SIO PROBE FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING AND CONTROL OF OXYGEN DURING CZOCHRALSKI GROWTH OF SINGLE CRYSTAL SILICON

• Main Author: JOHN D. HOLDER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.11.2007
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; CRYSTAL GROWTH; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GLASS; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; MEASURING; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; PHYSICS; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; TESTING; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL

METHODS FOR QUANTIFYING, IN NEAR REAL TIME, THE AMOUNT OF SILICON OXIDE (SIO) VOLATILIZED FROM A POOL OF MOLTEN SILICON SUCH AS A CZOCHRALSKI SILICON MELT AND PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE MELT ARE DISCLOSED. A PREFERRED METHOD INCLUDES REACTING A GAS SAMPLE CONTAINING SIO WITHDRAWN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE MOLTEN SILICON WITH A REACTANT TO FORM A DETECTABLE REACTION PRODUCT, DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF REACTION PRODUCT FORMED, AND CORRELATING THE DETERMINED AMOUNT OF REACTION PRODUCT TO THE AMOUNT OF SIO PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE. THE QUANTIFICATION OF SIO IS USED FOR MONITORING AND/OR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN THE MOLTEN SILICON OR THE OXYGEN CONTENT IN SINGLE CRYSTAL SILICON BEING DRAWN FROM THE MOLTEN SILICON. A SIO REACTION PROBE AND A SYSTEM USING THE PROBE FOR MONITORING AND/OR CONTROLLING OXYGEN ARE ALSO DISCLOSED.