Phase transformations induced in relaxed amorphous silicon by indentation at room temperature

B. Haberl; J. E. Bradby; M. V. Swain; J. S. Williams; P. Munroe

doi:10.1063/1.1832757

Phase transformations induced in relaxed amorphous silicon by indentation at room temperature

B. Haberl^*, J. E. Bradby, M. V. Swain, J. S. Williams, P. Munroe

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The deformation behavior of self-ion-implanted amorphous-Si (a-Si) has been studied using spherical nanoindentation in both relaxed (annealed) and unrelaxed (as-implanted) a-Si. Interestingly, phase transformations were clearly observed in the relaxed state, with the load-unload curves from these samples displaying characteristic discontinuities and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images indicating the presence of high-pressure crystalline phases Si-III and Si-XII following pressure release. Thus, an amorphous to crystalline phase transformation has been induced by indentation at room temperature. In contrast, no evidence of a phase transformation was observed in unrelaxed a-Si, which appeared to deform via plastic flow of the amorphous phase. Furthermore, in situ electrical measurements clearly indicate the presence of a metallic Si phase during loading of relaxed a-Si but no such behavior was observed for unrelaxed a-Si

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5559-5561
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	85
Issue number	23
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1832757
Publication status	Published - 6 Dec 2004

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title = "Phase transformations induced in relaxed amorphous silicon by indentation at room temperature",

abstract = "The deformation behavior of self-ion-implanted amorphous-Si (a-Si) has been studied using spherical nanoindentation in both relaxed (annealed) and unrelaxed (as-implanted) a-Si. Interestingly, phase transformations were clearly observed in the relaxed state, with the load-unload curves from these samples displaying characteristic discontinuities and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images indicating the presence of high-pressure crystalline phases Si-III and Si-XII following pressure release. Thus, an amorphous to crystalline phase transformation has been induced by indentation at room temperature. In contrast, no evidence of a phase transformation was observed in unrelaxed a-Si, which appeared to deform via plastic flow of the amorphous phase. Furthermore, in situ electrical measurements clearly indicate the presence of a metallic Si phase during loading of relaxed a-Si but no such behavior was observed for unrelaxed a-Si",

author = "B. Haberl and Bradby, {J. E.} and Swain, {M. V.} and Williams, {J. S.} and P. Munroe",

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T1 - Phase transformations induced in relaxed amorphous silicon by indentation at room temperature

AU - Haberl, B.

AU - Bradby, J. E.

AU - Swain, M. V.

AU - Williams, J. S.

AU - Munroe, P.

PY - 2004/12/6

Y1 - 2004/12/6

N2 - The deformation behavior of self-ion-implanted amorphous-Si (a-Si) has been studied using spherical nanoindentation in both relaxed (annealed) and unrelaxed (as-implanted) a-Si. Interestingly, phase transformations were clearly observed in the relaxed state, with the load-unload curves from these samples displaying characteristic discontinuities and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images indicating the presence of high-pressure crystalline phases Si-III and Si-XII following pressure release. Thus, an amorphous to crystalline phase transformation has been induced by indentation at room temperature. In contrast, no evidence of a phase transformation was observed in unrelaxed a-Si, which appeared to deform via plastic flow of the amorphous phase. Furthermore, in situ electrical measurements clearly indicate the presence of a metallic Si phase during loading of relaxed a-Si but no such behavior was observed for unrelaxed a-Si

AB - The deformation behavior of self-ion-implanted amorphous-Si (a-Si) has been studied using spherical nanoindentation in both relaxed (annealed) and unrelaxed (as-implanted) a-Si. Interestingly, phase transformations were clearly observed in the relaxed state, with the load-unload curves from these samples displaying characteristic discontinuities and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images indicating the presence of high-pressure crystalline phases Si-III and Si-XII following pressure release. Thus, an amorphous to crystalline phase transformation has been induced by indentation at room temperature. In contrast, no evidence of a phase transformation was observed in unrelaxed a-Si, which appeared to deform via plastic flow of the amorphous phase. Furthermore, in situ electrical measurements clearly indicate the presence of a metallic Si phase during loading of relaxed a-Si but no such behavior was observed for unrelaxed a-Si

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JF - Applied Physics Letters

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Phase transformations induced in relaxed amorphous silicon by indentation at room temperature

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