Study of the chemically activated sublimation of ZnSe

The reactions and processes involved in the growth of ZnSe by chemically ac tivated sublimation in a H-2 atmosphere are studied. The rate of transport as a function of source and substrate temperatures and the difference betwe en them are determined from close spacing vapour transport experiments. Acc ording to this process, ZnSe layers are deposited on sapphire substrates by short distance chemically assisted sublimation. The experimental results a re analysed and the thermodynamic constants of the transport are determined using a theoretical model for kinetically controlled processes, assuming w ater to act as sublimation catalyst. A preliminary optical and structural c haracterisation of the layers has also been performed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.