Mechanism for controlling melt level in single crystal pulling apparatus, method for controlling melt level in single crystal pulling apparatus, mechanism for adjusting melt level in single crystal pulling apparatus and method for adjusting melt level while pulling single crystal

1. A mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus which controls a position of a melt surface in order to pull single crystals from the melt surface using the Czochralski method, the mechanism comprising:

an optical recording device which obtains image information by photographing a real image of a furnace internal structural object and a reflected image of the furnace internal structural object that is reflected on the melt surface in a state where a single crystal is not present; and

a processing device which, taking a value that is based on the real image as a reference value, controls the position of the melt surface based on a relationship of a position of the reflected image, a size of the reflected image, a distance between the reflected image and the real image, or amounts of changes thereof to the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement of the melt surface, the relationship being calculated in advance from the image information;

wherein the furnace internal structural object is a member that is provided at a position facing the melt surface inside a crucible and is fixed such that the shape, dimensions, and position thereof remain constant and unchanged relative to the movement in the vertical direction of the crucible during the pulling of the single crystal, and

the furnace internal structural object is a heat shield having a circular shape, a center point of an edge of the heat shield is calculated by a circular approximation, a center point of a reflected image of the edge of the heat shield that is reflected on the melt surface is calculated by a circular approximation, and the calculated center points are used as points for measurements in order to specify the distance between the real image and the reflected image.

2. The mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the processing device, the position of the real image in the image information is taken as the reference value, and the position of the melt surface is controlled based on a relationship between the position of the reflected image or the amount of change thereof and the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement of the melt surface which is calculated in advance from the image information.

3. The mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the processing device, the size of the real image in the image information is taken as the reference value, and the position of the melt surface is controlled based on a relationship of the size of the reflected image or the amount of change thereof to the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement of the melt surface which is calculated in advance from the image information.

4. The mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the processing device, zero which is the value of the distance when the real image is in contact with the reflected image, is taken as the reference value, and the position of the melt surface is controlled based on a relationship of the distance between the real image and the reflected image or the amount of change thereof to the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement of the melt surface which is calculated in advance from the image information.

5. The mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the relationship is calculated by measuring the distances and positions of the melt surface that correspond thereto in the image information at three or more positions of the melt surface, and then approximating these values to a curved line or straight line.

6. The mechanism for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein differential images are used when in the image information, measuring the distance between the real image of the furnace internal structural object and the reflected image that is reflected on the melt surface.

7. A method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus which controls a position of a melt surface in order to pull single crystals from the melt surface using the Czochralski method, the method comprising:

at a plurality of movement positions of the melt surface which are positioned by moving the melt surface up and down in a state where a single crystal is not present, obtaining image information by photographing a real image of a furnace internal structural object and a reflected image thereof that is reflected on the melt surface;

taking a value that is based on the real image as a reference value, measuring a position of the reflected image, a size of the reflected image, a distance between the reflected image and the real image, or amounts of changes thereof from the image information;

calculating a relationship between the value of the measurement and a position of the melt surface or amount of movement by the melt surface;

prior to pulling a single crystal from the melt surface, obtaining image information by photographing the real image of the furnace internal structural object and a reflected image thereof, and measuring a position of the reflected image, a size of the reflected image, a distance between the reflected image and the real image, or amounts of changes thereof from the image information;

adjusting the position of the melt surface based on the relationship such that the measured values are the same as the value when the position of the melt surface is the target position; and

wherein the furnace internal structural object is a member that is provided at a position facing the melt surface inside a crucible and is fixed such that the shape, dimensions, and position thereof remain constant and unchanged relative to the movement in the vertical direction of the crucible during the pulling of the single crystal, and

the furnace internal structural object is a heat shield having a circular shape, a center point of n edge of the heat shield is calculated by a circular approximation, a center point of a reflected image of the edge of the heat shield that is reflected on the melt surface is calculated by circular approximation, and the calculated center points are used as points for measurement in order to specify the distance between the real image and the reflected image.

8. The method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, taking the position of the real image in the image information as the reference value, a relationship is calculated between the position of the reflected image or the amount of change thereof and the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement by the melt surface, and

prior to pulling a single crystal from the melt surface, the position of the reflected image is measured from the image information, and the position of the melt surface is adjusted based on the value of the measurement and on the relationship.

9. The method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, taking the size of the real image in the image information as the reference value, a relationship is calculated between the size of the reflected image or the amount of change thereof and the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement by the melt surface, and

prior to pulling a single crystal from the melt surface, the size of the reflected image is measured from the image information, and the position of the melt surface is adjusted based on the value of the measurement and on the relationship.

10. The method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, taking zero which is the value of the distance when the real image is in contact with the reflected image as the reference value, a relationship is calculated between the distance between the real image and the reflected image or the amount of change thereof and the position of the melt surface or the amount of movement by the melt surface, and

prior to pulling a single crystal from the melt surface, the distance between the real image and the reflected image or the amount of change thereof is measured from the image information, and the position of the melt surface is adjusted based on the value of the measurement and on the relationship.

11. The method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the relationship is calculated by measuring the distances and positions of the melt surface that correspond thereto in the image information at three or more positions of the melt surface and then approximating these values to a curved line or straight line.

12. The method for controlling an initial melt level in a single crystal pulling apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein differential images are used when in the image information measuring the distance between the real image of the furnace internal structural object and a reflected image that is reflected on the melt surface.