Kinetic parameters of Cd1-x-yMnxZnyTe alloys melting and crystallization processes

The knowledge about parameters of melting and crystallization processes is required for controlled growth of ternary or quaternary single crystals from the melts. The differential thermal analysis method was used for investigation of the melting and crystallization kinetic parameters of Cd1-x-yMnxZnyTe alloys (x = 0.05-0.25, y = 0.05, 0.10). Two different ways of sample thermal processing allow us to study the supercooling-superheating dependencies and the volume fraction of quasi-solid phase (clusters) depending on the melt holding temperature and time. ''Negative'' supercooling of Cd1-x-yMnxZnyTe melts was observed when superheating of the melts don't exceed 20 K after their melting start. The su- percooling values of Cd1-x-yMnxZnyTe melts decreased with increasing x (i.e. Mn content). The change of the melts holding time from 10 to 60 min has no effect on the supercooling values. Volume fraction of Cd1-x-yMnxZnyTe alloys clusters existing in the melt decreased with the holding temperature increasing. Full homogenization occurred only after of Cd0.95-xMnxZn0.05Te melts superheating higher than 1385 K, below this temperature melts exist in semiliquid state. The volume fraction of the quasi-solid phase is smaller if the melt was heated at 10 K/min than after heating at 5 K/min to the same temperature. Melting temperature of Cd0.95-xMnxZn0.05Te alloys decreased with Mn content increasing. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)