Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
In this paper, we first describe and then demonstrate the soundness of a new experimental method that is designed to deliver a wide range of accurately measured nucleation rates of solids in supercooled liquid Si. The method utilizes thin-film processes, as well as laser-quenching and detection techniques, in order to first induce isothermal transformation and then extract the corresponding solid nucleation rates over a frequency range potentially greater than ten orders of magnitude. The technological and scientific gains that can result from acquiring such information are discussed.