U. Essmann et al., CONTAINERLESS GROWTH AND ANNEALING BEHAVIOR OF NIAL SINGLE-CRYSTALS, Physica status solidi. a, Applied research, 160(2), 1997, pp. 487-497
NiAl single crystals with diameters between 7 and 16 mm have been grow
n by the floating-zone technique. The melting was performed by radio-f
requency induction heating in a 0.7 x 10(5) Pa argon atmosphere. In th
e experimental set up special care was taken to keep the residual oxyg
en pressure at a very low level. The annealing behaviour of stoichiome
tric crystals as revealed by the residual resistance ratio appears to
be determined by thermal vacancies quenched in after the floating zone
has passed.