IPC Definitions - January 01, 2012

C30B - Definition fr

Definition statement

This subclass covers:

Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with a defined structure; production thereof. Included in this subclass are processes and apparatus drawn to:

References relevant to classification in this subclass

This subclass does not cover:

Formation of diamonds using ultra-high pressure

B01J 3/06

Zone-refining of metals or alloys

C22B

Casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices

B22D

Modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys

C21D, C22F

Production of semiconductor devices or parts thereof; semiconductor devices characterized by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes

H01L
Examples of places where the subject matter of this class is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:

Separation by crystallisation in general

B01D 9/00

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Separation by crystallisation in general

B01D 9/00

Grinding, polishing of crystals

B24B

Cleaving of stone or stone-like materials, e.g., brick, concrete, not provided for elsewhere

B28D 1/32

Mechanical fine working of gems, jewels, crystals

B28D 5/00

Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating material

C23C 14/00

Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating

C23C 16/00

Investigating or analysing biological crystals

G01N 33/48

Photonic crystals

G02B, G02F

Special rules of classification

The preparation of single crystals or a homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure of particular materials or shapes is classified in the group for the process as well as in group C30B 29/00.

An apparatus specially adapted for a specific process in classified in the appropriate group for the process. Apparatus to be used in more than one kind of process is classified in group C30B 35/00.

Glossary of terms

In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Amorphous

Description of a solid material not having long-range crystalline lattice structure.

Crystal

Description of a solid material having long-range order of atoms or molecules arranged in a regularly-repeating lattice structure.

Defined structure

The structure of a solid material with grains which are oriented in a preferential way or have larger dimensions than normally obtained.

Epitaxy

The formation of a crystalline layer on a substrate in such a manner that the formed crystal bears a definite crystallographic relationship to the substrate.

Eutectic

Description of a mixture or solution containing two or more phases at a composition that has the lowest melting point and where the phases simultaneously crystallize from solution at this temperature.

Homogeneous polycrystalline material

A solid material with crystal particles, all of which have the same chemical composition.

Lattice

An ordered arrangement of atoms or molecules within a solid material.

Oriented crystal

A polycrystalline structure in which the grains are generally aligned in a preferential direction such as obtained in columnar growth.

Seed

A material, usually itself a small single-crystal, upon which a single-crystal is grown, the seeded crystal growth proceeding by the alignment of atoms or molecules or clusters into a thermodynamically favored arrangement determined by the nature of the seed.

Single-crystal

Description of a solid material having long-range order of atoms or molecules in a regularly-repeating lattice structure. Also includes twin crystals and a predominantly single crystalproduct.

Superlattice

A single-crystal having an internal structure of more than two layers, each layer having a composition different from the next adjacent layer.

Twin crystal

A crystalline material in which the adjoining crystalline lattices have a mirror-image symmetrical relationship, the interface between the adjoining crystals being termed the twin plane.

Zone melting

Description of a process in which a crystallized body is formed by melting a zone of a starting material with subsequent cooling and crystallisation while either the zone or the starting product is displaced so that all or part of the starting material is converted into the crystallized body.

Synonyms and Keywords

The term "grains" is used to describe crystalline regions in a solid material, each grain generally being a single crystalline region. The terms "whiskers" and "needles" are also descriptive of discrete solid crystalline particles of generally elongated shape.