LARGE GRAIN, MULTI-CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR INGOT FORMATION METHOD AND SYSTEM

摘要

Techniques for the formation of a large grain, multi-crystalline semiconductor ingot and include forming a silicon melt in a crucible, the crucible capable of locally controlling thermal gradients within the silicon melt. The local control of thermal gradients preferentially forms silicon crystals in predetermined regions within the silicon melt by locally reducing temperatures is the predetermined regions. The method and system control the rate at which the silicon crystals form using local control of thermal gradients for inducing the silicon crystals to obtain preferentially maximal sizes and, thereby, reducing the number of grains for a given volume. The process continues the thermal gradient control and the rate control step to form a multi crystalline silicon ingot having reduced numbers of grains for a given volume of the silicon ingot.