GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT ON GROWTH OF In<I>_X</I> Ga<I>_1-X</I>Sb TERNARY BULK CRYSTALS

Abstract

The effect of gravity on dissolution of GaSb in InSb melt and growth of InGaSb was experimentally investigated using GaSb(seed)/InSb/GaSb(feed) sandwich samples. Two parameters were considered: (1) the inclination angle of the sample for gravity as 0°, 53° and 90^°, (2) the sample diameter (D) as 9 mm and 5mm. When θ =0^°, the interface was almost flat whereas the interfaces were strongly distorted when θ = 53^° and 90^°. The undissolved GaSb(feed) remained for \theta = 0 ^°. However, it dissolved completely for θ = 90^°, and partially for θ = 53^°. As the gravitational angle was increased, the growth length of uniform composition became long. The decrease of sample diameter reduced the dissolution area of GaSb. These facts indicated that the dissolution and growth processes were strongly influenced by gravity.