Abstract
In order to study the crystal growth under pressure, we have developed a novel diamond anvil cell (DAC) which is thin enough to perform microscope observation using objective lenses with working distances greater than 6 mm. The cell permits one to apply the standard microscope techniques to investigation of phenomena taking place under high pressure We demonstrate the performance of the cell by showlng the observation of the movement of thin growth steps on a surface of an ADP crystal at 5.1 kbar. Aqueous solution growth of NH_4Cl crystals under presure is also reported as an example in which pressure has a remarkable effect on the growth behavior. In this case, facet formation was realized under high pressure, whereas dendritic growth was driven by pressure jump. It is indicated that, for the study of crystal growth, the DAC is a useful tool and the pressure is a significant parameter.
