Mathematical simulation, synthesis, characterization and application of indium arsenide whiskers

Abstract For the production of indium arsenide whiskers to be stable under high-energy electron irradiation, the mathematical model describing the deposition of tin-doped indium arsenide whiskers from vapor phase was created. Presented mathematical model covers the issues related to the analysis of the gas-phase composition of InAs–Sn–HCl system and allows to make a quantitative calculation of the mass transfer of this system's components. Based on the model calculations, we have realized the technology of indium arsenide crystals’ growing in the closed ampoule reactor using HCl as the transport reagent. We obtained indium arsenide whiskers 60–120 μm in thickness, 80–120 μm in width and up to 10 mm in length. Developed technology allows to dope indium arsenide whiskers with tin within a wide concentration range from 4×10 16 to 1×10 19  cm −3 and thus allows to obtain the whiskers with required parameters. The investigation of the effect of high energy (13 MeV) electron irradiation upon the indium arsenide whiskers with different doping level have shown that electric parameters of tin-doped whiskers become stable at initial charge carrier concentration n =(1.5–2.5)×10 18  cm −3 . Such whiskers are designed for the magnetic field sensors controlling the magnetic parameters of artificial satellite control system, taking into account that the Earth radiation belts covering these satellite orbits are characterized by occurrence of high-energy charged cosmic-ray particles, among which high-energy electrons have highly destructive effect upon equipment.