Experiment on indium antimonide crystal growth by detached Bridgman onboard the FOTON-M2 spacecraft (preliminary results)

Paper number

IAC-06-A2.3.04

Author

Dr. Alexander Senchenkov, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Prof. Igor Barmin, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Prof. Victor Zemskov, Russia

Coauthor

Mr. Alexander Egorov, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Dr. Valery Shalimov, Russia

Coauthor

Dr. Mark Raukhman, Russia

Coauthor

Mrs. Irina Sleptsova, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Mr. Nikolay Gorev, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Mr. Andrey Kiryanov, Design Bureau of General Machine-Building (KBOM), Russia

Coauthor

Mrs. Irina Nikhezina, Russia

Year

2006

Abstract

The description and preliminary results of a space experiment on POLIZON furnace that has been carried out onboard the FOTON-M2 spacecraft. The purpose of the experiment was studying influence of melt hydrodynamics, taking place under influence of residual micro-accelerations and a rotating magnetic field, on the InSb:Te crystal growth by the Detached Bridgman method (without contact to the ampoule wall). The on-ground tests had been carried out to find the timeline of the experiment. This timeline has to ensure: non-melted sample part of about 20 mm in length, which will serve as a seed; the temperature gradient at the crystallization front 15-20 K/cm during the crystal growth process. The translation speed of the ampoule with the sample, 8 mm/h, has been chosen to grow the crystal about 80 mm. 
It is expected that at influence of the rotating magnetic field on the melt there will be a forced azimuthal flow with the velocity near to the crystallization front much higher, than the convective velocity caused by the residual micro-accelerations. It should reduce asymmetry of the crystallization front and, as a consequence, asymmetry of the crystal composition. The magnetic induction 1 mT at the rotation frequency of 50 Hz have been chosen so that the convection in the melt would be laminar. The magnetic field during the crystallization is to be short-term (for 5 minutes) switched off three times for creation of "markers" for definition of the real crystallization rate.
The express analysis of the crystal grown in the flight has shown that contactless growth of the flight InSb:Te crystal is obtained practically on all length of the recrystallized ingot. The basic part of the crystal has single crystal structure. The structure and electro-physical properties of the flight crystal and the reference crystal are presented.

Abstract document

IAC-06-A2.3.04.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-A2.3.04.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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