Specific morphological features of LaB3O6 single crystals:: a new promising material for thin-layer radiation detectors

High-quality LaB3O6 single crystals up to 15mm in diameter and over 10mm in length have been grown by Czochralski technique. The well-developed system of cleavage planes along (10 (1) over bar) and {111} makes it possible to produce about 500 mum thick plates from those crystals suitable for use, e.g., as scintillation materials to detect short-range particles. The fracture toughness of {111} planes determined by microindentation method exceeds considerably that of (10 (1) over bar) ones. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.