Insulator-metal transitions at microindentations

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1992.0535· OSTI ID:7113619

Gilman, J J ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

For all tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors (5 Group IV plus nine III-V compounds, and nine II-VI compounds), it is shown that the critical pressure needed to transform the semiconductor into the metallic state correlates with the microindentation hardness number. The same is done for five alkaline earth oxides. The critical transition pressures have been estimated from Herzfeld's theory---that is, from the compression at which the dielectric constant diverges to infinity. Experimental transition pressures also correlate with hardness numbers, and they correlate with the activation energies for dislocation motion. Since these transitions are electronic they can be influenced by photons, doping (donors enhance while acceptors inhibit them), currents, surface states, etc. Microindentation also provides a simple experimental tool for observing pressure and/or shear induced transformations.

• OSTI ID: 7113619
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Vol. 7:3; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
CORRELATIONS
CRITICAL PRESSURE
DISLOCATIONS
HARDNESS
METALS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
LINE DEFECTS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
665000* - Physics of Condensed Matter- (1992-)