control have been used since the establishment of Czochralski growth. Optical imaging of the crystal or direct measurement of the crystal weight has been used to determine the instantaneous radius. Hurle (156) reviewed the techniques currently used for sensing the radius. Bardsley et al. (157,158) described control based on the measurement of the crystal weight. 

The next most important parameters in Czochralski growth of crystals are the heat flow and heat losses in the system. Actually, all of the parameters (with the possible exception of 2 and 9) are strongly affected by the heat flow within the crystal-pulling stem. The next section addresses this factor. 

Figure 7.19. Crystal pulling and withdrawal techniques a) Kyropoulos, b) Czochralski...

Silicon is produced by a well-controlled Czochralski crystal growth process in a very clean environment, that is, class of 1 or 10. In this process, a small seed crystal is dipped into a highly purified silicon melt. This seed is slowly pulled while the crucible containing the melt is rotated. The silicon crystal grows along the selected orientation of the seed to the rod. A cylindrical crystal is obtained from which slices are cut. This is followed by the atomic polishing phase. The side of one cubic face is 5.43A. The mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of silicon have been presented in Table 10.1. 

In Bridgman growth [155], a boat or vessel filled with the melt is slowly cooled from one side, so that the crystal forms from that side. In Czochralski growth [156,157] a cylindrical crystal sits on the surface of the melt and is slowly pulled upward. In both cases the hydrodynamical flow of the melt is an important factor in the chemical composition and fine structure of the resulting crystal. 

The next step is the hydrogen reduction of the trichlorosilane (Reaction 2 above). The end product is a poly crystalline silicon rod up to 200 mm in diameter and several meters in length. The resulting EGS material is extremely pure with less than 2 ppm of carbon and only a few ppb of boron and residual donors. The Czochralski pulling technique is used to prepare large single crystals of silicon, which are subsequently sliced into wafers for use in electronic devices.1 1... 

The apparatus consists of a normal Czochralski melt with an anvil at the surface of the melt. Once the crystal has started to grow, we pull it through the anvil, thus defining its size. Once it is in the form of a strip. 

Czrochralski A process for growing large single crystals. The bulk of the material is melted in a crucible. A single crystal of the same material is lowered onto the surface of the melt and then slowly pulled upward, producing a cylindrical single crystal known as a boule. Invented by J. Czochralski as a method for determining the velocity of crystallization of molten metals. 

Fig. 10. Pulling of a single crystal of UNi from the levitated melt by the Czochralski method...

The most common methods of growing crystals involve solidification from the melt (in the case of one-component systems) or crystallization from solution. Some of the methods for growing crystals from melt are described schematically in Fig. 3.6. In the Czochralski method, commonly known as the pulling technique, the material is melted by induction or resistance heating in a suitable nonreactive crucible. The melt temperature is adjusted to slightly above the melting point and a seed crystal is dipped into the melt. After thermal equilibration is attained, the seed is slowly lifted from the... 

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