Abstract: The method produces low-stress, large-volume crystals with low birefringence and uniform index of refraction. The method includes growing the crystal with larger than desired dimensions including diameter and height from a melt; cooling and tempering the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions and after the cooling and tempering removing edge regions of the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions so that a diameter reduction and a height reduction of at least five percent occurs respectively and so that the crystal has the desired dimensions of diameter and height. No further tempering takes place after removing of the edge regions.

Abstract: The method of making uniform low-stress crystals includes immersing a seed crystal held at a temperature under its melting point in a melt in a crucible and drawing it from the melt. The crystal and/or melt are rotated relative to each other and a planar phase boundary surface is maintained between them by detecting a surface temperature of the melt and/or crystal and controlling temperature fluctuations by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed. A low-stress crystal of formula: (A1-xDx)3Al5O12 wherein 0<x<1, A=Lu and D=Pr and/or Ce, is preferred. These crystals have an index of refraction uniformity ?n of <1 ppm and a stress birefringence of <1 nm/cm at 193 nm, so that they are suitable for making optical elements for DUV lithography.

Abstract: A large-volume scintillation crystal affording a high scintillation yield and having high mechanical strength is obtained by growing a crystal from a melt containing strontium iodide, barium iodide or a mixture thereof and by doping with an activator. To this end, the melt is enclosed in a closed volume. Before and/or during the growing, the melt is in diffusion-permitting connection, via the enclosed volume, with an oxygen getter which sets a constant oxygen potential in the closed volume and the melt. Such a scintillation crystal is suitable for detecting UV-, gamma-, beta-, alpha- and/or positron radiation.

Abstract: The process for growing a rare earth aluminum or gallium garnet crystal from a melt includes melting an aluminum or gallium garnet of at least one rare earth, preferably Lu or Y, or a mixture of oxides of formula Me2O3, wherein Me represents the rare earth or aluminum or gallium. The melt also includes a fluoride anion acting as a counter ion for the rare earth and the aluminum or gallium. The components comprising the rare earth and aluminum or gallium are introduced in the melt so that the amounts of the rare earth and aluminum or gallium are defined by the formula: SE(3-x)X(5-y)O(12-2x-2y)F(x+y), wherein 0?x?0.2 and 0?y?0.2 and 0<x+y?0.4, and X is aluminum or gallium. The resulting crystals are used for optical elements at 193 nm, such as lenses, and as scintillation materials.

Abstract: The method of making uniform low-stress crystals includes immersing a seed crystal held at a temperature under its melting point in a melt in a crucible and drawing it from the melt. The crystal and/or melt are rotated relative to each other and a planar phase boundary surface is maintained between them by detecting a surface temperature of the melt and/or crystal and controlling temperature fluctuations by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed. The single crystals obtained by this method have a diameter ?50 mm and no visible growth strips in a fishtail pattern when a 2-mm thick sample is observed between crossed polarizers. These crystals have an index of refraction uniformity ?n of <1 ppm and a stress birefringence of <1 nm/cm at 193 nm, so that optical elements suitable for DUV lithography can be made from them.

Abstract: The optical elements for ultraviolet radiation, especially for microlithography, are made from cubic granet, cubic spinel, cubic perovskite and/or cubic M(II)- as well as M(IV)-oxides. The optical elements are made from suitable crystals of Y3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12, Ca3Al2Si3O12, K2NaAlF6, K2NaScF6, K2LiAlF6 and/or Na3Al2Li3F12, (Mg, Zn)Al2O4, CaAl2O4, CaB2O4 and/or LiAl5O8, BaZrO3 and/or CaCeO3. A front lens used in immersion optics for microlithography at wavelengths under 200 nm is an example of a preferred optical element of the present invention.

