Ceramic support plate
Disclosed herein is a device for manufacturing a single crystal comprising: a furnace that includes a furnace wall; a crucible disposed on a first base plate within the furnace; where the first base plate has a porosity of 1 to 80 volume percent, based on a total volume of the first base plate; and where the first base plate does not comprise free flowing particles; an induction coil disposed inside the furnace wall and outside the crucible; and a refractory lining being disposed in an annulus between the furnace wall and the crucible.
1 . A device for manufacturing a single crystal comprising:
a furnace that includes a furnace wall;
a crucible disposed on a first base plate within the furnace; where a surface of the first base plate contacts a bottom surface of the crucible and where the surface of the first base plate that contacts the bottom surface of the crucible comprises ridges and channels;
an induction coil disposed inside the furnace wall and outside the crucible; and
a refractory lining being disposed in an annulus between the furnace wall and the crucible.
2 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate is a monolith.
3 . The device of claim 1 , where the width of the channels is greater than that of the ridges.
4 . The device of claim 1 , where the width of the channels is less than or equal to that of the ridges.
5 . The device of claim 1 , where the channels facilitate transport of inert gases in the furnace.
6 . The device of claim 1 , where the ridges and channels extend across an entire surface of the base plate and where the ridges and the channels are parallel to each other.
7 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate comprises alumina, zirconia, MCrAlY, or a combination thereof; where M is either iron, nickel or cobalt, Cr is chromium, Al is aluminum and Y is yttrium.
8 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate has a porosity of 1 to 5 volume percent, based on a total volume of the first base plate.
9 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate has a porosity of 60 to 80 volume percent, based on a total volume of the first base plate.
10 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising an outer tube that lies within the furnace such that the induction coil is located in an annulus between the furnace wall and the outer tube.
11 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate has a radius of 50 to 150% of a radius of the crucible.
12 . The device of claim 1 , where an outer perimeter of the first base plate has a same geometry as an outer surface of the crucible.
13 . A method of growing a high temperature material, comprising:
disposing a melt within a crucible in a furnace; where the furnace includes:
a furnace wall;
an induction coil disposed in an annulus between the crucible and the furnace wall;
where the crucible is disposed on a first base plate within the furnace, further comprising contacting a bottom surface of the crucible to a surface of the first base plate, the surface of the first base plate that contacts the bottom surface of the crucible comprising ridges and channels; and
drawing a boule from the melt within the crucible to grow the high temperature material.
14 . The method of claim 13 , where the first base plate is a monolith.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising discharging an inert gas into the furnace, where the inert gas is transported across the base plate via the channels.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising discharging an inert gas into the furnace via pores in the base plate.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the high temperature material comprises lutetium oxy-orthosilicates, lutetium yttrium oxy-orthosilicates, gadolinium oxy-orthosilicates, gadolinium aluminum gallium garnets, gadolinium-gallium-aluminum garnet, gadolinium-yttrium-gallium-aluminum garnet, gadolinium-lutetium-gallium-aluminum garnet, gadolinium-scandium-gallium garnet, gadolinium-yttrium-aluminum garnet, gadolinium-scandium-aluminum garnet, gadolinium-gallium garnet or gadolinium-yttrium-scandium-aluminum garnet.
18 . The device of claim 1 , where the first base plate has a porosity of 1 to 80 volume percent, based on a total volume of the first base plate; and where the first base plate does not comprise free flowing particles.
19 . The method of claim 13 where the first base plate has a porosity of 1 to 80 volume percent, based on a total volume of the first base plate; and where the first base plate does not comprise free flowing particles.