Shallow melt apparatus for semicontinuous czochralski crystal growth

In a single crystal pulling apparatus for providing a Czochralski crystal grows process, the improvement of a shallow melt crucible having melt connecting holes disposed outside of a growth compartment but inside of a feed compartment to eliminate the necessity of supplying a large quantity of feed stock materials that have to be preloaded in a deep crucible to grow a single ingot, comprising:

• a) a gas tight container,
• b) a crucible with a deepened periphery to prevent snapping of a shallow melt and reduce turbulent melt convection;
• c) a double barrier to isolate heat in the feeding compartment from We growth compartment to melt solid feeding materials and minimized thermal impact to the growth crystal;
• d) an interface thermal gradient control, from which a shallow melt in the growth compartment allows for better thermal gradient control near an interface;
• and
• e) an interface heater or heat sink under the growth compartment, to provide a concave or convex interface shape;