Strain Issues on Crystal Growth of Bulk InGaAs from GaAs Seed

Strain issues in bulk In_xGa_1-xAs crystals grown from GaAs seed have been investigated using Raman scattering and energy dispersive X-ray experiments. It has been found that there exists a large amount of residual strain in bulk In_xGa_1-xAs crystals grown by the traveling liquidus zone (TLZ) and multi-component zone melting (MCZM) methods. Using axially symmetrical strain model, strain distributions have been evaluated for various possible compositional profiles including the profile currently used in the MCZM method. It has been found that the residual strain can be reduced remarkably by changing the profile presently being used in this growth method. It is expected that high-quality bulk In_0.3Ga_0.7As crystal can be obtained by the TLZ method using In_0.3Ga_0.7As seed-crystal which may be prepared by the MCZM method following the profile suggested in the present study.