In-situ Observations on Dynamic Processes Associated with Stacking Faults and Deformation Twins in Silicon Crystals

Stacking faults and thin deformation twins are observed to develop during the in-situ deformation of silicon crystals at elevated temperatures in a HVEM. Both the nucleation and the motion of partial dislocations take place under the applied stress in the regions of the stress concentration. Twinning dislocations moving on twin boundaries are extremely flexible. The spontaneous nucleation of loops of twinning dislocation on twin boundaries is observed rather frequently. No pole mechanism is observed to be operating. Stacking faults and deformation twins interact with glide dislocations moving along the intersecting planes by various ways.     

Microplasticity of CsI crystals

The study of the mechanisms of plastic deformation of CsI crystals has found the participation of not only the main {110} 〈100〉 slip system but also of the secondary one {110} 〈110〉. Besides that, production and motion of point defects (or small prismatic loops) take place. The gliding on secondary slip system and the deformation accounted for by the generation and motion of point defects is facilitated at low temperatures and high deformation rates. The character of the motion and multiplication of dislocations in the main slip system is investigated. From the temperature and stress dependence of the mobility of isolated dislocations quantitative data on the thermally activated motion of edge dislocations on the main slip system have been obtained. It is shown that, as in the case of other alkali halides, the thermally activated motion of edge dislocations in CsI crystals on {110} 〈100〉 system is limited by their interaction with local obstacles.     

Influence of impurity atmosphere on the deformation of silicon crystals

The Alexander–Haasen theory, which describes the deformation kinetics of silicon crystals, has been generalized for impurity crystals. The deformation kinetics of an impurity sample is calculated in a wide range of parameters, including the cases of partial and complete entrainment of impurities by moving dislocations. The developed model, despite its simplicity, adequately describes the qualitative transformation of the stress–strain curves of impurity silicon crystals in dependence of the impurity concentration and other material parameters. The manifestation of negative velocity dependence of the yield stress, observed in natural experiments, is analyzed.     

Solid mechanics and material strength studies on the melt growth of bulk single crystals

Microdefects such as dislocations and macrocracking should be controlled during the crystal growth process to obtain high-quality bulk single crystals. Solid mechanics and material strength studies on the single crystals are of importance to solve the problems related to the generation and multiplication of dislocations and the cracking of single crystals. The present paper reviews such research activities that comprise the thermal stress analysis during crystal growth process, the dislocation density estimation during crystal growth process, and the cracking of single crystal due to thermal stress.     

Propagation behavior of threading dislocations during physical vapor transport growth of silicon carbide (SiC) single crystals

The dislocation formation and propagation processes in physical vapor transport (PVT) grown 4H silicon carbide (4H–SiC) single crystals have been investigated using defect selective etching and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that while the growth initiation process generally increased the density of threading dislocations in the grown crystal, for certain areas of the crystal, threading dislocations were terminated at the growth initiation. Foreign polytype inclusions also introduced a high density of dislocations at the polytype boundary. In the polytype-transformed areas of the crystal, almost no medium size hexagonal etch pits due to threading screw dislocations were observed, indicating that the foreign polytype inclusions had ceased the propagation of threading screw dislocations. Based on these results, we argued the formation and propagation of the threading dislocations in PVT grown SiC crystals, and proposed the dislocation conversion process as a plausible cause of the density reduction of threading dislocations during the PVT growth of SiC single crystals.     

Three-dimensional global analysis of thermal stress and dislocations in a silicon ingot during a unidirectional solidification process with a square crucible

A three-dimensional global model was used to obtain the solution of a thermal field within the entire furnace during a unidirectional solidification process of multicrystalline silicon with a square crucible. Then the thermal stress distribution in the silicon ingot was solved. Based on the solution of thermal stress, relaxation of stress and multiplication of dislocations were performed by using the Haasen–Alexander–Sumino model (HAS model). The influence of crucible constraint on stress levels and dislocations was investigated. It was found that the crucible constraint had significant influence on the thermal stresses and dislocations in the ingot. The results indicated that it is important to reduce the crucible constraint in order to relax thermal stresses and reduce dislocations in a silicon ingot during the solidification process.     

Dynamic Aspects of Dislocation Behaviour Near Low-Angle Boundary in Molybdenum Single Crystals

The dislocation behaviour was inventigated in specimens of monocrystals of molybdenium during in — situ stretching in the direction [001] near low — angle twist boundary which was close to be parallel to the direction of the external force. Low-angle boundary is easily penetrable for the fast moving nonscrew dislocations and acts as an effective stopper for screw dislocations which are quite parallel to the forming boundary dislocations. The mixed tipe dislocations emission by the low-angle boundary was noticed. On the stage when plastic deformation is performed mainly by the motion of screw dislocations the “relay-race”-like transmission of the dislocations motion through the boundary was observed.     

Structural Defects in Type I Diamonds

Natural gem diamonds of Type I single crystals were observed with an ultra high voltage transmission electron microscope in order to characterize structural defects such as dislocation, dislocation loops, and platelets. The results of analyses indicated that edge dislocations with Burgers vector 1/2 [011 1] and 60° dislocations which were inclined at an angle of 60° to 〈011〉 directions were present in the diamonds. Dislocation loops were concluded to be in interstitical character. It was speculated that an impurity associated with the platelets was silicon and dislocation loops were formed by dislocation motion.     

