Growth of single CuInSe2 crystals by the traveling heater method and theircharacterization

Single crystals of CuInSe2 were prepared under conditions to suppress the o ccurrence of twinning. This was accomplished by growth from an In melt by t he traveling heater method to keep the growth temperature below that of the sphalerite-chalcopyrite phase transition. The resulting crystals were n-ty pe and could be converted to p-type by a Se anneal. Both n and p-type cryst als were characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction, compositionally b y microprobe analyses, morphologically by atomic force and scanning electro n microscopy, and electrically. They were found to be mostly homogeneous wi th mirror-like cleavage and without twins. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.