Methods for use in the growing of crystals

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF GROWING A SINGLE CRYSTAL FROM A SEED CRYSTAL BY IMMERSION IN A SUPER-SATURATED SOLUTION OF THE CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL IN A CRYSTAL GROWING TANK, THE TOP OF WHICH HAS AN OPENING, THE INITIAL TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION IN THE TANK BEING DIFFERENT FROM THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURROUNDINGS AND THE SEED CRYSTAL LYING INITIALLY OUTSIDE THE TANK, INCLUDING A METHOD OF INSERTING A SEED CRYSTAL IN THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK COMPRISING THE STEPS OF BRINGING TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS THE SEED CRYSTAL A TEMPERATUE-CONTROLLABLE ENCLOSURE THE FLOOR OF WHICH HAS AN OPENING AND IS PROVIDED WITH A MOVABLE PART FOR CLOSING SAID FLOOR OPENING, THEN MOUNTING THE SEED CRYSTAL ON A SUPPORT IN SAID ENCLOISURE, THEN WITH THE FLOOR OPENING CLOSED BY SAID PART SLOWLY BRINGING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ENCLOSURE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION IN THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK, THEN MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ENCLOSURE AT SAID TEMPERATURE OF THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK, THEN ARRANGING THE ENCLOSURE AND THE TANK IN POSITION WITH THE ENCLOSURE COVERING FULLY THE OPENING IN THE TOP OF THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK AND WITH THE OPENING IN THE TANK REGISTERED WITH THE OPENING IN THE ENCLOSURE, THEN MOVING THE MOVABLE PART OF THE ENCLOSURE AWAY FROM THE FLOOR OPENING SO THAT THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK AND THE ENCLOSURE MUTUALLY FORM SUBSTANTIALLY A CONTINUOUS UNIFORM-TEMPERATURE ENCLOSURE, AND THEN LOWERING THE SUPPORT WITH THE SEED CRYSTAL MOUNTED ON IT THROUGH SAID OPENINGS INTO THE CRYSTAL GROWING TANK.