Method for Producing a Single Crystal in a Growing Crucible

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This patent describes a method and apparatus for growing or enlarging a single crystal within a specialized crucible (growth crucible) using physical vapor transport or similar gas-phase techniques. The invention introduces a controlled gas flow through the crucible, using a gas feed line that passes through the source material. This gas flow, managed together with precise temperature gradients, generates forced convection in the gas space between the source material and the crystal seed, enabling efficient and uniform transport of evaporated material to the growing crystal. The approach minimizes temperature gradients, which reduces stress and defects in large crystals, and employs crucible designs (e.g., permeable or selectively permeable walls, diffusers) to further optimize growth conditions and prevent unwanted contact of the crystal with the crucible wall.

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• Production of large high-quality single crystals (e.g., silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, zinc oxide) for use in advanced electronic components (such as power electronics and semiconductor devices).
• Manufacture of bulk crystals for optical applications or as gemstones.
• Improved crystal growth for materials used in high-frequency, high-temperature, or high-power electronics.
• Development or scale-up of advanced crystal growth reactors for research or industrial production.
• Production of single crystals for substrates in LED manufacturing, solar cells, or laser devices.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables the growth of larger single crystals with higher purity and fewer structural defects.
• Reduces thermal stresses and dislocations, improving material quality and device performance.
• Provides more precise control over temperature gradients and mass transport in the crystal growth process.
• Flexible for use with different materials and various gas-phase growth methods (such as PVT and CVD).
• Facilitates contactless crystal growth for reduced mechanical damage and longer device lifetimes.
• Allows for more controlled doping and incorporation of desired elements into the crystal during growth.

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Patent Abstract

Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur Herstellung und/oder Vergrößerung eines Einkristalls durch Aufheizen, Verdampfen und Abscheiden eines Quellenmaterials in einem Wachstumstiegel. Das Quellenmaterial und der Einkristall sind innerhalb des Wachstumstiegel angeordnet. Ein Gasraum ist im Wachstumstiegel zwischen dem Quellenmaterial und dem Einkristall vorgesehen. Der Wachstumstiegel weist eine das Quellenmaterial durchgreifende Gaszuführleitung auf. Eine Gasströmung durch die Gaszuführleitung in den Gasraum wird eingestellt. Ein Temperaturgradient im Gasraum wird durch eine Beheizung eingestellt. Die Gasströmung und der Temperaturgradient werden gesteuert. Eine Konvektion wird durch die Gasströmung in Richtung und Stärke bestimmt. Vom Quellenmaterial verdampftes Material wird durch die Konvektion zum Einkristall geführt. Weiterhin betrifft die Erfindung einen entsprechenden Wachstumstiegel.