REDUCTION OF AIR POCKETS IN SILICON CRYSTALS BY AVOIDING THE INTRODUCTION OF NEARLY-INSOLUBLE GASES INTO THE MELT

1 . A process for controlling the amount of insoluble gas carried by a charge of granular polycrystalline silicon, the process comprising:

(i) charging a feeding container with granular polycrystalline silicon,

(ii) forming an ambient atmosphere in the feeding container, the ambient atmosphere having a mole fraction of at least 0.9 of a gas having a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 5×10 13 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa), and

(iii) reducing the pressure inside the charged feeding container.

2 . The process of claim 1 wherein step (ii) is carried out before step (iii).

3 . The process of claim 1 wherein step (iii) is carried out before step (ii).

4 . The process of claim 1 wherein step (ii) is carried out before step (i).

5 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least one of steps (ii) and (iii) is carried out at least twice.

6 . The process of claim 1 wherein the gas has a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 1×10 14 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

7 . The process of claim 1 wherein the gas has a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 1×10 15 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

8 . The process of claim 1 wherein the gas has a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 1×10 16 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

9 . The process of claim 1 wherein the gas has a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 1×10 17 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

10 . The process of claim 1 wherein the gas has a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 6×10 18 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

11 . The process of claim 1 wherein the ambient atmosphere comprises a mole fraction of at least 0.9 of a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, chlorine, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, and combinations thereof.

12 . The process of claim 1 wherein the ambient atmosphere comprises a mole fraction of at least 0.9 of nitrogen.

13 . The process of claim 1 wherein the mole fraction is at least 0.95 of the gas having a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 5×10 13 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

14 . The process of claim 1 wherein the mole fraction is at least 0.97 of the gas having a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 5×10 13 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa).

15 . The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure inside the charged feeding container is reduced to between about 0 Torr (0 kPa) and about 40 Torr (about 0.67 kPa).

16 . The process of claim 15 wherein the pressure is reduced for a duration between about 15 seconds and about 60 minutes.

17 . The process of claim 1 wherein the ambient atmosphere is formed in the feeding container at an ambient pressure between about 10 Torr (about 1.3 kPa) and about 1 atm (about 101.3 kPa).

18 . The process of claim 17 further comprising holding the ambient atmosphere in the feeding container at said ambient pressure for a duration between about 15 seconds and about 60 minutes.

19 . The process of claim 1 wherein the ambient atmosphere is formed in the feeding container at an ambient pressure about 10 Torr (about 1.3 kPa) and about 100 Torr (about 13.3 kPa).

20 . The process of claim 19 further comprising holding the ambient atmosphere in the feeding container at said ambient pressure for a duration between about 15 seconds and about 60 minutes.

21 . A process for preparing a silicon melt in a crucible in a growth chamber of a crystal puller apparatus, the process comprising:

feeding an initial charge of polycrystalline silicon to the crucible residing in the growth chamber of the crystal puller apparatus and melting a fraction of the initial charge to thereby form a partially melted charge;

holding granular polycrystalline silicon in a feeding container having an ambient atmosphere as the initial charge is being melted, the ambient atmosphere having a mole fraction of at least 0.9 of a gas having a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 5×10 13 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa); and

feeding the held granular polycrystalline silicon to the crucible to supplement the initial charge, and melting the supplemental charge of granular polycrystalline silicon to form the silicon melt in the crucible.

22 . The process of claim 21 further comprising introducing a stream of a gas having a solubility in molten silicon of at least about 5×10 13 atoms/cm 3 at a temperature near the melting point of silicon and at a pressure of about 1 bar (about 100 kPa) into the feeding container while the granular polycrystalline silicon is held therein.

23 . The process of claim 22 further comprising adding an alkaline earth metal containing composition to the partially melted charge prior to feeding the supplemental charge of granular polycrystalline silicon.

24 . The process of claim 21 further comprising adding an alkaline earth metal containing composition to the partially melted charge prior to feeding the supplemental charge of granular polycrystalline silicon.