Boron oxide fully encapsulated CdZnTe crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman technique

Abstract One of the main problems affecting the vertical Bridgman growth of CdZnTe crystals is the crystal–crucible contact. In this work, we show that it is possible to avoid this interaction by inserting a stable boron oxide liquid layer between the crucible and the melt. This layer improves the structural properties of the grown crystals, reducing the etch pit density to the 10 3  cm −3 range. The possible origins for the formation of a stable boron oxide layer are discussed.

[1]  Michael Dudley,et al.  Vertical bridgman growth and characterization of large-diameter single-crystal CdTe , 1993 .

[2]  E. Bourret,et al.  Effects of total liquid encapsulation on the characteristics of GaAs single crystals grown by the vertical gradient freeze technique , 1991 .

[3]  F. Bissoli,et al.  A method for an accurate determination of stoichiometric deviations in CdTe and CdZnTe bulk crystals , 2005 .

[4]  P. Dusserre,et al.  Bridgman solidification of GaSb in space , 1998 .

[5]  P. Dusserre,et al.  Full encapsulation by molten salts during the Bridgman growth process , 1997 .

[6]  K. Sonnenberg,et al.  Some new design features for vertical Bridgman furnaces and the investigation of small angle grain boundaries developed during VB growth of GaAs , 1996 .

[7]  J. F. Schetzina,et al.  Properties of CdZnTe crystals grown by a high pressure Bridgman method , 1992 .

[8]  A. Katty,et al.  Surface tension of II–VI compounds and contact angle on glassy carbon , 1992 .

[9]  A. W. Vere,et al.  Boron-segregation in Czochralski-grown CdTe , 1987 .

[10]  Klaus-Werner Benz,et al.  Dewetted growth and characterisation of high-resistivity CdTe , 2004 .

[11]  Olf Pätzold,et al.  Detached growth behaviour of 2-in germanium crystals , 2005 .

[12]  P. B. Macedo,et al.  Inadequacies of Viscosity Theories for B2O3 , 1968 .

[13]  B. E. Dean,et al.  High quality, single crystal CdTe grown by a modified horizontal Bridgman technique , 1988 .

[14]  E. Dieguez,et al.  Boron oxide encapsulated Bridgman growth of high-purity high-resistivity cadmium telluride crystals , 2004 .

[15]  F. Bissoli,et al.  Stoichiometric deviations and partial-pressure measurements in solid–vapour cadmium telluride system , 2000 .

[16]  W. Wilcox,et al.  Surface tension and contact angle of molten semiconductor compounds. I. cadmium telluride , 1990 .

[17]  Andrea Zappettini,et al.  Heat treatment in semi-closed ampoule for obtaining stoichiometrically controlled cadmium telluride , 2002 .

[18]  S. Takeuchi,et al.  Observation of dislocations in cadmium telluride by cathodoluminescence microscopy , 1979 .

[19]  Andrea Zappettini,et al.  Deep level characterization of undoped CdTe crystals , 2003 .

[20]  S. Sen,et al.  Crystal growth of large-area single-crystal CdTe and CdZnTe by the computer-controlled vertical modified-Bridgman process☆ , 1988 .