materials-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Growth and Characterization of Bulk Crystals

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2022) | Viewed by 5416

Special Issue Editor

Department of Physics, West University of Timisoara, Bd.V Parvan 4, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: bulk crystal growth; melt convection; computer modeling; external fields; magnetohydrodynamics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electronic and optical devices are key elements for the modern information society.

It is well known that these devices are almost all based on single crystals of semiconductors and oxides.

Looking into history, we can see that progress in crystal growth techniques makes tremendous developments in the field of microelectronics, information technology, power electronics, photovoltaics, optics, optoelectronics and scintillator materials. Many growth methods are available to produce these semiconductor and oxide crystals. Techniques include Czochralski, flux growth, floating zone, Stepanov, edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG), vertical gradient freeze (VGF), Bridgman–Stockbarger, Verneuil, unidirectional solidification, and hydrothermal growth methods, to name a few.

At present, the increase of high-quality crystal yield and its size enlargement are imperative demands from the industry. In order to fulfill the industry requirements, researchers are expected to give insights into crystal growth mechanisms in order to understand crystalline perfection, composition, strain, and defects that are introduced during growth and processing. On one side, characterization methods like X-ray and electron diffraction, optical spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and electric and magnetic measurements provide this insight, and they have become important tools in the study of bulk crystal growth and materials properties.

On the other side, in recent decades, computer modeling has become an essential tool for optimization of growth design and automation process.

We kindly invite you to submit a manuscript(s) for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews in the field of bulk crystal growth—growth techniques, characterization, and computer models—are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Vizman
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Bulk crystal growth
  • Semiconductors
  • Oxides
  • Characterization
  • Computer simulation
  • Heat transfer
  • Fluid flow
  • Mass transfer
  • Segregation
  • External fields
  • Devices

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 4695 KiB  
Article
Luminescence Properties and Judd–Ofelt Analysis of Various ErF3 Concentration-Doped BaF2 Crystals
by Andrei Racu, Marius Stef, Gabriel Buse, Irina Nicoara and Daniel Vizman
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4221; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14154221 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1613
Abstract
The influence of erbium ion concentration on the optical properties of BaF2:ErF3 crystals was investigated. Four ErF3 concentration (0.05, 0.08, 0.15 and 0.5 mol% ErF3)-doped BaF2 crystals were obtained using the Bridgman technique. Room temperature optical [...] Read more.
The influence of erbium ion concentration on the optical properties of BaF2:ErF3 crystals was investigated. Four ErF3 concentration (0.05, 0.08, 0.15 and 0.5 mol% ErF3)-doped BaF2 crystals were obtained using the Bridgman technique. Room temperature optical absorption in the 250–850 nm spectral range was measured, and the photoluminescence (PL) and decay times were also investigated. The Judd–Ofelt (JO) approximation was used, taking into account four absorption peaks (at 377, 519, 653 and 802 nm). The JO intensity parameters, Ωt (t = 2, 4, 6), were calculated. The influence of the ErF3 concentration on the JO parameters, branching ratio, radiative transition probability and radiative lifetime were studied. The obtained results were compared with measured values and with those reported in the literature. Under excitation at 380 nm, the well-known green (539 nm) and red (668 nm) emissions were obtained. The calculated and experimental radiative lifetimes were in millisecond range for green and red emissions. The intensity of the PL spectra varied with the Er3+ ion concentration. The emission intensity increased linearly or exponentially, depending on the ErF3 concentration. Under excitation at 290 nm, separate to the green and red emissions, a new UV emission band (at 321 nm) was obtained. Other research has not reported the UV emission or the influence of ErF3 concentration on emission behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Characterization of Bulk Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

6 pages, 1796 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Ultraviolet Damage Resistance in Magnesium Doped Lithium Niobate Crystals through Zirconium Co-Doping
by Tengfei Kong, Yi Luo, Weiwei Wang, Hanxiao Kong, Zhiqin Fan and Hongde Liu
Materials 2021, 14(4), 1017; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14041017 - 21 Feb 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
MgO-doped LiNbO3 (LN:Mg) is famous for its high resistance to optical damage, but this phenomenon only occurs in visible and infrared regions, and its photorefraction is not decreased but enhanced in ultraviolet region. Here we investigated a series of ZrO2 co-doped [...] Read more.
MgO-doped LiNbO3 (LN:Mg) is famous for its high resistance to optical damage, but this phenomenon only occurs in visible and infrared regions, and its photorefraction is not decreased but enhanced in ultraviolet region. Here we investigated a series of ZrO2 co-doped LN:Mg (LN:Mg,Zr) regarding their ultraviolet photorefractive properties. The optical damage resistance experiment indicated that the resistance against ultraviolet damage of LN:Mg was significantly enhanced with increased ZrO2 doping concentration. Moreover, first-principles calculations manifested that the enhancement of ultraviolet damage resistance for LN:Mg,Zr was mainly determined by both the increased band gap and the reduced ultraviolet photorefractive center O2−/−. So, LN:Mg,Zr crystals would become an excellent candidate for ultraviolet nonlinear optical material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Characterization of Bulk Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

10 pages, 2500 KiB  
Review
Oxygen and Nitrogen Transfer in Furnaces in Crystal Growth of Silicon by Czochralski and Directional Solidification Processes
by Koichi Kakimoto, Xin Liu and Satoshi Nakano
Materials 2022, 15(5), 1843; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15051843 - 01 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1787
Abstract
Impurity concentrations of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, iron, and other heavy metals should be well controlled in silicon crystals to maintain the crystal quality for application in electronic and solar cell devices. Contamination by impurities occurs during the melting of raw materials and during [...] Read more.
Impurity concentrations of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, iron, and other heavy metals should be well controlled in silicon crystals to maintain the crystal quality for application in electronic and solar cell devices. Contamination by impurities occurs during the melting of raw materials and during the crystal growth process. Quantitative analysis of impurity transfer using numerical and experimental analysis is important to control impurity concentrations. This paper reviews the analysis of the impurity transport phenomena in crystal growth furnaces of Czochralski and directional solidification methods by a model of global analysis and an experiment during the crystal growth of silicon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Characterization of Bulk Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop