Changes of the growth morphology in InSb crystals pulled under the presence of ultrasonic vibrations

In the Czochralski method, the effect of ultrasonic vibrations on the growth of InSb single crystals was investigated by observing the growth morphology. Remarkable changes which ultrasonic vibrations brought about were: (1) the crystal diameter, (2) the width of the facet region and (3) the inclined angle of non-facet interfaces near the facet region for the (111) plane. After introducing vibrations, the crystal diameter decreased smoothly with growth time. However, both the facet width and the inclined angle reached each minimum value after 5 to 7 min regardless of the magnitude of vibrational output powers from 30 to 90 W, and they were in roughly proportional relation with each other. The change rates of crystal diameter and of facet width increased with vibrational powers. The decrease of crystal diameter was known to result from the rise of the melt temperature, which was brought by both the mixture of the melt and the thermal energy transformation due to ultrasonic vibrations. The change of facet width depended upon the melt flow itself in addition to the temperature rise. (author)