The use of a crystal growth technique called axial heat processing (AHP) to grow doped single crystals from the melt is investigated. The technique includes an immersed baffle to distribute heat over the entire growth interface and to decrease the melt height. This consequently reduces the buoyancy driven convection in the melt. Antimony doped germanium single crystals, containing 5 x 10(19)-1.5 x 10(20) Sb atoms/cc, were grown by the AHP method at velocities ranging from 3 to 20 mm/h. The effect of the processing variables on the longitudinal and radial dopant distribution and single crystal quality is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.