Carbon in High-Purity Germanium

Abstract

Using 14C-spiked pyrolytic graphite-coated quartz crucibles for the growth of nine ultra-pure germanium single crystals, we have determined the carbon content and distribution in these crystals. Using autoradiography, we observe a rapidly decreasing carbon cluster concentration in successively grown crystals. Nuclear radiation detectors made from the crystals measure the betas from the internally decaying 14C nuclei with close to 100% efficiency. An average value for the total carbon concentration [14C+12C] is ~2×1014cm-3, a value substantially larger than expected from earlier metallurgical studies. Contrary to the most recent measurement, we find the shape of the beta spectrum to agree very well with the statistical shape predicted for allowed transitions.