Direct flow crystal growth system

This patent describes a method of growing a crystal having increased damage threshold, in a crystal growth tank filled with crystal growing solution. It comprises maintaining the solution in the tank at substantially its saturation temperature; continuously removing solution from the tank; heating the solution removed from the tank to a predetermined temperature above the saturation temperature; filtering the heated solution through a 0.5 micron filter; cooling the filtered heated solution to substantially its saturation temperature; continuously returning the cooled filtered solution to the tank; wherein the steps of removing, filtering, cooling and returning are performed in a continuous flow system