IP Library Granted Patent US 8,696,813
Granted Patent B2
US 8,696,813 · App. 12/786,911 · Granted Apr 15, 2014

Method of manufacturing silicon single crystal, apparatus for pulling silicon single crystal and vitreous silica crucible

Inventors: Masanori Fukui (Akita, JP); Hideki Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Nobumitsu Takase (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,696,813
App. No.
12/786,911
Granted
Apr 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Leakage of silicon melt is monitored and touch of a seed crystal at the silicon melt is detected, and in addition, reinforcement of a vitreous silica crucible to be endurable during pulling for a long time and decrease of impurity concentration of a silicon single crystal can be expected. A method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal is provided. The method includes: detecting touching status of a seed crystal at silicon melt by supplying voltage V 1 using a crucible side as a negative electrode and a wire side as a positive electrode and by monitoring change of the voltage, when the seed crystal provided at a front end of the wire touches the silicon melt inside a vitreous silica crucible; devitrifying an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible as supplying voltage V 2 using the crucible side as a positive electrode and the wire side as a negative electrode during a temperature control period; and growing a silicon single crystal by slowly pulling the seed crystal as supplying voltage V 3 using the crucible side as a negative electrode and the wire side as a positive electrode after the temperature control period.

Claims (27)

1. A method of manufacturing a silicon single crystal comprising:

detecting touching status of a seed crystal at silicon melt by supplying a first voltage using a vitreous silica crucible side as a negative electrode and a pulling shaft side as a positive electrode and by monitoring change of the first voltage, when the seed crystal provided at a front end of the pulling shaft touches the silicon melt inside a vitreous silica crucible;

devitrifying an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible as supplying a second voltage greater than the first voltage using the vitreous silica crucible side as a positive electrode and the pulling shaft side as a negative electrode during a temperature control period of the silicon melt, the temperature control period being a certain period after the touch of the seed crystal at the silicon melt; and

growing a silicon single crystal by slowly pulling the seed crystal as supplying a third voltage smaller in absolute value than the second voltage using the vitreous silica crucible side as a negative electrode and the pulling shaft side as a positive electrode after the temperature control period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growing of the silicon single crystal further comprises reproducing a devitrified portion of the inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible by supplying a fourth voltage greater in absolute value than a third voltage for a certain period before the devitrified portion formed at the inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible disappears.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in the growing of the silicon single crystal, the supplying of the third voltage and the supplying of the fourth voltage are alternately repeated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein leakage of the silicon melt is detected by monitoring changes of the first to third voltages.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

6. An apparatus for pulling a silicon single crystal, the apparatus comprising a pulling shaft, an elevator unit of the pulling shaft, a seed crystal provided at a front end of the pulling shaft, a vitreous silica crucible filled with silicon melt, a heater heating the silicon melt inside the vitreous silica crucible, a power supply supplying a voltage between the vitreous silica crucible and the pulling shaft, and a controller controlling the elevator unit, the heater and the power supply,

wherein the controller comprises:

a touch control part detecting touching status of the seed crystal at the silicon melt by supplying a first voltage using the vitreous silica crucible side as a negative electrode and the pulling shaft side as a positive electrode and by monitoring change of the first voltage, when the seed crystal touches the silicon melt by lowering the pulling shaft;

a devitrification control part devitrifying an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible as supplying a second voltage greater than the first voltage using the vitreous silica crucible side as a positive electrode and the pulling shaft side as a negative electrode during a temperature control period of the silicon melt, the temperature control period being a certain period after the touch of the seed crystal; and

a single crystal control part growing a silicon single crystal by slowly pulling the seed crystal as supplying a third voltage smaller than the second voltage using the vitreous silica crucible side as a negative electrode and the pulling shaft side as a positive electrode after the temperature control period.

7. A vitreous silica crucible having a cylindrical sidewall part, a bottom part provided at a lower portion of the sidewall part, and a joining section provided between the sidewall part and the bottom part, the vitreous silica crucible being used for pulling a silicon single crystal in a state that a predetermined voltage is supplied with respect to a thickness direction of the crucible, the vitreous silica crucible comprising:

a transparent vitreous silica layer provided on an inner surface of the crucible; and

an opaque vitreous silica layer provided on an outer surface of the crucible, and including a plurality of bubbles,

wherein the opaque vitreous silica layer comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

8. The vitreous silica crucible of claim 7 , wherein a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals comprised in the opaque vitreous silica layer is equal to or greater than 0.2 ppm.

9. The vitreous silica crucible of claim 7 , wherein the transparent vitreous silica layer comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm and equal to or less than 5 ppm.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein leakage of the silicon melt is detected by monitoring changes of the first to third voltages.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein leakage of the silicon melt is detected by monitoring changes of the first to third voltages.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the vitreous silica crucible comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.

17. The vitreous silica crucible of claim 8 , wherein the transparent vitreous silica layer comprises one or at least two alkali metals selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Li, and a sum of concentrations of the alkali metals is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm and equal to or less than 5 ppm.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Oct 15, 2018
From: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
To: SUMCO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047237/0179 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2011
From: WATANABE, HIDEKI; TAKASE, NOBUMITSU; FUKUI, MASANORI
To: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025583/0777 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-128291 · May 27, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100326349A1 · Dec 30, 2010