Bulk crystal growth: methods and materials

Abstract

This chapter covers the field of bulk single crystals of materials used in electronics and optoelectronics. These crystals are used in both active and passive modes, that is, to produce devices directly in/on bulk-grown slices of material, or as substrates in epitaxial growth, respectively. Single-crystal material usually provides superior properties to polycrystalline or amorphous equivalents. The various bulk growth techniques are outlined, together with specific critical features, and examples are given of the types of materials, and their current typical sizes, grown by these techniques. Materials covered range from group IVs (Si, Ge, SiGe, diamond, SiC), group III–Vs (e. g., such as GaAs, InP, nitrides, etc.) group II–IVs (e. g., CdTe, ZnSe, HgCdTe (MCT), etc.) through to a wide range of oxide/halide/phosphate/borate/tungstate materials. This chapter is to be treated as a snapshot only; the interested reader is referred to the remainder of the chapters in this handbook for more specific growth and characterization details on the various materials outlined in this chapter. Neither does this chapter cover the more fundamental aspects of the growth of the particular materials covered; again the reader is referred to relevant chapters within the handbook, or to other sources of information in the general literature.