Silicon isotopic zoning in silicon crystals caused by the isotopic fractionation at the crystal–melt interface

We carried out experiments on crystal growth from silicon melt with the FZ technique.We have precisely determined 30Si/28Si ratios of the obtained crystal using the IMS-1270 SIMS with Faraday cup multicollectors. Isotopic variations in the range of 1% were observed along the growth direction of the crystal.We have observed the position of the interface between the grown crystal and melt during the crystal growth experiment using a CCD camera observation system. As we made a fast downward traveling of the crystal–melt system, the interface position and temperature fell quickly while the silicon isotopic ratio increased. It is inferred that the degree of supercooling of the silicon melt played a crucial role for controlling the isotopic ratio of the growing crystal. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved