Thermal expansion of GaSb measured by temperature dependent x-ray diffraction

X-ray diffraction measurements were performed using a modified zone technique on Te-doped GaSb wafers, commonly used for molecular beam epitaxial growth, at temperatures between 32 and 546 degrees C to determine the thermal expansion. The authors found the thermal expansion to be very close to the data published by Bublik [Phys. Status Solidi A 73, K271 (1982)]. Control measurements of the lattice constant of Si were found to agree with the results published by Okada and Tokumaru [J. Appl. Phys. 56, 314 (1984)] within our measurement error of +/- 2x10(-4) A degrees. A fourth order polynomial, a((GaSb))(T)=6.0959+3.37x10(-5)T+5.63x10(-8)T(2)-1.29x10(-10)T(3)+1.05x10(-13)T(4) (A degrees) (T in degrees C), was found to be a good fit to our data, while a linear fit with a constant thermal expansion coefficient of 7.17x10(-6) K-1 was found to be a poorer fit. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3336341]