Single Crystal Growth Tricks and Treats

TL;DR

This paper reviews and discusses various single crystal growth techniques, including lesser-known methods, with the aim of improving defect control, scalability, and understanding of synthesis principles to advance material development.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of known and lesser-known single crystal growth methods, offering insights into defect control, scaling, and synthesis optimization.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of growth techniques and their principles

Strategies for defect minimization in crystal synthesis

Guidelines for scaling up crystal growth processes

Abstract

Single crystal growth is a widely explored method of synthesizing materials in the solid state. The last few decades have seen significant improvements in the techniques used to synthesize single crystals, but there has been comparatively little discussion on ways to disseminate this knowledge. We aim to change that. Here we describe the principles of known single crystal growth techniques as well as lesser-known variations that have assisted in the optimization of defect control in known materials. We offer a perspective on how to think about these synthesis methods in a grand scheme. We consider the temperature interdependence with the reaction time as well as ways to carry out synthesis to scale up and address some outstanding synthesis challenges. We hope our descriptions will aid in technological advancements as well as further developments to gain even better control over synthesis.