Noncontact measurement of thermal conductivity of liquid silicon in a static magnetic field

Thermal conductivity of liquid silicon is indispensable for numerical modeling of silicon crystal growth processes and for elucidating electron transport phenomena in high-temperature liquids. However, crucial obstacles render measurement of thermal conductivity difficult: convection and contamination from contact materials. In this study, the authors developed a noncontact measurement of thermal conductivity of liquid silicon using electromagnetic levitation in a static magnetic field. Convection in the levitated silicon becomes negligible above 2 T. The determined thermal conductivity shows that the electron contribution is dominant for thermal transport in liquid silicon at temperatures of 1750-2050 K. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.