Method for producing a monocrystalline or polycrystalline semiconductor material

摘要

The invention relates to a method for producing a monocrystalline or polycrystalline semiconductor material by way of directional solidification, wherein lumpy semiconductor raw material is introduced into a melting crucible and melted therein and directionally solidified, in particular using the vertical gradient freeze method. In order to prevent contamination and damage, the semiconductor raw material is melted from the upper end of the melting crucible. The molten material trickles downward, so that semiconductor raw material which has not yet melted gradually slumps in the melting crucible. In this case, the additional semiconductor raw material is replenished to the melting crucible from above onto a zone of semiconductor raw material which has not yet melted or is not completely melted, in order at least partly to compensate for a volumetric shrinkage of the semiconductor raw material and to increase the filling level of the crucible. In order to reduce the melting-on time and to influence the thermal conditions in the system as little as possible, the semiconductor raw material to be replenished is heated by the purposeful introduction of heat to a temperature below the melting temperature of the semiconductor raw material and introduced into the container in the heated state.