Cell formation and interfacial instability in laser-annealed Si-In and Si-Sb alloys

Abstract

The formation of cellular structures resulting from interfacial instability has been studied in indium- and antimony-implanted silicon after pulsed ruby laser annealing. The average cell sizes at the onset of instability and in the region of well-developed instability were determined using cross-section and plan-view electron microscopy, while the Rutherford backscattering ion-channeling technique was used to obtain solute concentration profiles. These results on average cell sizes and solute concentrations were compared with the predictions of the perturbation theory, which included the dependence of distribution coefficient on the velocity of solidification.