HIGH-PERFORMANCE MATERIAL AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

A process for producing a high-performance material, in which crystals constituting a material such as semiconductor can be micronized without deforming of the material configuration and without adding of impurity, and in which crystals can be grown with their orientations aligned, and in which an atom-scale composition gradient structure can be formed. A material such as an alloy or solid solution, or compound or mixed crystal thereof, or mixture of these, composed of two or more different elements or isotopes is subjected to a high gravitational filed treatment. In particular, gravity acceleration (G1) of equal to or greater than 10<SUP>4</SUP> g is applied at a temperature at which the material can retain its solid phase state, which temperature is equal to or greater than the recrystallization temperature. As a result, elements of large atomic weight undergo monoaxial displacement in the gravitational direction so as to bring about a marked one-dimensional lattice strain in the crystal structure, thereby realizing micronization of the crystals. When the treatment time is prolonged, element sedimentation would occur and growth with crystal orientations aligned would be attained, thereby realizing generation of an atom-scale composition gradient structure.