Provided are a Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal substrate including a Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal which has a high resistance while preventing a lowering of crystal quality and a production method therefor. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the production method includes growing the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal while adding a Fe to a Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based raw material, the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal (5) including the Fe at a concentration higher than that of a donor impurity mixed in the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based raw material, and cutting out the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal substrate from the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3-based single crystal (5).

An embodiment crystal growing apparatus is an apparatus that grows a crystal of a raw material by heating and melting, with a heating mechanism, one end side of a raw material body formed with a solid raw material with which a seed crystal is in contact, and further includes a laser mechanism. In crystal growth using this crystal growing apparatus, the portion to be heated for forming a melt is moved in the direction toward the other end side of the raw material body, and the melt is irradiated and heated with laser light emitted from the laser mechanism while the melt is moved from the one end side to the other end side.

An embodiment crystal growing apparatus is an apparatus that grows a crystal of a raw material by heating and melting, with a heating mechanism, one end side of a raw material body formed with a solid raw material with which a seed crystal is in contact, and further includes a laser mechanism. In crystal growth using this crystal growing apparatus, the portion to be heated for forming a melt is moved in the direction toward the other end side of the raw material body, and the melt is irradiated and heated with laser light emitted from the laser mechanism while the melt is moved from the one end side to the other end side.

Systems and methods for growing high-quality CdTe-based materials at high growth rates are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes depositing a first CdTe-based layer on a CdTe-based template at a rate of greater than 1 m/min. Each of the first CdTe-based layer and the CdTe-based template has a single-crystal structure and/or a large-grain polycrystalline structure. The depositing is performed by physical vapor deposition.

Some variations provide a method of making an additively manufactured single-crystal metallic component, comprising: providing a feedstock comprising a first metal or metal alloy; providing a build plate comprising a single crystal of a second metal or metal alloy; exposing the feedstock to an energy source for melting the feedstock, generating a melt layer on the build plate; and solidifying the melt layer, generating a solid layer (on the build plate) of a metal component. The solid layer is also a single crystal of the first metal or metal alloy. The method may be repeated many times to build the part. Some variations provide a single-crystal metallic component comprising a plurality of solid layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction, wherein the plurality of solid layers forms a single crystal of a metal or metal alloy with a continuous crystallographic texture. The crystal orientation may vary along the additive-manufacturing build direction.

Some variations provide a method of making an additively manufactured single-crystal metallic component, comprising: providing a feedstock comprising a first metal or metal alloy; providing a build plate comprising a single crystal of a second metal or metal alloy; exposing the feedstock to an energy source for melting the feedstock, generating a melt layer on the build plate; and solidifying the melt layer, generating a solid layer (on the build plate) of a metal component. The solid layer is also a single crystal of the first metal or metal alloy. The method may be repeated many times to build the part. Some variations provide a single-crystal metallic component comprising a plurality of solid layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction, wherein the plurality of solid layers forms a single crystal of a metal or metal alloy with a continuous crystallographic texture. The crystal orientation may vary along the additive-manufacturing build direction.

Systems and methods for growing high-quality CdTe-based materials at high growth rates are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes depositing a first CdTe-based layer on a CdTe-based template at a rate of greater than 1 m/min. Each of the first CdTe-based layer and the CdTe-based template has a single-crystal structure and/or a large-grain polycrystalline structure. The depositing is performed by physical vapor deposition.

The invention relates to a method and a device for pulling a monocrystalline silicon rod in a pulling system for zone melting, the method comprising the following steps: (I) providing a stock rod made of silicon, which comprises an azimuthal groove at one end; (2) attaching a lower part, which comprises three gripping arms, each gripping arm being shaped such that one end fits into the azimuthal groove of the stock rod and another end is rotatably attached to the lower part; (3) suspending the lower part, together with the stock rod, on an upper part, which contains a connecting element connected to a pulling shaft of the zone-melting pulling system, such that the upper part and the lower part are radially interlockingly connected to each other, the upper part comprising an element for radial orientation, and three length-adjustable spacing elements being attached to the upper part such that the spacing elements can apply force to respective gripping arms; (4) moving the element for radial orientation such that the axis of rotation of the stock rod at the end at which the groove is located corresponds to the axis of rotation of the pulling shaft; (5) setting the length-adjustable spacing elements such that the axis of rotation of the stock rod at the end remote from the groove corresponds to the axis of rotation of the pulling shaft; (6) pulling a conical part of a monocrystalline rod; (7) pulling a cylindrical part of the monocrystalline rod.

A method for growing a straight/non-tapered or a tapered high-transmission single-crystal fiber (SCF) using a fiber growth machine includes receiving, via an electronic control unit (ECU), a set of image data from a camera. The image data includes a first group of pixels of a feed fiber, a seed fiber, and a molten zone formed therebetween using a laser beam. The method includes identifying a feature of interest of the feed fiber, seed fiber, and/or molten zone within the first pixel group and locating position-identifying pixels within the feature of interest as a second pixel group. A horizontal position of the feed fiber is controlled via the ECU using the second pixel group while growing the fiber, including transmitting electronic control signals to actuators of the machine. An automated system for growing the SCF includes the camera configured and the ECU configured to perform the method.

A single crystal production apparatus (and a single crystal production method) is configured to produce a single crystal by approaching a raw material M gripped by a raw material grip portion, and a seed crystal S gripped by a seed crystal grip portion by disposing the raw material grip portion and the seed crystal grip portion mutually in a vertical direction and approaching both of them each other, and forming a melting zone M1 by making a portion melted by heating the raw material M by a heating part in contact with the seed crystal S, and cooling the melting zone, wherein the heating part has an infrared generating part, and the seed crystal grip portion is disposed at a vertically top position, and the raw material grip portion is disposed at a vertically bottom position.