Claims
- 1. A method for removing one or more defects and/or relieving strain in a non-diamond crystal, which method comprising the steps of:
(i) placing at least one crystal which contains defects and or strain in a pressure medium; (ii) disposing the crystal and the pressure medium in a high pressure cell; (iii) processing the cell under reaction conditions in a high pressure apparatus at a sufficiently high pressure and high temperature for a sufficient amount of time for removing or more defects or relieving strain in the crystal.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure medium is in the form of a solid or a liquid at −77 ° C.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said crystal is one or more of a boule, an electronic wafer, a window, a laser rod, or a sensor.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said crystal is selected from one of a direct bandgap semiconductor material; an indirect bandgap semiconductor material; a wide bandgap semiconductor material; a scintillator material; a nonlinear optical material; a laser material, a relaxor ferroelectric material; and a piezoelectric material.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said crystal is one or more of 6H-SiC, 4H-SiC, 15R-SiC, 3C-SiC, 8H-SiC, 2H-SiC, silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), cubic boron nitride (cBN), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium antimonide (GaSb), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum gallium indium nitride (AlInGaN), bismuth antimonide (BixSb1−x), indium nitride (InN), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium phosphide (GaP), gallium indium phosphide (GaInP), aluminum indium phosphide (AlInP), indium aluminum arsenide (InAlAs), aluminum gallium antinomide (AlGaSb), indium aluminum gallium arsenide (InAlGaAs), aluminum indium gallium phosphide (AlInGaP), aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs), indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP), gallium selenide (GaSe), indium phosphide (InP), indium selenide (InSe and InSe2), indium antimonide (InSb), cadmium phosphide (Cd3P2), cadmium indium sulphide (CdIn2S4), cadmium silicon arsenide (CdSiAs2), cadmium tin phosphide (CdSnP2), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc telluride (ZnTe), cadmium sulphide (CdS), cadmium zinc selenide (CdZnSe), beryllium zinc cadmium selenide (BeZnCdSe), zinc cadmium magnesium selenide (ZnCdMgSe), zinc sulphur selenide (ZnSSe), beryllium zinc selenide (BeZnSe), beryllium magnesium zinc selenide (BeMgZnSe), cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium zinc telluride (CdxZn1−xTe), mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe), lead sulphide (PbS), lead telluride (PbTe), lead selenide (PbSe), lead tin telluride (PbSnTe), lead germanium telluride (PbGeTe), lead europium telluride (PbEuTe), lead europium selenide (PbEuSe), lead cadmium sulphide (PbCdS), lead europium selenium telluride (PbEuSeTe), lead sulphur selenide (PbSSe), lithium triborate (LiB3O5 or LBO), yttrium orthovandate (YVO4), potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4 or KTP), potassium niobate (KnbO3 or KN), cesium lithium borate (CsLiB6O10 or CLBO), LiCaAlF6 (LiCAF), LiSrAIF6 (LiSAF), lead zirconate titanate (Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 or PZT), lead magnesium niobate (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 or PMN), lead zirconate niobate (Pb(Zr1/3Nb2/3)O3 or PZN), bismuth silicon oxide (BSO), barium titanate (BTO), lead magnesium niobate titanate (Pb(Mgx/3Nb2x/3Ti1−x)O3 or PMNT), lead zirconate niobate titanate (Pb(Zrx/3Nb2x/3Ti1−x)O3 or PZNT), strontium hafnate (SrHfO3) and barium hafnate (BaHfO3), rare earth lanthanide-ion laser crystals with matrices of silica, silicates and fluorozirconates, lasers crystals based on matrices of KCl, RbCl, NaCl, CuCl, Csl, CaF2, ZnF2, MgF2, SrF2, MnF2, ZnS, ZnSe, CaF2-ErF3, Kl, RbCaF3, LiNbO3, KmgF3, Ca2PO4Cl, CaGd2 (SiO4)3O, LaCl3, LiYF4, LaF3, Y3Al5O12, LiYF4, LuAlO3, YalO3, Gd3Ga5O12, CaF2-ErF3, Er3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12, BaYb2F8, NaF, LiF, sapphire, alexandrite, forsterite, LiYF4, BaF2, BaY2F8, BaEr2F8, RbBr, Li2GeO3, Y2O3, Er2O3, YVO4, GdAlO3, Y3Sc2Ga3O12, NaCaErF6, CaWO4, or CaMoO4.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said crystal comprises a boule ranging in dimension from about 0.1 to 500 mm.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure medium is one or more of a liquid under said reaction conditions, a supercritical fluid, or a low shear strength solid.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said pressure medium is one or more of NaCl, NaBr, AgCl, AgBr, CaF2, SrF2, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, ammonia, hydrazine, methylamine, melamine, talc, pyrophyllite, molybdenum disulfide, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, merylinite clay, a bentonite clay, sodium silicate, B2O3, SiO2, Na2O, CaO, MgO, Al2O3, or compounds thereof.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure medium comprises an inert gas and a substance immediately surrounding said crystal that is a liquid under processing conditions.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said inert gas comprises at least one of argon, helium, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein said substance comprises at least one of Li2O, Na2O, K2O, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, B2O3, Al2O3, Ga2O3, In2O3, SiO2, GeO2, SnOx, PbOx, a phosphate glass, a fluoride glass, a nitride glass, and compounds or mixtures thereof.
