Dynamic observation of dislocation evolution and interaction with twin boundaries in silicon crystal growth using in – situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction imaging

Abstract

The grown-in dislocation dynamics and interaction mechanisms with growth twins are investigated in-situ during the directional solidification of silicon crystal. The melting, solidification and cooling down process is performed in a dedicated installation at the European synchrotron radiation facility and is fol-lowed by X-ray Bragg diffraction imaging techniques (X-ray topography) at the mesoscale in real-time. Existing dislocations in the seed are observed to propagate in the up-grown crystal via replicas. They ex-pand vertically with the moving solid-liquid interface being always aligned perpendicular to the growth front. During the solidification process when they meet a growth twin lamella ( 3{111}), they neither pile-up nor transmit through the boundary. They are blocked by the twin, but they continue to move laterally behind the growth front due to the thermomechanical stresses in the system. The existence of dis-locations at the solidliquid interface, their evolution and interaction with twin boundaries is discussed, as growth proceeds, based on a detailed crystallographic analysis of the system.

Multicrystalline Informatics Applied to Multicrystalline Silicon for Unraveling the Microscopic Root Cause of Dislocation Generation

“…As shown in Figure 2a, as well as in the squared area of 10 mm × 10 mm in Figure S1c (Supporting Information), we could successfully identify the grain in which a dislocation cluster generates, by 3D reconstruction using the processed PL and optical images. The shape of dislocation clusters elongated along the growth direction, as previously reported, [24,25,43] suggesting that they were generated and enlarged just below the solid-liquid interface.…”

General Molecular Dynamics Approach to Understand the Mechanical Anisotropy of Monocrystalline Silicon under the Nanoscale Effects of Point Defect

“…Dislocation dynamics studies suggested that the crystallographic performance of silicon is related to the dislocation behaviors [ 45 ]. Research and direct observations [ 46 , 47 ] about silicon crystal have also indicated that the slip of dislocations is related to fracture and strength reduction.…”

Imperfect makes perfect: defect engineering of photoelectrodes towards efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

“…Both edge dislocations and screw dislocations are part of the misalignment of atomic arrangement in the crystal, and the slip direction and dislocation line are vertical and parallel, respectively. 66 Since excessive dislocations can interact with electrons to inhibit the formation of vacancies and lead to reduced charge transport efficiency, 67 controlling the concentration of dislocations is very important in semiconductors with line defects. The Williamson–Hall (W–H) method 68 is used to estimate the dislocation density ( δ ) value of a semiconductor by using the formula ε = β cos θ /4 (Stokes–Wilson equation) δ = 1/ D 2 .…”