3D numerical study of the asymmetric phenomenon in 200 mm floating zone silicon crystal growth

In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional model for a 200 mm floating zone silicon crystal growth process to investigate the fluid flow and solid–liquid interface. To study the effect of high-frequency (HF) electromagnetic (EM) heating on the melt flow and interface shape, HF-EM and heat transfer calculations were conducted in three dimensions. Through comparison of EM and Marangoni forces, EM force was found to have a larger effect than Marangoni force on the free surface flow. By considering 3D Marangoni and EM forces at the free surface, a more accurate melt flow distribution has been obtained. Moreover, the results showed that local growth rate became more inhomogeneous when the rotation speed of the crystal was increased. However, a more homogeneous three-phase line could be obtained with a high rotational crystal speed.