US3159459A - Method for producing semiconductor crystals - Google Patents

Method for producing semiconductor crystals Download PDF

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Publication number
US3159459A
US3159459A US794075A US79407559A US3159459A US 3159459 A US3159459 A US 3159459A US 794075 A US794075 A US 794075A US 79407559 A US79407559 A US 79407559A US 3159459 A US3159459 A US 3159459A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
zone
rod
seed
semiconductor
cross
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US794075A
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English (en)
Inventor
Keller Wolfgang
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens Schuckertwerke AG
Siemens AG
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Siemens AG
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Publication date
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
    • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C30B13/00—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting
    • C30B13/34—Single-crystal growth by zone-melting; Refining by zone-melting characterised by the seed, e.g. by its crystallographic orientation
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S117/00—Single-crystal, oriented-crystal, and epitaxy growth processes; non-coating apparatus therefor
    • Y10S117/901—Levitation, reduced gravity, microgravity, space
    • Y10S117/902—Specified orientation, shape, crystallography, or size of seed or substrate
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S117/00—Single-crystal, oriented-crystal, and epitaxy growth processes; non-coating apparatus therefor
    • Y10S117/911—Seed or rod holders

Definitions

  • My invention relates to a method for producing semiconductor crystals for use in rect.rs, transistors, photodiodes and other electrical semiconductor devices.
  • the ⁇ main component of such devices is an essentially monocrystalline wafer ofthe particular semiconductor material, for example germanium, silicon, or intermetallic compounds of elements from the third and fifth groups of the periodic system, such as indium antimonide, indium arsenide or gallium phosphide.
  • the monocrystals are produced by a crystal pulling method.
  • One way of performing the method is to mount a monocrystalline seed on the end of a polycrystalline rod and to thereafter melt the rod in a narrow zone which is caused to travel from the seeded end tothe other end of the rod.
  • Such zone melting is preferably carried out without the use of a crucible.
  • the progressing method zone upon resolidication possesses monocrystalline constitution.
  • the semiconductor rod, thus converted into a monocrystal is subsequently sliced into a number of wafers to be used for the manufacture of the above-mentioned electric semiconductor devices.
  • Teff life time
  • the method for converting a polycrystalline semiconductor rod by Crucible-free zone melting into a monocrystal with the aid of 'a crystal seed fused to one end of the rod is carried out by fusing to the rod a crystal seed Whose cross section, especially at this fusion junction is considerably smaller than that of a semiconductor rod.
  • the cross section of the seed crystal is made at least one order of magnitude smaller than the cross section of the semiconductor rod, that is, the cross section of the seed is preferably smaller than about one tenth of that of the rod.
  • the invention is predicated upon the following consideration.
  • the temperature gradient dT dL, in which L denotes the length of the rod, in the rod portion adjacent to the crystal seed increases with an increase in cross section of the seed. This is ⁇ the case because, with a large seed cross section, a correspondingly great 'amount of heat is dissipated to the holder means to which the seed is attached.
  • great temperature gradient produces thermal tensions in the monocrystals and hence causes lattice disturbances which, in turn, result in reducing the life time of the minority charge carriers.
  • impurities in the crystal seed diffuse through the fusion junction into the semiconductor rod. Cnsequently, the quantities of impurities that can enter into the rod from a seed of given impurity concentration in- 3,159,459 Patented Dec. l, 1964 ice creases with the cross section of the fusion junction and hence with the cross section of the seed crystal.
  • the method can be used analogously when pulling monocrystals from a melt in a crucible.
  • This invention is primarily an improvement in the crucible-free iloating zone processes described in the copending applications of Reimer Emeis, Serial No. 727,610, tiled April 10, 1958, and Serial No. 409,610, led February 11, 1954, assigned to the same assignee.
  • the semiconductor rod-2 of silicon, or germanium, is fused at its lower end to a coaxial stub or seed crystal 14, of monocrystalline silicon, or germanium, respectively.
