Selective etching of habit faces of ferroelectric Ca2Sr(C2H5CO2)6 crystals

Crystallographically oriented etch traces produced by selective etchant on (111) and (110) habit faces of dicalcium strontium propionate Ca₂Sr(C₂H₅CO₂)₆] crystals are attributed to the growth traces nucleated during the superficial growth of crystal. This view is supported by the absence of such etch traces on seized habit faces and from the observations of layer structure on the bottom faces. Mother liquid acting as an etchant produces circular terraced depressions on habit faces. These depressions originate at the sites of isolated impurity centres. Identical features such as circular etch structures bounded by cylindrical outer periphery produced on cooled faces are attributed to isolated domains.