JP2013103859A - Tool for feeding rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, and method for feeding rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tool for feeding a rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, with which not only breakage of the feeding tool itself substantially does not occur and which can be used a plurality of times, but also solidification and contamination of the melt and inhibition of single crystal growth caused by mixing-in of splinters do not occur, furthermore, with which a high-quality single crystal is stably grown by preventing damage to apparatuses such as a crucible and spattering of the melt caused by falling down of the crystal raw material, and contamination of the melt from the feeding tool.SOLUTION: The feeding tool of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material for feeding the raw material in a standing condition to the crucible includes: a bottom member 40 to support an end of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material; a cylindrical guide member 60 with a cylindrical- or cylindrical cage-shape to control movement of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material in a lateral direction; a coupling member 50 to connect the cylindrical guide member and the bottom member; and a suspending member 70 attached on the upper part of the cylindrical guide member, wherein the cylindrical guide member is composed of a high-melting point material such as molybdenum, and the bottom member and the coupling member are composed of the same element as the raw material, that is a single crystal silicon or a polycrystalline silicon.

Description

  The present invention relates to a rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply jig used for supplying a polycrystalline material, particularly a rod-shaped polycrystalline material, into a crucible when growing a single crystal material, and a rod using the same. The present invention relates to a method for supplying a polycrystalline raw material.

As a manufacturing method of single crystal silicon used as a substrate of a semiconductor integrated circuit or a solar cell, from the viewpoint of stably supplying a large amount of high-quality products, there is currently a chocolate ski method (hereinafter referred to as CZ method) A so-called single crystal growth pulling method (hereinafter also referred to as pulling method) is the mainstream.
The CZ method has been studied from various viewpoints in order to reduce manufacturing costs. One example is the improvement of the method for supplying the crystal raw material. A method for producing long single crystal silicon while supplying the crystal raw material continuously (referred to as “continuous charge”), and the raw material for the initial charge. A method of supplying a crystal raw material after melting (referred to as “recharge”), or a method of supplying a crystal raw material at a high temperature after the pulling (referred to as “recharge”) and then performing a pull-up again. Has been developed. Both raw material supply methods efficiently produce the single crystal growth furnace without cooling it once, reduce energy costs, prevent damage due to heat history of expensive crucibles, increase crucible usage frequency and reduce crucible costs The purpose is to reduce the manufacturing cost.

The raw material supply method such as the recharge method is an advantageous method in that the crystal raw material is supplied to the melt remaining in the crucible after pulling the single crystal and does not directly affect the growth of the single crystal.
A recharge method using agglomerated polycrystalline silicon as a crystal raw material has been developed (Patent Document 1). However, in the case of using agglomerated polycrystalline silicon, a process of crushing rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon into agglomerated particles is inevitable, and contamination is inevitable. When polycrystalline silicon falls into the melt, there is a problem that the melt is scattered.

  Recently, a method has been developed in which rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon obtained in the polycrystalline silicon manufacturing process is used as it is as a recharge crystal raw material in place of the granular lump-shaped polycrystalline silicon. For example, a method is disclosed in which rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon is suspended as it is and immersed in a melt to be supplied (Patent Document 2). In this method of directly supporting and suspending the upper part of the rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon, micro cracks are formed in the rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon, the fragments fall into the melt, and the melt jumps to shorten the life of surrounding members. However, in a worse case, there was a risk that the crucible (made of quartz) was damaged and the melt leaked. For this reason, high-quality rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon is required, the processing cost of the grip part is high, and the grip part cannot be melted to the end.

