A new approach to the crystal growth of Hg1-xMnxTe by the cold travelling heater method (CTHM)

In order to obtain crystals with a homogeneous composition and to reduce th e Hg high pressure related to the temperature synthesis reaction between th e components in elemental form, Hg1-chiMnchiTe bulk crystals were produced by the cold travelling heater method (CTHM). Following the technique initia lly proposed for the growth of CdHgTe by the Triboulet group, the feed mate rial was a split ingot of two segments, one of HgTe and the other of MnTe, with cross-sectional areas chosen to establish the desired final compositio n. The growth was carried out at a temperature of 600 degreesC and a rate o f 2mm/h. The Hg1-chiMnchiTe crystals have been characterised by scanning el ectron microscopy, including energy dispersive X-ray analysis and backscatt ered mode, powder X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transformed infrared spectr oscopy, and SQUID magnetic susceptibility measurements. The crystals, with standard magnetic properties, show an excellent axial and radial compositio n uniformity throughout most of the total ingot length. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.