Characterization of Gallium Telluride Crystals Grown from Graphite Crucible

In this work we investigated a new method of growing detector grade large GaTe layered chalcogenide single crystals. GaTe ingots (2 '' in diameter and about 10 cm in length) were grown by a novel method using graphite crucible by slow crystallization from melt of high purity (7N) Ga and Te precursors in argon atmosphere. GaTe samples from the monocrystalline area of the ingot have been cleaved mechanically and characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive analysis by x-rays (EDAX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission line matrix method (TLM), resistivity measurements using van der Pauw technique, Hall Effect and Capacitance-Voltage measurements. Our investigations reveal high potential for developing superior quality GaTe crystals using this growth technique for growing large volume inexpensive GaTe single crystals for nuclear radiation detectors.