SILICON MELT CONTACTING MEMBER AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF CRYSTALLINE SILICON

摘要

Provided are: a silicon melt contacting member which has greatly improved liquid repellency for a silicon melt and in which the liquid repellency can be maintained permanently, and which is suitable for the production of crystalline silicon; and a process for producing crystalline silicon, particularly spherical crystalline silicon having high crystallinity, with high efficiency using the silicon melt contacting member. A silicon melt contacting member having a porous sintered material layer on the surface thereof, preferably on a substrate composed of a ceramic material such as aluminum nitride, wherein the porous sintered material layer contains silicon nitride as the main component, has a thickness of 10-500 µm and has, dispersed therein, multiple void pores preferably having an average equivalent circle diameter of 1-25 µm at a void-occupying area ratio of 30-80%, and wherein the void pores are communicated with each other to form communicated holes each having a depth of 5 µm or more.