IP Library Granted Patent US 12,448,701
Granted Patent B2
US 12,448,701 · App. 17/903,196 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Single crystal manufacturing method, single crystal manufacturing apparatus and crucible

Inventors: Kenta Takao (Tokyo, JP); Daiki Furukawa (Tokyo, JP); Kenya Tanaka (Tokyo, JP); Mai Abe (Tokyo, JP); Takashi Hasegawa (Tokyo, JP); Toru Umeno (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: PROTERIAL, LTD.
C30B15/14C30B15/20C30B29/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,448,701
App. No.
17/903,196
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Miscellaneous crystals generated in a solution are reduced. A single crystal manufacturing method includes a first heating step of heating the solution so that a temperature of the solution in contact with a side surface of a crucible becomes higher than a temperature of the solution in contact with a bottom surface of the crucible, and a second heating step of heating the solution so that the temperature of the solution in contact with the bottom surface of the crucible becomes higher than the temperature of the solution in contact with the side surface of the crucible.

Claims (12)

1. A single crystal manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

(a) by moving a shaft having a seed crystal attached to its tip downward, bringing a lower surface of the seed crystal into contact with a solution including carbon and silicon contained in a crucible; and

(b) growing a single crystal made of silicon carbide on the lower surface of the seed crystal, wherein the step (b) includes:

(c1) a first heating step of heating the solution so that a temperature of the solution in contact with a side surface of the crucible becomes higher than a temperature of the solution in contact with a bottom surface of the crucible; and

(c2) a second heating step of heating the solution so that a temperature of the solution in contact with the bottom surface of the crucible becomes higher than a temperature of the solution in contact with the side surface of the crucible,

wherein the first heating step and the second heating step are alternately switched, and

wherein in both the first heating step and the second heating step, the single crystal grows on the lower surface of the seed crystal.

2. The single crystal manufacturing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the first heating step, the temperature of the solution in contact with the side surface of the crucible is a temperature at which a miscellaneous crystal present in the solution and on the side surface dissolves, and the temperature of the solution in contact with the bottom surface of the crucible is a temperature at which a miscellaneous crystal present in the solution and on the bottom surface precipitates, and,

in the second heating step, the temperature of the solution in contact with the bottom surface of the crucible is a temperature at which a miscellaneous crystal present in the solution and on the bottom surface dissolves, and the temperature of the solution in contact with the side surface of the crucible is a temperature at which a miscellaneous crystal present in the solution and on the side surface precipitates.

3. The single crystal manufacturing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first heating step and the second heating step are alternately switched at a preset time interval.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
To: PROTERIAL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063490/0336 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2022
From: TAKAO, KENTA; FURUKAWA, DAIKI; TANAKA, KENYA; ABE, MAI; HASEGAWA, TAKASHI; UMENO, TORU
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 061385/0895 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2021-147905 · Sep 10, 2021 · national
JP 2022-028347 · Feb 25, 2022 · national
JP 2022-110341 · Jul 8, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230082972A1 · Mar 16, 2023
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