Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
The paper presents the results of TEM and optical transparency measurements on ZnGeP2 crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman technique from melts of differing compositions. The TEM study reveals the presence of nano-dimensional precipitates of second phases: zinc and ZnxPy precipitation occurs in material grown from Zn-rich melts and GeP from the deficient melts. The precipitation is associated with cooling through the retrograde solidus at a temperature below the melting point. Elastic stress fields are also observed. The relationships between the precipitates and elastic stresses and between precipitation and optical losses are investigated