# US 9,437,692 B2 · Production and distribution of dilute species in semiconducting materials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,692 B2 - Document ID: US9437692B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/063,819 - Filed: 2013-10-25 - Published: 2014-05-01 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-25 - Assignees: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC - Applicants: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC - Inventors: Ralph B. James; Giuseppe Camarda; Aleksey E. Bolotnikov; Anwar Hossain; Ge Yang; Kihyun Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437692B2 ## CPC - H10D 62/60: Impurity distributions or concentrations - C30B 1/10: by solid state reactions or multi-phase diffusion - C30B 11/00: Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method (C30B13/00, C30B15/00, C30B17/00, C30B19/00 take precedence; under a protective fluid C30B27/00) - C30B 29/48: AIIBVI compounds {wherein A is Zn, Cd or Hg, and B is S, Se or Te} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract Technologies are described effective to implement systems and methods of producing a material. The methods comprise receiving a tertiary semiconductor sample with a dilute species. The sample has two ends. The first end of the sample includes a first concentration of the dilute species lower than a second concentration of the dilute species in the second end of the sample. The method further comprises heating the sample in a chamber. The chamber has a first zone and a second zone. The first zone having a first temperature higher than a second temperature in the second zone. The sample is orientated such that the first end is in the first zone and the second end is in the second zone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of producing a material, the method comprising: receiving a tertiary semiconductor (tSC) sample with a dilute species, wherein the tSC sample has two ends, a first end of the tSC sample includes a first concentration of the dilute species lower than a second concentration of the dilute species in a second end of the tSC sample; and heating the tSC sample in a chamber, wherein the chamber has a first zone and a second zone, the first zone having a first temperature higher than a second temperature in the second zone, and the tSC sample is orientated such that the first end is in the first zone and the second end is in the second zone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the tertiary semiconductor sample includes Cd, Zn, and a group VI element; and Zn is the dilute species. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the group VI element is Te or Se. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a difference in temperature between the first zone and the second zone creates a temperature gradient along the tSC sample and a difference in temperature between the first zone and the second zone is about 50° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the temperature gradient is about 10° C./cm at an average temperature of about 750° C.; and the method further comprises heating the tSC sample for about 140 hours. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises, prior to receiving the tSC sample: placing a source material in an ampoule, where the source material includes Cd, Zn and Te; placing the ampoule into a third zone of the chamber, wherein the third zone has a temperature effective to melt the source material to produce melted source material; moving the ampoule into a fourth zone of the chamber, wherein the fourth zone has a temperature effective to solidify the melted source material to produce solidified source material; and moving the ampoule into a fifth zone of the chamber, wherein the fifth zone has a temperature effective to crystallize the solidified source material and form the tertiary semiconductor sample with the dilute species. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein after heating, a difference between a concentration of the dilute species in the first end of the tSC sample and a concentration of the dilute species in the second end of the sample does not exceed 2%. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising cooling the tSC sample to about 20° C. at a rate of 10-30° C./h. ### Claim 9 A material produced by the process of: receiving a tertiary semiconductor (tSC) sample with a dilute species, wherein the tSC sample has two ends, a first end of the tSC sample includes a first concentration of the dilute species lower than a second concentration of the dilute species in a second end of the tSC sample; and heating the tSC sample in a chamber, wherein the chamber has a first zone and a second zone, the first zone having a first temperature higher than a second temperature in the second zone, and the tSC sample is orientated such that the first end is in the first zone and the second end is in the second zone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The material of claim 9, wherein: the tSC sample includes Cd, Zn, and a group VI element; and Zn is the dilute species. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The material of claim 10, wherein the group VI element is Te or Se. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The material of claim 9, wherein a difference in temperature between the first zone and the second zone creates a temperature gradient along the tSC sample and the difference in temperature between the first zone and the second zone is about 50° C., the temperature gradient is about 10° C./cm at an average temperature of about 750° C., and the process further comprises heating the tSC sample for about 140 hours. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The material of claim 9, further comprising cooling the tSC sample to about 20° C. at a rate of 10-30° C./h.