Single crystal growth and transport properties of narrow-bandgap semiconductor RhP_(2)

We report the growth of high-quality single crystals of RhP_(2),and systematically study its structure and physical properties by transport,magnetism,and heat capacity measurements.Single-crystal x-ray diffraction reveals that RhP_(2) adopts a monoclinic structure with the cell parameters a=5.7347(10)A,b=5.7804(11)A,and c=5.8222(11)A,space group P2_(1)/c(No.14).The electrical resistivityρ(T)measurements indicate that RhP_(2) exhibits narrow-bandgap behavior with the activation energies of 223.1 meV and 27.4 meV for two distinct regions,respectively.The temperaturedependent Hall effect measurements show electron domain transport behavior with a low charge carrier concentration.We find that RhP_(2) has a high mobilityμ_(e)~210 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1)with carrier concentrations n_(e)~3.3×10^(18)cm^(3) at 300 K with a narrow-bandgap feature.The high mobilityμ_(e) reaches the maximum of approximately 340 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1)with carrier concentrations n_^(e)~2×10^(18)cm^(-3)at 100 K.No magnetic phase transitions are observed from the susceptibilityχ(T)and specific heat C_(p)(T)measurements of RhP_(2).Our results not only provide effective potential as a material platform for studying exotic physical properties and electron band structures but also motivate further exploration of their potential photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

Single crystal growth and electronic structure of Rh-doped Sr_(3)Ir_(2)O_(7)

Ruddlesden-Popper iridate Sr_(3)Ir_(2)O_(7)is a spin-orbit coupled Mott insulator.Hole doped Sr_(3)Ir_(2)O_(7)provides an ideal platform to study the exotic quantum phenomena that occur near the metal-insulator transition(MIT)region.Rh substitution of Ir is an effective method to induce hole doping into Sr_(3)Ir_(2)O_(7).However,the highest doping level reported in Sr_(3)(Ir_(1-x)Rh_(x))_(2)O_(7)single crystals was only around 3%,which is far from the MIT region.In this paper,we report the successful growth of single crystals of Sr3(Ir_(1-x)Rh_(x))_(2)O_(7)with a doping level of~9%.The samples have been fully characterized,demonstrating the high quality of the single crystals.Transport measurements have been carried out,confirming the tendency of MIT in these samples.The electronic structure has also been examined by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES)measurements.Our results establish a platform to investigate the heavily hole doped Sr_(3)Ir_(2)O_(7) compound,which also provide new insights into the MIT with hole doping in this material system.

Precipitates identification in R_2PdSi_3(R= Pr,Tb and Gd) single crystal growth

Floating zone method with optical radiation heating was applied to growing a class of R2PdSi3（R=Pr,Tb and Gd） single crystals due to its containerless melting and high stability of the floating zone.One serious problem during the single crystal growth,precipitates of secondary phases,was discussed from the following four parts：precipitates from the raw materials and preparation process,precipitates formed during the growing process,precipitates in the melts and precipitates in the grown crystals.Annealing treatment and composition shift can effectively reduce the precipitates which are not formed during the crystallization but precipitated on post-solidification cooling from the as-grown crystal matrix because of the retrograde solubility of Si.

Single Crystal Growth and Physical Property Characterization of Non-centrosymmetric Superconductor PbTaSe_2

We report on the single crystal growth and superconducting properties of PbTaSe2 with the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure. By using the chemicM vapor transport technique, centimeter-size single crystals are success- fully obtained. The measurement of temperature dependence of electricaJ resistivity p（T） in both normal and superconducting states indicates a quasi-two-dimensional electronic state in contrast to that of polycrystalline samples. Specific heat C（T） measurement reveals a bulk superconductivity with Tc ≈ 3.75K and a specific heat jump ratio of 1.42. All these results are in agreement with a moderately electron-phonon coupled, type-g Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor.

MORPHOLOGY OF(Mn,Fe)S SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWTH IN CAST STEEL

The step pattern of single crystal growth and the morphology at equilibrium state of(Mn, Fe)S on the wall of micro-voids in ZG25 cast steel have been observed using scanning electron microscope.The face-centred cubic(Mn,Fe)S single crystal at equilibrium state is shown to be tetrakaidecahedron consisted of eight{111}planes and six{100}planes,and is a typical example of the O_h—m3m cubic crystal system.

