Modelling of Heat Transfer in Single Crystal Growth

TL;DR

This paper reviews heat transfer mechanisms in single crystal growth, emphasizing optical properties, phase boundary treatment, and simulation validation, with an example on SiC crystal growth by sublimation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of heat transfer modeling, simulation challenges, and validation techniques specific to single crystal growth processes.

Findings

Optical properties significantly influence heat transfer in crystal growth.

Differences between research and industrial simulation codes are highlighted.

An example of SiC crystal growth simulation demonstrates practical application.

Abstract

An attempt is made to review the heat transfer and the related problems encountered in the simulation of single crystal growth. The peculiarities of conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer in the different melt, solution, and vapour growth methods are discussed. The importance of the adequate description of the optical crystal properties (semitransparency, specular reflecting surfaces) and their effect on the heat transfer is stresses. Treatment of the unknown phase boundary fluid/crystal as well as problems related to the assessment of the quality of the grown crystals (composition, thermal stresses, point defects, disclocations etc.) and their coupling to the heat transfer/fluid flow problems is considered. Differences between the crystal growth simulation codes intended for the research and for the industrial applications are indicated. The problems of the code verification and validation are discussed; a brief review of the experimental techniques for the study of heat transfer and flow structure in crystal growth is presented. The state of the art of the optimization of the growth facilities and technological processes is discussed. An example of the computations of the heat transfer and crystal growth of bulk SiC crystals by the sublimation method is presented.