Single crystals of beta barium borate (beta-BaB2O4 or BBO), an importa
nt new nonlinear optical material, were grown by the flux method. Sinc
e the beta-phase is the low-temperature phase, these crystals were gro
wn using Na2O solution to avoid the alpha-beta phase transformation en
countered when crystals are grown directly from the melt. The grown cr
ystals were studied using scanning electron microscopy and the results
are reported.