Numerical Simulation Study on the Front Shape and Thermal Stresses in Growing Multicrystalline Silicon Ingot: Process and Structural Design

In this paper, a transient numerical simulation method is used to investigate the effects of the two furnace configurations on the thermal field: the shape of the melt–crystal (M/C) interface and the thermal stress in the growing multicrystalline ingot. First, four different power ratios (top power to side power) are investigated, and then three positions (i.e., the vertical, angled, and horizontal positions) of the insulation block are compared with the conventional setup. The power ratio simulation results show that with a descending power ratio, the M/C interface becomes flatter and the thermal stress in the solidified ingot is lower. In our cases, a power ratio of 1:3–1:4 is more feasible for high-quality ingot. The block’s position simulation results indicate that the horizontal block can more effectively reduce the radial temperature gradient, resulting in a flatter M/C interface and lower thermal stress.