In order to solve the above problem, a rod-shaped recharge jig has been proposed in which a rod-shaped polycrystalline material is accommodated and immersed in the melt in the accommodated state to melt only the crystal material (Patent Document 3). . This jig is characterized by a removable bottom body made of a high melting point material (made of quartz in Patent Document 3). However, when quartz is immersed in the melt, it reacts with the melt and the quartz itself or metal impurities in the quartz melt into the melt, which may adversely affect the growth and quality of the single crystal. Therefore, high-purity quartz is used. In addition, once the bottom body is immersed in the silicon melt, silicon adheres to the periphery of the bottom body, and during the cooling process, cracks and cracks occur in the quartz bottom body due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between quartz and silicon. It becomes difficult. For this reason, the bottom body has to be frequently discarded and replaced with a new one.
Further, in some cases, the bottom body may be damaged and fall into the melt. In such a case, the crucible must be cooled while holding a large amount of melt, and the crucible may break during cooling, and a part of the melt may flow into the furnace, and the melt may reach the water-cooled chamber. There is. In the worst case, the chamber is damaged and cooling water is ejected into the furnace, resulting in a steam explosion.
In the above method, when the jig is made of a refractory metal such as molybdenum or stainless steel instead of quartz, the jig needs to be present in the raw material melt until the crystal raw material is completely melted. Therefore, the problem that the raw material melt is contaminated with the metal component due to the contact between the metal and the raw material melt is further increased. Such contamination by metal impurities is not preferable because it degrades the performance of semiconductor circuits and solar cells.

JP 2004-83322 A JP 06-31193 A Japanese Patent No. 4626303

  As a result of intensive investigations in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, the inventors of the present application stably supplied the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material into the crucible in an upright state, and in parallel with the supply, the polycrystalline raw material Polycrystalline raw material supply jig that can prepare a raw material melt by melting the whole amount, and can stably grow a high-quality single crystal without contamination of the melt, and a polycrystalline raw material To complete the supply method.

That is, according to the present invention, a rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply jig for supplying a rod-shaped polycrystalline material to a crucible in an upright state, the bottom member supporting the end of the rod-shaped polycrystalline material, a rod-shaped material A cylindrical guide member that regulates the lateral movement of the polycrystalline raw material and maintains the standing state, a connecting member that connects the cylindrical guide member and the bottom member, and a suspension member attached to the upper portion of the cylindrical guide member The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig is provided, wherein the cylindrical guide member is made of a high melting point material, and the bottom member and the connecting member are made of a crystalline material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material. .
In the invention of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig,
1) The cylindrical guide member is composed of at least a plurality of support columns installed in the vertical direction around the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, and one or more support members that interconnect the plurality of support columns 2) The cylindrical guide member is provided with a contact prevention member for preventing contact with the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material at least on the inside thereof. 3) The contact prevention member is quartz and the high melting point material is molybdenum metal. 4) Rod It is preferable that the polycrystalline raw material is a polycrystalline silicon rod.
Further, according to the present invention, after the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is stored in the jig using the polycrystalline material supply jig, the jig is lowered to the bottom of the crucible filled with the raw material melt. There is provided a method for supplying a rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material characterized in that the material is landed and melted by bringing the bottom member, the connecting member and the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material into contact with the raw material melt.
In the invention of the method for supplying the rod-shaped polycrystalline material, the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is preferably a polycrystalline silicon rod.

The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as a supply jig) has a risk of damage to a crucible or the like due to dropping of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material or a risk of melt leakage due to cracking of the crucible. Absent. In addition, since a crystal material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material is used for a part thereof, the contamination of the melt from the supply jig material does not occur, and a high-quality single crystal can be stably grown. Can do.
Furthermore, as the crystal material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material, since the end material cut from the rod-shaped polycrystal or the columnar single crystal can be used, these crystal materials can be used effectively. This can contribute to a reduction in manufacturing costs.
By using the supply jig, the rod-shaped polycrystalline material can be efficiently and safely re-supplied to the crucible, and the crucible can be used repeatedly without having to be cooled once, thus improving the production efficiency of single crystals. And its industrial value is extremely high.
The supply jig and the supply method of the present invention can be widely applied not only to the production of specifically exemplified single crystal silicon but also to the production of other inorganic single crystal materials, and the application range is wide. . Note that when applied to the manufacture of single crystal silicon, single crystal silicon made of the same element as rod-shaped polycrystalline silicon can be used as the bottom member and the connecting member, which is preferable. This is because single crystal silicon has an appropriate mechanical strength as compared with other inorganic single crystal materials and is easily processed.

