Embodiments relate to an apparatus for manufacturing a silicon single crystal ingot and a heat shield used therein, and more particularly to accurate measurement of surface level of a silicon melt in a silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus.
Typically, a silicon wafer is manufactured using a method including a single crystal growth process for producing a single crystal (ingot), a slicing process for slicing the ingot, thereby obtaining a wafer having a thin disc shape, a lapping process for removing mechanical damage induced in the wafer due to the slicing process, a polishing process for polishing surfaces of the wafer, and a cleaning process for further polishing the polished surfaces of the wafer while removing a polishing agent or foreign matter attached to the wafer.
The process for growing a silicon single crystal ingot in the above-mentioned method may be carried out by heating, at high temperature, a growth furnace into which a highly pure silicon raw material is charged, to melt the raw material, and then growing the silicon melt into a silicon single crystal ingot, using a Czochralski method (hereinafter, referred to as a “CZ method”) or the like. A method disclosed in this disclosure may be applied to the CZ method in which a seed crystal is positioned over a silicon melt, to grow a single crystal ingot.
For growth of a silicon single crystal ingot using the CZ method, polysilicon is charged into a crucible, and is then melted. In order to heat the crucible, a resistive heater is arranged to surround outer peripheral and bottom walls of the crucible. Heating of the crucible is achieved using radiant heat generated during operation of the heater.
In this case, it is necessary to check growth state of a single crystal ingot grown from a silicon melt and surface level of the silicon melt. In connection with this, it is difficult to accurately measure surface level of the silicon melt with the naked eye.
To solve this problem, measurement of silicon melt surface level may be carried out using a separate device. In this case, however, the measurement may interfere with orbital motion of a silicon single crystal ingot. For this reason, it may be impossible to accurately measure surface level of a silicon melt.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-050299 discloses measurement of a silicon melt using a reflective plate such as a mirror. In this case, however, an oxide produced within an ingot manufacturing apparatus may be deposited on the mirror and, as such, measurement error or sensor failure may occur.
An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies in embodiments capable of accurately measuring surface level of a silicon melt in a silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus.
The object of the present invention can be achieved by providing a heat shield including a first section disposed around a central through hole, scales arranged at the first section, and a second section extending outwards from an outer circumferential edge of the first section.
The scales may be arranged at a bottom surface of the first section.
The scales may be arranged at an inner peripheral surface of the first section.
The scales may be arranged at each of at least two areas having different levels in the first section.
The scales may be arranged at each of different horizontal areas in the first section.
The scales arranged at each of the different horizontal areas in the first section may be connected to take a line shape.
The scales arranged at each of the different horizontal areas in the first section may be separate from each other while taking a dot shape.
The different horizontal areas may be arranged to face each other at opposite sides of the through hole.
The scales may be formed at the first section while having an engraved shape.
The scales may be formed at the first section while having an embossed shape.
The second section may be inclined from the first section by a predetermined angle.
In another aspect, provided herein is an apparatus for manufacturing a silicon single crystal ingot, including a chamber, a crucible disposed within the chamber, to receive a silicon melt, a heater disposed within the chamber, to heat the crucible, and a heat shield arranged over the crucible, to shield heat flowing from the silicon melt toward a single crystal ingot grown from the silicon melt, the heat shield comprising a first section disposed around a central through hole, scales arranged at the first section, and a second section extending outwards from an outer circumferential edge of the first section.
In the above-described heat shield and the silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus including the same, even when the silicon single crystal ingot performs an orbital motion, or an oxide is deposited on a surface of the heat shield or the like, it may be possible to check the surface level of the silicon melt based on images reflected from the heat shield. Since scales are formed in different areas on the inner peripheral surface of the shield, respectively, the observer may observe reflected images even when the position of the observer is shifted.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.
In the following description of the embodiments, it will be understood that, when an element is referred to as being “on” or “under” another element, it can be directly on or under another element or can be indirectly formed such that an intervening element is also present. In addition, the terms “on” or “under” as used herein may encompass not only an upward direction with respect to the associated element, but also a downward direction with respect to the associated element.
In the drawings, the thickness or size of each layer is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience of description and clarity. In addition, the size or area of each constituent element does not entirely reflect the actual size thereof.
The silicon single crystal ingot growing apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment, namely, an apparatus 100, includes a chamber 10 defined therein with a space for growing a silicon single crystal ingot 14 from a silicon (Si) melt, crucibles 20 and 22 for receiving the silicon melt, a heater 40 for heating the crucibles 20 and 22, a heat shield 200 arranged over the crucible 20, to shield heat from the silicon melt, a seed chuck 18 for fixing a seed (not shown) for growth of the silicon single crystal ingot 14, and a rotating shaft 30 for rotating the crucibles 20 and 22 while vertically moving the crucibles 20 and 22.
The chamber 10 provides a space in which desired processes for forming a silicon single crystal ingot from a silicon melt are carried out. A crucible may be disposed within the chamber 10, to receive a silicon melt. A cooling water tube, which is made of tungsten (W) or molybdenum (Mo), may be provided. Of course, the cooling water tube is not limited to the above-described material.
