Computer simulations of crystallization kinetics in amorphous silicon under pressure
- 15 March 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Journal of Applied Physics
- Vol. 111 (6), 063509
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3694735
Abstract
With the help of computer simulations we have studied the crystallization kinetics of amorphous silicon in solid phase epitaxial (SPE) and random nucleationgrowth processes. Our simulations employing classical molecular dynamics and first principles methods suggest qualitatively similar behavior in both processes. Pressure is found to reduce the difference in molar volumes and coordination numbers between the amorphous and crystalline phases, which in turn lowers the energy barrier of crystallization. The activation energy for the SPE growth of four coordinated diamond phase is found to reach a minimum (a maximum in growth rates) close to 10 GPa when its density becomes equal to that of the amorphous phase. The crystallization temperatures of successive high pressure phases of silicon are found to decrease, offering a possible explanation for the pressure induced crystallization reported in this material.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Molecular dynamics simulation of the recrystallization of amorphous Si layers: Comprehensive study of the dependence of the recrystallization velocity on the interatomic potentialJournal of Applied Physics, 2007
- Boron ripening during solid-phase epitaxy of amorphous siliconPhysical Review B, 2004
- In situx-ray diffraction study of silicon at pressures up to 15.5 GPa and temperatures up to 1073 KPhysical Review B, 2003
- Crystallization study of model tetrahedral semiconductorsJournal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2002
- NucleationPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,2002
- Molecular-dynamics simulations of solid-phase epitaxy of Si: Growth mechanismsPhysical Review B, 2000
- Mass effects on regrowth rates and activation energies of solid-phase epitaxy induced by ion beams in siliconPhysical Review B, 1999
- Projector augmented-wave methodPhysical Review B, 1994
- Phase diagram for amorphous solid waterPhysical Review E, 1993
- Ratio of the glass transition temperature to the melting point in polymersBritish Polymer Journal, 1970