Apparatus for high pressure reaction

1. An apparatus for processing material at elevated pressure, the apparatus comprising:

two or more radial restraint structures defining an interior region configured to receive a processing chamber, said radial restraint structures being configured to resist an outward radial force from said interior region;

upper and lower crown members being disposed axially on either end of said interior region and configured to resist an outward axial force from said interior region;

a first axial restraint structure coupling said upper crown member and said lower crown member to provide axial restraint of said upper crown member and said lower crown member; and

a second axial restraint structure compressing said two or more radial restraint structures to provide an axial restraint of said two or more radial restraint structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first axial restraint structure comprises at least two tie rods.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second axial restraint structure comprises at least two tie rods.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first axial restraint structure or said second axial restraint structure comprises a yoke member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heater disposed within said interior region.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a processing chamber disposed within said heater.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more radial restraint structures comprises a ring assembly comprising a high strength enclosure ring and a ceramic ring.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said ceramic ring comprises a ceramic radial segment assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second axial restraint structure is configured to provide a pressure between about 20 MPa and about 2000 MPa under operation over an interior cross-sectional area of the one or more radial restraint structures.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said two or more radial restraint structures comprise upper and lower die restraint members and at least one radial restraint structure sandwiched between said upper and lower die restraint members.

11. An apparatus for processing material at elevated pressure, the apparatus comprising:

an upper crown member;

a lower crown member;

an upper die restraint member;

a lower die restraint member;

one or more radial restraint structures disposed between the upper die restraint member and the lower die restraint member, said radial restraint structures defining an interior region configured to receive a processing chamber, said radial restraint structures being configured to resist an outward radial force from said interior region, said upper and lower crown members being disposed axially on either end of said interior region and configured to resist an outward axial force from said interior region;

a first axial restraint structure coupling the upper crown member and the lower crown member; and

a second axial restraint structure coupling the upper die restraint member and the lower die restraint member, wherein the second axial restraint structure is configured to provide an axial restraint of the one or more radial restraint structures.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said first axial restraint structure comprises at least two tie rods.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said second axial restraint structure comprises at least two tie rods.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said first axial restraint structure or said second axial restraint structure comprises a yoke member.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a heater disposed within said interior region.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a processing chamber disposed within said heater.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said one or more radial restraint structures comprises a ring assembly comprising a high strength enclosure ring and a ceramic ring.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said ceramic ring comprises a ceramic radial segment assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second axial restraint structure is configured to provide a pressure between about 20 MPa and about 2000 MPa under operation over an interior cross-sectional area of the one or more radial restraint structures.

20. A method for crystal growth using an apparatus comprising:

two or more radial restraint structures defining an interior region configured to receive a processing chamber, said radial restraint structures being configured to resist an outward radial force from said interior region;

upper and lower crown members being disposed axially on either end of said interior region and configured to resist an outward axial force from said interior region;

a first axial restraint structure coupling said upper crown member and said lower crown member to provide axial restraint of said upper crown member and said lower crown member; and

a second axial restraint structure compressing said two or more radial restraint structures to provide an axial restraint of said two or more radial restraint structures;

said method comprising:

placing said processing chamber containing solvent, seed crystals, and polycrystalline nutrient material into said interior region; and

heating said processing chamber to a temperature greater than 200 degrees Celsius to cause the solvent to become superheated and form a crystalline material.