= Crystal growth
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<Crystal growth> adds atoms, ions or molecules to an ordered <crystal> structure from a melt, solution or vapor. Growth competes with nucleation: a seed can favor one growing <crystal>, whereas many independent nuclei can produce a polycrystalline solid. <Temperature> and concentration <gradients> control transport to the interface, while interfacial attachment determines how arriving species join the lattice. A flat interface is not guaranteed; instabilities can create cellular or dendritic shapes. <Epitaxy> is the special case where a substrate guides the orientation of the growing crystalline layer.
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