Affiliations: [a] Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3P6 | [b] Amistar Research and Development Inc., 353 Cyril Owen
Place, Victoria, BC, Canada, V9E 2B6
Abstract: A numerical simulation study was carried out for the growth of CdTe
crystals by the Travelling Heater Method to examine the effects of applied
stationary and rotating magnetic fields, and also small non-uniformities in the
stationary magnetic field. A strong stationary field is applied to suppress the
natural convection in the solution zone, and a small but rotating magnetic
field is considered for better mixing in the horizontal plane. The spatial
distribution of the stationary field is almost uniform before the furnace and
the growth system are lowered into the magnet opening. However, the field
uniformity may be altered by the presence of the growth system. In order to
determine the effect of such field non-uniformities, small magnetic body force
components are considered in the model. Results show that higher stationary
field levels are better in suppressing convection in the solution, but enhance
the compositional non-uniformity in the solution. Small but unintentional
non-uniformities in the stationary magnetic field also enhance compositional
non-uniformity. A rotating magnetic field, on the other hand, is beneficial for
mixing in the horizontal plane, and reduces the compositional non-uniformity in
the solution. Mixing is enhanced at higher rotating magnetic field
frequencies.
