C-plane sapphire method and apparatus
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc.
InventorsVitali Tatartchenko, Christopher D. Jones, Steven Anthony Zanella, John W. Locher, Fery Pranadi
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the production of C-plane single crystal sapphire is disclosed. The method and apparatus may use edge defined film-fed growth techniques for the production of single crystal material exhibiting low polycrystallinity and/or low dislocation density.
Claims39
A single crystal growth apparatus comprising:
- a melt source;
- a die adjacent the melt source;
- a first region exhibiting a first thermal gradient, the first region positioned adjacent the die opening;
- and
- a second region exhibiting a second thermal gradient, the second region positioned adjacent the first region and distal to the die wherein the second thermal gradient that is less than the first thermal gradient.
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A method of forming single crystal C-plane sapphire material comprising:
- seeding a melt fixture with a seed having a C-axis orientation substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a die opening;
- crystallizing single crystal sapphire above the die, the single crystal sapphire exhibiting a C-axis orientation substantially perpendicular to the sapphire's major surface;
- and
- cooling the C-plane sapphire to produce a material exhibiting fewer than 10,000 dislocations/cm2.
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36-41. (canceled)
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A C-plane single crystal sapphire plate having a width of greater than or equal to 5 cm and fewer than 1000 dislocations per cm2.
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48-58. (canceled)
Single crystal sapphire having a dimension greater than 1 cm and exhibiting fewer than 100 dislocations per cm2.
An apparatus for producing single crystal sapphire, the apparatus comprising:
- a die;
- a melt source constructed and arranged to be in fluid communication with the at least one cavity;
- a first heater constructed and arranged to heat the melt source;
- and
- a second heater constructed and arranged to heat a region of the apparatus downstream of the die.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.