US 11,866,845 B2
Methods for growing single crystal silicon ingots that involve silicon feed tube inert gas control
Matteo Pannocchia, Lana (IT); and Maria Porrini, Merano (IT)
Assigned to GlobalWafers Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by GlobalWafers Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jan. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/570,141.
Prior Publication US 2023/0212778 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. C30B 15/10 (2006.01); C30B 29/06 (2006.01)
CPC C30B 15/10 (2013.01) [C30B 29/06 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for growing a single crystal silicon ingot in a continuous Czochralski process in an ingot puller apparatus, the ingot puller apparatus comprising a housing defining a growth chamber, a crucible assembly disposed in the growth chamber, a silicon feed tube for adding solid silicon to the crucible assembly, the method comprising:
forming a melt of silicon in a crucible assembly;
applying heat to the melt in a stabilization phase;
introducing an inert gas into the silicon feed tube at a first inert gas feed rate during the stabilization phase, inert gas being passing through the silicon feed tube and into the growth chamber during the stabilization phase;
contacting a surface of the melt with a seed crystal;
withdrawing a single crystal silicon ingot from the melt in an ingot growth phase; and
introducing the inert gas into the silicon feed tube at a second inert gas feed rate during the ingot growth phase, the first inert gas feed rate being greater than the second inert gas feed rate, inert gas being passing through the silicon feed tube and into the growth chamber during the ingot growth phase.