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Thermodynamics of paracrystalline silicon

Conference ·
OSTI ID:755873

Fluctuation microscopy experiments have shown that the as-deposited structure of amorphous silicon thin films is paracrystalline. A paracrystal consists of small (< 3 nm in diameter) topologically crystalline grains separated by a disordered matrix. Here the authors consider the thermodynamics of paracrystalline silicon as a function of the grain size and the temperature. They offer a simple model that qualitatively explains the observed metastability of the ordered structure at low temperature (300 K), the relaxation towards a more disordered structure at intermediate temperatures (600 K), and the recrystallization at high temperatures (1,000 K).

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
755873
Report Number(s):
ANL/MSD/CP-101848
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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