A Study of the Growth of Single Crystals

Research on the growth of single crystals of the III-V compound indium antimonide was pursued in order to gain a firsthand knowledge of some factors which govern the growth of single crystals of this compound. These studies were conducted using a standard Czochralski crystal pulling furnace. This type of furnace allows crystals to be formed without being constrained to a crucible. Several factors were found to have a large detrimental effect on the growth of single crystals of indium antimonide, the most important of which seems to be the degree to which the environment surrounding the crystal during growth can be controlled. Ways to overcome these effects were determined and are outlined.