Publication of INM researchers in the journal Crystals

A publication “Simulation of Axial and Radial Species Segregation in Floating Zone Si Growth” by the researchers from the Institute of Numerical Modelling: Kirils Surovovs, Maksims Surovovs, Andrejs Sabanskis and Jānis Virbulis, has been put on the cover of the scientific journal Crystals. The publication was made in collaboration with the Institute of Crystal Growth (Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung) and researchers Kaspars Dadzis, Robert Menzel and Nikolay Abrosimov.

The distribution of dopants and impurities in silicon crystal determines the electrical resistivity and other important crystal properties. For the description of species transport, the segregation at the crystallization interface plays a key role. It is important to consider not only the equilibrium segregation coefficient, but also the effective segregation coefficient,  which takes the melt flow into account. 

In the publication the results of the modelling of crystal growth process are described: the shape of phase boundaries, melt flow, species distribution in the melt and, finally, the radial and axial species distributions in the crystal. It was proven that the effective segregation coefficient is not constant during the growth process, but increases with melt diameter due to less intensive melt mixing.

This research was supported by University of Latvia, “Strengthening of the capacity of doctoral studies at the University of Latvia within the framework of the new doctoral model”, grant number No. 8.2.2.0/20/I/006.