  • the cross-sectional areas of the contact, i.e., the fusion or boundary regions of the rod 2 and seed crystal 14 are in the ratio described above.
  • the rod 2 may have a diameter of 18 mm.
  • the seed crystal may have a diameter 0f 5-6 mm.
  • a high frequency current is supplied, at terv minals 270, 271 to the longitudinally movable induction coil 10.
  • the coil is spaced from and is moved along the rod 2, and also along seed crystal stub 14, by a motor 29 through transmission gear 30, which gear turns spindle 28.
  • Coil 10 is mounted upon -an internally threaded slide block 27.
  • the slide block is guided ⁇ by upright bar 26.
  • At 191 are strips of molybdenum, which serve as an auxiliary heater in lthe manner described and claimed in application Serial No. 727,610 of R. Emeis, mentioned above.
  • the spring strips 191 are held between upper holder 190 and the semiconductor rod 2.
  • Holder is supported by bracket 329 carried by internally threaded slider 318.
  • At 5G and 346 are support means for the spindle.
  • the spindle 316 is turned by motor 382 through gear 380. The molten zone is thus caused to move upwardly from the seededlocation.
  • the molten zone is preferably limited to a length and volume such that surface tension effects are sufficient to support the molten material, as revealed in the above-mentioned Emeis applications.
  • Said molten zone is known to the art asa iloating zone.
  • the upper end of the rod 2 may thereby be pulled upwardly, during the zone melting and monocrystal pulling operations. is also described in said copending application of R. Emeis.
  • Gear and motor means (not shown) can be employed to turn either or both of the holders 191 and 18, as described in said Emeis application.
  • a steel dome 310 encloses the apparatus.
  • the dome is cooled by water coil 320, and is provided with an observation window 310' of refractory glass, also as described in Emeis application Serial No. 727,610.
  • a pumping device (not shown) is attached to pipe 250 to maintain high vacuum in the device.
  • the dome is clamped at 334 to bottom plate 350.
  • the method of producing a semiconductor single crystal of silicon material by Crucible-free zone melting which comprises supporting an elongated piece of silicon vertically from above, fusing an en d portion of a silicon monocrystal to the lower end of said piece, supporting the opposite lower end portion of the ⁇ seed crystal, inductively heating a crossfsectional zone of said piece to liquefy the material by subjecting it to a high-frequency electric lield of limited longitudinal extent, the molten zone being sufficiently small so that the surface tension of the molten material retains it in said zone, displacing said zone-heating longitudinally with respect to said piece, said displacement including displacement upwardly from the monocrystal, said monocrystal having an Iarea of Contact with the piece of material not greater than one tenth of the cross-sectional area of the latter, whereby heat conduction from the monocrystal -through the adjacent support location is diminished and transfer of faults from the monocryst-al to the piece of silicon is diminished.
  • the method of producing a semiconductor single crystal by crucible-free floating zone melting which comprises supporting an elongated piece of semiconductor material vertically from above, fusing an end portion of a monocrystal seed crystal to the lower part of the piece, supporting the opposite lower end portion of the seed crystal, heating a cross-sectional zone of said piece to melt the same, the molten zone being suiiiciently small so that the surface tension of the molten material is sufficient to retain it in said zone, displacing said heating lengthwise of the piece, said displacement including displacement from the seed, said seed having an larea of contact with the piece of material not more than about one-tenth of the cross-sectional area of the piece at the region of contact.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
  • Liquid Deposition Of Substances Of Which Semiconductor Devices Are Composed (AREA)
  • Silicon Compounds (AREA)
US794075A 1958-02-19 1959-02-18 Method for producing semiconductor crystals Expired - Lifetime US3159459A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE1958S0057004 DE1094710C2 (de) 1958-02-19 1958-02-19 Verfahren zur Zuechtung von Einkristallen durch tiegelfreies Zonenschmelzen

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3159459A true US3159459A (en) 1964-12-01

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ID=7491503

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US794075A Expired - Lifetime US3159459A (en) 1958-02-19 1959-02-18 Method for producing semiconductor crystals

