Growing Single Crystals of Compound Semiconductors

Defect reduced by preventing melt/furnace contact and suppressing convention. Large crystals of compound semiconductors with few defects grown by proposed new method. Such materials as gallium arsenide and cadmium telluride produced, with quality suitable for very-large-scale integrated circuits or for large focal-plane arrays of photodetectors. Method used on small scale in Earth gravity, but needs microgravity to provide crystals large enough for industrial use.