KRYSTALIX

In the context of the production of single crystals for high value-added devices such as microelectronics, lasers, scintillators and other substrates, the most commonly used growth process is the Czochralski process: a material is melted in a container called a crucible. This crucible whose melting temperature must be equal to that of the material to be to be melted generates a pollution and a limit of use.

In this context, KRYSTALIX has developed a new generation of cold crucible based on induction, which allows to get rid of the limits of the classical crucibles. The company KRYSTALIX will use this new device.

KRYSTALIX technology aims to develop the pulling of single crystals into an industrial process without the use of polluting crucibles (iridium, platinum...) whose price is constantly increasing. This new process is based on the use of a cold magnetic crucible in a pulling device.

The wall of the crucible remains at an ambient temperature and creates a self-crucible which acts as a barrier to the diffusion of impurities into the liquid bath. The process has been validated on the production of ultra-pure silicon crystals of two inches in diameter.

This technology allows:

• The elaboration of crystals of better purity and more homogeneous in dopants
• The elaboration of crystals inaccessible to this day by conventional methods such as single crystals of rare earth oxides
• Reducing the cost of crystals (contrary to the noble materials used today)
• Increase of the life span of the manufacturing means thanks to the nature of the process on the induction principle with cooled copper sectors
• Shorter and more energy-efficient production processes

The feasibility of the process has been demonstrated on silicon ingots of two inches diameter silicon ingots.

The production of crystals using the Czochralski technique is limited by the crucible which contains the liquid phase during the process. Moreover, this crucible is a source of contamination for the final crystal. The KRYSTALIX technology, based on the use of a cold crucible, overcomes this problem.

• Crystals for YAGNd laser applications...
• Crystals for detectors
• Silicon crystals for microelectronics, power electronics, security and security and defense
• New crystals such as rare earth oxides
• Titanium doped sapphires for high power lasers
• Langatates or Langasites for Piezoelectric applications (resonators...).