Gas-pressure chemical vapor transport growth of millimeter-sized c-BAs single crystals with moderate thermal conductivity

We have grown c-BAs single crystals up to 1000 μm size by the chemical vapor transport (CVT) technique using combined As and I2 transport agents with the As:I ratio of 1:3 under gas pressures of up to 35 atm. Raman spectroscopy revealed a very sharp (∼2.4 cm−1) P1 phonon mode and an interesting splitting behavior of P1 from detailed polarization studies. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments revealed no evidence for EPR active growth-related defects under the experimental resolution. Finally, a moderate thermal conductivity value of ∼132 W/m-K was obtained using a transient thermal grating technique. These results suggest that although the high As gas vapor pressure environment in CVT growth can increase the transport rate of c-BAs significantly, it may not be efficient in reducing the defects and enhancing the thermal conductivity in c-BAs significantly.