Development of THM crystal growth technology to produce commercial terrestrial semiconductors and to aid microgravity experimental design

Abstract

THM is capable of preparing bulk monocrystalline mixed-compound semiconductors that can not be grown by other techniques. A cost effective commercial THM apparatus has been developed, capable of processing crystals up to 50 mm in diameter. Terrestrial growth of a number of single crystal semiconductors has been achieved. Microgravity experiments are sought to provide additional insight into the THM growth mechanisms to support process upscaling and optimization. Reliable crystal growth in microgravity using existing Canadian Space Agency hardware has been demonstrated. THM is of particular interest for microgravity experiments because of the low process temperatures leading to low power consumption, low contamination, and reduced vapor pressure.