Vertical Gradient Freezing Using Submerged Heater Growth With Rotation and With Weak Magnetic and Electric Fields

Abstract

Investigations for the melt growth gallium-antimonide (GaSb) semiconductor crystals are underway at the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base by the vertical gradient freeze (VGF) method utilizing a submerged heater. Electromagnetic stirring can be induced in the gallium-antimonide melt just above the crystal growth interface by applying a weak radial electric current in the melt together with a weak axial magnetic field. A force convection in the melt can be induced by rotating the heater. This paper uses a Chebyshev spectral collocation method and investigates the effects of heater rotation and electromagnetic stirring on the melt motion during the VGF process using a submerged heater. Clockwise and counterclockwise rotations of the heater augment and opposes the flow induced by the electromagnetic stirring, respectively. The radial velocity along the crystal-melt interface is proportional to both the strength of the electromagnetic stirring and the clockwise rotation of the heater. A relatively low rotation rate in the clockwise direction significantly increases this radial velocity.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 18, 2005
Accession Number
ADA455963

Entities

People

  • Alexander M. Holmes
  • D. F. Bliss
  • G. W. Iseler
  • N. Ma
  • Xufeng Wang

Organizations

  • North Carolina State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Antimonides
  • Computational Science
  • Convection
  • Crystal Growth
  • Crystals
  • Electric Current
  • Fluid Flow
  • Gallium Antimonides
  • Heat Transfer
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Military Research
  • Mixing
  • Optical Materials
  • Radial Velocity
  • Semiconductors

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems