Editing Czochralski method (section)

=== 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"/>