Investigations on the Growth and Microhardness Studies of Ga2-xFexO3 Single Crystals

Single crystals of Gallium ferrite Ga2 -xFexO3 (x = 0.8, 1 and 1.2) were grown by optical floating zone technique. X-ray diffraction analysis clearly indicated the manifestation of Vegard's law. Microhardness at a particular load was found to be independent of loading time. Variation with load exhibits a non-linear phenomenon, which is discussed in detail. Microhardness decreases with Fe content due to lattice expansion. Transformation from palmqvist to median cracks was observed in all compositions with increasing load. Mechanical parameters such as crack length, fracture toughness, brittleness index, and yield strength were calculated and their impact on Fe concentrations was discussed.