Elsevier

Journal of Crystal Growth

Volume 80, Issue 1, January 1987, Pages 133-148
Journal of Crystal Growth

Crystal growth of berlinite, AlPO4: Physical characterization and comparison with quartz

https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0248(87)90533-1Get rights and content

Abstract

The feasibility of large crystals of aluminum phosphate has already been demonstrated, so as the interest of this material for obtaining BAW and SAW devices with attractive properties. Our purpose in this study was: (a) to synthetize crystals with low acoustical losses; (b) to specify the useful crystal orientations more accurately; (c) to design devices that take in account all the specificities and advantages of this material. With a view to obtain high perfection and high Q crystals, three hydrothermal crystal growth methods were investigated in H3PO4 solvent, compared and improved with the assistance of crystal characterization techniques and BAW device measurements. Experimental conditions used most frequently with the slow heating, the reverse vertical gradient and the horizontal gradient methods are reported together with specific features of each method as applied to grow berlinite. X-ray topography has shown that the best crystals have a dislocation density of 10 to 100 dislocations per cm2. X-ray topography examination above room temperature (25–150°C) has revealed temperature dependent quasi-reversible localized variations of strain in water-containing crystals. Transmission electron microscopy was used after high temperature precipitation of water to assess the H2O content of crystals as a function of some growth parameters and to determine the distribution of this impurity within crystals. Thickness shear resonators of several Y rotated cuts were measured to compare the growth methods. Some experiments with recently obtained crystals have demonstrated the feasibility of very high Q crystals and the possibility of obtaining superior thermal behaviour from this material. Experiments concerning the AT cut has demonstrated the possibility to obtain band-pass of filter of shift of oscillators twice that of quartz. Specificity of energy trapping in this material is then discussed. We conclude that waterless berlinite is of major interest for device applications.

References (33)

  • E.D. Kolb et al.

    J. Crystal Growth

    (1978)
  • A. Goiffon et al.

    J. Crystal Growth

    (1985)
  • A.R. Lang

    Acta Met.

    (1957)
  • J.P. Bachheimer et al.

    Solid State Commun.

    (1984)
  • Y.P. Chang et al.

    IEEE Trans. Sonics Ultrasonics

    (1976)
  • D.S. Bailey et al.
  • J. Hénaff et al.

    Ferroelectrics

    (1982)
  • J. Détaint et al.
  • A. Ballato et al.
  • R.S. Narayanan et al.
  • R.F. Steinberg et al.
  • J.M. Stanley

    Ind. Eng. Chem.

    (1954)
  • B.H.T. Chai et al.
  • K. Nagai et al.
  • J. Détaint et al.
  • B.H.T. Chai et al.

    US Patent 4,324,773

    (April 13, 1982)
  • Cited by (46)

    • Design, fabrication, and characterization of high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensor based on the Ho: CNGS crystal

      2023, Journal of Alloys and Compounds
      Citation Excerpt :

      Ferroelectric LiNbO3 crystal decomposes from 300 °C, which leads to a significant decrease in resistivity and limits its operating temperature to below 600 °C [6–9]. Non-ferroelectric α-quartz crystal and AlPO4 crystal undergo an α-β crystalline phase transition at 573 °C and 588 °C, respectively [7,10]. On the other hand, the GaPO4 crystal grown by the hydrothermal method is an excellent material for manufacturing high-temperature sensors.

    • High temperature hydrothermal synthesis of inorganic compounds

      2023, Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry III, Third Edition
    • Hydrothermal growth of large piezoelectric single crystals of GaAsO <inf>4</inf>

      2014, Journal of Crystal Growth
      Citation Excerpt :

      In the case of crystal growth, C/S is greater than 1 and the solution is slightly supersaturated, whereas the C/S ratio is slightly less than 1 for the dissolution process [19]. This method was applied to grow AlPO4 [12] and GaPO4 [18,21] crystals in acidic H3PO4 and H2SO4 solutions and to develop a controlled etching process for generating surfaces without defects to obtain piezoelectric resonators with high quality factors Q [24,25]. Hydrothermal growth methods principally depend on the nature of the solvent and the growth temperature.

    • First-principle study the piezoelectricity of a new quartz-type crystal BaZnO <inf>2</inf>

      2012, Computational Materials Science
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, the low piezoelectricity and phase transition at 573 °C [8] limits its application. So, materials scientists developed other members of quartz family such as AlPO4, GaPO4, GeO2 and GaAsO4 [9–12], which have higher piezoelectricity and higher transition temperature than α-quartz. Interestingly, BaZnO2 possesses the same structural symmetry with α-quartz (space group P3121, point group 32) [13], and may be another promising new candidate in this family.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text