Semiconductor substrates with variable band gaps and lattice constants are key enables for advanced electronic, optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. Some of the recent advances made in the area of large diameter, compositionally homogeneous, bulk ternary crystal growth of GaInSb, GaInAs, GaInP, AlInSb, and InAsSb will be discussed. Characteristics of infrared photodetectors fabricated using ternary substrates have been presented. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.