Abstract: The method of making uniform low-stress crystals includes immersing a seed crystal held at a temperature under its melting point in a melt in a crucible and drawing it from the melt. The crystal and/or melt are rotated relative to each other and a planar phase boundary surface is maintained between them by detecting a surface temperature of the melt and/or crystal and controlling temperature fluctuations by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed. The single crystals obtained by this method have a diameter ?50 mm and no visible growth strips in a fishtail pattern when a 2-mm thick sample is observed between crossed polarizers. These crystals have an index of refraction uniformity ?n of <1 ppm and a stress birefringence of <1 nm/cm at 193 nm, so that optical elements suitable for DUV lithography can be made from them.

Abstract: The method provides a uniform low-stress single crystal in a predetermined crystal orientation. The method of making it includes immersing a single crystal held at a temperature under its melting point in a melt of crystal raw material and drawing it from the melt to grow the crystal. The crystal and/or melt are rotated relative to each other during the crystal growth. A planar phase boundary surface is maintained by detecting at least one characteristic surface temperature in an interior of a crucible containing the melt and controlling temperature fluctuations by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed when they occur. The single crystals obtained by this method have a diameter of at least 50 mm and no visible growth strips in a fishtail pattern when a 2-mm thick sample is observed between crossed polarizers. Optical elements suitable for DUV lithography can be made from these crystals.

Abstract: The method for producing single crystals includes drying crystal raw material by removing water, reaction of impurities with a scavenger, preferably a metal halide, and homogenizing the melt. The method is performed with the raw material in a melt vessel with a variable-sized through-going opening, in which drying occurs at 100° C. to 600° C. for at least 20 hours with a geometric conductance value for the through-going opening of 2.00 to 30.00 mm2; the reacting occurs at 600° C. to 1200° C. for at least nine hours with a geometric conductance value of 0.0020 to 0.300 mm2 and the homogenizing occurs at above 1400° C. for at least six hours with a geometric conductance value of 0.25 to 1.1 mm2. Alternatively the geometric conductance value is the same during drying, reacting and homogenizing and takes a value between 0.25 and 1 mm2.

Abstract: A method is described for making an especially not-(111)-oriented low-stress large-volume crystal having a glide plane with reduced stress birefringence and more uniform refractive index. The method includes growing and tempering the crystal while heating and/or cooling to form a temperature gradient in order to relax stresses arising along the glide plane. During the tempering the heating and/or cooling occurs by heat transfer in a heat transfer direction and the heat transfer direction or temperature gradient is oriented at an angle of from 5° to 90° to the glide plane. Crystals with a uniform refractive index with variations of less than 0.025×10?6 (RMS value) are produced by the method.

Abstract: A method is described for making an especially not-(111)-oriented low-stress large-volume crystal having a glide plane with reduced stress birefringence and more uniform refractive index. The method includes growing and tempering the crystal while heating and/or cooling to form a temperature gradient in order to relax stresses arising along the glide plane. During the tempering the heating and/or cooling occurs by heat transfer in a heat transfer direction and the heat transfer direction or temperature gradient is oriented at an angle of from 50° to 900° to the glide plane. Crystals with a uniform refractive index with variations of less than 0.025×10?6 (RMS value) are produced by the method.

Abstract: A calcium fluoride single crystal with increased radiation resistance can be prepared by growing under controlled conditions of solidification from a melt of a crystal raw material containing a dopant affording ions of Al and/or Ga and/or In and/or Tl. Such a single crystal after irra-diation with at least 5×108 laser pulses having a pulse energy of at least 10 mJ/cm2 shows at a wavelength of 193 nm an absorption of less than 0.1%/cm.

Abstract: The method provides a uniform low-stress single crystal in a predetermined crystal orientation. The method of making it includes immersing a single crystal held at a temperature under its melting point in a melt of crystal raw material and drawing it from the melt to grow the crystal. The crystal and/or melt are rotated relative to each other during the crystal growth. A planar phase boundary surface is maintained by detecting at least one characteristic surface temperature in an interior of a crucible containing the melt and controlling temperature fluctuations by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed when they occur. The single crystals obtained by this method have a diameter of at least 50 mm and no visible growth strips in a fishtail pattern when a 2-mm thick sample is observed between crossed polarizers. Optical elements suitable for DUV lithography can be made from these crystals.

