Influence of organic additives on the growth kinetics and properties of KDP crystals

The authors have investigated the effect of additives of glycerol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, and EDTA on the growth kinetics and quality of KDP crystals. They have experimentally determined the dependence of the growth rates of the (100) and (101) faces on the content of organic additives in the crystallization solution. They establish that in KDP crystals grown in the presence of optimal amounts of organic additives, there is a decrease in the concentration of inorganic background impurities of the cations, an increase in the transparency in the (100) growth sector in the range 210-360 nm, and an increase in the optical uniformity and in the threshold of laser damage