Editing Czochralski method (section)

== History == 
=== Early Developments (1915–1930s) ===
Jan Czochralski invented his method in 1916 at [[AEG (German company)|AEG]] in Germany while investigating the crystallization velocities of metals.<ref name=":2" /> His technique—originally reported in 1918—formed the basis for growing single crystals by pulling material from the melt. Until 1923, modifications to the method were confined mainly to Berlin‐based groups.<ref name="Uecker2014" />

Shortly thereafter, in 1925, E.P.T. Tyndall's group at the [[University of Iowa]] grew [[zinc]] crystals using the Czochralski method for nearly a decade; these early crystals reached maximum diameters of about 3.5 mm and lengths of up to 35 cm.

The development of the fundamental process would be completed in 1937 by Henry Walther at [[Bell Labs|Bell Telephone Laboratories]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Feigelson |first=R.S. |title=Handbook of Crystal Growth |date=December 2015 |isbn=978-0-444-63303-3 |pages=20–25|publisher=Elsevier Science }}</ref> Walther introduced crystal rotation—a technique that compensates for thermal asymmetries—and implemented dynamic cooling control via an adjustable gas stream. His innovations enabled precise control over crystal shape and diameter and allowed the first growth of true bulk crystals, including high-melting-point materials such as sodium chloride. Walther’s work laid the foundation for the modern Czochralski process.<ref name="Uecker2014">
{{cite journal |last=Uecker |first=R. |title=The historical development of the Czochralski method |journal=Journal of Crystal Growth |year=2014 |volume=401 |pages=7–24 |doi=10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2013.11.095|bibcode=2014JCrGr.401....7U }}</ref>

=== Post–World War II Revival (1940s–1950s) ===
The strategic importance of semiconductors following World War II led [[Gordon Kidd Teal|Gordon Teal]], then employed at [[Bell Labs]] to revive the Czochralski method for single crystal growth. In the early 1950s, high-quality germanium crystals were grown to meet the emerging demands of transistor technology, and soon after, silicon crystals were produced. This renewed interest marked the beginning of a rapid expansion in the use of the technique in the United States.<ref name="Uecker2014"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Who was Jan Czochralski? Out of the shadows |url=https://www.iucr.org/news/newsletter/volume-28/number-3/who-was-jan-czochralski |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=www.iucr.org}}</ref>

=== Global Spread and Process Refinements (Late 1950s–Present) ===
The adoption of the Czochralski method expanded internationally in the late 1950s. In Europe, Germany employed the technique for semiconductor crystals as early as 1952, followed by France in 1953, the United Kingdom and Russia in 1956, the Czech Republic in 1957, and finally Switzerland and the Netherlands in 1959. In Japan, the technique began to be used in 1959, with its applications and technical improvements accelerating during the 1960s.<ref name="Uecker2014" />

During this period several key process modifications were introduced that further refined the Czochralski method:<br> • The hot-wall technique (circa 1956) reduced evaporation losses from the melt.<br> • The continuous melt feed method (circa 1956) stabilized the melt composition.<br> • The Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) technique (introduced in 1962) enabled the growth of compound semiconductor crystals by suppressing the evaporation of volatile components.<br> • Automatic diameter control using crystal or crucible weighing (introduced in 1972–73) allowed for more precise regulation of crystal dimensions.

These innovations extended the versatility of the Czochralski process, paving the way for industrial-scale production of high-quality single crystals across a wide range of materials.<ref name="Uecker2014"/>