Abstract
Amorphous Si is nucleated heterogeneously at grain boundaries during irradiation of polycrystalline Si by 1.5 MeV Xe+ ions for temperatures of 150–225°C. Following formation at grain boundaries, the amorphous Si layer grows at a rate comparable to the growth rate of a pre-existing amorphous-crystal interface, resulting in a decrease in average grain size and a marked change in the grain size distribution. The heterogeneous nucleation kinetics of amorphous Si are strongly dependent on grain boundary structure. A simple atomistic model for amorphous phase formation, which suggests that the nucleation kinetics are dependent on the point defect mobilities and grain boundary structure, is related to the experimental results.
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Atwater, H.A., Brown, W.L. Crystal Stability and Microstructural Evolution in Polycrystalline Si Films During Ion Irradiation. MRS Online Proceedings Library 147, 107–112 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-147-107
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-147-107