Effect of Process Conditions and Chemical Composition on the Microstructure and Properties of Chemically Vapor Deposited SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnSxSe1-x

Abstract

AbstractSub-atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes have been developed to produce theoretically dense, highly pure, void-free and large area bulk materials, SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnSxSe1-x. These materials are used for optical elements, such as mirrors, lenses and windows, over a wide spectral range from the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to the infrared (IR).In this paper we discuss the effect of CVD process conditions on the microstructure and properties of these materials, with emphasis on optical performance. In addition, we discuss the effect of chemical composition on the properties of the composite material ZnSxSe1-x.We first present a general overview of the bulk CVD process and the relationship between process conditions, such as temperature, pressure, reactant gas concentration and growth rate, and the microstructure, morphology and properties of CVD-grown materials. Then we discuss specific results for CVDgrown SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnSxSe1-x.