Study on phase diagram of Bi2O3-SiO2 system for Bridgman growth of Bi4Si3O12 single crystal

Phase relation of Bi2O3-SiO2 system was evaluated experimentally from DTA a nd XRD measurements and its stable and metastable phase diagrams were propo sed. Although BSO melts near-congruently at 1025 degrees C in the stable ph ase equilibrium its melt crystallizes to form metastable phase Bi2SiO5 in a ccordance with the metastable phase diagram while cooling Therefore, BSO co uldn't nucleate and crystallize spontaneously without crystal seed and only Bi2SiO5 crystallized at about 850 degrees C with significant supercooling during Bridgman growth. BSO single crystal with 20x20x100mm(3) was grown in a vertical Bridgman furnace with a BSO seed according to its phase diagram The measuring results of scintillation properties of BSO specimen show tha t its decay constant is 91 ns (about 1/3 of EGO) and light output is 23% of EGO.