The present invention provides a heat-insulating shield member, wherein the heat-insulating shield member is arranged and used between a SiC source housing (3) and a substrate support (4) in a single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10), wherein the single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10) comprises a crystal growth container (2) and a heating member (5) arranged on an outer periphery of the crystal growth container (2), wherein the crystal growth container (2) includes the SiC source housing (3) disposed at a lower portion of the apparatus, and the substrate support (4) which is arranged above the SiC source housing (3) and supports a substrate (S) used for crystal growth so as to face the SiC source housing (3), and wherein the single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10) is configured to grow a single crystal (W) from a SiC source (M) on the substrate (S) by sublimating the SiC source (M) from the SiC source housing (3).

A crystal growing apparatus includes: a crucible which includes a main body portion, and a first portion having a radiation rate different from that of the main body portion, and is capable of controlling a temperature of a specific region inside during heating to a higher or lower temperature than that of the other regions; and a heating unit which is positioned on the outside of the crucible and is configured to heat the crucible by radiant heat, and the first portion is at a position where the crucible and a line segment connecting a heating center of the heating unit and the specific region intersect with each other.

A method of manufacturing of a vitreous silica crucible includes: fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of −50 kPa or more and less than −95 kPa to form a transparent vitreous silica layer as an inner layer; fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of 0 kPa or more and less than −10 kPa to form a bubble-containing vitreous silica layer as an intermediate layer; and fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of −10 kPa or more and less than −50 kPa to form a semi-transparent vitreous silica layer as an outer layer.

According to the disclosed embodiments, an illustrative apparatus that is configured to attach to a viewport of a container comprises a first plate having a first aperture and an attached second plate having a second aperture substantially aligned to the first aperture. The first and second plates, when attached, define a cavity from an outer edge of the first and second plates to the substantially aligned apertures. A window containment arm is pivotally affixed to at least the first plate and configured to substantially fit and pivot into and out of the cavity, and a window contained within the window containment arm is positioned such that the window substantially aligns with the first and second apertures when the window containment arm is fully pivoted into the cavity, and such that the window is accessibly located outside of the cavity when the window containment arm is pivoted out of the cavity.

A crystal growth apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a crucible, a heater which is installed on an outward side of the crucible and surrounds the crucible, and a coil which is installed on an outward side of the heater and surrounds the heater, in which an inner surface of the heater on the crucible side includes a first region, and a second region which is further away from an outer side surface of the crucible than the first region is.

The present invention provides a method capable of stably producing a zinc oxide single crystal in which a large amount of dopant forms a solid solution at a high level of productivity and reproducibility without using a harmful substance. The method of the present invention comprises providing a raw material powder that is mainly composed of zinc oxide, comprises at least one dopant element selected from B, Al, Ga, In, C, F, Cl, Br, I, H, Li, Na, K, N, P, As, Cu, and Ag in a total amount of 0.01 to 1 at %, and is substantially free of a crystal phase other than zinc oxide, and injecting the raw material powder to form a film mainly composed of zinc oxide on a seed substrate comprising a zinc oxide single crystal and also to crystallize the formed film in a solid phase state.

A composite crucible for growing single crystals comprises an outer crucible of a first material, and an inner liner of a second material having a coefficient of thermal expansion differing from the first material. The outer crucible comprises an inside bore. The inner liner is disposed in the inside bore without diffusion bonding or chemical bonding between the outer crucible and the inner liner. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the first material is one of molybdenum and a molybdenum alloy, and the second material is one of tantalum, niobium, a tantalum alloy, and a niobium alloy.

A TiAl intermetallic compound single crystal material and a preparation method therefor are disclosed. The alloy composition of the material comprises Ti.sub.aAl.sub.bNb.sub.c(C, Si).sub.d, wherein 43≦b≦49, 2≦c≦10, a+b+c=100, and 0≦d≦1 (at. %).

Provided is a silicon carbide-tantalum carbide composite having excellent durability. A silicon carbide-tantalum carbide composite (1) includes: a body (10) whose surface layer is at least partly formed of a first silicon carbide layer (12); a tantalum carbide layer (20); and a second silicon carbide layer (13). The tantalum carbide layer (20) is disposed over the first silicon carbide layer (12). The second silicon carbide layer (13) is interposed between the tantalum carbide layer (20) and the first silicon carbide layer (12). The second silicon carbide layer (13) has a C/Si composition ratio of not less than 1.2 as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The second silicon carbide layer (13) has a peak intensity ratio G/D of not less than 1.0 between the G-band and D-band of carbon as measured by Raman spectroscopy.

Provided is a silicon carbide-tantalum carbide composite having excellent durability. A silicon carbide-tantalum carbide composite (1) includes: a body (10) whose surface layer is at least partly formed of a first silicon carbide layer (12); a tantalum carbide layer (20); and a second silicon carbide layer (13). The tantalum carbide layer (20) is disposed over the first silicon carbide layer (12). The second silicon carbide layer (13) is interposed between the tantalum carbide layer (20) and the first silicon carbide layer (12). The second silicon carbide layer (13) has a C/Si composition ratio of not less than 1.2 as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The second silicon carbide layer (13) has a peak intensity ratio G/D of not less than 1.0 between the G-band and D-band of carbon as measured by Raman spectroscopy.