We have more than 25 years of experience in the field of mathematical modelling of silicon single crystal growth processes. Our research efforts in the field of floating-zone silicon crystal growth makes us one of the World-leading scientists in this field. There is an ongoing cooperation agreement with one of the largest silicon crystal producers, Siltronic AG (Germany).
Methodology
Both specialized and commercial modelling software is used for simulations of various aspects of crystal growth equipment: electromagnetics, heat transfer, hydrodynamics, point-defect transport etc. In addition, research into the field of automation and smart process control for industrial processes is carried out. The laboratory also has a dedicated high-performance 256-core computer cluster, which is used for solving computationally demanding numerical problems.
Projects
- Research contracts with Siltronic AG (Germany) for the optimisation of industrial silicon single-crystal growth furnaces – increased yield, lower failure rate, and higher quality of the manufactured semiconductor wafers.
- European Union funded development of modelling tools for the increased capabilities to perform non-stationary simulations of the crystal growth process.
- Modelling of pedestal crystal growth method by participating in the ERDF project “Establishment of the Center of Excellence in Mechanical Engineering” and the UL Effective Cooperation Project with Plc. KEPP EU (Latvia).
Contact
Jānis Virbulis, Dr.Phys.
janis.virbulis@lu.lv
0000-0002-5467-7864
linkedin.com/in/janis-virbulis
