History of the industrial production and technical development of single crystal cultured quartz

Quartz is an important part of the history of the frequency control industry over the last fifty years. Today, single crystal cultured quartz is the most widely used material in frequency control and ranks second only to silicon in the quantity of single crystal materials produced for all electronic applications. Several research groups around the world succeeded with projects to culture quartz beginning in the mid-1950´s. The first commercial process for quartz growth was developed in 1956. Since then the growth and improved performance of frequency control components have related closely to the technical and commercial development of quartz. Quartz crystal production is concentrated in Japan, the USA, China and Russia. These geographic sectors have followed diverse paths to significantly different industry structures and technical focus. Miniaturization, improved performance, and lower cost are the main economic and technical factors influencing all stages of the electronics industry from material production to equipment distribution. The technical and commercial history of quartz is guided by these same drivers, resulting in advances to improve purity, lower inclusion density, and improve structural perfection, while lowering cost and expanding availability. These developments in the quartz growth industry have enabled frequency control component manufacturers to produce smaller, less expensive components, in huge volume, with improved performance.