Abstract: Provided is a Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body of both high relative density and very small crystal grain diameter with reduced incidence of defects (voids) such as air holes, the Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body causing a Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound thin film useful as a solid electrolyte for a secondary cell or the like to be stabilized without any incidence of target cracking or irregular electrical discharge, and offering high-speed film-forming capability. This Li-containing phosphoric-acid compound sintered body contains no defects measuring 50 ?m or larger within a 1 mm2 cross-sectional region in the interior thereof, while having an average crystal grain diameter of no more than 15 ?m and a relative density of at least 85%.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for crystal growth including features of reducing micropit cavity density in grown germanium crystals. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method of inserting an ampoule with raw material into a furnace having a heating source, growing a crystal using a vertical growth process wherein movement of a crystallizing temperature gradient relative to the raw material/crucible is achieved to melt the raw material, and growing, at a predetermined crystal growth length, the material to achieve a monocrystalline crystal, wherein monocrystalline ingots having reduced micro-pit densities are reproducibly provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of crystallizing Yb:C-FAP [Yb3+:Ca5(PO4)3F], by dissolving the Yb:C-FAP in an acidic solution, following by neutralizing the solution. The present invention also provides a method of forming crystalline Yb:C-FAP by dissolving the component ingredients in an acidic solution, followed by forming a supersaturated solution.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and substrates directed to growth of monocrystalline germanium (Ge) crystals are disclosed. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method for growing a monocrystalline germanium (Ge) crystal. Moreover, the method may include loading first raw Ge material into a crucible, loading second raw Ge material into a container for supplementing the Ge melt material, sealing the crucible and the container in an ampoule, placing the ampoule with the crucible into a crystal growth furnace, as well as melting the first and second raw Ge material and controlling the crystallizing temperature gradient of the melt to reproducibly provide monocrystalline germanium ingots with improved/desired characteristics.

Abstract: A method of forming a lithium orthophosphate sputter target or tile and resulting target material is presented. The target is fabricated from a pure lithium orthophosphate powder refined to a fine powder grain size. After steps of consolidation into a ceramic body, packaging and degassing, the ceramic body is densified to high density, and transformed into a stable single phase of pure lithium orthophosphate under sealed atmosphere. The lithium orthophosphate target is comprised of a single phase, and can preferably have a phase purity greater than 95% and a density of greater than 95%.

Abstract: A method of producing a lithium-tantalate crystal comprising, at least subjecting a single-polarized lithium-tantalate crystal wherein an optical absorption coefficient at a wave number of 3480 cm?1 is 0.3 cm?1 or less to a heat treatment under a reducing atmosphere at a temperature of not lower than 250° C. and not higher than Curie temperature and a single-polarized lithium-tantalate crystal wherein an optical absorption coefficient at a wave number of 3480 cm?1 is 0.3 cm?1 or less and an electric conductivity is 1×10?12 ??1·cm?1 or more. There can be provided a method of producing a single-polarized lithium-tantalate crystal in a short time efficiently wherein the surface charge generated due to a pyroelectric property can be decayed quickly by improving the electric conductivity and a single-polarized lithium-tantalate crystal.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of increasing the extent of a desired biaxial orientation of a previously formed non-single-crystal structure by contacting said structure with an oblique particle beam thereby forming in the structure a nucleating surface having increased desired biaxial orientation. The method can further include a step of epitaxially growing the crystalline formation using the nucleating surface to promote the epitaxial growth. The invention also provides a crystalline structure containing a nucleating surface formed by contacting a previously formed non-single-crystal structure with an oblique particle beam, from 0 to 10 adjacent orientation-transmitting layers, and a crystalline active layer. In this structure, the active layer is oriented in registry with the nucleating surface.

Abstract: To obtain large, high-quality crystals of a metal orthophosphate, in particular GaPO4 or AlPO4, from a nutrient solution with the use of seeds, a seed crystal is used having at least two rod- or wafer-shaped legs which form an angle with each other and define a main growth region, and which are positioned eccentrically in the single crystal grown. Contagious faces of two seed legs, which have been chosen for crystal growing, enclose an angle <180°. In this way the yield of the high-quality crystal region will be increased.

