Large single crystal quaternary alloys of IB-IIIA-SE/sub 2/ and methods of synthesizing the same

Patent · Tue Jan 26 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5329831

Ciszek, T F

This patent describes Quaternary IB-IIIA-Se/sub 2/ alloys of high-quality, single crystal chalcopyrite structure having large single crystal grains greater than about 5mm and free of cracks and voids of the size which interfere with good optical absorption coefficients and high band-gap energies. The alloy structure are selected from the group consisting of Cu/sub chi/Ag/sub (l-chi)/InSe/sub 2/ and CuIn/sub y/Ga/sub (l-y)/Se/sub 2/, where chi is in the range of about 0.65 to 0.8, and where y is in the range of about 0.85 to .095, produced by the process comprising the steps of: placing in a refractory container a reaction mixture of Cu, Ag, In, and Se, or a reaction mixture of Cu, In, Ga, and Se, where such reaction mixture is calculated by atomic percent to produce and desired alloy; placing B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ in the container in a quantity sufficient for the B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ to completely cover and encapsulate the reaction mixture when the B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is melted; placing the container and its the reaction mixture and B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ contents in an enclosed chamber; creating an environment of pressurized inert or nonreactive gas in the enclosed chamber and over the container and its contents; while containing the environment of pressurized gas, heating the container and its the contents to a temperature to at least completely melt the contents of the container, and holding such temperature for a sufficient period of time to equilibrate the melt and synthesize and alloy; and then lowering the temperature of the melt in a controlled manner to solidify it as a quaternary IB-IIIA-Se/sub 2/ alloy of high-quality, single-crystal chalcopyrite structure.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4721539
• OSTI ID: 5329831
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
360104 -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COPPER ALLOYS
CRYSTALS
ENERGY GAP
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM SELENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM SELENIDES
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
MONOCRYSTALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUATERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SILVER ALLOYS
SYNTHESIS