Optical absorption property of glasses coloured with Cd (S, Se, Te)

In the glasses coloured with Cd (S, Se, Te), the dependence of the absorption coefficient () on photon energy (E) and temperature (T) has been determined. Some results that differ from the Urbach rule were obtained.     

Monocrystalline Cd0.2Zn0.8Te solid solution obtained by self‐selecting vapour growth

Cd_0.2Zn_0.8Te monocrystals with the sizes of about 15 mm have been produced by self‐selecting vapour growth (SSVG). High degree of structural perfection of monocrystalline Cd_0.2Zn_0.8Te was achieved. Excellent compositional uniformity was observed as well. To our knowledge, no comparable results are reported for this solid solution. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Kinetical study of the nonstoichiometric vapour growth process in the system ZnSe:I2

We have studied the growth of ZnSe crystals by chemical transport in a closed system in nonstoichiometric conditions, and we have deduced that the interface kinetics is the phenomenon limiting the growth process. The effect on the growth process of the deviation from stoichiometry of the II‐VI compound was investigated using a mathematical model that involves indirect data computed from directly obtained experimental values. The experimental crystallization rate was compared with the maximum value of the transport flux calculated using the Arizumi‐Nishinaga model. The influence of the stoichiometry of the source material and of the variations in the growth parameters (supercooling, geometrical dimension, specific loading of the ampoule and iodine concentration) on the ZnSe crystal growth process has also been studied. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Self-selecting vapour growth of bulk crystals – Principles and applicability

A method of self-selecting vapour growth (SSVG) for bulk binary and multernary crystals of semiconducting materials is reviewed comprehensively for the first time. Although it has been developed over three decades, the method is less well known – even though it is physically distinct from the more widely used ‘Piper–Polich’ and ‘Markov–Davydov’ vapour transport bulk growth methods. The means by which growth takes place on a polycrystalline source to form a crystal free from the walls is described. Modelling and empirical observations have been used to establish the characteristics of the almost isothermal temperature fields that drive the transport in SSVG. It is demonstrated that precise control of thermal radiation is a fundamental requirement for tailoring the temperature distribution—a fact that has been used well in the design of horizontal tube furnace growth rigs. Achievements in the growth of useful PbS, PbSe, PbTe, CdTe and ZnTe compound crystals are described. The SSVG method has proved to be particularly well suited to the growth of solid solutions, and the results of growth experiments, and of compositional and structural analysis, are presented for Pb(Se,S), (Pb,Sn)Se, (Pb,Sn)Te, (Pb,Ge)Te, Cd(Te,Se), Cd(Te,S) and (Cd,Zn)Te. The excellent compositional uniformity delivered is attributed to entropy driven mixing in the low thermal gradients present in SSVG.

To date, most SSVG has been done at the <50 g level for research or small scale production use. Prospects for scaling up the growth are considered, there being no barriers identified in principle. However, there is a limitation in that the shape of the grown crystals is not accurately controlled at present. To overcome this, and to offer an alternative method of scaling up, the use of vertical tube systems is explored. A significant additional advantage of the vertical configuration is that it allows for continuous recycling of the source/crystal mass so as to continuously self-refine the increasingly uniform – and crystalline – product. Achievements to date in growing II–VI and IV–VI crystals are described for prototype vertical SSVG systems. Finally, future prospects for the SSVG method in terms of further developments to the method, and the specific materials that will benefit from it are highlighted.     

IR-device Grade (Hg,Cd)Te Crystals Grown by a Modified Bridgman Method

Electrical and photoelectrical properties of IR-devices manufactured on (Hg, Cd)Te-wafers cut from single crystals grown by modified Bridgman method are reported and compared to those of devices made on THM-(Hg, Cd)Te. MIS-structures and photodiodes were used in order to investigate the different materials. The influence of material parameters and device technology respectively is involved in our discussion of device properties. The quality of modified Bridgman-(Hg, Cd)Te was found to be comparable to that of the THM-(Hg, Cd)Te. At T = 80 K and FOV = 60° background limited detectivity of photodiodes with a cut-off wavelength of λ_co = 10.7 μm was achieved.     

Growth of ZnO crystals by vapour transport: Some ways to act on physical properties

Nowadays, the growth of ZnO by vapor transport in silica ampoules is generally made in presence of graphite. As it has been already shown, this means that the growth process is carried out in presence of a Zn excess. In order to control that and act, as a consequence, on the physical properties of crystals we have performed a systematic study of the growth process in a wide range of Zn excess compositions using well defined experimental conditions. As a preliminary characterization, optical absorption and electrical properties have been analyzed at room temperature. The results show how some physical properties of as‐grown ZnO crystals can be changed in a controlled way by an adequate combination of different growth conditions such as graphite covering of inner ampoule walls, thermal difference between source material and crystallization zone and additional gas (composition and pressure). In this frame some post‐growth annealing processes can be avoided reducing the time and cost of processes. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Plasma enhanced growth of GaN single crystalline layers from Ga vapour

We present an alternative approach to grow thick GaN single crystalline layers from Ga vapour, transported by an N₂ carrier gas flow, and from nitrogen, excited very near the substrate by 2.45 GHz microwaves at pressure in the 200–800 mbar range. Crystal growth requires high stability of process parameters, especially of plasma operation. A major challenge arose from temperature dependent changes in cavity resonance. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used for plasma characterization while the grown layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD).     

In‐situ measurements of mass transport rate in vapour growth of hexamethylenetetramine crystal layers

This paper refers to the implementation of a remote optical imaging system suitable for in‐situ mass transport rate measurements in the growth of crystalline layers when grown in closed cylindrical ampoules by a physical vapour transport (PVT) technique. By means of this system, the measurements are carried out by taking photographs, at regular time intervals, of the source material volume as it reduces itself because of mass transfer. After storing the photographs, in real time, in a PC, a suitable software allows to estimate the mass transport rate during the growth process. The authors report here on the detailed setting up of such system when aimed at measuring the growth rate, as it varies with time, of hexamethylenetetramine (HMT, urotropine) crystal layers. A presentation and discussion of the results of these measurements have previously been reported. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Liquid-Phase Epitaxy of (Hg,Cd)Te on CdTe Substrates by a Vertical Dipping Technique

Hg_1−xCd_xTe layers on CdTe substrates were grown from Te-rich melt solutions by a vertical dipping technique using a special quasi-closed system with ground-glass sealing. Results are good reproducibilities of the electrical properties after annealing in Hg-rich atmosphere (p77 ≈ 2 · 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ μ77 ≈ 500 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) and of the x-value, respectively. A horizontal position of the substrate downwards to the melt solution yields, in difference to a vertical one, to homogeneous layer thicknesses. Short meltback steps before growth leads to sharper profiles of composition.     

Comprehensive characterization of CdTe and (Cd,Zn)Te single crystals by a chemical etchant

Using a known chemical etchant low- and high angle boundaries and lamellar twins can be seen on CdTe and (Cd, Zn)Te crystal ingots as a whole as well as on slices with naked eyes. Also the polarity of {111} samples can be determined in this way. Etch pits are produced on cut and polished surfaces independent of their crystallographic orientation. A new modified etchant was used to study the low angle subgrain structure on (111)Te surfaces.     

Hydrogen and nitrogen ambient effects on epitaxial growth of GaN by hydride vapour phase epitaxy

This study presents the influence of the composition of the carrier gas on the growth of GaN by HVPE. Since no hydrogen is introduced in the vapour phase, the deposition is expected to be controlled by Cl desorption in the form of GaCl₃, as has been proposed for GaAs. However, our published model predicts much lower growth rates than those observed. We can account for both the observed parasitic deposition and GaN growth rate if we assume that GaCl₃ is not at its equilibrium pressure in the deposition zone and where nucleation takes place on the walls as well as on the substrate. This yields a high rate of parasitic nucleation even though the nominal supersaturation is vanishing small. Very little growth takes place on the substrate where the equilibrium pressure of GaCl₃ is reached. We describe similar experiments performed with a H₂/N₂ mixture as the carrier gas. In this case, we expect GaN deposition to be controlled by desorption of Cl as HCl, which is known as the H₂ mechanism. It is speculated that the results show the existence of a new growth mechanism.     

Dislocation and microindentation analysis of vapour grown Bi2Te3‐xSex whiskers

The structural defects and microhardness of Bi₂Te_3‐xSe_x whiskers (x = 0, 0.2 and 0.4 at% Se) grown by physical vapour deposition (PVD) method have been investigated. Concentric pairs of dislocation loops were observed on the as‐grown surfaces of short hexagonal prisms. A systematic study of dislocations in these crystals was carried out by chemical etching technique. The effects of Se doping, annealing and quenching on the mechanical properties have also been studied on the prism faces of Bi₂Te_3‐xSe_x whiskers. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of the seed crystallographic orientation on AlN bulk crystal growth by PVT method

