This paper is to investigate the growth of Nd:YVO4 (yttrium vanadate) crystal by the modified Czochralski technique with a submerged plate. Numerical studies are performed to examine melt convection and heat transfer during Nd:YVO4 growth. The attention is paid to study the effects of initial elevation of the submerged plate, crystal diameter, and melt level on melt inclusions. It is found that the increase in crystal rotation rate and crystal diameter, and the decrease in melt level will increase the axial temperature gradient at the edge and in the center of the crystal, and change the interface shape from convex to flat. The experiments are also carried out to confirm the feasibility of the proposed new technique for controlling melt inclusions in Nd:YVO4 crystal growth. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.