summarize the reduction in the temperature of the liquid silicon in the crucible and in the capillary passageways caused by the factors listed above reduces the tendency of the liquid silicon to dissolve carbon from the graphite die reducing the tendency to precipitate carbon by reaction with liquid silicon causes less silicon carbide to deposit onto die tip 100 such reduction is a significant advantage since as discussed above silicon carbide deposits cause temperature differences and alter the shape of the die tip which in turn cause variations in the thickness of the crystalline body grown from the die tip such reduction is a significant advantage also because silicon carbide deposits can clog the capillary passages of dies of conventional design thereby preventing flow of melt to growth meniscus and thus limiting the useful life of the die while a die incorporating the present invention has a much longer useful life die 19 also is designed to overcome the third problem noted above i e the flooding of liquid silicon over the die and adjacent regions of the crystal growth apparatus by providing inner and outer moats 114 and 116 adjacent die tip 100 most spillage of liquid silicon from growth meniscus 110 is captured in.