Single crystal growth and characterization of 166-type magnetic kagome metals

Kagome magnets were predicted to be a good platform to investigate correlated topology band structure,Chern quantum phase,and geometrical frustration due to their unique lattice geometry.Here we reported single crystal growth of 166-type kagome magnetic materials,including HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6),GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6),by using the flux method with Sn as the flux.Among them,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)and ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)single crystals were grown for the first time.X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that all four samples crystallize in HfFe6Ge6-type hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm.All samples show metallic behavior from temperature dependence of resistivity measurements,and the dominant carrier is hole,except for GdV6Sn6 which is electron dominated.All samples have magnetic order with different transition temperatures,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6)are antiferromagnetic with TN of 541 K,466 K and 4 K respectively,while GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)is ferrimagnetic with the critical temperature of about 470 K.This study will enrich the research platform of magnetic kagome materials and help explore the novel quantum phenomena in these interesting materials.The dataset of specific crystal structure parameters for HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)are available in Science Data Bank,with the link.

Review of solution growth techniques for 4H-SiC single crystal

Silicon carbide(SiC),a group IV compound and wide-bandgap semiconductor for high-power,high-frequency and high-temperature devices,demonstrates excellent inherent properties for power devices and specialized high-end markets.Solution growth is thermodynamically favorable for producing SiC single crystal ingots with ultra-low dislocation density as the crystallization is driven by the supersaturation of carbon dissolved in Si-metal solvents.Meanwhile,solution growth is conducive to the growth of both N-and P-type SiC,with doping concentrations ranging from 10^(14)to 10^(19)cm^(-3).To date,4-inch 4H-SiC substrates with a thickness of 15 mm produced by solution growth have been unveiled,while substrates of 6 inches and above are still under development.Based on top-seeded solution growth(TSSG),several growth techniques have been developed including solution growth on a concave surface(SGCS),melt-back,accelerated crucible rotation technique(ACRT),two-step growth,and facet growth.Multi-parameters of the solution growth including meniscus,solvent design,flow control,dislocation conversion,facet growth,and structures of graphite components make high-quality single crystal growth possible.In this paper,the solution growth techniques and corresponding parameters involved in SiC bulk growth were reviewed.

Influence of vacuum degree on growth of Bi_2Te_3 single crystal

Bi2Te3single crystals were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The effect of the vacuum on the growth of Bi2Te3 single crystals was studied with varying the oxygen content by controlling the air pressure in the silica tube. High quality Bi2Te3 single crystals have been obtained and there is no influence on the growth by an extremely small amount of oxygen in a high vacuum at 1.0 × 10^-3Pa. As the air pressure is increased at 1.0 × 10^-2Pa, oxygen only mainly impacts on the growth of the surface for the prepared samples. Micron-sized rod-like structure and flower-like clusters are observed on the surface. For the samples prepared at 1.0 × 10^-1Pa, x-ray diffraction data show that the yellow part on the surface is Bi2TeO5, while the Bi2Te3 single crystal is still the major phase as the inside part. More interestingly, various crystal morphologies are observed by scanning electron microscope for Bi2Te3 near the boundary between Bi2Te3 and Bi2TeO5.Possible growth mechanisms for Bi2Te3 with different morphologies are discussed in detail.

Growth and characterization of CaCu_3Ru_4O_(12) single crystal

High-quality single crystals of A-site ordered perovskite oxides CaCu3Ru4O12 were synthesized by flux method with Cu O serving as a flux. The typical size of these single crystals was around 1 × 1 × 1 mm^3 and the lattice constant was determined to be 7.430 ± 0.0009 ？A by using x-ray single crystal diffraction. The surfaces of the samples were identified to be（100） surface. The high quality of the single crystal samples was confirmed by the rocking curve data which have a full width at half maximum of approximately 0.02 degree. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement was performed and the temperature-dependent specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and electric resistivity were measured along the [100]direction of the single crystals. All these measurements showed that the physical properties of Ca Cu3Ru4O12 single crystals are similar to that of polycrystals. However, the single crystals have a lower Curie susceptibility tail and a smaller residual resistivity than polycrystals, which indicates that the amount of paramagnetic impurities can be controlled by tuning the number of defects in CaCu3Ru4O12 samples.