Abstract: Disclosed are a process for the production of solid solution single crystals of KTiOPO.sub.4 wherein a part or all of at least one of the elements, K, Ti and P is substituted with one or more other elements, which comprises moving a grown part(s) of crystal(s) to outside of a melt for the crystal growth while maintaining contact of a growing part(s) of the crystal(s) with said melt to obtain the above solid solution single crystals, wherein the moving is carried out while maintaining the temperature of the melt substantially constant and maintaining said melt at a substantially constant composition at which the solid solution single crystal(s) with the desired composition is precipitated at the above maintained temperature and a solid solution single crystal of KTiOPO4 wherein a part or all of at least one of the elements, K, Ti and P is substituted with one or more other elements and its composition is substantially homogeneous within its cubic portions of a side length of 1 cm.

Abstract: A process for growing a multielement compound single crystal, includes the steps of placing a crucible holding a raw multielement compound of a predetermined set of composition ratios Y in a vertical crystal growing furnace having a heater, melting the raw multielement compound held in the crucible with the heater to produce a melt of the raw multielement compound in the crucible, controlling the output of the heater to grow a multielement compound single crystal of a predetermined set of composition ratios X from the melt so that the melt is solidified successively upwards from part of the melt in contact with the bottom of the crucible, and feeding to the melt as a solute at least one element of the raw multielement compound from above the level of the melt in the crucible so as to maintain the predetermined set of composition ratios X of the solute during growth of the multielement compound single crystal. The process can keep constant the composition of the grown multielement compound single crystal.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for treating a crystal of MTiOXO.sub.4 which has crystal structure deficiencies of M and O, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl and NH.sub.4 and mixtures thereof and X is selected from the group consisting of P, As and mixtures thereof, which includes the step of heating said crystal in the presence of a mixture of MTiOXO.sub.4 and at least one inorganic compound of one or more monovalent cations selected from the group consisting of Rb+, K+, Cs+ and Ti+ (said inorganic compound(s) being selected to provide a source of vapor phase monovalent cation and being present in an amount sufficient to provide at least a 0.1 mole % excess of the monovalent cation in relation to the M in the MTiOXO.sub.4 in said mixture) at a temperature of from about 400.degree. C. to 950.degree. C. and a pressure of at least 14 psi, and in the presence of a gaseous source of oxygen for a time sufficient to decrease the optical damage susceptibility of said crystal.

Abstract: In order to obtain large, high-quality crystals or crystal layers of a me orthophosphate, in particular, GaPO.sub.4 or AlPO.sub.4, from a nutrient solution with the use of a seed plate, the proposal is put forward that in the initial phase of the growth process a seed plate of alpha-quartz (.alpha.-SiO.sub.2) be introduced into the nutrient solution, and that fluoride ions (F.sup.-) be added to this solution, at least for formation of the primary crystal layer on the quartz seed plate.

Abstract: A method for producing an organic crystal is disclosed. One embodiment comprises maintaining a capillary tube containing a fused liquid of an organic crystal material and having a fused liquid reservoir at one end thereof at a temperature not less than the fusion point of the organic crystal material together with the fused liquid reservoir, reducing the temperature of the fused liquid in the fused liquid reservoir to precipitate seed crystals, and then slowly cooling the capillary tube successively from the end toward the other end to allow a single crystal to grow from the seed crystal in the capillary tube. Because of the large quantity of the fused liquid, a seed crystal can be formed and allowed to grow even from a fused liquid of an organic crystal material which hardly crystallizes in the form of a fused liquid.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a KTiOPO.sub.4 which is grown at a temperature higher than its Curie temperature using a TSSG method. The grown KTiOPO.sub.4 single crystal is maintained in contact with a melt while the crystal is maintained at a temperature higher than the Curie temperature. A d.c. current is applied in this state across a seed crystal and the melt, while the single crystal is cooled to a temperature lower than the Curie temperature. The value of current density D, defined by the formula D=Ip/(a+b), where Ip is the impressed current and a, b are crystal sizes along a and b axes, respectively, is selected to be 0.01 mA/cm.sup.2 .ltoreq.D.ltoreq.1.0 mA/cm.sup.2. In this manner, the produced KTiOPO.sub.4 is processed into a single domain crystal.