Controlling melt-solid interface shape of a growing silicon crystal using a variable magnetic field
View Patent ↗Methods and system for controlling crystal growth in a Czochralski crystal growing apparatus. A magnetic field is applied within the crystal growing apparatus and varied to control a shape of the melt-solid interface where the ingot is being pulled from the melt. The shape of the melt-solid interface is formed to a desired shape in response to the varied magnetic field as a function of a length of the ingot.
1. A method of controlling crystal growth in a crystal growing apparatus, said crystal growing apparatus having a heated crucible including a semiconductor melt from which a monocrystalline ingot is grown according to a Czochralski process, said ingot being grown on a seed crystal pulled from the melt, said method comprising:
applying a cusped magnetic field to the melt; and
varying the magnetic field while the ingot is being pulled from the melt to control cusp position of the magnetic field relative to a melt-solid interface between the melt and the ingot for controlling a shape of the melt-solid interface, said controlled shape of the melt-solid interface being a function of a length of the ingot.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises varying the magnetic field according to one or more of the following types of magnetic field configurations relative to the melt-solid interface: a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration; an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration; and a substantially symmetric magnetic field configuration.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises applying a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a less concave and more gull-wing shape relative to the ingot; an increased axial temperature gradient at the melt-solid interface; a decreased radial variation of the axial temperature gradient in the ingot near the melt-solid interface; and an increased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises applying an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a more convex shape relative to the ingot; a substantially stable melt flow; and a decreased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the magnetic field comprises energizing a first magnet situated higher than the melt-solid interface and energizing a second magnet situated lower than the melt-solid interface.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises increasing a power distribution in the first magnet relative to the second magnet to move the cusp position below the melt-solid interface for achieving a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises increasing a power distribution in the second magnet relative to the first magnet to move the cusp position above the melt-solid interface for achieving an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises energizing the first and second magnets according to a substantially uniform power distribution to move the cusp position near the melt-solid interface for achieving a substantially symmetric magnetic field configuration.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting a power distribution of the first magnet and the second magnet as a function of one or more of the following to change the magnetic field intensity thereby moving the cusp position to a desired position above or below the melt-solid interface: length of the ingot; and growth stage of the ingot.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second magnets comprise solenoids.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises varying one or more of the following while the ingot is being pulled from the melt: a configuration of the magnetic field; and an intensity of the magnetic field.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises varying one or more of the following according to the length of the ingot: a configuration of the magnetic field; and an intensity of the magnetic field.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises varying one or more of the following according to a growth stage of the ingot: a configuration of the external magnetic field; and an intensity of the external magnetic field.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the growth stage includes one or more of the following: necking; crown; and late-body to end cone growth.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface to produce a desired level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface to produce a desired level of oxygen radial gradient in the ingot.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to achieve a desired shape of the melt-solid interface at a selected length of the ingot.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein selectively adjusting the magnetic field to achieve the desired shape of the melt-solid interface comprises selectively adjusting the external magnetic field to achieve one or more of the following shapes of the melt-solid interface: a convex interface shape relative to the ingot; and a concave interface shape relative to the ingot.
19. A method of producing a monocrystalline semiconductor ingot by a Czochralski process, said method comprising:
growing a monocrystalline ingot on a seed crystal pulled from a semiconductor melt;
applying an asymmetric magnetic field to the melt while growing the ingot; and
varying the magnetic field to control a shape of the melt-solid interface while the ingot is being pulled from the melt, said shape of the melt-solid interface being a function of a length of the ingot.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein applying the asymmetric magnetic field comprises applying a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a less concave and more gull-wing shape relative to the ingot; an increased axial temperature gradient at the melt-solid interface; a decreased radial variation of the axial temperature gradient in the ingot near the melt-solid interface; and an increased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein applying the asymmetric magnetic field comprises applying an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a more convex shape relative to the ingot; a substantially stable melt flow; and a decreased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein applying the asymmetric magnetic field comprises energizing a first magnet situated higher than the melt-solid interface and energizing a second magnet situated lower than the melt-solid interface at different power levels.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface to produce a desired level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
24. The method of claim 19 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface controlling a level of oxygen radial gradient in the ingot.
25. A method of controlling an oxygen characteristic of crystal growth of a monocrystalline ingot, said ingot being grown in a crystal growing apparatus according to a Czochralski process, said crystal growing apparatus having a heated crucible including a semiconductor melt from which the ingot is grown, said ingot being grown on a seed crystal pulled from the melt, said method comprising:
applying a cusped magnetic field to the melt; and
varying the magnetic field while the ingot is being pulled from the melt to control cusp position of the magnetic field relative to a melt-solid interface between the melt and the ingot for controlling a shape of the melt-solid interface, said controlled shape of the melt-solid interface producing a desired oxygen characteristic in the ingot.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises varying the magnetic field according to one or more of the following types of magnetic field configurations relative to the melt-solid interface: a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration; an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field configuration; and a substantially symmetric magnetic field configuration.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises applying a horizontally dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a less concave and more gull-wing shape relative to the ingot; an increased axial temperature gradient at the melt-solid interface; a decreased radial variation of the axial temperature gradient in the ingot near the melt-solid interface; and an increased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises applying an axially dominated asymmetric magnetic field relative to the melt-solid interface to produce one or more of the following: a melt-solid interface shape having a more convex shape relative to the ingot; a substantially stable melt flow; and a decreased level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
29. The method of claim 25 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface controlling a level of oxygen concentration in the ingot.
30. The method of claim 25 wherein varying the magnetic field comprises selectively adjusting the magnetic field to control the shape of the melt-solid interface controlling a level of oxygen radial gradient in the ingot.
31. The method of claim 25 wherein the oxygen characteristic comprises one or more of the following: oxygen concentration in the ingot; and oxygen radial gradient in the ingot.