Estimating the real crystal radius from the weight signal in a course of growth process by the Stepanov (EFG) technique

The method of estimating the real radius from the weight signal in a course of growth by the Stepanov (EFG) technique is developed. The transitional portion of the cylindrical crystal was grown during which calculation of changing real radius was carried out. Comparison of the real profile with calculated one was made.     

One of the Possibilities to Improve Optical Quality of As-Grown Shaped Sapphire Crystals

One of the possibilities to improve optical quality of as-grown shaped sapphire crystals is presented. Replacement of RF susceptor made of normal grade graphite by that made of pyrocarbon covered graphite results in increase of the optical transmission of sapphire ribbons grown by the Stepanov/EFG technique.     

Sapphire shaped crystals for waveguiding,sensing and exposure applications

Second half of the XX century was marked by a rapid development of sapphire shaped crystal growth technologies, driven by the demands for fast, low-cost, and technologically reliable methods of producing sapphire crystals of complex shape. Numerous techniques of shaped crystal growth from a melt have been proposed relying on the Stepanov concept of crystal shaping. In this review, we briefly describe the development of growth techniques, with a strong emphasize on those that yield sapphire crystals featuring high volumetric and surface quality. A favorable combination of physical properties of sapphire (superior hardness and tensile strength, impressive thermal conductivity and chemical inertness, high melting point and thermal shock resistance, transparency to electromagnetic waves in a wide spectral range) with advantages of shaped crystal growth techniques (primarily, an ability to produce sapphire crystals with a complex geometry of cross-section, along with high volumetric and surface quality) allows fabricating various instruments for waveguiding, sensing, and exposure technologies. We discuss recent developments of high-tech instruments, which are based on sapphire shaped crystals and vigorously employed in biomedical and material sciences, optics and photonics, nuclear physics and plasma sciences.     

Haze in sapphire crystals grown by SAPMAC method

Haze defect in SAPMAC method grown sapphire crystal was studied in detail. It is shown that haze is composed by a large number of CO₂ bubbles, and haze always appears in the axis region of the crystal since the bubbles formed in front of the crystallization surface are most always draged to the convection rolls in front of the central part of the crystallizaiton surface by melt and then engulfed by the rolls. Moreover, the effects of pulling rate on the formation of haze were analyzed and means for restraining haze was suggested. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

导模法生长六片片状蓝宝石晶体的研究

采用导模法生长出六片片状蓝宝石晶体,单片尺寸为350 mm×80 mm×2 mm.通过CGSim模拟软件模拟计算和实验验证,确定了合适的生长温场为横向温梯2.9~4.6 K/mm,生长速度控制在5~10 mm/h之间.对晶体进行双晶摇摆曲线测试,峰强度很高且对称性良好,摇摆曲线的半高宽FWHM=16.946″,证明晶体的结晶完整性很高.采用化学腐蚀法对六片晶体进行位错密度的检测,计算出晶体的位错密度都在103量级,中间晶体位错密度小于两边晶体的位错密度.测试了六片晶体的弯曲强度,最高强度达1583 MPa,中间晶体强度大于两边.     

3D simulation of the effects of growth parameters on the growth of sapphire crystals using heat exchanger method

3D simulations using the commercial CFDRC and FIDAP code, which are based on finite element techniques, were performed to investigate the effects of anisotropic conductivity on the convexity of the melt–crystal interface and the hot spots of sapphire crystal in a heat‐exchanger‐method crystal growth system. The convection boundary conditions of both the energy input to the crucible by the radiation as well as convection inside the furnace and the energy output through the heat exchanger are modeled. The cross‐sectional flow pattern and the shape of the melt–crystal interface are confirmed by comparing the 3‐D modeling results with previous 2D simulation results. In the 3D model, the “hot spots” in the corners of the crucible are donut shaped, and the shape changes with the value of the conductivity of anisotropic crystal. The outline of the crystal becomes more convex as the conductivity in the z direction (k_sz) increases. The outline of melt–crystal interface is elliptical when the anisotropic conductivity is moving in the radial direction (k_sx and k_sy). The portion at the outline touching the bottom of the crucible is smaller than the maximum outline of the crystal, meaning that the shape at the “hot spot”, changes with the value of the conductivities of anisotropic crystal. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical simulation of thermal and mass transport during Czochralski crystal growth of sapphire

