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Phase stability of silicon during indentation at elevated temperature: evidence for a direct transformation from metallic Si-II to diamond cubic Si-I

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2011

S.K. Bhuyan
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
J.E. Bradby*
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
S. Ruffell
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
B. Haberl
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
C. Saint
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
J.S. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
P. Munroe
Affiliation:
Electron Microscope Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
*
Address all correspondence to J.E. Bradby at[email protected]
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Abstract

Nanoindentation-induced phase transformations in both crystalline silicon (c-Si) (100) and ion-implanted amorphous silicon have been studied at temperatures up to 200 °C. The region under the indenter undergoes rapid volume expansion at temperatures above 125 °C during unloading, which is indicated by “bowing” behavior in the load–displacement curve. Polycrystalline Si-I is the predominant end phase for indentation in crystalline silicon whereas high-pressure Si-III/Si-XII phases are the result of indentation in amorphous silicon. We suggest that the Si-II phase is unstable in a c-Si matrix at elevated temperatures and can directly transform to Si-I during the early stages of unloading.

Type
Rapid Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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