In a crystal growth furnace having an array of vertically arranged heaters to provide controlled heating zones within a chamber, and a crucible for holding crystal material, wherein the crystal is grown vertically through the heating zones, the improvement includes a laser mounted outside the chamber which radiates a beam of energy to locally melt precipitates and inclusions. The furnace includes a mechanism to position the laser vertically to, at or near the interface between the formed crystal and crystal melt material above the formed crystal. The crystal material can be CdZnTe.

Using processes disclosed herein, materials and structures are created and used. For example, processes can include melting amorphous carbon doped with nitrogen and carbon-13 into an undercooled state followed by quenching. Materials disclosed herein may include dopants in concentrations exceeding thermodynamic solubility limits.

A method for growing beta phase of gallium oxide (β-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3) single crystals from the melt contained within a metal crucible surrounded by a thermal insulation and heated by a heater. A growth atmosphere provided into a growth furnace has a variable oxygen concentration or partial pressure in such a way that the oxygen concentration reaches a growth oxygen concentration value (C2, C2′, C2″) in the concentration range (SC) of 5-100 vol. % below the melting temperature (MT) of Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 or at the melting temperature (MT) or after complete melting of the Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 starting material adapted to minimize creation of metallic gallium amount and thus eutectic formation with the metal crucible. During the crystal growth step of the β-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystal from the melt at the growth temperature (GT) the growth oxygen concentration value (C2, C2′, C2″) is maintained within the oxygen concentration range (SC).

A method of making a component includes: depositing a metallic powder on a workplane; directing a beam from a directed energy source to fuse the powder in a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional layer of the component; repeating in a cycle the steps of depositing and fusing to build up the component in a layer-by layer fashion; and during the cycle of depositing and melting, using an external heat control apparatus separate from the directed energy source to maintain a predetermined temperature profile of the component, such that the resulting component has a directionally-solidified or single-crystal microstructure.

A process for growing a substrate (24) as a melt pool (28) solidifies beneath a molten slag layer (30). An energy beam (36) is used to melt a powder (32) or a hollow feed wire (42) with a powdered alloy core (44) under the slag layer. The slag layer is at least partially transparent (37) to the energy beam, and it may be partially optically absorbent or translucent to the energy beam to absorb enough energy to remain molten. As with a conventional ESW process, the slag layer insulates the molten material and shields it from reaction with air. A composition of the powder may be changed across a solidification axis (A) of the resulting component (60) to provide a functionally graded directionally solidified product.

In a crystal growth furnace having an array of vertically arranged heaters to provide controlled heating zones within a chamber, and a crucible for holding crystal material, wherein the crystal is grown vertically through the heating zones, the improvement includes a laser mounted outside the chamber which radiates a beam of energy to locally melt precipitates and inclusions. The furnace includes a mechanism to position the laser vertically to, at or near the interface between the formed crystal and crystal melt material above the formed crystal. The crystal material can be CdZnTe.

A method includes providing a collection of particulate material and forming a first article therefrom. Forming the first article includes forming an outer shell with an outer surface that defines an outer periphery of the first article; forming a relief area of the first article that supports the outer shell, including forming a relief void in the relief area; and collecting a collection of the particulate material within the outer shell during formation of the first article. Moreover, the method includes encasing the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity with an internal surface that corresponds to the outer surface of the outer shell. The method further includes heating, which deforms the first article selectively at the relief void.

A crystal-growth apparatus (10, 10’,10”) and a crystal-growth method for growing a crystal (21) from a molten feed material (23) are presented, where in addition to a molten-zone heater, at least one afterheater laser (5) is arranged to heat an extended afterheater zone (50), the afterheater zone (50) at least partly overlapping a solidification zone (210) adjacent to the molten zone (230). The crystal-growth apparatus (10, 10’,10”) and the crystal-growth method may be used for thermal treatment to reduce crack formation or thermal stress in grown crystals (21).

A method of making a component includes: depositing a metallic powder on a workplane; directing a beam from a directed energy source to fuse the powder in a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional layer of the component; repeating in a cycle the steps of depositing and fusing to build up the component in a layer-by layer fashion; and during the cycle of depositing and melting, using an external heat control apparatus separate from the directed energy source to maintain a predetermined temperature profile of the component, such that the resulting component has a directionally-solidified or single-crystal microstructure.

A method for producing a single crystal having a diameter of 200 mm or greater in which: (1) a seed crystal is provided; (2) an upper surface of the seed crystal is melted with an infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to create a melt covering the upper surface of the seed crystal; and (3) a powder raw material is supplied from above the seed crystal onto an area of the melt that is 90% or less of a diameter of the seed crystal, and the powder raw material supplied onto the melt is melted with the infrared ray supplied obliquely from above to melt the powder raw material while, simultaneously, a lower surface of the melt is solidified on the seed crystal. The infrared ray is applied to an area of the melt that is within 90% of the diameter of the seed crystal.