The thermal and flow transport in an inductively heated Czochralski crystal growth furnace during a crystal growth process is investigated numerically. The temperature and flow fields inside the furnace, coupled with the heat generation in the iridium crucible induced by the electromagnetic field generated by the RF coil, are computed. The results indicate that for an RF coil fixed in position during the growth process, although the maximum value of the magnetic, temperature and velocity fields decrease, the convexity of the crystal‐melt interface increases for longer crystal growth lengths. The convexity of the crystal‐melt interface and the power consumption can be reduced by adjusting the relative position between the crucible and the induction coil during growth. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical Simulation of the Flow Field and Solute Segregation in Edge‐Defined Film‐Fed Growth

The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of hydrodynamics and mass transport on the bubble generation in sapphire shaped crystals. The basic idea is that nucleation of bubbles can be anticipated in places were the gas chemical composition is maximum. Finite elements numerical simulation (FIDAP^TM software) is used in order to solve the momentum, mass and chemical species conservation equations in the liquid enclosed in the capillary channel and in the liquid meniscus. A parametric study is performed and the effect of the die geometry and of the physical parameters are clarified. It is shown that the main effect is related to the rejection of the gas at the solid‐liquid interface and that forced and thermo‐capillary convection can explain the experimental observation of the concentration of microbubbles very close to the outer crystal surface in certain cases.     

Characterization of bismuth germanate crystals grown by EFG method

Bismuth germanate shaped crystals have been grown by the EFG (Stepanov) method. The correlation between growth rate, shape of crystals, their optical and scintillation parameters has been analysed. Optical and scintillation characteristics of the EFG crystals are similar to those obtained with Czochralski grown crystals, however, growth rate in EFG is by 2.5 times larger. Also we compare the photochromic effect under UV‐irradiation in EFG and Czochralski grown crystals. Material losses at fabrication of plates, pixels, and rods from EFG shaped plates may be reduced by ∼50% compared to large diameter boules.     

Temperature field design,process analysis and control of SAPMAC method for the growth of large size sapphire crystals

In this paper, the relationship between quality of sapphire crystal and growing parameters of SAPMAC (Sapphire growth technique with micro‐pulling and shoulder‐expanding at cooled center) method was discussed. Optimized temperature distribution and technique control were proposed by theoretical analysis, numerical simulation computation and experimental validation to obtain large size sapphire crystals. For a‐axis crystallized direction, with 1.0‐5.0mm/h growth velocity and 10‐30K/h temperature decreasing speed, large sapphire single crystal (∅︁240mm×210mm, 27.5kg) having high optical quality was successfully grown. The absorption spectrum of standard samples was measured as well. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

热交换法生长蓝宝石晶体的位错研究

本文用热交换法生长出a向,尺寸为φ150 mm×160 mm,重10 kg的低位错蓝宝石晶体,并采用化学腐蚀-金相显微镜法观测了(0001)晶面的位错形貌.结果显示:(0001)晶面的位错腐蚀坑呈三角形,分布较均匀和分散,图像清晰,平均位错密度较低,为2.1×103 Pits/cm2;热交换系统保温效果好,能独立控制熔体和晶体的温度梯度,温场起伏小,具有良好的稳定性和可控性,适合用来生长大直径低位错的蓝宝石晶体.     

Growth and dissolution of equally‐sized insulin crystals

A protocol for growing sets of nearly uniform size crystals was devised and tested experimentally. The experiments were centered on insulin because of its medical significance however the method is applicable to other substances as well (C.N. Nanev, V.D. Tonchev, F.V. Hodzhaoglu, Protocol for growing insulin crystals of uniform size, J. Cryst. Growth 375 (2013)10–15). Now, both growth and dissolution of equally‐sized crystals are described quantitatively by a common analytical model. In our model the emphasis is put on the dissolution case when crystals number and/or size are sufficiently large to secure reaching solubility, while some non‐dissolved crystalline substance is still remaining. Quantitative results are obtained for the relations between dimensionless values of crystal size, solution concentration and time elapsed, the assumption simplifying our calculations being that the crystals retain their shape during the entire dissolution process.     

Floating zone growth and characterization of ruby single crystals

Large, high optical quality single crystals of ruby have been grown successfully by the floating zone method under air atmosphere. The size of the grown crystal is typically 60‐70 mm in length and 7‐8 mm in diameter. The obtained crystals were red and did not have any macroscopic defects such as cracks and inclusions. Grown crystals were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) methods, polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The absorption and fluorescence spectra were measured at room temperature and the dielectric constant measurements of ruby crystals were also presented. Defects occurring in single crystals of ruby during crystal growth by floating zone method are described, and their correlation with the growth parameters is discussed. The origin and control of these defects in grown crystals were studied and the optimum method was proposed. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Synthesis, growth and doped properties of PbWO4 crystals

High purity polycrystalline PbWO₄ (PWO) has been synthesized by a chemical method. Pure and doped PWO crystals were grown by using a Czochralski technique. Transmittance spectra, light yield and decay constants of the crystal were measured. The effect of PWO crystal quality and doped ions on its scintillating properties is discussed in this paper.     

