Bridgman growth and characterization of bulk single crystals of Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb for thermophotovoltaic applications

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/319872· OSTI ID:319872

Boyer, J R; Haines, W T ^[1]

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1. Lockheed Martin Corp., Schenectady, NY (United States)

Thermophotovoltaic generation of electricity is attracting renewed attention due to recent advances in low bandgap (0.5--0.7 eV) III-V semiconductors. The use of mixed pseudo-binary compounds allows for the tailoring of the lattice parameter and the bandgap of the material. Conventional deposition techniques (i.e., epitaxy) for producing such ternary or quaternary materials are typically slow and expensive. Production of bulk single crystals of ternary materials, for example Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb, is expected to dramatically reduce such material costs. Bulk single crystals of Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb have been prepared using a Bridgman technique in a two-zone furnace. These crystals are 19 mm in diameter by approximately 50 mm long and were produced using seeds of the same diameter. The effects of growth rate and starting materials on the composition and quality of these crystals will be discussed and compared with other attempts to produce single crystals of this material.

• Research Organization: Knolls Atomic Power Lab., Schenectady, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC12-76SN00052
• OSTI ID: 319872
• Report Number(s): KAPL-P--000207; K--97128; CONF-971201--; ON: DE99001961
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BRIDGMAN METHOD
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CRYSTAL GROWTH
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GALLIUM ANTIMONIDES
INDIUM ANTIMONIDES
MONOCRYSTALS
THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTERS