HYDROTHERMAL PROCESS FOR GROWING OPTICAL-QUALITY SINGLE CRYSTALS

• Main Authors: FERRETTI; AUGUST, GIER; THURMAN E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.11.1991
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMISTRY; CRYSTAL GROWTH; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; METALLURGY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL

A hydrothermal process for growing a crystal of MTiOXO4 at an elevated temperature is disclosed which employs a growth medium comprising a mineralizer solution, and is characterized as employing aqeuous mineralizer solution in which the concentration of M is at least about 8 molar, and as employing a growth region temperature of less than about 500 DEG C. and/or a pressure of less than 14,000 psi during crystallization. M is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl and NH4 and mixtures thereof, and X is selected from the group consisting of P and As and mixtures thereof.