Melt Structural Self-Organization and Viscosity within the Transient Layer during a Single Crystal Growth in Microgravity

Abstract

A brief review is given of the results obtained and published in 2003–2007 by IChPM and IPPE during their joint study and modeling of Ge:Ga, Ge:Sb, GaSb:Te, InP:S single crystal growth from stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric melts on board the Photon satellite series. The use of microgravity is shown to be justified and holding promise for research into the structural self-organization processes (cluster forming) taking place within the transient layer of the melt during the solidification. The mathematical model of convective heat and mass transfer taking into account the dual-phase character of matter in the boundary layers near the interface has been created and used as an independent tool for the study of such processes. Prospects are discussed for this new area of space material science.

Application of X-ray topography to USSR and Russian space materials science

“…In work by Kartavykh (2005), Kartavykh & Ginkin (2008) and Danilewsky et al (2009), the effect of microgravity on the growth of bulk InP(S) single crystals from a melt on board the ASV Foton-11 was investigated. The growth of crystals on board the satellite and on Earth (a reference crystal) was carried out by the travelling heater method.…”