<title>Scope of the low-temperature growth of bulk II-VI compounds</title>

Abstract

Some difficulties in the melt-growth of II-VI compounds are clarified within a comparison between the properties of some II-VI and III-V compounds. Some specificities of the phase diagrams of both families of compounds, liquidus shape, width of the homogeneity range, existence of phase transitions in the solid state, and properties in solid, liquid and gaseous states, are related to the different characteristics of the compounds, and mainly to their chemical bond. Contamination from the environment is also shown to occur at high temperature, as illustrated in the CdTe case. The consequences of these factors on the crystal growth are analyzed, making attractive the use of low temperature growth. Solution and vapor growth are shown to present some limitations. Solid state recrystallization is presented as an attractive alternative and illustrated in the ZnSe case, for which very pure and perfect crystals are obtained, as assessed from photoluminescence and x-ray diffraction measurements.