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3D3DRod.
This is a very strange-looking rod. It's claimed to be a pulled crystal rod (Czochralski method), but I question that. It's got a very strange, rough outer surface, not like the surface of other silicon boules I've seen, and there seems to be a 1/4" or so diameter core with a different crystal structure than the surrounding material, which would render it useless for etching circuits on. I'm thinking maybe this is the result of an electrolytic purification process, perhaps an intermediate stage in reaching the hyperpurity used for chips. It came with a card claiming 99.9999% purity. See below for two chunks that represent earlier stages in the purification process.
Source: SoCal (Nevada), Inc
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 11 July, 2003
Price: $58
Size: 4.5"
Purity: >99.9999%
Silicon