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US 12,486,594 B2Granted
Ingot puller apparatus that axially position magnetic poles
AssigneeGlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
InventorsJaeWoo Ryu, Carissima Marie Hudson, JunHwan Ji, WooJin Yoon
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Abstract
Methods for producing a silicon ingot in which a horizontal magnetic field is generated are disclosed. The magnet position is controlled in at least two stages of ingot growth. The magnetic poles may be at a first position during the first stage of ingot growth and lowered to a second position in a second stage of ingot growth. By controlling the magnet position, the crystal-melt interface shape may be relatively more consistent.
Claims17
An ingot puller apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot, the ingot puller apparatus comprising:
- a crucible for holding a silicon melt;
- an ingot puller housing that defines a growth chamber for pulling a silicon ingot from the silicon melt, the crucible being disposed within the growth chamber;
- a pair of magnetic poles disposed radially outward from the crucible;
- a translation device comprising a guide for moving the magnetic poles axially relative to the crucible;
- and
- a controller including a processor and a non-transitory memory storing instructions executed by the processor to configure the controller, the controller configured to cause the translation device to move the pair of magnetic poles to regulate a position of a maximum gauss plane during formation of a constant diameter portion of the silicon ingot in at least two stages of ingot growth, the at least two stages comprising:
- a first stage corresponding to formation of the silicon ingot from a beginning of formation of the constant diameter portion of the silicon ingot up to an intermediate ingot length;
- and
- a second stage corresponding to formation of the silicon ingot from at least the intermediate ingot length to a total ingot length;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to maintain the position of the maximum gauss plane in the second stage at a position lower than the position of the maximum gauss plane during the first stage, the position of the maximum gauss plane being maintained at a position at least 100 mm below a melt free surface during the second stage.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.