Impact of Crucible Bottom Shape on the Growth of Congruent Lithium Niobate Crystals by Czochralski Method

Lithium niobate crystal, combining its piezoelectric, nonlinear, electro-optical, and photorefractive properties, along with its stable physicochemical characteristics, has great potential for applications in integrated optics.However, designing thermal field for large-size lithium niobate crystal growth presents considerable challenges,considering the crucible shape being an important factor that significantly influences the crystal growth in which the diameter and height are compulsively restricted to the factors such as load capacity and crystal diameters. In this study,4-inch congruent lithium niobate crystals were grown by using crucibles with two types of bottom shapes. The impacts of crucible bottom shape on the axial temperature gradient within the crystal and the melt near the crystal-melt interface, and the temperature distribution within the melt below the crystal-melt interface, were analyzed by numerical simulation. The impact of the crucible bottom shape on crystal growth was analyzed in contrast to crystal growth results. It is found that changes in the crucible bottom shape lead to variations in the temperature difference along the crucible sidewall and the temperature gradient within the melt, thereby altering the strength of natural convection in the melt. Compared to crucible with slipped bottom corner, the axial temperature gradient near the crystal-melt interface within the crystal and melt is large when using the crucible with curved bottom corner, and the axial temperature gradient within the melt below the crystal-melt interface is also large, and the natural convection is strong. Therefore, this study helps to solve the problems such as the unwanted crystal growth ridge spreading and the overgrowth of cellular interface.