It is the schematic which shows an example of a rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig. It is the schematic of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig | tool which shows the other example of a cylindrical guide member. It is a partial enlarged view which shows the joining aspect of a bottom member and a joining member. It is the elements on larger scale which show the other joining aspect of a bottom member and a joining member. It is the elements on larger scale which show the typical aspect of a contact prevention member. It is sectional drawing which shows the latching state of a support | pillar, a supporting member, and a contact prevention member. It is a conceptual diagram of the raw material supply method using the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig. 1 is a schematic view of a rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig of the present invention used in Example 1. FIG.

[Rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply jig]
The supply jig of the present invention is an auxiliary jig that houses a rod-shaped polycrystalline material therein, lowers it into a crucible, contacts the rod-shaped polycrystalline material with the melt in an upright state, and melts it.
The supply jig includes a bottom member that supports an end portion of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, a cylindrical guide member that regulates the lateral movement of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material and maintains the standing state, and the cylindrical guide member and the bottom portion. It is basically composed of a connecting member for connecting materials and a hanging member attached to the upper part of the cylindrical guide member for hanging the jig.
A suitable example of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 8. Details of the constituent members will be described later.
The supply jig containing the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material is suspended in the single crystal manufacturing apparatus via a suspension member, and gradually lowered until the lower end of the jig reaches the bottom of the crucible. Then, as will be described later, the bottom member and the connecting member are sequentially melted to assist subsidence due to melting of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material in the standing state. After the predetermined amount of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material is melted, the suspension member, the cylindrical guide member, and the molten and remaining connecting member are pulled up. Thereafter, the supply jig is assembled again using a new connecting member and bottom member, and used for the next supply operation.

[Bottom member]
The bottom member is a member for supporting the end of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, and its shape is not particularly limited. The shape is arbitrarily designed according to the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical guide member and the joining method with the connecting member, and the joining member can be fitted as shown in FIG. Examples of such a shape with a cut are illustrated. The upper part (also referred to as the top) and the lower part (also referred to as the tail) of the columnar single crystal grown and pulled up can be cut horizontally and used as a bottom member with the horizontal part up or down. Whether the horizontal portion is up or down depends on the joining method with the connecting member. In the method of inserting the pin shown in FIG. 4 and placing the bottom member as described later, it is preferable to set the horizontal portion downward so that the pin is not easily detached.
The surface state of the upper surface of the bottom member is not particularly limited, and does not necessarily have a horizontal surface. In order to eliminate slippage with the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, fine irregularities may be provided on the surface. The thickness is appropriately designed according to the weight of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, but usually about 2 to 10 mm is sufficient in strength.
The bottom member is used by being connected to a connecting member as will be described later. As a connecting method, a plurality of holes are formed in the connecting member and the side surface of the bottom member, and a pin is inserted into the hole to connect both, or the bottom member is placed on the pin inserted into the connecting member as shown in FIG. The method of putting is mentioned. The latter method is a preferable method because it is not necessary to process the bottom member.