Abstract: The optical elements for ultraviolet radiation, especially for microlithography, are made from cubic granatite, cubic spinel, cubic perovskite and/or cubic M(II)- as well as M(IV)-oxides. The optical elements are made from suitable crystals of Y3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12, Ca3Al2Si3O12, K2NaAlF6, K2NaScF6, K2LiAlF6 and/or Na3Al2Li3F12, (Mg, Zn)Al2O4, CaAl2O4, CaB2O4 and/or LiAl5O8, BaZrO3 and/or CaCeO3. A front lens used in immersion optics for microlithography at wavelengths under 200 nm is an example of a preferred optical element of the present invention.

Abstract: In the method for growing large-volume monocrystals crystal raw material is heated in a melting vessel with heating elements to a temperature above its melting point until a melt is formed. A monocrystal is then formed on the bottom of the melting vessel by lowering the temperature at least to the crystallization point. A solid/liquid phase boundary is formed between the monocrystal and the melt. The monocrystal grows towards the melt surface in a direction that is perpendicular to the phase boundary. A vertical axial temperature gradient is produced and maintained between the bottom of the melting vessel and its upper opening and heat inflow and/or heat outflow through side walls of the melting vessel is prevented, so that the solid/liquid phase boundary has a curvature radius of at least one meter. A crystal-growing device for performing this process is also described.

Abstract: A method is described for making an especially not-(111)-oriented low-stress large-volume crystal having a glide plane with reduced stress birefringence and more uniform refractive index. The method includes growing and tempering the crystal while heating and/or cooling to form a temperature gradient in order to relax stresses arising along the glide plane. During the tempering the heating and/or cooling occurs by heat transfer in a heat transfer direction and the heat transfer direction or temperature gradient is oriented at an angle of from 5° to 90° to the glide plane. Crystals with a uniform refractive index with variations of less than 0.025×10?6 (RMS value) are produced by the method.

Abstract: The method produces low-stress, large-volume crystals with low birefringence and uniform index of refraction. The method includes growing the crystal with larger than desired dimensions including diameter and height from a melt; cooling and tempering the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions and after the cooling and tempering removing edge regions of the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions so that a diameter reduction and a height reduction of at least five percent occurs respectively and so that the crystal has the desired dimensions of diameter and height. No further tempering takes place after removing of the edge regions.

Abstract: In the method and apparatus for measuring the position of the phase interface during growth of a crystal from a melt in a crystal growth container according to the VGF method an incident optical signal is propagated to the phase interface between the melt and the crystal through a window (16) in the container (10) and a received optical signal reflected from the phase interface (14) is measured to determine the position of the phase interface. The position of the phase interface is established from the reflected signal by triangulation with a confocal optic system, by interferometric balancing or by transit time of the optical signal. The window (16) is preferably mounted in a preferably tilted orientation at the end of a tube (15), which is immersed in the melt (12).

Abstract: The method for producing single crystals includes drying crystal raw material by removing water, reaction of impurities with a scavenger, preferably a metal halide, and homogenizing the melt. The method is performed with the raw material in a melt vessel with a variable-sized through-going opening, in which drying occurs at 100° C. to 600° C. for at least 20 hours with a geometric conductance value for the through-going opening of 2.00 to 30.00 mm2; the reacting occurs at 600° C. to 1200° C. for at least nine hours with a geometric conductance value of 0.0020 to 0.300 mm2 and the homogenizing occurs at above 1400° C. for at least six hours with a geometric conductance value of 0.25 to 1.1 mm2. Alternatively the geometric conductance value is the same during drying, reacting and homogenizing and takes a value between 0.25 and 1 mm2.

Abstract: With a device for supplying a process chamber with fluid media having at least one delivery line (17), that has a supply opening (18), and with sealing elements (15, 19) that are associated with the supply opening (18), a great deal of effort is required to load the process chamber and remove therefrom the material that is produced. Rapid and uncomplicated loading of the process chamber or removal therefrom of the material that is produced is enabled using tensioning mechanisms (30, 31) for holding the delivery line (17) against a receptacle (15) of the process chamber (10) that is associated with the supply opening (18).