Preparation of GaN crystals by heating a Li3N‐added Ga melt in Na vapor and their photoluminescence

GaN crystals were prepared by heating a Ga melt with 1 at% Li₃N against Ga at 750 °C in Na vapor under N₂ pressures of 0.4–1.0 MPa. The GaN crystals grown at 1.0 MPa of N₂ were colorless and transparent prismatic, having a size of approximately 0.7 mm in length. A secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) showed the contaminant of lithium in the obtained crystals. A large broad yellow band emission peak of 2.28 eV was observed at room temperature in the photoluminescence spectrum in addition to the near band emission peak of GaN at 3.39 eV and a small broad satellite emission at 3.24 eV. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Layered crystals of apo‐ and holoferritin grown by alternating crystallization

We report on the use of alternating crystallization for deposition of layers of different (though closely related) proteins in a single crystal. Investigations were carried out with the unique protein couple consisting of two forms of ferritin, apoferritin and holoferritin from horse spleen, which, despite being of quite different molecular masses, still possess identical organic shells. Crystals of both proteins were used as substrates for subsequent contiguous growth of the partner protein in perfect alignment. We observed continuous growth of combined (onion‐like) single crystals; artificial structures of biological macromolecules can be designed in this way. The homoepitaxial layered growth shows in an unambiguous way that protein crystallization depends only on the surface protein conformation and amino‐acid composition, but not on the internal molecule structure. The limitations of protein crystal growth for designing layered structures of biological macromolecules were revealed by growing of heterogeneous protein crystals onto pre‐existing protein crystalline substrates. Tetragonal crystals of hen egg‐white lysozyme were grown onto cubic apoferritin crystals used as substrates. It was observed that the lysozyme crystals were not lattice‐matched to the ‘host’ apoferritin crystals; this led to mere aggregates of different crystals. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

改进热交换法生长蓝宝石晶体的气泡研究

采用改进的热交换法生长的蓝宝石晶体,气泡是其主要缺陷之一.本文采用数值模拟研究了晶体生长过程中氦气流量对坩埚内温场、固液界面形状的影响.并结合晶体生长实验结果,分析了在实际的晶体生长过程中,氦气流量的线性增加对晶体内气泡的尺寸、形态和分布的影响.     

Growth morphology of crystals from kinetic and geometric perspective

The growth morphology of crystals is analysed from macroscopic point of view and the recent developments in this field are surveyed. In particular, it is shown that, for specific geometry characterized by interfacial angles a given face can increase in size for a very wide range of relative growth rates and need not be the slow‐growing face. Even growing faster than the neighbouring faces, such a face can increase in its size. However, there are other faces with other specific geometry, which can decrease the size growing more slowly than one of the neighbouring faces. If the growth time is sufficiently long, such a face may disappear and not be represented in the final crystal morphology. In the present survey the concepts given earlier [5] are extended. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

泡生法生长大尺寸蓝宝石单晶的等径控制方法

在泡生法生长大尺寸蓝宝石单晶的过程中,为了获得高质量的晶体,精确等径控制至关重要.本文根据晶体的重量变化率来控制热场,实现晶体等径生长.设计了应用在线整定多项式权值的广义最小方差(OAPW_GMV)控制方法,并建立了系统模型.该方法的主要思想是根据在线估计的被控对象参数及OAPW_GMV的输出,调整多项式的权值,实现炉内的热场控制.仿真和实验结果表明该控制方法实现了蓝宝石单晶的精确等径控制,有效地提高了蓝宝石单晶的质量.     

4英寸氧化镓单晶生长与性能

本文使用导模法(EFG)制备了4英寸氧化镓(β-Ga₂O₃)单晶,并对晶体物相、结晶质量、缺陷、光学及电学特性进行了研究。晶体不同方向劳厄(Laue)衍射斑点清晰一致,符合β-Ga₂O₃衍射特征。晶体(400)面摇摆曲线半峰全宽(FWHM)为57.57″,通过化学腐蚀获得其腐蚀坑位错密度为1.06×10⁴ cm^-2。晶体在紫外截止边为262.1 nm,对应光学带隙为4.67 eV。通过C-V测试分析获得非故意掺杂晶体中的电子浓度为7.77×10¹⁶ cm^-3。