Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. (2016) 75: 24718
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2016150578

Regular Article

Plasma chemical production of stable isotopes of germanium from its fluorides^*

G.G. Devyatykh Institute of Chemistry of High-Purity Substances of RAS, 49 Tropinin str., Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia

^a e-mail: kornev@ihps.nnov.ru

Received: 27 November 2015
Accepted: 14 March 2016
Published online: 8 August 2016

Abstract

The reduction process of ⁷²GeF₄ in hydrogen plasma of RF-discharge (13.56 MHz) was experimentally investigated. It was found that ⁷²Ge, polyfluorogermanes and gaseous HF were the main products of conversion. The behavior of the main electroactive impurities and of metal impurities in the process of hydrogen reduction of ⁷²GeF₄ was considered. Based on the data of emission spectroscopy of chemically active plasma, assumptions were made about the main plasma-chemical reactions responsible for the process of hydrogen reduction of ⁷²GeF₄. A single crystal of n-type with concentration of charge carriers of <1 × 10¹³ cm³, ρ = 47 Ω cm was produced using a Czochralski method after the process of zone recrystallization of ⁷²Ge.