Crystal growth: an anisotropic mass transfer process at the interface

Abstract

Crystal growth is a dynamic physicochemical process, which depends on the multi-parameter synergetic control and directly determines the crystal features such as geometry and size. In this study, both thermodynamic and kinetic factors that determine inorganic single crystal growth are integrated by focusing on the mass transfer process at an interface. For the specific growth system, the integrated parameter is then classified to extract the critical control factors in anisotropic growth. The driving force of mass transfer essentially depends on the anisotropic chemical bonding architectures, leading to different concentration gradients along various [uvw] directions. Exquisitely controlling the chemical bonding architecture can therefore be used to regulate the mass transfer process of a compound in a straightforward manner, encompassing the origin of anisotropic growth as well as a variety of geometries in the formation of a multicomponent crystal.