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 single crystal growth apparatus to grow a single crystal of a gallium oxide-based semiconductor. The apparatus includes a crucible that includes a seed crystal section to accommodate a seed crystal, and a growing crystal section which is located on the upper side of the seed crystal section and in which the single crystal is grown by crystallizing a raw material melt accommodated therein, a tubular susceptor surrounding the seed crystal section and also supporting the crucible from below, and a molybdenum disilicide heating element to melt a raw material in the growing crystal section to obtain the raw material melt. The susceptor includes a thick portion at a portion in a height direction that is thicker and has a shorter horizontal distance from the seed crystal section than other portions. The thick portion surrounds at least a portion of the seed crystal section in the height direction.

A crucible device includes a heating chamber, at least a first crucible in which a first crystal is growable, and at least a second crucible in which a second crystal is growable. The first crucible and the second crucible are arranged within the heating chamber spaced apart from each other along a horizontal and vertical and any orientational direction. The crucible device further comprises a heating system arranged within the heating chamber, wherein the heating system is configured for adjusting a temperature along the horizontal and vertical and any orientational directions.

A method and apparatus for measuring a melt back of a seed in a boule are provided. The method includes lifting a boule once it has been produced using an actuating device onto a support table to automatically manipulate the boule from a furnace to the support table. The melt back of the seed is then automatically measured using a vision system that is installed on an imaging device disposed below the boule.

The apparatus for producing a gallium oxide crystal relating to the invention contains a vertical Bridgman furnace containing: a base body; a cylindrical furnace body having heat resistance disposed above the base body; a lid member occluding the furnace body; a heater disposed inside the furnace body; a crucible shaft provided vertically movably through the base body; and a crucible disposed on the crucible shaft, heated with the heater, the crucible is a crucible containing a Pt-based alloy, the furnace body has an inner wall that is formed as a heat-resistant wall containing plural ring shaped heat-resistant members each having a prescribed height accumulated on each other, and the ring shaped heat-resistant members each contain plural divided pieces that are joined to each other to the ring shape.

Methods and devices for detecting incident radiation are provided. The methods and devices use high quality single-crystals of photoactive semiconductor compounds in combination with metal anodes and metal cathodes that provide for enhanced photodetector performance.

The present invention relates to an orthogonal-phase compound and its nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal of BaGa.sub.7Se.sub.7, its producing method and uses thereof. Polycrystalline orthogonal-phase BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 was prepared by a high-temperature solid-phase reaction in a sealed silica tube. Large size single crystals of orthogonal-phase BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 could be prepared by the flux method or Bridgman method. BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 crystallizes in the point group mm2. Orthogonal-phase BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 has a powder second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of about 5 times that of AgGaS.sub.2 and is phase-matchable. The orthogonal-phase BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 is non-hygroscopic and has good mechanical properties, which makes it easy to cut, polish, and coat by normal processing. The orthogonal-phase BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 crystal has never been cracked during cutting and polishing. The orthogonal-phase compound and NLO crystal of BaGa.sub.4Se.sub.7 can be used as NLO devices.

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 and apparatus for measuring a melt back of a seed in a boule are provided. The method includes lifting a boule once it has been produced using an actuating device onto a support table to automatically manipulate the boule from a furnace to the support table. The melt back of the seed is then automatically measured using a vision system that is installed on an imaging device disposed below the boule.

Methods and devices for detecting incident radiation are provided. The methods and devices use high quality single-crystals of photoactive semiconductor compounds in combination with metal anodes and metal cathodes that provide for enhanced photodetector performance.