GRAVITY EFFECT ON DISSOLUTION AND GROWTH OF GASB BY LIQUID-PHASE EPITAXY

The effect of gravity on both dissolution and growth of GaSb in Ga-Sb system has been investigated using a horizontal ''sandwich'' system co nsisting of a substrate-solution-substrate configuration. It was found that the dissolution of the lower substrate was much larger than that of the upper one, while the thickness of the epitaxial layer on the u pper substrate was larger than that on the lower substrate. These phen omena were attributed to the solutal convection driven by concentratio n gradient. In order to observe such a phenomenon, the solute must hav e a smaller density than that of solvent. To confirm this point, it wa s demonstrated that epitaxial layers of GaSb could be grown by the yo- yo solute feeding method.