Influence of melt-temperature fluctuations on striation formation in large-scale Czochralski Si growth systems

The effects of melt-temperature fluctuations on growth striations in crystals grown in a commercial-scale growth system were studied by an analysis of the fast-Fourier-transform (FFT) method applied to the melt-temperature fluctuations and to the growth striations as evaluated by X-ray topography and spreading-resistance (SR) methods. The period of the growth striations observed in crystals corresponded exactly to that of temperature fluctuations in the melt; however, the amplitude of these growth striations decreased when temperature fluctuations with a constant amplitude occurred rapidly. This phenomenon results from a delay in the response of the microscopic growth rate to rapid temperature fluctuations. The amplitude of melt-temperature fluctuations and the peak height of the FFT power spectra were observed to decrease in the radial direction toward the crystal center, and this trend was also observed for growth striations. It was concluded that temporal thermal fluctuations caused by melt convection are preserved in growth striations for crystals grown in large growth systems.