Method of retaining melt of oxide

Abstract

In order to stably retain an oxide-based melt consisting essentially of yttrium or a lanthanoid element, barium, copper and oxygen at a prescribed temperature with no impurity contamination thereby preparing a large oxide crystal of high quality from the melt, an oxide melt consisting essentially of yttrium or a lanthanoid element, barium, copper and oxygen is stored in a first crucible, which in turn is held in a second crucible. The first crucible is made of a material which is an oxide of at least one element forming the melt having a melting point higher by at least 10.degree. C. than a melt retention temperature and causing no structural phase transition up to a temperature higher by 10.degree. C. than the aforementioned prescribed temperature, with solubility of not more than 5 atomic percent with respect to the melt in a temperature range from the room temperature to a temperature higher by 10.degree. C. than the melt retention temperature. The second crucible is made of a material substantially causing neither melting nor chemical reaction with respect to the oxide-based melt, which can retain the melt more stably than the first material. Even if the melt overflows the first crucible, this overflow is suppressed by the second crucible. It is possible to prepare a crystal of an oxide superconductor such as YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x (0.ltoreq.X.ltoreq.1) by the pulling method from the melt which is stored in the first crucible.