A crucible for formation of a crystalline material by solidification by growth on seed, including a bottom, at least one side wall orthogonal to the bottom of the crucible, and at least two marks extending on the inner surface of the at least one side wall in an orthogonal direction to the bottom of the crucible, for materialising the position of at least one seed designed to be positioned at the bottom of the crucible, the seed including at least first and second surfaces orthogonal to the bottom of the crucible. The respective positions of at least two of the marks on at least one of the side walls define, in the crystalline material, a first cutting plane tangent to the first surface of the seed and a second cutting plane tangent to the second surface of the seed.

A crucible for formation of a crystalline material by solidification by growth on seed, including a bottom, at least one side wall orthogonal to the bottom of the crucible, and at least two marks extending on the inner surface of the at least one side wall in an orthogonal direction to the bottom of the crucible, for materialising the position of at least one seed designed to be positioned at the bottom of the crucible, the seed including at least first and second surfaces orthogonal to the bottom of the crucible. The respective positions of at least two of the marks on at least one of the side walls define, in the crystalline material, a first cutting plane tangent to the first surface of the seed and a second cutting plane tangent to the second surface of the seed.

A method for minimizing unwanted ancillary reactions in a vacuum furnace used to process a material, such as growing a crystal. The process is conducted in a furnace chamber environment in which helium is admitted to the furnace chamber at a flow rate to flush out impurities and at a predetermined pressure to achieve thermal stability in a heat zone, to minimize heat flow variations and to minimize temperature gradients in the heat zone. During cooldown helium pressure is used to reduce thermal gradients in order to increase cooldown rates.

A method for producing a mono-crystalline sheet includes providing at least two aperture elements forming a gap in between; providing a molten alloy including silicon in the gap; providing a gaseous precursor medium comprising silicon in the vicinity of the molten alloy; providing a silicon nucleation crystal in the vicinity of the molten alloy; and bringing in contact said silicon nucleation crystal and the molten alloy. A device for producing a mono-crystalline sheet includes at least two aperture elements at a predetermined distance from each other, thereby forming a gap, and being adapted to be heated for holding a molten alloy including silicon by surface tension in the gap between the aperture elements; a precursor gas supply supplies a gaseous precursor medium comprising silicon in the vicinity of the molten alloy; and a positioning device for holding and moving a nucleation crystal in the vicinity of the molten alloy.

A method for producing a mono-crystalline sheet includes providing at least two aperture elements forming a gap in between; providing a molten alloy including silicon in the gap; providing a gaseous precursor medium comprising silicon in the vicinity of the molten alloy; providing a silicon nucleation crystal in the vicinity of the molten alloy; and bringing in contact said silicon nucleation crystal and the molten alloy. A device for producing a mono-crystalline sheet includes at least two aperture elements at a predetermined distance from each other, thereby forming a gap, and being adapted to be heated for holding a molten alloy including silicon by surface tension in the gap between the aperture elements; a precursor gas supply supplies a gaseous precursor medium comprising silicon in the vicinity of the molten alloy; and a positioning device for holding and moving a nucleation crystal in the vicinity of the molten alloy.

Inorganic perovskites doped with oxygen atoms or fluorine atoms, methods for making the doped perovskites, and hard radiation detectors incorporating the doped perovskites as photoactive layers are provided. The doped perovskites utilize lead oxide, lead fluoride, or compounds that thermally decompose into lead oxide or lead fluoride as dopant atom sources. During the crystallization of a perovskite in the presence of the dopant atom sources, oxygen or fluoride atoms from the dopant source are incorporated into the perovskite crystal lattice.

Inorganic perovskites doped with oxygen atoms or fluorine atoms, methods for making the doped perovskites, and hard radiation detectors incorporating the doped perovskites as photoactive layers are provided. The doped perovskites utilize lead oxide, lead fluoride, or compounds that thermally decompose into lead oxide or lead fluoride as dopant atom sources. During the crystallization of a perovskite in the presence of the dopant atom sources, oxygen or fluoride atoms from the dopant source are incorporated into the perovskite crystal lattice.

Provided is a Mg.sub.2Si single crystal in which generation of low-angle grain boundaries in the crystal is satisfactorily suppressed. A Mg.sub.2Si single crystal, wherein a variation in crystal orientation as measured by XRD is in a range of 0.020.

Provided is a Mg.sub.2Si single crystal in which generation of low-angle grain boundaries in the crystal is satisfactorily suppressed. A Mg.sub.2Si single crystal, wherein a variation in crystal orientation as measured by XRD is in a range of 0.020.

Provided are a P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy and a preparation method thereof. The method for preparing the P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy includes: subjecting alloy raw materials to smelting under a first protective atmosphere to obtain a half-Heusler polycrystalline alloy ingot, the alloy raw materials corresponding to a chemical composition of the P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy; and subjecting the half-Heusler polycrystalline alloy ingot to vertical Bridgman directional crystallization under a second protective atmosphere to obtain the P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy. The P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy has the chemical composition of ZrCoSb.sub.1-xSn.sub.x, x in the ZrCoSb.sub.1-xSn.sub.x being in a range of 0.1x0.3; and the P-type ZrCoSb-based half-Heusler single crystal alloy has an MgAgAs-type crystal structure.