Patent ID: 7279047

Claim:
A reactor for extended growth of a gallium containing single crystal on a substrate, comprising: a reactor tube; a substrate positioned in the reactor tube; a multi-zone heater; a growth zone in the reactor tube, wherein said multi-zone heater maintains said substrate within said growth zone at a growth temperature greater than 850° C.; an extended gallium source partially inside and partially outside of the reactor tube and within a multi-zone gallium source zone, said extended gallium source having a length so that different portions of said extended gallium source are maintained at different temperatures, said extended gallium source being controllably positionable so that said multi-zone heater maintains a first portion of said extended gallium source at a first temperature greater than 450° C. while simultaneously maintaining a second portion of said extended gallium source at a second temperature in the range of 30° C. to 100° C., wherein upon reaction initiation said second portion at said second temperature comprises at least 50 percent of said extended gallium source; a halide reaction gas source coupled to said multi-zone gallium source zone; an inert gas source coupled to said multi-zone gallium source zone to transport a first reaction product from said multi-zone gallium source zone to said growth zone; and a reaction gas source coupled to said growth zone, growth of the gallium-containing single crystal occurring on the substrate in the reactor tube.