Boron oxide fully encapsulated CdZnTe crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman technique

One of the main problems affecting the vertical Bridgman growth of CdZnTe crystals is the crystal–crucible contact. In this work, we show that it is possible to avoid this interaction by inserting a stable boron oxide liquid layer between the crucible and the melt. This layer improves the structural properties of the grown crystals, reducing the etch pit density to the 103 cm−3 range. The possible origins for the formation of a stable boron oxide layer are discussed.