The bottom member begins to melt immediately after the supply jig is lowered and comes into contact with the melt in the crucible. Thereafter, the jig lands on the crucible bottom, and the bottom member melts completely and disappears. After the bottom member melts and disappears, the stored rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material descends by its own weight while melting, and lands on the crucible bottom. For this reason, the bottom member needs to be made of a crystal material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material. As long as it is a crystal material of the same element, it may be a polycrystalline material having the same quality as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material, or a single crystal material grown from the polycrystalline material. The latter single crystal material is very useful as a bottom member because it has a high mechanical strength because it has very few crystal defects and does not crack when supplied to a crucible. In the case of a single crystal material, since the remaining end material after a predetermined product is cut out from the grown rod-shaped single crystal can be used, it contributes to a reduction in manufacturing cost of the single crystal product.
In the case where the inorganic single crystal material is single crystal silicon, if the application is a solar cell, the waste white portion generated in the process of manufacturing the solar cell wafer can be used as it is for the bottom member, which is very preferable. The solar cell wafer is first processed into a block shape, and then sliced with a multi-wire saw to obtain a solar cell wafer. At that time, in order to eliminate the blurring of the wire and increase the yield, a normal white portion is provided at both ends of the block. Since the discarded white portion already has a shape and thickness suitable for the bottom member of the present invention, it can be used as it is without rework.

(Connecting member)
The connecting member is a member for connecting the bottom member and a cylindrical guide member, which will be described later. Like the bottom member, the connecting member needs to be melted before and after landing the supply jig on the crucible containing the melt. For this reason, it is essential to be made of a crystal material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material. A crystalline material of the same element may be a polycrystalline material or a single crystal material, but a single crystal material is preferable for the same reason as the bottom member.
The shape of the connecting material is not particularly limited, and any shape can be adopted depending on the joining method of the bottom member and the cylindrical guide, or the shape of the end material, and specifically, a square plate shape, a saddle shape, etc. are exemplified. . In particular, in the case of single crystal silicon for solar cells, the four surrounding surfaces are cut off in the vertical direction so that the cross section becomes a square from the cylindrical single crystal by primary processing. The hook-shaped end material generated at that time can be used as a connecting member only by drilling, which is economical.
The length of the connecting material in the longitudinal direction is not particularly limited. Considering the purpose of stably landing the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material on the bottom of the crucible and assisting the melting, and the function of ensuring a sufficient distance that the cylindrical guide member does not contact the melt, about 30 to 400 mm Is preferred. The number used is not particularly limited, and is appropriately determined depending on the strength required for the supply jig, the connecting method with the following bottom member, or the connecting method with the cylindrical guide member described later. Usually 3-6.

The connection method of a connection member and a bottom member is not specifically limited. Hereinafter, a typical method will be described.
The method shown in FIG. 3 is a method in which a bottom member and a connecting member are cut in accordance with the shape of each other and are three-dimensionally fitted. This is a simple method because it can be fixed only by the bottom member and the connecting member without a locking tool. In the method shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of holes are formed below the connecting member, a pin made of a crystal material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is passed through the hole, and a bottom member is placed on the pin and held. To do. A mode in which the number of pins is increased or decreased according to the weight of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material to be stored, or the facing connecting members are partially held by the same pins is also adopted. The cross section of the pin may be circular or rectangular. The pin may be headed or headless, but headless is preferable because it does not require processing.
As this pin, the neck portion formed at the initial stage of single crystal growth can be reused with almost no rework. In a bell-shaped precipitation furnace (reactor) called bell jar, chlorinated silane gas or monosilane gas and hydrogen are sent at a predetermined mixing ratio, and current is passed through a rod-shaped core wire made of high-purity silicon to heat it. Polycrystalline silicon obtained in the production of polycrystalline silicon by the so-called bell jar method in which silicon is deposited is suitably used for the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material of the present invention. In addition, a short end material that is produced when the obtained high-purity polycrystalline silicon is processed into a rod-shaped core wire can be used as the pin and is useful. A method for connecting the connecting member and the cylindrical guide member will be described later.