The growth of AlN crystals by PVT method was investigated using TaC crucible in the temperature range of 2250‐2350 °C. AlN boules with 30 mm in diameter were successfully grown on the crucible lid by self‐seeded growth. The AlN boules consist of the spontaneously nucleated AlN single crystal grains with the {1010} natural crystalline face. The fast growth rate of more than 1 mm/h was achieved. AlN crystals grown on (11 0)‐, (10 0)‐, and (0001)‐face AlN seeds were investigated. Different experimental phenomena have been observed under particular condition. The crystal grown on (11 0)‐face seed has different natural crystalline face from the seed. For the crystal grown on (10 0) or (0001) seed, the crystal natural crystalline face is same as the crystallographic orientation of the seed. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

氩气退火时间对Fe(Se,Te)薄膜的性能影响研究

作为一种铁基超导薄膜,Fe(Se,Te)薄膜具有晶体结构简单、所包含的元素较少、易于合成的特点,不仅有利于超导机理研究而且有着潜在的技术应用价值。本文通过磁控溅射在温度为320 ℃的CaF₂单晶衬底上制备了Fe(Se,Te)薄膜,并在氩气氛围下进行了退火处理。研究了退火时间对Fe(Se,Te)薄膜的晶体结构、微观形貌、成分组成以及电输运特性的影响。结果表明:Fe(Se,Te)薄膜的结晶性较好,退火有助于消除薄膜样品中的FeSe相,薄膜的晶格常数c对退火不敏感,退火后薄膜晶粒尺寸变大;Fe(Se,Te)薄膜成分与靶材的名义组分存在一定的偏差,退火时间越长,Fe(Se,Te)薄膜表面的颗粒越密集;Fe(Se,Te)薄膜的电阻随温度升高而减小,呈现出半导体特性,退火3 h后电阻明显增大。     

Compensation Mechanism in Vanadium and Gallium Doped CdTe and (Cd,Zn)Te

Vanadium and gallium doped CdTe crystals were grown from the vapour phase (modified Markov method) and (Cd_0.9Zn_0.1)Te: V from the melt (vertical Bridgman). The crystals were characterized by photoinduced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS), photoluminescence (PL) and time dependent charge measurements (TDCM). Transitions from different charge states (V²⁺/V³⁺) of the vanadium donor have been observed in the V-doped crystals by PICTS. A shallow donor level (dE = 0.068 eV) and the Ga A-center have been identified by PICTS and PL measurements in CdTe:Ga. In case of V-doping high resistivity is achieved all over the crystal while Ga-doping results in a high resistivity region only in the middle of the crystal. Calculation of the resistivity by means of a compensation model shows that for both dopants an additional not observed deep donor has to be assumed in order to describe the resistivity distributions.     

Oriented orthorhombic Lead Oxide film grown by vapour phase deposition for X‐ray detector applications

Several materials are under investigations for flat panel x‐ray detector applications. Among them, PbO shows interesting properties, i.e. high sensitivity, large stopping power and high resistivity at room temperature. However, the exploitation of PbO is limited by the difficulty to obtain good quality films constituted by a single phase. In this paper, we describe a new approach for the vapour phase growth of orthorhombic PbO films. The grown layers show a single phase, good crystallinity, and preferential orientation along the c axis. Optical characterization evidenced the presence of a broad defect band. Gold contacted films showed very high electrical resistivity and appreciable response to X‐ray radiation.     

Crystal growth experiments in the systems Ni2MSbO6 (M = Sc,In) using chemical vapour transport reactions: Ni2InSbO6 and NiSb2O6 crystals in the millimetre range

Endothermic chemical vapour transport (CVT) reactions of Ni₂MSbO₆ (M = Sc, In), using a temperature gradient of 1313 → 1233 K and HgCl₂, HgBr₂, PtCl₂ or TeCl₄ as transport agents, led to growth of Ni₂InSbO₆ single crystals in the millimetre range, whereas in the case of Ni₂ScSbO₆ an incongruent dissolution of the solid in the source region was observed, leading to the formation of single crystals of the ternary phase NiSb₂O₆ in the sink region. The crystal structures of the obtained crystals were refined from single crystal X‐ray data with high precision [Ni₂InSbO₆: R3, Z = 3, a = 5.21640(10) Å, c = 14.0142(3) Å, 1279 structure factors, 33 parameters, R[F² > 2σ(F²)] = 0.0189; NiSb₂O₆: P4₂/mnm, Z = 2, a = 4.63910(10) Å, c = 9.2182(2) Å, 500 structure factors, 19 parameters, R[F² > 2σ(F²)] = 0.0145]. Ni₂InSbO₆ crystallizes in a corundum‐related structure, NiSb₂O₆ in the trirutile structure type. Spontaneous polarization and the ferroelectric transition temperature were estimated from the atomic arrangement and cation displacement along the polar axis in Ni₂InSbO₆. Magnetic measurements on Ni₂InSbO₆ evidence an antiferromagnetic transition near T_N = 74 K, with significant magnetic frustration.