High temperature hydrogen anneal of silicon wafers supported on a silicon fixture

A high-temperature wafer processing method, comprising the steps of:

• providing a tower comprising
• a plurality of legs comprising virgin polysilicon and each having a plurality of support areas cut therein along axial lengths thereof, and
• two bases fixed to opposed ends of said plurality of legs;
• supporting a plurality of silicon wafers on said support areas;
• and
• processing said supported silicon wafers at a processing temperature of at least 1100° C.

A wafer supporting tower, comprising:

• two bases composed of silicon;
• four legs joined at opposite ends thereof to said two bases and composed of polysilicon;
• and
• a plurality of slots cut into said legs to form teeth extending from stem portions of said legs at angles of between 87° and 89½° and having support surfaces formed on ends thereof for supporting wafers thereon and located at approximately 0.707 of radii of said wafers in a rectangular pattern.