Problems and recent advances in melt crystal growth technology

The present review deals with the novel developments in melt growth techniques which have arisen mostly within recent five-ten years and focuses on recent progress in growing bulk crystals of dielectrics, however, many developments could be easily applied to the semiconductor growth technology. The scaling of size and yield of crystals grown from the melt, and various ways and tricks to improve crystal perfection via homogenization of melt composition and governing the heat and mass transfer are under consideration. Particular developments such as low-thermal gradient and low-melt level growth techniques, governing by heat field rotation and applying of low-frequency vibration, as well as the use of double crucibles and submerged baffles are considering. The paper also discusses the current problems of bulk crystal growth due to the competition with arisen alternative technologies of manufacture the bulk crystalline or quasi-crystalline materials including transparent ceramics and glass-ceramics as well as the solid-state single crystal growth technology. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.