Twin-mediated crystal growth

The structure and origin of twin defects have been studied over the past half-century. Recently, there has been renewed interest in investigating the mechanisms by which twin defects facilitate the growth of bulk and nanoscale systems. This article reviews our understanding and experimental advances to unravel the complex role that twin defects play during crystal growth. The following topics are addressed: growth promotion at single and multiple, parallel and antiparallel twin boundaries; the role of {100} and {111} solid–liquid interfaces during crystallization; the application of realtime imaging to the study of crystal growth in the presence of twin defects; and suggested future research needed to shed light on the driving forces for twin-related phenomena. By providing a broad survey of the existing literature on twin-assisted crystal growth, we anticipate that our review will aid researchers in deciphering various growth forms that arise in materials processing applications.