Abstract
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 we consider the thermodynamics of paracrystalline silicon as a function of the grain size and the temperature. We 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 (1000 K).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Materials Research Society Symposium - Proceedings |
| Editors | H.N.G. Wadley, G.H. Gilmer, W.G. Barker |
| Pages | 47-52 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Volume | 616 |
| State | Published - 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | New Methods, Mechanisms and Models of Vapor Deposition - San Francisco, CA, United States Duration: Apr 24 2000 → Apr 26 2000 |
Other
| Other | New Methods, Mechanisms and Models of Vapor Deposition |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | San Francisco, CA |
| Period | 4/24/00 → 4/26/00 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials