Nitrogen-doped silicon substantially free of oxidation induced stacking faults

A process for growing a single crystal silicon ingot in which the ingot comprises a central axis, a seed end, an opposite end and a constant diameter portion between the seed end and the opposite end having a lateral surface, a radius, R, extending from the central axis to the lateral surface and a nominal diameter of about D mm, the ingot being grown from a silicon melt in a crucible and then cooled from the solidification temperature in accordance with the Czochralski method, the process comprising:

• growing the constant diameter portion of the crystal at a rate, v, to cause the formation of an axially symmetrical region in which vacancies are the predominant intrinsic point defect, the axially symmetric region being generally cylindrical in shape and having a radius, ras, extending from the central axis wherein ras is at least about 0.95 R and a length as measured along the central axis of at least about 20% of the length of the constant diameter portion of the ingot;
• rotating the crucible and the ingot in opposite directions during the formation of the axially symmetric region at rates Rmelt and Ringot, respectively, to incorporate between about 7 ppma and about 10.5 ppma of oxygen at about 5-6 mm inward of the lateral surface;
• and
• doping the silicon melt with nitrogen so that about 1×1013 nitrogen atoms/cm3 to about 1×1015 nitrogen atoms/cm3 are incorporated into the ingot during the formation of the axially symmetric region.