Abstract

The surfacetension of molten silicon was successfully measured by an oscillating drop method using electromagnetic levitation over a wide temperature range from 1100 to 1500°C including the undercooling condition of ΔT ≈ 300 K. Single crystals of silicon heavily doped with B and Sb (resistivity as low as ) were successfully melted and levitated. The surfacetension of molten silicon was 783.5 × 10⁻³ N/m at the melting point of 1410°C within the measurement accuracy of 3–4%; its temperature coefficient was −0.65 × 10⁻³ N/m·K. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis showed that O and Sb evaporated during melting, while the B concentration after melting was unchanged. This means that surfacetension and its measured temperature dependence correspond to those for a contamination-free silicon melt.