Growth of Si Bulk Crystals with Large Diameter Ratio Using Small Crucibles by Creating a Large Low-Temperature Region Inside a Si Melt Contained in an NOC Furnace Developed Using Two Zone Heaters

Three zone heaters were generally used for a noncontact crucible (NOC) furnace. For practical reasons a simpler NOC furnace was developed with two zone heaters, which had a carbon heat holder to cover the three roles of each heater. Large low-temperature regions were obtained, and silicon ingots were grown in small crucibles with a large diameter and diameter ratio. Here, the diameter ratio is the ratio of the ingot diameter to the crucible diameter and can be as large as 0.90. The diameter ratio was controlled mainly by the temperature reduction of the first heater. Power changes of the second heater did not have a significant impact on the ingot diameter. Using this NOC furnace, maximum ingot diameters of 28.0, 33.5, and 45.0 cm were obtained using crucibles of 33, 40, and 50 cm in diameter, respectively. The oxygen concentration of the ingots did not strongly depend on the diameter ratio and were always low because convection in the Si melt was markedly suppressed by the carbon heat holder. Moreover, the oxygen concentration of the ingots has a tendency to become lower as the crucible diameter becomes larger.