Abstract: A crystal growing cell which has computerized temperature control and agitation means to inhibit crystal nucleation. The temperature is controlled semi-actively, i.e., by monitoring the temperature with a thermistor and balancing ambient heat loss with heat added to the system by heating resistors or heating elements. When the chemical is completely dissolved by heating the mixture to a temperature above the saturation temperature, the temperature is lowered. At the saturation temperature the temperature is initially reduced slowly to avoid crystal nucleation. The saturation temperature of the initial solution is selected to be at an intermediate temperature which is high enough that the amount of dissolved material is large enough to produce a large crystal or large crystal clusters, yet not so high that the solubility curve has a large slope and therefore requires a high degree of temperature control to avoid crystal nucleation in the solution.

Abstract: A crystal growing cell which has computerized temperature control and agitation means to inhibit crystal nucleation. The temperature is controlled semi-actively, i.e., by monitoring the temperature with a thermistor and balancing ambient heat loss with heat added to the system by heating resistors or heating elements. When the chemical is completely dissolved by heating the mixture to a temperature above the saturation temperature, the temperature is lowered. At the saturation temperature the temperature is initially reduced slowly to avoid crystal nucleation. The saturation temperature of the initial solution is selected to be at an intermediate temperature which is high enough that the amount of dissolved material is large enough to produce a large crystal or large crystal clusters, yet not so high that the solubility curve has a large slope and therefore requires a high degree of temperature control to avoid crystal nucleation in the solution.