Homogeneous InGaSb crystal grown under microgravity using Chinese recovery satellite SJ-10

Microgravity crystal growth experiment for the growth of In(0.11)Ga(0.89)Sb was performed at the Chinese recoverable satellite through the space program SJ-10. This experiment is aimed to understand the melt formation and growth kinetics of In(x)Ga(1−x)Sb solid solution with higher indium composition, because their segregation coefficient was higher than the crystals with lower indium compositions. The target composition and uniformity were achieved with higher growth rate under microgravity, whereas the uniformity in composition was not achieved under normal gravity. The growth and dissolution were affected mainly by the steady state equilibrium in the melt composition because of the convection under normal gravity. The non-steady state equilibrium in the melt composition under microgravity helped to achieve a higher growth rate and compositional homogeneity at higher indium composition of In(x)Ga(1−x)Sb solid solution.