(Cylindrical guide member)
The cylindrical guide member regulates the lateral movement of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material and keeps it standing on the bottom member. Specifically, an aspect in which the rod-like polycrystalline material stands on the bottom member in a tilted state, and a part of the cylindrical guide member and a part of the rod-like polycrystalline material are in contact with each other to maintain the standing state. Alternatively, there is a mode in which the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is self-supporting on the bottom member without being in contact with the cylindrical guide member, and both are said to be standing in the present invention.
The cylindrical guide member serves to maintain an upright state and supply the crucible to the crucible when the supply jig is lowered, and further when the rod-shaped polycrystalline material melts and sinks from the lower part in the crucible. The cylindrical guide member is connected to the connecting member described above and constitutes a part of the supply jig, but basically does not come into contact with the melt in the crucible. However, since it is used in a high temperature region near the crucible containing the melt, it is necessary to be made of a material having a high melting point from the viewpoint of heat resistance.
Therefore, the high melting point material differs depending on the type of raw material melt. For example, when the polycrystalline raw material is polycrystalline silicon, the melting point is 1414 ° C., and as the high melting point material, molybdenum (melting temperature 2623 ° C.), tungsten (melting temperature 3422 ° C.), quartz (softening point 1600 ° C.) Etc. are used. In particular, molybdenum is preferable from the viewpoint of high mechanical strength and ease of processing.
The shape is not particularly limited as long as the above function is exhibited. For example, a cylindrical shape shown in FIG. 2, a polygonal cylinder such as a triangular cylinder or a square cylinder, or a bowl-like shape shown in FIG. The length of the cylindrical guide member in the vertical direction is appropriately determined according to the long diameter of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material to be stored, but is usually about 200 to 1500 mm. The internal size (horizontal cross-sectional area) of the cylindrical guide member is not particularly limited as long as the rod-shaped polycrystalline material can be smoothly stored. Preferably, from the viewpoint of smoothness during storage of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, ease of subsidence due to its own weight during melting, and a degree of inclination during standing, 1.1 to 1. It is designed to have a shape having a cross-sectional area of 7 times.

In the case of a bowl-like shape, it is usually composed of at least a plurality of support columns installed in the vertical direction around the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material and one or more support members that interconnect the plurality of support columns.
The support column is a bar-shaped high melting point material corresponding to the vertical length of the supply jig to be designed. A plurality of the columns are connected by a supporting member made of a high melting point material that connects the columns to each other to form a bowl shape. If the support member is ring-shaped, it becomes a cylindrical ridge, and if the support member is a polygonal annular plate, it becomes a polygonal cylindrical ridge such as a triangular cylinder or a square cylinder according to the shape of the plate. Instead of the polygonal annular plate, a polygonal cylindrical basket can be produced by combining a plurality of rod-like or plate-like support members.
The number of struts is not particularly limited, and is determined from the strength of the supply jig, the spacing between the struts, and the like. The number is preferably 3-12. The interval between the pillars is preferably smaller than the diameter of the crystal raw material so that the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material can be reliably held. The shape of the column is determined from a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, or the like in consideration of the connection method with the support member.
The number of supporting members is not particularly limited, and is preferably 2 to 4 from the viewpoint of strength and manufacturing cost. The support column and the support member are usually connected to the support column in the form of bolts and nuts by cutting screws. FIG. 5 shows a typical connection state when a ring-shaped support member and a support are used.
A method for connecting the above-described connecting member and the cylindrical guide member is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a method in which a crucible-side end portion of a column that constitutes a rod of a cylindrical guide member is L-shaped and arranged outwardly and fitted with a hole provided in a connecting member. Can be mentioned. In addition, a connection method using a locking tool such as a rod, bolt, or wire is also employed.

[Contact prevention member]
The cylindrical guide member serves to prevent the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supported in an upright state on the bottom member from directly contacting the cylindrical guide member. When the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material comes into contact with the cylindrical guide member, components or impurities of the cylindrical guide member are prevented from adhering to the raw material and contaminating the raw material melt. In order to solve this problem, it is preferable to arrange a contact preventing member at least inside the cylindrical guide member. Examples of the material for the contact prevention member include quartz and silicon. Quartz is preferable from the viewpoint of ease of processing.
The arrangement form of the contact preventing member is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a method of covering a column made of a high melting point material with a quartz tube, as shown in FIG. 6A, a method of arranging a ring-shaped quartz tube horizontally inside a cylindrical guide member, As shown in FIG. 6B, there is a method in which a rod-shaped quartz rod is disposed vertically inside the cylindrical guide member.

