|
| Title: |
Containerless Crystallization of Silicon in Microgravity |
| Principle Investigator: |
Kazuhiko Kuribayashi(Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency) |
| Co investigator: |
Dieter M. Herlach |
 |
Deutshcen Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), German |
| Toshio Suzuki |
|
The University of Tokyo |
| Tomotsugu Aoyama |
|
Mie University |
 | Salient
Points and Brief Summary of the Theme |
|
| Drop of silicon levitated by electromagnetic levitator
in normal gravity |
Over the past several decades silicon
has been one of the most important industrial materials. In this period, Silicon
ingots have grown larger in order to reduce the cost of chip production. The larger
the ingot diameter, however, the greater the amount of investment in plants and
equipment for processing the substrate has to be. Recently, a challenging idea
that will reduce the cost has been proposed: mount on integrated circuit on the
surface of a small spherical silicon crystal. However, the technique of growing
such spherical single crystals needs to be developed. The present study will investigate
the crystallization kinetics from the undercooled melt of silicon both experimentally
and theoretically in a quiescent microgravity environment. It will then seek to
establish the condition under which the levitated drop can be crystallized to
a spherical crystal.
The onboard electromagnetic levitator (MSL-EML)
will be used for the experiment. In microgravity, less electromagnetic force will
be needed to levitate a sample than in normal gravity. This may in turn substantially
reduce the convective flows generated by the electromagnetic induction and enable
us to obtain more reliable data than in normal gravity.
Last Updated : October 1, 2003
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