A n-type SiC single crystal with low resistivity and low threading dislocation density is provided, which is achieved by a n-type SiC single crystal containing germanium and nitrogen, wherein the density ratio of the germanium and the nitrogen [Ge/N] satisfies the relationship 0.17<[Ge/N]<1.60.

Provided is a method that allows growing a single crystal of silicon carbide on an off-substrate of silicon carbide while suppressing surface roughening. The method for producing a crystal of silicon carbide includes rotating a seed crystal of silicon carbide while bringing the seed crystal into contact with a starting material solution containing silicon and carbon. A crystal growth surface of the seed crystal has an off-angle, and the position of a rotation center of the seed crystal lies downstream of the central position of the seed crystal in a step flow direction that is a formation direction of the off-angle.

A SiC single crystal comprising no polycrystals, and no cracking other than at the side edges is provided. A method for producing SiC single crystal in which seed crystal held at bottom end face of holding shaft is contacted with SiC solution having temperature gradient to grow SiC single crystal, wherein the contour of the end face of the holding shaft is smaller than the contour of the top face of the seed crystal, the top face of the seed crystal has center section held in contact with the entire surface of the end face of the holding shaft and outer peripheral section that is not in contact with the end face of the holding shaft, and carbon sheet is disposed on the top face of the seed crystal so as to cover at least the outer peripheral section, among the center section and the outer peripheral section.

Provided is a method for producing a SiC single crystal having a concave growth surface and containing no inclusions, even when conducting large diameter crystal growth. This is achieved by a method for producing a SiC single crystal in which a seed crystal substrate held on a seed crystal holding shaft is contacted with a SiC solution having a temperature gradient such that the temperature decreases from the interior toward the liquid level, to cause crystal growth of a SiC single crystal, wherein the seed crystal holding shaft has a shaft portion and a seed crystal holding portion at the bottom end of the shaft portion, and the ratio of the diameter D1 of the shaft portion to the diameter D2 of the seed crystal holding portion (D1/D2) is no greater than 0.28.

The present invention relates to the field of nonlinear optical crystal materials and provided herein a Li.sub.4Sr(BO.sub.3).sub.2 compound, a Li.sub.4Sr(BO.sub.3).sub.2 nonlinear optical crystal as well as preparation method and use thereof. The Li.sub.4Sr(BO.sub.3).sub.2 nonlinear optical crystal has a second harmonic conversion efficiency at 1064 nm of about two times that of a KH.sub.2PO.sub.4 (KDP) crystal, and an UV absorption cut-off edge less than 190 nm. Furthermore, the crystal did not disintegrate. By flux method with Li.sub.2O, Li.sub.2OB.sub.2O and Li.sub.2OB.sub.2O.sub.3LiF used as flux agent, large-size and transparent Li.sub.4Sr(BO.sub.3).sub.2 nonlinear optical crystal can grow. The Li.sub.4Sr(BO.sub.3).sub.2 crystal had stable physicochemical properties, moderate hardness, and was easy to cut, processing, preserve and use. Therefore it can be used for preparing nonlinear optical devices and thus for developing nonlinear optical applications in the ultraviolet and deep-ultraviolet band.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of hulk or thin-film single-crystals of cubic sesquioxides (space group No. 206, Ia-3) of scandium, yttrium or rare earth metals doped or not doped with lanthanide ions having a valency of +III by a high-temperature flux growth technique and to the applications of the nondoped single-crystals obtained according to this process, in particular in the optical field.

The production method of an SiC single crystal is a production method of an SiC single crystal by a solution growth process. The production method includes a contact step A, a contact step B, and a growth step. In the contact step A, a partial region of the principal surface is brought into contact with a stored SiC solution. In the contact step B, a contact region between the principal surface and the stored SiC solution expands, due to a wetting phenomenon, starting from an initial contact region which is the partial region brought into contact in the contact step A. In the growth step, an SiC single crystal is grown on the principal surface which is in contact with the stored SiC solution.

A crystal growth apparatus comprises a reaction vessel holding a melt mixture containing an alkali metal and a group III metal, a gas supplying apparatus supplying a nitrogen source gas to a vessel space exposed to the melt mixture inside the reaction vessel, a heating unit heating the melt mixture to a crystal growth temperature, and a support unit supporting a seed crystal of a group III nitride crystal inside the melt mixture.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce a high-quality SiC single crystal with good reproducibility while avoiding the fluctuations in the solution-contacting position of a seed crystal among production operations. A method for producing a SiC single crystal by bringing a SiC seed crystal supported by a supporting bar into contact with a solution that has been heated by high-frequency induction to thereby grow the SiC single crystal, wherein the supporting bar is born down while applying a magnetic field to the solution to thereby bring the SiC seed crystal into contact with the solution, and subsequently the application of the magnetic field is halted to grow the SiC single crystal.

Provided is a method for producing a SiC single crystal having a concave growth surface and containing no inclusions, even when conducting large diameter crystal growth. This is achieved by a method for producing a SiC single crystal in which a seed crystal substrate held on a seed crystal holding shaft is contacted with a SiC solution having a temperature gradient such that the temperature decreases from the interior toward the liquid level, to cause crystal growth of a SiC single crystal, wherein the seed crystal holding shaft has a shaft portion and a seed crystal holding portion at the bottom end of the shaft portion, and the ratio of the diameter D1 of the shaft portion to the diameter D2 of the seed crystal holding portion (D1/D2) is no greater than 0.28.