(Hanging member)
The suspension member suspends the supply jig in the single crystal manufacturing apparatus via a wire or a shaft, and is installed at the upper end of the cylindrical guide member. Specifically, when the cylindrical guide member is bowl-shaped, it can be connected to a support or a support member. The shape, size, and number of the suspension members are not particularly limited, and are arbitrarily designed according to the shape of the cylindrical guide member and the structure of the upper end, taking into account the weight of the supply jig and the rod-shaped polycrystalline material to be stored. The The material of the suspension member is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a high melting point material made of the same material as the cylindrical guide member from the viewpoint of heat resistance.

[Method of supplying rod-shaped polycrystalline material]
The polycrystalline raw material supply jig of the present invention is used at the time of melting operation of a raw material polycrystalline material for the purpose of growing a single crystal, but the equipment such as a crucible, a heater, a heat insulating material, a crucible elevator, etc. Those used in the single crystal growth and pulling apparatus can be used without any limitation.
The rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply method of the present invention is a method of supplying the rod-shaped polycrystalline material in contact with the melt while the molten polycrystalline material is present in the crucible, the recharging, All known supply methods such as follow-up charging are included. The supply method of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material of the present invention is most characterized by the use of the polycrystalline raw material supply jig of the present invention in the raw material supply method.
Specifically, the rod-like polycrystalline raw material is stored in the polycrystalline raw material supply jig of the present invention with the melt in the crucible, and is suspended in the single crystal growth and pulling apparatus through the suspension member. The tool is introduced into the crucible. Next, the jig is lowered to land on the bottom of the crucible containing the remaining raw material melt. Immediately after contact with the remaining raw material melt, the bottom member and the connecting member made of the same material as the melt start to melt. After at least the bottom member is completely melted, the lower end portion of the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material gradually sinks into the melt by its own weight while partially melting. Thereafter, the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material is melted from the lower part to form a raw material melt.

When the joining member protrudes downward as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom member and the crucible bottom usually have a gap of about 5 to 20 mm. The rod-like polycrystalline raw material that sinks does not collide with the crucible bottom and the crucible is broken or the melt does not scatter. Since the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material is surrounded by the connecting member in the melt and the radiant heat is blocked, the connecting member melts earlier than the raw material, but the joint upper end of the connecting member with the cylindrical guide Remains because it is not immersed in the melt.
The temperature at the time of supply is a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the polycrystalline material, preferably such that the bottom member does not melt and disappear before the polycrystalline raw material supply jig lands, and the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material falls within the melt. Need to control. For example, in the case of a polycrystalline silicon material, it is normally maintained at 1420 to 1550 ° C. The atmosphere at the time of supply is the same atmosphere as crystal growth, for example, in the case of single crystal silicon, in an inert gas atmosphere such as argon, or in a non-oxidizing atmosphere such as nitrogen or vacuum in order to prevent moisture and oxygen from being mixed. It is preferable.
After melting the rod-shaped polycrystalline material until it is no longer necessary to prevent the cylindrical guide member from collapsing, the supply jig is pulled up and taken out from the single crystal growth pulling apparatus.
By repeating the above series of operations, the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is supplied up to a predetermined amount.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In addition, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution means of the present invention.

