Abrégé

The disclosed subject matter includes a method of producing zinc oxide (ZnO) single crystals in an enclosure. The ZnO single crystals have a low concentration of lithium and hydrogen impurities.

Classes IPC  ?

• H01L 21/00 - Procédés ou appareils spécialement adaptés à la fabrication ou au traitement de dispositifs à semi-conducteurs ou de dispositifs à l'état solide, ou bien de leurs parties constitutives
• C30B 28/12 - Production de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée directement à partir de l'état gazeux

Abrégé

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) single crystals and multi-grain ZnS crystals are suitable for many applications. The disclosed method produces ZnS single crystals or multi-grain ZnS crystals. More specifically, ZnS single crystals or multi-grain ZnS crystals of pure or substantially pure hexagonal wurtzite structure with sufficiently high purity and crystalline perfection to be used to fabricate components and devices including but not limited to optical components (useful in the infrared (IR) & visible spectrum range of 0.34-14 μm), photoluminescence devices, cathode luminescence devices, electroluminescence devices, semiconductor devices, and IR laser gain mediums (in the wave length range of 1-5 μm).

Classes IPC  ?

• H01L 21/00 - Procédés ou appareils spécialement adaptés à la fabrication ou au traitement de dispositifs à semi-conducteurs ou de dispositifs à l'état solide, ou bien de leurs parties constitutives

Abrégé

A crystal growth setup within a physical vapor transport growth furnace system for producing AlN monocrystal boules at high temperatures includes a crucible effective to contain an AlN source material and a growing AlN crystal boule. This crucible has a thin wall thickness in at least that portion housing the growing AlN crystal boule. Other components include a susceptor, in case of an inductive heating, or a heater, in case of a resistive heating, a thermal insulation enclosing the susceptor or heater effective to provide a thermal gradient inside the crucible in the range of 5-100° C./cm and a furnace chamber capable of being operated from a vacuum (<0.1 torr) to a gas pressure of at least 4000 torr through filling or flowing a nitrogen gas or a mixture of nitrogen gas and argon gas. The high temperatures contribute to a high boule growth rate and the thin wall thickness contributes to reduced imparted stress during boule removal.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 35/00 - Appareillages non prévus ailleurs, spécialement adaptés à la croissance, à la production ou au post-traitement de monocristaux ou de matériaux polycristallins homogènes de structure déterminée

Abrégé

There is provided a method for growing one or more single crystal ZnO boules within a physical vapor transport furnace system. This method includes the steps of: (a.) placing a source material at a first end of an interior crucible enclosure and placing one or more seed crystals at an opposing second end of the interior crucible enclosure with the seed crystal and the source material separated by a predetermined distance; (b.) heating the crucible, the one or more seed crystals and the source material to predetermined temperatures in such way that the temperature of the source material is higher than the temperature of the seed crystal; (c.) maintaining a pressure within the interior crucible enclosure through flowing a gas mixture; and (d) maintaining a temperature distribution within the crucible enclosure thereby causing a ZnO boule growth on each one of the one or more seed crystals. The ZnO may be doped with desired additional elements. In alternative embodiments, that other boules, both doped and un-doped, such as ZnSe and ZnS may also be formed.

Classes IPC  ?

• C30B 11/02 - Croissance des monocristaux par simple solidification ou dans un gradient de température, p. ex. méthode de Bridgman-Stockbarger sans solvants
• C30B 11/04 - Croissance des monocristaux par simple solidification ou dans un gradient de température, p. ex. méthode de Bridgman-Stockbarger en introduisant dans le bain fondu le matériau à cristalliser ou les réactifs le formant in situ