Defect Formation in Tellurium at Different Gravitational Levels

We compared the influence of acceleration (µg, 1g and 5g) during directional solidification of tellurium, both with and without seeding, on the formation of neutral and electrically-active defects. Microgravity conditions were achieved during experiments in the Crystallizator furnace on board the MIR space station. High gravity experiments were performed in the Meudon gradient-freeze furnace on centrifuge CF-18.