Luminescence during release of pressure in X-ray irradiated alkali halide crystals

Emission of light is found during application as well as release of uniaxial pressure in X-ray irradiated alkali halide crystals. As unpinning of dislocations can not take place, however, dislocations can move in backward directions during release of the pressure; the emission of light during release of pressure gives a direct support that the interaction of moving dislocations with F-centers is responsible for the emission of light during deformation of colored alkali halide crystals.     

An In-situ Investigation of the Creep Mechanisms of Aluminium at Intermediate Temperatures

In-situ deformation experiments are performed at 150 °C and 200 °C after a macroscopic creep test in polycrystalline aluminium. The significant microscopie events which take place during the constant strain rate stage of creep are subboundary migration and destruction, dislocation multiplication, interaction of individual dislocations with the three dimensional network inside the cells and with the subboundaries. The observations are discussed in terms of different models interpreting the measured activation energy and area.     

On the combined action of magnetic field and electric current on silicon plasticity

The specific features of the deformation behavior of low-resistivity p-type silicon single crystals have been studied using nontraditional methods of plastic deformation. Under the conditions of the combined action of a weak magnetic field and a direct electric current, a significant decrease in the plasticity of silicon is found during its active deformation when compared to the deformation in the absence of a magnetic field. An increase in the electrical conductivity of silicon samples subjected to active plastic deformation is found. The data that are obtained are compared with the previous data on single-crystal germanium. A possible explanation for the observed effects is given.     

In-situ Study on the Fatigue Process of Metals by HVEM

In-situ fatigue test on pre-fatigued aluminum single crystals and also in-situ tensile test of pre-fatigued copper-2 at.% aluminum alloy single crystals were carried out in an HVEM. In the Al crystals, forward and backward motion of dislocations, change of cell structures, formation of voids and crack propagation were directly observed in-situ by an HVEM under alternating stress. In the Cu-Al crystals, it was observed that slip occurred only in the part of the persistent slip bands during in-situ tensile deformation in an HVEM.     

A crowdion mechanism of crystal twinning

The processes of plastic deformation of crystals via mechanical twinning are considered. Models of nucleation and motion of twin boundaries leading to formation of twin interlayers are proposed. These models are based on the crowdion mechanism of deformation in crystals and are considered by an example of close-packed structures. Good agreement between the predictions of the models proposed and the experimental results for crystals deformed by a concentrated load is demonstrated.     

The role of dislocations in the formation of mechanical stresses during annealing of gallium arsenide single crystals

The effect of dislocations on the change of mechanical stresses in undoped semi-insulating gallium arsenide single crystals has been studied during their annealing in vacuum and in the arsenic atmosphere. The phenomena observed are explained by the effect of dislocations playing the role of channels for arsenic diffusion on the concentration of intrinsic point defects in the crystal regions surrounding dislocations. The mechanism of arsenic diffusion over dislocations allows one to consider dislocations as sources and sinks of arsenic without the translational and twinning processes and, thus, makes the well-known data on the reactions of dislocation interaction with point defects and the experimental structural data for single crystals more consistent.     

Localization of plastic deformation in Cu and Ni single crystals

The patterns of plastic flow in fcc Cu and Ni single crystals oriented in a way to provide easy slip are studied. The main space-time characteristics of deformation localization at the stages of easy slip and linear strengthening in these single crystals are established. The relation between the orientation of the sites of deformation localization and the crystallography of the slip systems in the samples is studied. The velocity of the motion of the deformation-localization sites during sample tension is determined.     

Mechanism of spatial ordering of dislocations during plastic deformation of crystals

Mechanisms of spatial ordering of dislocations during plastic deformation of crystals are considered. The system of evolution equations, which take into account the effects of elastic and correlated interactions of screw dislocations, is derived. The study is performed with due regard for the dynamics of spatial fluctuations of the dislocation density.     

Effect of plastic deformation of the thermoluminescence of γ-irradiated NaCl and KCl Crystals

The overall thermoluminescence (TL) intensity of γ-irradiated NaCl crystals initially increases and then decreases with the number of newly-created dislocations. However, the overall TL intensity of γ-irradiated KCl crystals increases with the increasing number of newly created dislocations. The TL spectra are recorded for different plastic deformations at different temperatures. It is found that the plastic deformation has no considerable effect on the TL spectra of γ-irradiated NaCl and KCl crystals. Trap destruction model and trap competition model are discussed for the decrease in the TL intensity with deformation of the crystals. The physical ideas behind the increases in the relative intensity of glow peaks and the appearance of new glow peaks are explored.     

The Influence of High Temperature Predeformation on Ductility of LiF and BaF2 Single Crystals

The effect of high temperature predeformation on deformation characteristics of ductile LiF and brittle BaF₂ crystals was investigated. The same predeformation, as has been shown previously, leads to the increasing of the limited plastic deformation of MgO crystals by one order of magnitude. It was found that in both investigated crystals, as in the case of MgO crystals, at the test temperature T₂ ≅ 0.1 T_m limited plastic deformation before fracture obviously increases if the specimen was prestrained up to ε_p ≦ 1% at T₁ = 0.5 T_m. This increase is as higher as the plasticity of crystal is lower. In BaF₂ crystals it reaches a factor of 20 and more. The effect is connected with the creation of mobile dislocations during the high temperature predeformation and dislocaton sources for subsequent deformation at lower temperatures and with the homogeneity of the process of plastic deformation. These conditions prevent the appearance of dangerous places in which the fracture can begin.