Physical and technological causes of channel inhomogeneity in InSb single crystals heavily doped with Te

InSb single crystals doped with tellurium have been grown by the modernised Czochralskii method in crystallographic directions [100], [111] and [112]. The development of channel inhomogeneity due to low activation energy of Te atoms capture by planes with high reticular density {111} in the process of crystal growth has been investigated. Based on the Hall method, it was shown that the electrophysical parameters, i.e., the concentration of free charge carriers and their mobility, in and outside the channel region differ from each other by 10 and 22%, respectively. It is shown that in addition to the crystallographic direction of growth, the development of channel inhomogeneity is greatly influenced by the selection of technological conditions (rotation speed of the seed, crucible with melt, its burial, etc.), as well as the design of the thermal unit of the growth furnace. It is revealed that to obtain InSb (111) wafers, which are in demand in the microelectronics market, the optimal technological solution is the development of single crystal growth mode, which allows to ensure early exit of channel inhomogeneity to the periphery. It is shown that by adding additional screens to the thermal unit of the growth furnace, thereby lowering the axial gradient at the crystallisation front, it is possible to achieve the channel exit to the single crystal diameter 4 cm earlier than the reverse cone.

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