The role of point defects in ion beam induced crystallization of silicon investigated by molecular dynamics simulations

The experimental data and the phenomenological models of ion beam induced e pitaxial crystallization (IBIEC) do not yet give unambiguous information ab out the role of point defects in IBIEC. In this work the influence of vacan cies and interstitials present at the amorphous/crystalline (a/c) interface is investigated by classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the Stillinger-Weber (SW) potential. The results show that vacancies near the interface always migrate to the interface and cause crystallization while i n the case of interstitials the situation is more complex. The results are discussed with respect to the experimental data and the assumptions made in the different phenomenological models. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.