Thermal expansion of GaSb measured by temperature dependent x-ray diffraction

Abstract

X-ray diffraction measurements were performed using a modified zone technique on Te-doped GaSb wafers, commonly used for molecular beam epitaxial growth, at temperatures between 32 and 546 °C to determine the thermal expansion. The authors found the thermal expansion to be very close to the data published by Bublik et al. [Phys. Status Solidi A 73, K271 (1982)]. Control measurements of the lattice constant of Si were found to agree with the results published by Okada and Tokumaru [J. Appl. Phys. 56, 314 (1984)] within our measurement error of ±2×10−4 Å. A fourth order polynomial, a(GaSb)(T)=6.0959+3.37×10−5T+5.63×10−8T2−1.29×10−10T3+1.05×10−13T4 (Å) (T in °C), was found to be a good fit to our data, while a linear fit with a constant thermal expansion coefficient of 7.17×10−6 K−1 was found to be a poorer fit.