Example 1
The supply jig of the present invention shown in FIG. 8 was produced by the following procedure. The cylindrical guide member 60 has an inner diameter of 137 mm and a height of 1.2 m, and is all made of molybdenum. Twelve struts 61 are arranged at equal intervals with a diameter of 5 mm, and a ring-shaped plate having an inner diameter of 137 mm and an outer diameter of 154 mm is used as the support member 62 on the upper portion of the strut 61 and fixed with the strut 61 and the nut 63. The lower support member 62 has a circular shape with an inner shape of 137 mm and a square outer shape, and has a structure in which two bars with a diameter of 5 mm are inserted into the outer surface per side in the horizontal direction. The contact preventing member 80 has a structure in which a support 61 is passed through a high-purity quartz tube having an inner diameter of 6 mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm.
As the suspending member 70, a bar-shaped plate made of molybdenum was assembled in a cross shape and joined to a jig at the tip of the pulling wire of the single crystal growth pulling apparatus. The upper support member 62 was sandwiched between rod-shaped plates assembled in a cross shape and joined.
As the connecting member 50, a bowl-shaped plate generated when a side surface of single crystal silicon having a diameter of 203 mm was cut off in the vertical direction was used. The width was 115 mm, the length was 400 mm, the thickness was 18 mm (maximum part), and two 6 mm holes were drilled in the upper and lower parts. The hook-shaped connecting member 50 was fitted into the two rods inserted into the lower support member 62 and connected.
The bottom member 40 is a waste white portion generated when a single-crystal silicon having a diameter of 203 mm is first processed into a block shape and then sliced with a multi-wire saw, that is, a substantially square plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a side of 156 mm. Round shape) was used. The pin used what cut | disconnected the neck part with a diameter of 5-6 mm which became unnecessary after single crystal growth to 20 mm in length. About half of the pin was inserted into the two holes at the bottom of the connecting member 50 described above, and the bottom member 40 was placed thereon.

The supply jig was filled with rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material 30 having a diameter of 130 mm, a length of 1200 mm, and a weight of about 37 kg, and was lifted and introduced into a single crystal growth and pulling apparatus. In addition, about 5 kg of the melt after pulling up one single crystal silicon remained in the crucible (about 500 mm in diameter) in the apparatus. At this time, the depth from the silicon surface to the bottom of the crucible was about 40 mm. The suspended rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material 30 was gradually lowered, put into a crucible, and melted in its entirety. The same feeding operation was repeated twice to secure a total of about 90 kg of melt. Thereafter, a seed crystal was attached, and the single crystal silicon was pulled up.
The above supply method was repeated and 50 single crystal silicons were pulled up, but there was no trouble that the supply jig was damaged and dropped during the supply operation.

Comparative Example 1
Except for the connecting member and the bottom member, the cylindrical guide member 60, the support column 61, the upper and lower support members 62, the contact preventing member 80, and the suspension member 70 were produced in the same manner as in Example 1 to constitute the supply jig. .
A high purity quartz plate was used as the connecting member 50. The width was 115 mm, the length was 400 mm, the thickness was 10 mm, and two 6 mm holes were drilled at the top and bottom. The connecting member 50 was fitted and connected to the two rods inserted into the lower support member 62 described above. As the bottom member 40, a square and high-purity quartz plate having a thickness of 10 mm and a side of 156 mm was used. As the pin, a round bar made of high purity quartz having a diameter of 5.5 mm and a length of 20 mm was used. About half of the pin was inserted into the two holes at the bottom of the connecting member 50 described above, and the bottom member 40 was placed thereon.

This supply jig was filled with rod-shaped polycrystalline material 30 having a diameter of 130 mm, a length of 1200 mm, and a weight of about 37 kg, and was lifted and introduced into a single crystal growth and pulling apparatus. In addition, about 5 kg of the melt after pulling up one single crystal silicon remained in the crucible (about 500 mm in diameter) in the apparatus. At this time, the depth from the silicon surface to the bottom of the crucible was about 40 mm. The suspended rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material 30 was gradually lowered, put into a crucible, and melted in its entirety. Thereafter, when the supply jig was lifted from the melt, it was observed from the observation window of the single crystal growth pulling apparatus that silicon was fixed to the bottom member, the lower portion of the connecting member, and the pin. Further, when the supply jig was pulled up and taken out from the apparatus, the bottom member, the lower part of the connecting member, the portion where the silicon of the pin was fixed, and the periphery thereof were cracked.
When about 37 kg of rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material was again placed on the supply jig, the bottom member, the connecting member, and the pin were damaged and could not be reused. Therefore, the bottom member, the connecting member, and the pin were replaced, and about 37 kg of the rod-shaped polycrystalline material was placed and introduced into the single crystal growth and pulling apparatus, and all the rod-shaped polycrystalline material was melted. Thereafter, a seed crystal was attached, and the single crystal silicon was pulled up.