- 12. The method of claim 4, wherein said crystal is GaN and said reaction conditions include one or more of ammonia, or a nitrogen-containing fluid whose nitrogen activity is higher than the value at equilibrium.
- 13. The method of claim 4, wherein said crystal is GaAs and said pressure medium comprises arsenic.
- 14. The method of claim 4, wherein said crystal is SiC and said reaction conditions include a temperature of between about 1000° and 2000° C.
- 15. A crystal having diminished defects or relieved strain produced by the method of claim 1.
- 16. An epitaxial structure comprising the crystal of claim 15.
- 17. A semi-conductor device comprising the crystal of claim 15.
- 18. The semiconductor device of claim 17, in the form of a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, a photodetector, a filter, a transistor, a rectifier, a thyristor, a light amplifier, an emitter, a detector, a diode, a switch, a solar cell, or an optically bistable device.
- 19. A method for removing one or more defects and/or relieving strain in an amorphous material selected from one of glass, plastic, or metal, which method comprising the steps of:
a) placing the amorphous material which contains defects in a pressure medium; b) disposing the amorphous material and the pressure medium in a high pressure cell; c) processing the cell under reaction conditions in a high pressure apparatus at a sufficiently high pressure and high temperature for a sufficient amount of time for removing or more defects or relieving strain in the amorphous material.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said pressure medium is in the form of a solid or a liquid at −77° C.
- 21. The method of claim 19, wherein said pressure medium is one or more of a liquid under said reaction conditions, a supercritical fluid, or a low shear strength solid.
- 22. The method of claim 19, wherein said pressure medium is one or more of NaCl, NaBr, AgCl, AgBr, CaF2, SrF2, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, ammonia, hydrazine, methylamine, melamine, talc, pyrophyllite, molybdenum disulfide, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, merylinite clay, a bentonite clay, sodium silicate, B2O3, SiO2, Na2O, CaO, MgO, Al2O3, or compounds thereof.
- 23. The method of claim 19, wherein said pressure medium comprises an inert gas and a substance immediately surrounding said crystal that is a liquid under processing conditions.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said inert gas comprises at least one of argon, helium, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof, and said substance comprises at least one of Li2O, Na2O, K2O, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, B2O3, Al2O3, Ga2O3, ln2O3, SiO2, GeO2, SnOx, PbOx, a phosphate glass, a fluoride glass, a nitride glass, and compounds or mixtures thereof.
- 25. A method for removing one or more defects and/or relieving strain in a material selected from non-diamond crystals and amorphous materials, which method comprising:
a) placing the material which contains defects and or strain in a pressure medium having at least a component in the form of a solid or a liquid at −77° C.; b) processing the material containing defects and or strain and the pressure medium in a high pressure apparatus at a sufficiently high pressure and high temperature for a sufficient amount of time for removing or more defects or relieving strain in said material.
- 26. An article comprising the material treated by the process of claim 25.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims priority date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/392741, filed Jun. 17, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60392741 |
Jun 2002 |
US |