Journal of Inorganic Materials ›› 2023, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 288-295.DOI: 10.15541/jim20220485

• RESEARCH ARTICLE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Large-size CeF3 Crystal Growth by Heat Exchanger-Bridgman Method: Thermal Field Design and Optimization

MU Honghe1(), WANG Pengfei1(), SHI Yufeng1, ZHANG Zhonghan1(), WU Anhua1,2, SU Liangbi1,2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Transparent Opto-fuctional Inorganic Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
    2. Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2022-08-15 Revised:2022-09-08 Published:2022-11-20 Online:2022-11-20
  • Contact: WANG Pengfei, lecturer. E-mail: wangpengfei@mail.sic.ac.cn;
    ZHANG Zhonghan, associate professor. E-mail: zhangzhonghan@mail.sic.ac.cn
  • About author:About author: MU Honghe (1997-), female, Master candidate. E-mail: muhonghe@mails.ucas.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFB3602503);Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(2051107400);Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(20520750200);CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research(YSBR-024);International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(121631KYSB20200039);Open Project of the 9th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation(2022SK-013)

Abstract:

With the continuous development of CeF3 crystals in laser and magneto-optical applications, the demand for CeF3 single crystals with large size and high optical quality has become increasingly urgent, while the high viscosity and low thermal conductivity of CeF3 melt always bring challenges to crystal growth process. In order to study the growth problem caused by low thermal conductivity of CeF3 melt, the influence mechanism of the furnace structure and process parameters on temperature distribution and crystallographic interface during the growth process was explored. In this work, numerical simulations about the growth of large size CeF3 crystal (ϕ80 mm) through the heat exchanger-Bridgman method were carried out to analyze the relationship between furnace structure and crystal/melt temperature distribution, the variation of interface shape in different growth stages, and the mechanism of thermal field structure on the growth interface. Results show that when the length of the heating element matches the length of the crucible, it is more conducive to construct a reasonable temperature gradient field. The unfavorable concave interface during the “shouldering” and “cylindering” growth stages can be effectively improved by adjusting temperature distribution on the ampoule wall through changing the baffle shape and adding a reflective screen. Therefore, the result not only deepens understanding of the crystallization habit of CeF3 crystals, but also enlightens the furnace and growth interface optimization of other crystals’ Bridgman growth.

Key words: CeF3 crystal, heat exchanger-Bridgman method, numerical simulation, solid-liquid interface, thermal field optimization

CLC Number: