Process and apparatus for controlled synthesis and in-situ single crystal growth of phosphorus compounds and the crystals therefrom

A process for synthesizing molten compounds and growing bulk single crystals therefrom in a crystal growth furnace using a modified LEK (liquid encapsulated Kyropolos) process without external exposure, said process comprising:

• placing in a crucible a material being of high purity and an encapsulant material, said crucible being held by a susceptor;
• providing an improved injector for said crystal growth furnace, said improved injector having therein an injector transfer tube, means for measuring the temperature therein in at least two locations and a central channel therethrough for allowing the passage of a crystal seed without removing said improved injector from said crucible;
• providing a temperature controlling means between said crucible and said improved injector to minimizes uncontrolled temperature changes;
• placing in said improved injector phosphorus material being of high purity, an amount of said phosphorus material and an amount of said material in said crucible when combined forming a substantially stoichometric mixture;
• heating said furnace to a melting temperature to melt said material and said encapsulant material in said crucible to form a melt being covered by an encapsulant layer;
• increasing a pressure inside said furnace to a pressure above the equilibrium vapor pressure of said melt;
• lowering said improved injector such that said injector transfer tube has an end in said melt;
• heating said improved injector to a triple point temperature to vaporize said phosphorus material;
• adjusting a height of said improved injector above said melt to vary the temperature in said improved injector while observing the temperature at a top and bottom of said phosphorus;
• injecting said phosphorus into said melt of said material to form a stoichiometric melt;
• removing said improved injector out of said stoichiometric melt;
• lowering a seed shaft with a seed thereon into said stoichiometric melt to form a seed-melt interface;
• and
• growing a single crystal therein.