A relatively large discrepancy was found in the molar volume of silicon cry
stals used to determine the Avogadro constant by means of the X-ray and cry
stal density (XRCD) method. Voids are suspected to cause the difference in
the molar volume. Infrared laser scattering tomography, Secco-etching, elec
tron spin resonance, and X-ray topography have been applied to the silicon
crystal of the National Research Laboratory of Metrology to detect voids, H
owever, no voids were observed in the crystal.