Drawing semiconductor crystals

Claim 1

IN THE ART OF DRAWING FROM A SEMICONDUCTOR MELT RELATIVELY THIN RODLIKE SEMICONDUCTOR CRYSTALS WITH THE AID OF A SEED CRYSTAL WHICH IS DIPPED INTO SAID MELT AND THEREUPON GRADUALLY WITHDRAWN THEREFROM, WHEREBY THE STRAND OF LIQUID MATERIAL CARRIED ALONG BY THE SEED CRYSTAL SOLIDIFIES SUCCESSIVELY TO FORM A RODLIKE CRYSTAL WITH A CROSS-SECTION DEPENDING UPON THE DRAWING SPEED, THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY FORMING SAID RODLIKE CRYSTAL WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER, COMPRISING SURROUNDING THE LIQUID MATERIAL STRAND, WHICH IS BEING CARRIED ALONG BY THE SEED CRYSTAL, WITH AN ANNULAR ELECTRODE AND APPLYING A DIRECT VOLTAGE BETWEEN THE LATTER AND SAID STRAND TO PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM ELECTROSTATIC FIELD CONCENTRICALLY ACTING UPON SAID STRAND SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE LEVEL OF THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE LIQUID AND SOLIDIFIED PORTIONS THEREOF, THE STRENGTH AND ORIENTATION OF SAID ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BEING WITH RESPECT TO THE LIQUID MATERIAL STRAND SUCH THAT THE SURFACE TENSION IS REDUCED TO AVOID OCCURRENCE OF PERIODIC CONSTRICTIONS IN THE SOLIDIFIED MATERIAL STRAND.