Fabrication of a new type of synthetic semiconductor in space

Abstract

A review is given on the utilization of a space environment for the fabrication of a new type of synthetic semiconductor. Firstly, significancies of a space environment for material processing are enumerated. It has been shown that oxygen-free space with high vacuum environment and microgravity would be quite useful for semiconductor material preparations and device fabrication processing. Secondly, as an example of material processing, fabrication of a ternary Si-As-Te amorphous semiconductors in the Spacelab J is introduced together with essential advantages of this material system in views of both basic physics and technology as a new type of synthetic semiconductor. Some basic technical data on electrical, optical and optoelectronic properties, energy gap and also valency electron controllabilities are demonstrated. In a final part, a large area thin film growth in space and its application to a bioproductive photovoltaic power generation is proposed and discussed as a new step of space power station.