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3159459A (de)
BE (1) BE575837A (de)
CH (1) CH364244A (de)
DE (1) DE1094710C2 (de)
FR (1) FR1214641A (de)
GB (1) GB888148A (de)
NL (2) NL235481A (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3271115A (en) * 1963-03-29 1966-09-06 Siemens Ag Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor material
US3275417A (en) * 1963-10-15 1966-09-27 Texas Instruments Inc Production of dislocation-free silicon single crystals
US3337303A (en) * 1965-03-01 1967-08-22 Elmat Corp Crystal growing apparatus
US3477811A (en) * 1964-02-01 1969-11-11 Siemens Ag Method of crucible-free zone melting crystalline rods,especially of semiconductive material
US3716341A (en) * 1969-11-29 1973-02-13 Siemens Ag Crucible-free zone melting device having an angled heating coil
US3923468A (en) * 1973-11-22 1975-12-02 Siemens Ag Method for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods
US3989468A (en) * 1973-11-22 1976-11-02 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods
USRE29824E (en) * 1973-11-22 1978-11-07 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1217339B (de) * 1961-11-29 1966-05-26 Siemens Ag Verfahren zum tiegelfreien Zonenschmelzen von Halbleitermaterial

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2739088A (en) * 1951-11-16 1956-03-20 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Process for controlling solute segregation by zone-melting
GB775986A (en) * 1953-02-14 1957-05-29 Siemens Ag Improvements in or relating to processes and apparatus for treating semi-conductor devices
DE1014332B (de) * 1952-12-17 1957-08-22 Western Electric Co Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum fraktionierten Umkristallisieren von unter Mischkristallbildung erstarrenden Legierungen und Halbleiterausgangsstoffen durch Zonenschmelzen
US2930098A (en) * 1954-06-30 1960-03-29 Siemens Ag Production of sintered bodies from powdered crystalline materials
US2961305A (en) * 1957-12-27 1960-11-22 Gen Electric Method of growing semiconductor crystals
US2972525A (en) * 1953-02-26 1961-02-21 Siemens Ag Crucible-free zone melting method and apparatus for producing and processing a rod-shaped body of crystalline substance, particularly semiconductor substance

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE894293C (de) * 1951-06-29 1953-10-22 Western Electric Co Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Kristalls aus Halbleitermaterial

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2739088A (en) * 1951-11-16 1956-03-20 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Process for controlling solute segregation by zone-melting
DE1014332B (de) * 1952-12-17 1957-08-22 Western Electric Co Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum fraktionierten Umkristallisieren von unter Mischkristallbildung erstarrenden Legierungen und Halbleiterausgangsstoffen durch Zonenschmelzen
GB775986A (en) * 1953-02-14 1957-05-29 Siemens Ag Improvements in or relating to processes and apparatus for treating semi-conductor devices
US2972525A (en) * 1953-02-26 1961-02-21 Siemens Ag Crucible-free zone melting method and apparatus for producing and processing a rod-shaped body of crystalline substance, particularly semiconductor substance
US2930098A (en) * 1954-06-30 1960-03-29 Siemens Ag Production of sintered bodies from powdered crystalline materials
US2961305A (en) * 1957-12-27 1960-11-22 Gen Electric Method of growing semiconductor crystals

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3271115A (en) * 1963-03-29 1966-09-06 Siemens Ag Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor material
US3275417A (en) * 1963-10-15 1966-09-27 Texas Instruments Inc Production of dislocation-free silicon single crystals
US3477811A (en) * 1964-02-01 1969-11-11 Siemens Ag Method of crucible-free zone melting crystalline rods,especially of semiconductive material
US3337303A (en) * 1965-03-01 1967-08-22 Elmat Corp Crystal growing apparatus
US3716341A (en) * 1969-11-29 1973-02-13 Siemens Ag Crucible-free zone melting device having an angled heating coil
US3923468A (en) * 1973-11-22 1975-12-02 Siemens Ag Method for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods
US3989468A (en) * 1973-11-22 1976-11-02 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods
USRE29824E (en) * 1973-11-22 1978-11-07 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Apparatus for crucible-free zone melting of semiconductor crystal rods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE575837A (fr) 1959-08-18
DE1094710C2 (de) 1969-02-20
CH364244A (de) 1962-09-15
FR1214641A (fr) 1960-04-11
NL126240C (de)
GB888148A (en) 1962-01-24
DE1094710B (de) 1960-12-15
NL235481A (de)

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