A composite has a solid-state structure, silicate, lithium ions, and at least one paramagnetic or diamagnetic element, which is different from lithium silicon, and oxygen. The solid-state structure has two areas in which the solid-state structure forms an identical crystal orientation. The areas are arranged at a distance of at least one millimeter from each other. A method has a quenching step in which a solid-state structure of a composite is produced, which differs from an ambient temperature solid-state structure. The composite produced by the method has silicate, lithium ions, and an element that is different from lithium, silicon, and oxygen. The method produces at least one gram of the phase pure composite in the quenching step.

A method for determining an amount of metallic impurities within silicon. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a rodlike silicon sample and a rodlike seed crystal in a zone melting apparatus, (b) zone melting to form a single silicon crystal having a conical end region with a droplike melt forming at the end of the single silicon crystal in a separation step, (c) cooling of the droplike melt to form a solidified silicon drop, (d) partial or complete dissolution of the silicon drop in an acid, and analyzing the solution obtained in step (d) by a trace analysis technique. Wherein the separation step further includes a remelting step for the silicon sample to reduce its diameter, forming a droplike melting zone, and separation of the seed crystal and the silicon sample by moving the seed crystal and the silicon sample apart from one another.

A method of forming crystalline sheets using a Horizontal Ribbon Growth process, where the sheet of material formed in the process is withdrawn from a crucible in a specified manner to reduce instabilities in the process and to regulate crystal growth dynamics.

A method of forming crystalline sheets using a Horizontal Ribbon Growth process, where the sheet of material formed in the process is withdrawn from a crucible in a specified manner to reduce instabilities in the process and to regulate crystal growth dynamics.

Provided is a novel solid electrolyte material of high density and high ionic conductivity, and an all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery that utilizes the solid electrolyte material. The solid electrolyte material has a chemical composition represented by Li.sub.7-3xGa.sub.xLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 (0.08≤x<0.5), has a relative density of 99% or higher, belongs to space group I-43d, in the cubic system, and has a garnet-type structure. The lithium ion conductivity of the solid electrolyte material is 2.0×10.sup.−3 S/cm or higher. The solid electrolyte material has a lattice constant a such that 1.29 nm≤a≤1.30 nm, and lithium ions occupy the 12a site, the 12b site and two types of 48e site, and gallium occupies the 12a site and the 12b site, in the crystal structure. The all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte is made up of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention.

Provided is a novel solid electrolyte material of high density and high ionic conductivity, and an all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery that utilizes the solid electrolyte material. The solid electrolyte material has a chemical composition represented by Li.sub.7-3xGa.sub.xLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 (0.08≤x<0.5), has a relative density of 99% or higher, belongs to space group I-43d, in the cubic system, and has a garnet-type structure. The lithium ion conductivity of the solid electrolyte material is 2.0×10.sup.−3 S/cm or higher. The solid electrolyte material has a lattice constant a such that 1.29 nm≤a≤1.30 nm, and lithium ions occupy the 12a site, the 12b site and two types of 48e site, and gallium occupies the 12a site and the 12b site, in the crystal structure. The all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte is made up of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention.

The present invention aims at providing a zone melting furnace thermal field with a dual power heating function and a heat preservation method. The zone melting furnace thermal field comprises a primary heating coil and an auxiliary heater, wherein the auxiliary heater has a wavy appearance bent repeatedly up and down and forms a circular loop by surrounding in the horizontal direction, wherein both end parts of the auxiliary heater are provided with ports and are connected with an auxiliary heating power supply through cables; and the auxiliary heating power supply is also sequentially connected with a data analysis module and an infrared temperature measuring instrument through single lines. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.5 inches, and simultaneously can improve the thermal field distribution in the growth process of 3-6 inch zone-melted silicon single crystals.

The present invention aims at providing a zone melting furnace thermal field with a dual power heating function and a heat preservation method. The zone melting furnace thermal field comprises a primary heating coil and an auxiliary heater, wherein the auxiliary heater has a wavy appearance bent repeatedly up and down and forms a circular loop by surrounding in the horizontal direction, wherein both end parts of the auxiliary heater are provided with ports and are connected with an auxiliary heating power supply through cables; and the auxiliary heating power supply is also sequentially connected with a data analysis module and an infrared temperature measuring instrument through single lines. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.5 inches, and simultaneously can improve the thermal field distribution in the growth process of 3-6 inch zone-melted silicon single crystals.

Provided is a high-density lithium-containing garnet crystal body. The lithium-containing garnet crystal body has a relative density of 99% or more, belongs to a tetragonal system, and has a garnet-related type structure. A method of producing a Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 crystal, which is one example of this lithium-containing garnet crystal body, includes melting a portion of a rod-like raw material composed of polycrystalline Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 belonging to a tetragonal system while rotating it on a plane perpendicular to the longer direction and moving the melted portion in the longer direction. The moving rate of the melted portion is preferably 8 mm/h or more but not more than 19 mm/h. The rotational speed of the raw material is preferably 30 rpm or more but not more than 60 rpm. By increasing the moving rate of the melted portion, decomposition of the raw material due to evaporation of lithium can be prevented and by increasing the rotational speed of the raw material, air bubbles can be removed.

A single-crystal production equipment which includes, at least: a raw material supply apparatus which supplies a granular raw material to a melting apparatus positioned therebelow; the melting apparatus heats and melts the granular raw material to generate a raw material melt and supplies the raw material melt into a single-crystal production crucible positioned therebelow; and a crystallization apparatus which includes the single-crystal production crucible in which a seed single crystal is placed on the bottom, and a first infrared ray irradiation equipment which irradiates an infrared ray to the upper surface of the seed single crystal in the single-crystal production crucible, and the single-crystal production equipment is configured such that the raw material melt is dropped into a melt formed by irradiating the upper surface of the seed single crystal with the infrared ray, and a single crystal is allowed to precipitate out of the thus formed mixed melt.