MRS Communications
- MRS Communications / Volume 2 / Issue 01 / 2012, pp 9-12
- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011
- Published online: 21 November 2011
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2011.24 (About DOI)
Rapid Communications
Phase stability of silicon during indentation at elevated temperature: evidence for a direct transformation from metallic Si-II to diamond cubic Si-I
S.K. Bhuyana1, J.E. Bradbya1 c1, S. Ruffella1, B. Haberla1, C. Sainta1, J.S. Williamsa1 and P. Munroea2
a1 Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
a2 Electron Microscope Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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.
(Received August 29 2011)
(Accepted November 03 2011)
Correspondence:
c1 Address all correspondence to J.E. Bradby at jodie.bradby@anu.edu.au
