Fabrication of Transition Metal doped Sapphire Single Crystal by High Temperature and Pressure Acceleration Method

Transition metal Cr3+ and Fe3+ ion was diffused in white sapphire {0001}, {1010} crystal plane which were grown by the Verneuil method. It enhanced and changed the physical, electrical and optical properties of sapphires. After mixing the metallic oxide and metal powder, it were used for diffusion. Metallic oxide was synthesized by precipitation method and it's composition was mainly alumina which doped with chromium or ferric oxide. In case using metallic oxide, the dopping was slowly progressed and it needed the longer duration time and higher temperature, relatively. Metallic powder was vapoured under 1x10-4 torr of vacuum pressure at 1900(iron metal) and 2050(chromium)℃, first step. Diffusion condition were kept by 6atm of N2 accelerating pressure at 2050∼2150℃. Each surface density of sapphire crystal are 0.225(c) and 0.1199atom/Å2(a). The color of the Cr-doped sapphires was changed to red. Dopping reaction was come out more deep in th plane of {1010} than {0001}. It was speculated that the planar density was one of the factors to determine diffusion effect.