Microscopic Rates of Growth in Single Crystals Pulled from the Melt: Indium Antimonide

Abstract

Vibrations of known frequency introduced into a melt during crystal growth appear as impurity “vibrational” striations in the grown crystal. The growth‐characteristics of crystal pulling under rotation (instantaneous microscopic growth rates and growth interface topography) were determined from the spacing and direction of introduced vibrational striations. It was demonstrated that periodic growth rate fluctuations (including local remelting) in the “off‐facet” region are associated with rotational crystal pulling in the presence of thermal asymmetry. As a result of local remelting the average microscopic growth rate was shown to be significantly greater than the corresponding pulling rate. “Facet” growth is unaffected by rotation and proceeds at a rate which is identical with the pulling rate, although impurity heterogeneities have been identified in “facet” growth regions.