PRODUCTION DEVICE OF PLATE-LIKE SILICON CRYSTAL

PURPOSE:To produce easily a plate-like silicon crystal for a solar battery by solidifying the silicon melt in a crucible between a pair of belts formed of a material which is not wet with the silicon melt and drawing the same from the lower side of the crucible. CONSTITUTION:Raw material silicon is put in a crucible 1 formed of a material which is not wet with a silicon melt (e.g.; boron nitride) (a symbol 1a in the figure is a square pipe for preventing the leakage of the melt) and is heated to about 1,450 deg.C to manufacture a silicon melt 2. A pair of endless belts 4a, 4b which are formed of a material that is not wet with the silicon melt (e.g.; ceramic cloth) and pass through the pipe 1a and the melt 2 in the crucible are turned by means of driving rolls 5a, 5b so as to move downward in the melt 2, and while the silicon crystal is grown between both belts 4a and 4b, the silicon crystal is drawn and a plate-like silicon crystal 6a is produced.