Analysis of Acoustic Emission Signals Accompanying Growth of Single Aluminum Crystals： Experimental Results and Theoretical Model of the Cluster

The purpose of the work is to identify the acoustic emission （AE） signal in the melt and from the interphase during the crystal growth and to establish the connection between issue parameters： the number of signal events of frequency and the signal power with the growth conditions of temperature gradient and crystallization rate. Experiments on single crystal growth were carried out using hardware and software system which allows to perform spectral Fourier analysis of AE signals and to simultaneously remove the cooling curve for the entire period of crystallization. On the basis of spectral analysis of AE signals, a theoretical model of clusters in the aluminum melt was designed. The experimental results indicate an uneven abrupt advancement of the interface according to the configuration of each individual cluster.

Growth of Large Single Crystals of Nitrogenase CrFe Protein and MnFe Protein

By using the liquid/liquid diffusion method at a suitable crystallization conditions, large single and dark brown crystals (the sides of the largest crystals were 0.20 mm x 0.20 mm x 0.07 min and 0.18 mm x 0.18 mm x 0.05 mm, respectively) could be obtained from the solutions of nitrogenase CrFe protein and MnFe protein purified from a mutant UW3 of Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmarm grown in Cr- or Mn-containing but NH3-free medium. The time of crystal formation, as well as the number, size, shape and quality of crystals obviously depended on the concentrations of PEG, MgCl2 and NaCl. The liquid/liquid diffusion method seems to benefit CrFe protein and MnFe protein for the growth of large single crystals for X-ray diffraction analysis.

Crystallization Growth of Single Crystal Cu by Continuous Casting

Crystallization growth of single-crystal Cu by continuous casting has been investigated using self-designed horizontal continuous casting equipment and XRD. Experimental results showed that the crystallization plane of (311), (220) and (ill) were eliminated sequentially in evolutionary process. The final growth plane of crystal was (200), the direction of crystallization was [100], the growth direction of both sides of the rod inclined to axis, and the degree of deviation of direction [100] from the crystal axis was less than 10°. In order to produce high quality single crystal, the solid-liquid interface morphology must be smooth, even be planar.

Crystal growth of Gd_2PdSi_3 intermetallic compound

Gd2PdSi3 single crystals were grown by a vertical floating zone method with radiation heating at a zone traveling rate of 3 mm/h. The compound exhibited congruent melting behavior at a liquidus temperature of about 1700 ＆#176;C. The slightly Pd-depleted composition of the crystal, with respect to the nominal Gd2PdSi3 stoichiometry, led to gradual accumulation of Pd in the traveling zone and to a decreasing operating temperature during the growth process. Thin platelet-like precipitates of a GdSi phase were detected in the stoichiometric feed rod growth crystal matrix which can be reduced by annealing treatment. Feed rod composition shift crystal growth was proved to be a better way of getting high quality of Gd2PdSi3 single crystal.

FEM simulations and experimental studies of the temperature field in a large diamond crystal growth cell

We investigate the temperature field variation in the growth region of a diamond crystal in a sealed cell during the whole process of crystal growth by using the temperature gradient method （TGM） at high pressure and high temperature （HPHT）. We employ both the finite element method （FEM） and in situ experiments. Simulation results show that the temperature in the center area of the growth cell continues to decrease during the process of large diamond crystal growth. These results are in good agreement with our experimental data, which demonstrates that the finite element model can successfully predict the temperature field variations in the growth cell. The FEM simulation will be useful to grow larger high-quality diamond crystal by using the TGM. Furthermore, this method will be helpful in designing better cells and improving the growth process of gem-quality diamond crystal.

Regulation mechanism of catalyst structure on diamond crystal morphology under HPHT process

To elucidate the regulation mechanism of catalyst geometry structure to diamond growth,we establish three catalyst modes with different structures.The simulation results show that with the decrease of the protruding height of the catalyst,the low-temperature region gradually moves toward the center of the catalyst,which causes the distribution characteristics of the temperature and convection field in the catalyst to change.The temperature difference in vertical direction of the catalyst decreases gradually and increases in the horizontal direction,while the catalyst convection velocity has the same variation regularity in the corresponding directions.The variation of temperature difference and convection velocity lead the crystal growth rate in different crystal orientations to change,which directly affects the crystal morphology of the synthetic diamond.The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results,which shows the correctness of the theoretical rational analysis.This work is expected to be able to facilitate the understanding of catalyst structure regulation mechanism on diamond morphology and the providing of an important theoretical basis for the controllable growth of special crystal shape diamond under HPHT process.

