Method and apparatus for producing elongated strip-shaped crystalline semiconductor bodies

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PULLING AN ELONGATED DENDRITIC CRYSTAL STRIP OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OUT OF A MELT ELECTRICALLY HEATED BY AN INDUCTANCE COIL SURROUNDING THE MELT, WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTING A ROD OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL IN VERTICAL POSITION AND LEAVING AN END PORTION THEREOF EXPOSED AT THE LOCATION OF THE HEATING COIL, ENERGIZING THE COIL BY ELECTRIC CURRENT AND MAINTAINING THEREBY A MOLTEN ZONE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE IN A REGION ADJACENT TO THE STILL SOLID PORTION OF THE ROD SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPERCOOLING TO PROMOTE DENDRITIC GROWTH, A REGION OF THE MOLTTEN ZONE FARTHEST REMOVED FROM THE SOLID PORTION OF THE ROD, IMMERSING THE END OF A SEED CRYSTAL OF THE SAME MATERIAL INTO THE SUPERCOOLED REGION OF THE MELT AND THEREAFTER PULLING THE SEED WITH THE GROWING CRYSTALLINE PRODUCT AWAY FROM THE MOLTEN ZONE AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE RATE OF CRYSTALLINE GROWTH, SENSING THE VARIATIONS OF THE COIL CURRENT DUE TO CHANGES IN SHAPE AND VOLUME OF THE MOLTEN ZONE OCCURRING DURING CRYSTAL PULLING, AND ADVANCING THE ROD IN THE PULLING DIRECTION IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE DEPARTURE OF THE SENSED CURRENT VARIATION FROM A GIVEN DATUM VALUE TO REGULATE THE COIL CURRENT FOR CONSTANCY, WHEREBY THE LIQUID-TO-SOLID BOUNDARY OF THE ROD AND THE SUPERCOOLED REGION ARE MAINTAINED IN A FIXED RELATION TO SAID COIL LOCATION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PULLING AN ELONGATED DENDRITIC CRYSTAL STRIP OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OUT OF A MELT ELECTRICALLY HEATED BY AN INDUCTANCE COIL SURROUNDING THE MELT, WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTING A ROD OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL IN VERTICAL POSITION AND LEAVING AN END PORTION THEREOF EXPOSED AT THE LOCATION OF THE HEATING COIL, ENERGIZING THE COIL BY ELECTRIC CURRENT AND MAINTAINING THEREBY A MOLTEN ZONE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE IN A REGION ADJACENT TO THE STILL SOLID PORTION OF THE ROD SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPERCOOLING TO PROMOTE DENDRITIC GROWTH, A REGION OF THE MOLTTEN ZONE FARTHEST REMOVED FROM THE SOLID PORTION OF THE ROD, IMMERSING THE END OF A SEED CRYSTAL OF THE SAME MATERIAL INTO THE SUPERCOOLED REGION OF THE MELT AND THEREAFTER PULLING THE SEED WITH THE GROWING CRYSTALLINE PRODUCT AWAY FROM THE MOLTEN ZONE AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE RATE OF CRYSTALLINE GROWTH, SENSING THE VARIATIONS OF THE COIL CURRENT DUE TO CHANGES IN SHAPE AND VOLUME OF THE MOLTEN ZONE OCCURRING DURING CRYSTAL PULLING, AND ADVANCING THE ROD IN THE PULLING DIRECTION IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE DEPARTURE OF THE SENSED CURRENT VARIATION FROM A GIVEN DATUM VALUE TO REGULATE THE COIL CURRENT FOR CONSTANCY, WHEREBY THE LIQUID-TO-SOLID BOUNDARY OF THE ROD AND THE SUPERCOOLED REGION ARE MAINTAINED IN A FIXED RELATION TO SAID COIL LOCATION.