Comparative Example 2
Using the same supply jig as in Comparative Example 1 and repeating the same supply operation 6 times, silicon adhered to the bottom member, the lower part of the connecting member, and the pin, and cracks occurred. At one time, while the supply jig was taken out from the melt and pulled up, the silicon was fixed to the pin, so that the pin was broken and the bottom member was detached and dropped into the melt. Several attempts to recover the bottom member that floated on the melt surface were impossible. Therefore, the crucible must be cooled while holding a large amount of melt. After cooling, when the inside of the apparatus was opened, the crucible was broken and a part of the melt flowed into the furnace. The melt did not reach the water-cooled chamber, and although the worst-case steam explosion was avoided, most of the carbon furnace material had to be replaced.

Comparative Example 3
In Comparative Example 1, a connecting plate 50 made of molybdenum having a width of 110 mm, a length of 400 mm, and a thickness of 5 mm (having two 6 mm holes in the upper and lower portions) and a bottom member 40 having a thickness of 5 mm The supply jig was configured in the same manner except that a square and molybdenum plate having a side of 156 mm was used.
This supply jig was filled with rod-shaped polycrystalline material 30 having a diameter of 130 mm, a length of 1200 mm, and a weight of about 37 kg, and was lifted and introduced into a single crystal growth and pulling apparatus. In addition, about 5 kg of the melt after pulling up one single crystal silicon remained in the crucible (about 500 mm in diameter) in the apparatus. At this time, the depth from the silicon surface to the bottom of the crucible was about 40 mm. The suspended rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material 30 was gradually lowered, put into a crucible, and melted in its entirety. Thereafter, when the supply jig was taken out, all the parts immersed in the melt of the bottom member, the connecting member, and the pin were not melted and could not be reused. Molybdenum is a high melting point material, but it is presumed that it melted in a short time because of its high reactivity with silicon.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Crucible 20 Heater 30 Rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material 40 Bottom member 50 Connecting member 60 Cylindrical guide member 61 Strut 62 Support member 63 Nut 70 Suspension member 80 Contact prevention member 90 Pin 100 Raw material melt 110 Suspension tool

Claims (7)

A rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply jig for supplying a rod-shaped polycrystalline material to a crucible in an upright state,
A bottom member that supports the end of the rod-shaped polycrystalline material, a cylindrical guide member that regulates the lateral movement of the rod-shaped polycrystalline material and maintains the standing state, and a connecting member that connects the cylindrical guide member and the bottom member And a suspension member attached to the upper part of the cylindrical guide member,
The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig, wherein the cylindrical guide member is made of a high melting point material, and the bottom member and the connecting member are made of a crystalline material of the same element as the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material.   The cylindrical guide member is composed of at least a plurality of support columns installed in the vertical direction around the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, and one or more support members that connect the plurality of support columns to each other. The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig according to claim 1.   The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylindrical guide member includes a contact preventing member for preventing contact with the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material at least inside thereof.   4. The rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig according to claim 3, wherein the contact preventing member is quartz and the high melting point material is molybdenum metal.   The rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is a polycrystalline silicon rod.   Using the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material supply jig according to any one of claims 1 to 5, after storing the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material in the jig, the jig is lowered to melt the raw material melt. A method for supplying a rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material, comprising: landing at the bottom of a crucible filled with bismuth, and bringing the bottom member, the connecting member and the rod-shaped polycrystalline raw material into contact with the raw material melt.   The rod-shaped polycrystalline material supply method according to claim 6, wherein the rod-shaped polycrystalline material is a polycrystalline silicon rod.

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