Method of producing a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate

Abstract

A method of growing a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate is disclosed which comprises heating raw materials in a crucible to thereby obtain a melt of the raw materials, contacting a lower end of a seed crystal with the melt and pulling the seed crystal to thereby grow a single crystal, and wherein the pulling is conducted along an axis of pulling having a gradient of at least 30.degree. from the b-axis ([010] axis) of the single crystal and a gradient of at least 25.degree. from the c-axis ([001] axis) of the single crystal. The invention also provides a method of machining a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate into a cylindrical form, comprising grinding a cylinder whose axis is directed so as to have a gradient of 0.degree. to 65.degree. from the c-axis ([001] axis) of the single crystal. Further, the invention provides a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate machined into a configuration having at least one plane, wherein the plane most close to the (100) plane of the single crystal has a gradient of at least 5.degree. from the (100) plane.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.