IP Library Granted Patent US 11,060,202
Granted Patent B2
US 11,060,202 · App. 16/322,729 · Granted Jul 13, 2021

Method for pulling a single crystal composed of semiconductor material from a melt contained in a crucible

Inventors: Thomas Schroeck (Kastl, DE); Walter Heuwieser (Stammham, DE)
Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
C30B15/203C30B15/14C30B15/20C30B15/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,060,202
App. No.
16/322,729
Granted
Jul 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Single crystal semiconductor ingots are pulled from a melt contained in a crucible by a method of controlling the pulling the single crystal in a phase in which an initial cone of the single crystal is grown until a phase in which the pulling of a cylindrical section of the single crystal is begun, by measuring the diameter Dcr of the initial cone of the single crystal and calculating the change in the diameter dDcr/dt; pulling the initial cone of the single crystal from the melt at a pulling rate vp(t) from a point in time t 1 until a point in time t 2 , starting from which the pulling of the cylindrical section of the single crystal in conjunction with a target diameter Dcrs is begun, wherein the profile of the pulling rate vp(t) from the point in time t 1 until the point in time t 2 during the pulling of the initial cone is predetermined by means of an iterative computation process.

Claims (10)

1. A method for pulling a single crystal composed of semiconductor material having a constant diameter portion with a target diameter Dcrs from a melt contained in a crucible, comprising

pulling the single crystal in a phase in which an initial cone of the single crystal is grown until a phase in which the pulling of a cylindrical section of the single crystal is begun, by:

measuring a diameter Dcr of the initial cone of the single crystal and calculating a change in the diameter dDcr/dt;

pulling the initial cone of the single crystal from the melt at a pulling rate vp(t) from a point in time t 1 until a point in time t 2 , wherein following t 2 the pulling of the cylindrical section of the single crystal in conjunction with the target diameter Dcrs begins, wherein a profile of the pulling rate vp(t) from the point in time t 1 until the point in time t 2 is predetermined, and a difference Δt=t 2 −t 1 is changed during the pulling of the initial cone by iteratively evaluating equations

∂Men H/∂t=vp ( t )− vcr ( t )

∂ Dcr/∂t=vcr ( t )*2 tan β cr ( t )

until the point in time t 2 matches an attainment of the target diameter Dcrs, wherein MenH, vcr and βcr denote a meniscus height, a growth rate of the single crystal and a crystal angle, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

feeding heat to a phase boundary between an edge of the single crystal and the melt by open-loop control of a heating power LstR(t) of a ring-shaped heating device arranged above the melt, and

predetermining a profile of the heating power LstR(t) of the ring-shaped heating device from the point in time t 1 until the point in time t 2 by iteratively evaluating the equations such that the growth rate of the single crystal at the point in time t 2 has a target value vcrs.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE DATE OF THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS FROM 03/12/2020 TO 12/03/2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056719 FRAME: 0881. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jul 1, 2021
From: SILTRONIC AG
To: SILTRONIC AG
Reel/Frame 057561/0451 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 30, 2021
From: SILTRONIC AG
To: SILTRONIC AG
Reel/Frame 056719/0881 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2019
From: SCHROECK, THOMAS; HEUWIESER, WALTER
To: SILTRONIC AG
Reel/Frame 048476/0654 →