Samples of CdTe:Zn:V crystals, which had been grown using the seeded Bridgman method under free-fall conditions or in a terrestrial laboratory, were compared. The results clearly showed that the structural quality of the free-fall crystal was better. The density of inclusions, the dislocation concentrations and the stresses were lower in the free-fall crystals. The 1g crystals contained twins right from the beginning of growth; that is, from the near-seed region. In general, the concentrations of inclusions and the amounts of segregated impurities in the 1g crystals were larger than those in the free-fall crystals. X-ray rocking curves and low-temperature photoluminescence spectra revealed the relatively high quality of both crystals, at the micro-scale, at the beginning of growth and showed that the 1g conditions were worse at the end.

Characterization of CdTe:Zn:V Crystals Grown under Microgravity Conditions. V.Corregidor, V.Babentsov, J.L.Castaño, M.Fiederle, T.Feltgen, K.Benz, E.Dieguez: Journal of Materials Research, 2002, 17[12], 3037-41