The crucible may include a quartz crucible, namely, the crucible 20, directly contacting the silicon melt, and a graphite crucible, namely, the crucible 22, supporting the quartz crucible 20 while surrounding an outer surface of the quartz crucible 20.
A radiant heat insulator may be provided within the chamber 10, to prevent heat of the heater 40 from being discharged outwards. In the illustrated embodiment, only a heat shield 200 disposed over the crucibles 20 and 22 is illustrated. However, insulators may also be arranged around peripheral and bottom walls of the crucibles 20 and 22.
The heater 40 melts a silicon raw material having various shapes, which is placed within the crucibles 20 and 22, to produce a silicon melt.
The heater 40 may include a plurality of heater units arranged to surround the peripheral and bottom walls of the crucibles 20 and 22. That is, plural heater units may be arranged around the peripheral and bottom walls of the crucibles 20 and 22, to surround the crucibles 20 and 22.
A support 20 is centrally disposed at the bottom wall of the crucibles 20 and 22, to support the crucibles 20 and 22. The silicon (Si) melt is partially solidified from the seed, to grow a silicon single crystal ingot, namely, the ingot 14.
The heat shield 200a includes a first section 220 disposed around a central through hole, and a second section 230 extending outwards from an outer circumferential edge of the first section 220.
The second section 230 may be inclined from the first section 220 by a predetermined angle. As illustrated in
Scales h1, h2, and h3 are arranged in different areas of a bottom surface of the first section 220, respectively. In order to achieve determination of surface level of a silicon melt based on scale images formed on a surface of the silicon melt through reflection of light from the scales h1, h2, and h3, it is necessary to arrange the scales h1, h2, and h3 in each of at least two different areas. Here, the “bottom surface” means a surface of the first section 220 facing the silicon melt.
In the above-described silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus, the scales h1, h2, and h3 may be arranged in each of at least two areas on the bottom surface of the first section 220 in order to enable the observer to measure surface level of the silicon melt even at different positions. In particular, the scales h1, h2, and h3 may be arranged in separate horizontal areas on the bottom surface of the first section 220.
In the illustrated embodiment, three scales h1, h2, and h3 are arranged at different levels in each of three areas A, B, and C, respectively. The three scales h1, h2, and h3 may be separate from one another while taking a dot shape. In another embodiment, the three scales h1, h2, and h3, may be connected to take a line shape.
The heat shield 200b according to this embodiment is similar to the embodiment illustrated in
The heat shield 200b includes the first section 225, which is disposed around a central through hole, and a second section 235 extending outwards from an outer circumferential edge of the first section 225. The first section 225 and second section 235 may prevent heat from being discharged from the crucible and, as such, function as a hot zone. As in the previous embodiment, the second section 235 may be arranged to be inclined 60 to 120° from the first section 225
Scales h1, h2, and h3 are arranged in three different areas on the inner peripheral surface of the first section 225, respectively. In order to achieve determination of surface level of a silicon melt based on scale images formed on a surface of the silicon melt through reflection of light from the scales h1, h2, and h3, it is necessary to arrange the scales h1, h2, and h3 in each of at least two different areas.
In the above-described silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus, the scales h1, h2, and h3 may be arranged in each of at least two areas having different levels on the inner peripheral surface of the first section 225 in order to enable the observer to measure surface level of the silicon melt even at different positions. In particular, the scales h1, h2, and h3 may be arranged in separate horizontal areas on the inner peripheral surface of the first section 225.
In the illustrated embodiment, three scales h1, h2, and h3 are arranged at different levels in each of three horizontally arranged areas A′, B′, and C′, respectively. The three scales h1, h2, and h3 may be connected to take a line shape. In another embodiment, the three scales h1, h2, and h3 may be separate from one another while having a dot shape.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Although the scales a, b, and c have different shapes in the case of
In an embodiment of
Although the scales a′, b′, and c′ are inserted into respective grooves of the first section 220 in the case of
The depth of the scales formed to have an engraved shape in the case of
Meanwhile, the distance between adjacent ones of the scales a, b, and c, namely, a distance w, may be 5 to 10 cm. When the distance w is excessively small, it may be difficult for the observer to discriminate scale images of the scales a, b, and c from one another. On the other hand, when the distance w is excessively great, it may be difficult for the observer to accurately measure surface level of the silicon melt based on scale images formed on the surface of the silicon melt through reflection of the scale images. The pitch of the scales a, b, and c in the case of
As illustrated in
Accordingly, even when the silicon single crystal ingot performs an orbital motion, or an oxide is deposited on a surface of the heat shield or the like, it may be possible to check the surface level of the silicon melt based on images reflected from the heat shield. Since scales are formed in different areas on the inner peripheral surface of the shield, respectively, the observer may observe reflected images even when the position of the observer is shifted.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
The heat shield according to each of the above-described embodiments and the silicon single crystal ingot manufacturing apparatus including the same may be used in a process of manufacturing a silicon wafer.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2013-0111259 | Sep 2013 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/KR2014/008558 | 9/15/2014 | WO | 00 |