Synchrotron X-ray imaging for crystal growth studies

The features associated with modern synchrotron radiation machines (intense and coherent beams) result in a substantial extension of X-ray imaging capabilities in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, phase contrast and 3D images. This allows crystal growth-related information to be obtained which is not available otherwise. After briefly describing the main synchrotron radiation based imaging techniques of interest, we give original examples illustrating the new capabilities for crystal growth: characterisation of crystals grown for applications, such as ice tri-crystals produced for mechanical deformation studies; SiC; crystalline silicon for solar photovoltaic cells; in situ and in real time studies of quasicrystal growth (AlPdMn); and ultrafast tomography for the study of the growth of dendrites in metallic alloys.