Capillary effect in a Ga-Al-As/GaAs system
Abstract
Prospects for the fabrication of very thin variable-gap Ga(1-x)Al(x)As layers by means of a capillary liquid epitaxy technique appear to be promising. Layers of this type are now finding use in solar cells to increase the efficiency of the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. However, the implementation of capillary epitaxy procedures must be based on information regarding the process by which the capillary is filled with the solution/melt. This information is related to the boundary angle of wetting and the surface tension of the solution/melt. The corresponding information is not yet available for the Ga-Al-As/GaAs system. The present investigation involves a study of the capillary effect by an original method. This method makes it feasible to study the process parameters directly in the capillary. The investigation includes a study of the temperature dependence of the surface tension and the wetting angle.
- Publication:
-
Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki
- Pub Date:
- November 1983
- Bibcode:
- 1983ZhTFi..53.2224A
- Keywords:
-
- Aluminum Gallium Arsenides;
- Epitaxy;
- Minority Carriers;
- Substrates;
- Capillaries;
- Energy Conversion Efficiency;
- Laplace Transformation;
- Solar Cells;
- Solid-State Physics