INDIUM PHOSPHIDE BULK CRYSTAL GROWTH

IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY, SIZE, AND COST OF INDIUM PHOSPHIDE (INP) SINGLE CRYSTALS IN NECESSARY IN ORDER TO REALIZE THE HIGH PERFORMANCE BENEFITS OF INP-BASED MICROWAVE AND MILLIMETER WAVE MONOLITHIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY. TO MEET THIS NEED, RESEARCHERS ARE DEVELOPING A NOVEL MODIFICATION TO THE VERTICAL GRADIENT FREEZE (VGF) CRYSTAL GROWTH METHOD. THE MODIFICATION ENHANCES THE VGF TECHNIQUE BY ENABLING ACTIVE CONTROL TO BE EXERTED OVER THE DEFECT-INDUCING THERMAL STRESSES THAT DEGRADE THE QUALITY OF INP CRYSTALS. THE VGF TECHNIQUE IS WELL SUITED TO ECONOMICAL, LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION BECAUSE IT COMBINES SIMPLICITY OF DESIGN WITH LOW OPERATOR ATTENTION REQUIREMENTS. FURTHERMORE, THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF VGF ARE WELL UNDERSTOOD AND FORM A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE PRACTICAL ENGINEERING APPROACH. DEVELOPMENT OF SOURCES FOR THE DESIRED INP MATERIAL ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE TECHNIQUE CAN AS WELL BE APPLIED TO OTHER MATERIALS SUCH AS GAAS AND HGCDTE.