Optimal Control of the Czochralski Crystallization Process

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9400775 Seider The award is for better control of the Czochralski crystallization process so that larger diameter wafers of silicon and other compound semiconductors can be grown with fewer defects. The effort will concentrate on development of better reduced-order models which take into account resistances across boundary layers. Sensors will also be developed to measure temperatures at the crucible wall and to measure atomic oxygen concentrations in the crystal. Finally, model-predictive controllers will be developed to achieve better control of the crystal growth process. Experiments will be conducted at the site of the industrial partner to validate the researched refinements in modeling, sensor development, and controller development. Improved control of the Czochralski crystallization process is expected to lead to the ability to grow larger diameter crystals of silicon and other compound semiconductor materials with fewer defects, which would be of value to the semiconductor industry. Furthermore, the sensor developments are expected to result in better understanding of the crystal growth process. The reduced order model development work is expected to be of value in modeling a variety of materials processing applications involving melt processing for purposes of control.