Effects of temperature gradient in the growth of Si_0.5Ge_0.5 crystals by the traveling liquidus-zone method on board the International Space Station

Si_0.5Ge_0.5 crystals were grown at two different temperature gradients on board the International Space Station (ISS) using the traveling liquidus-zone (TLZ) method and effects of temperature gradient on crystal quality were investigated. Although average axial Ge concentration profile was not affected by the temperature gradient, crystal quality was affected greatly. Single crystal length was shortened and constitutional supercooling (CS) is shown to occur more easily at higher temperature gradient. The calculated degree of CS based on the solute concentration profile in the melt and phase diagram data is about 4 times larger when the temperature gradient is twice, which supports the experimental results. Instability at high temperature gradient is unique to the TLZ method and is not common to other crystal growth methods such as the directional solidification method and Czochralski method.