Pulling growth technique towards rare earth single crystals

Pulling growth technique serves as a popular method to grow congruent melting single crystals with multiscale sizes ranging from micrometers to centimeters.In order to obtain high quality single crystals,the crystal constituents would be arranged at the lattice sites by precisely controlling the crystal growth process.Growing interface is the position where the phase transition of crystal constituents occurs during pulling growth process.The precise control of energy at the growing interface becomes a key technique in pulling growth.In this work,we review some recent advances of pulling technique towards rare earth single crystal growth.In Czochralski pulling growth,the optimized growth parameters were designed for rare earth ions doped Y_3Al_5O_(12)and Ce:(Lu_(1-x)Y_x)_2Si O_5on the basis of anisotropic chemical bonding and isotropic mass transfer calculations at the growing interface.The fast growth of high quality rare earth single crystals is realized by controlling crystallization thermodynamics and kinetics in different size zones.On the other hand,the micro pulling down technique can be used for high throughput screening novel rare earth optical crystals.The growth interface control is realized by improving the crucible bottom and temperature field,which favors the growth of rare earth crystal fibers.The rare earth laser crystal fiber can serve as another kind of laser gain medium between conventional bulk single crystal and glass fiber.The future work on pulling technique might focus on the mass production of rare earth single crystals with extreme size and with the size near that of devices.

Growth of single crystal K_3Y_3(BO_3)_4 with low-symmetry structure and multi-type of substitutional sites

Single crystals of K3Y3（BO3）4 were grown using the KBO2, LiF, and Li2CO3 as the fluxes by the top-seed solution method. The K3Y3（BO3）4 can be an excellent host for doping of Yb3＋, because there are six low-symmetric yttrium atoms in one unit-cell of K3Y3（B 03）4. The growth of K3Y3（BO3）4 was studied in detail, and a good crystal with sizes of 24 mm × 15 mm× 8 mm was grown successfully below 900 ℃. Some characteristics, such as the X-ray dif- fraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis, were also performed.

Lead-free halide perovskite Cs_(3)Bi_(2)Br_(9)single crystals for high-performance X-ray detection

All-inorganic lead-free halide perovskites have attracted interest owing to their high ambient and thermal stabilities,excellent optoelectronic properties,and environmental friendliness.Herein,the bismuth-based halide perovskite Cs_(3)Bi_(2)Br_(9)single crystals were successfully grown to a diameter of 12 mm and length of 40 mm using a modified Bridgman method for the first time.The resistivity and transmittance of transparent and crack-free Cs_(3)Bi_(2)Br_(9)single crystal are~6.8×10^(11)Ωcm and~80%,respectively.The carrier mobility of the(−120)plane is 0.17 cm^(2)V^(−1)s^(−1)along the[010]orientation(b axis),and the trap density is 9.7×10^(10)cm^(−3).Moreover,Cs_(3)Bi_(2)Br_(9)single crystals exhibit excellent potential for X-ray detection,including a high absorption coefficient,a superior X-ray sensitivity of~230.4μC Gyair^(−1)cm^(−2),and an ultra-low and no-drift dark current density of~17.8 pA mm−2,which enables lower noise and is also beneficial to the ultralow detection limit for X-ray detectors.Our study shows that Cs_(3)Bi_(2)Br_(9)is a promising candidate for X-ray detection applications.

Synthesis of Calcium Chloroborate Whiskers Via Sedimentation and Sintering Process

Single crystalline calcium chloroborate（Ca2B5O9Cl） whiskers with uniform diameter have been fabricated by a two-step process. The precursor was firstly prepared by the sedimentation reaction between CaCl2, H3BO3 and Na OH aqueous solutions, and then sintered at different temperatures for 6 h with KCl as flux. The XRD indicates that the product synthesized at 600 °C is Orthorhombic Ca2B5O9Cl. SEM and TEM results show that the Ca2B5O9Cl is whisker with the diameter about 0.2-0.5 μm and the length up to 15 μm. SAED analysis shows that the whisker is single crystalline and grows along [001] direction. The possible formation process and growth mechanism were proposed.

High infrared transmittance CdS single crystal grown by physical vapor transport

Φ55×15 mm~2 CdS bulk single crystal with high infrared transmittance was grown by physical vapor transport. The single crystal has a consistent structure from top to bottom, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The(002) full-width at half-maximum of the X-ray diffraction was measured to be 60.00 arcsec, indicating a good quality of the structure. Hall mobility, specific resistivity, and carrier concentration for the top and bottom of the crystal were observed as well. Transmittance for the CdS single crystal was measured to be higher than 70% from 2.5 to 4.5 μm, making the single crystal an important candidate for infrared window materials. Furthermore,the absorption mechanism of the CdS single crystal was analyzed.