High Pressure Synthesis of Stoichiometric Indium Phosphide,

Indium phosphide is presently of great interest for use: (a) as a substitute for lattice matched optoelectronic devices for fiber optics; (b) in microwave devices such as Gunn's and FET's; and (c) in solar cells. This report outlines a method for synthesizing indium phosphide at full pressure, thus avoiding the explosion problem that often occurs in synthesis procedures that use the direct reaction of elemental phosphorus and elemental indium to produce bulk indium phosphide at the melting point of indium phosphide. The high pressure synthesis of indium phosphide utilizes specific heating, pressurizing, and cooling parameters to safely produce pure, stoichiometric large grain, polycrystalline indium phosphide. (Author)