Experimental and theoretical investigation of formation of the oxygen-containing precipitate-dislocation loop system in silicon

A model of coherent and incoherent oxygen-containing precipitates formed in an anisotropic silicon crystal due to the decomposition of a supersaturated oxygen solid solution has been considered. The stresses acting inside and outside the precipitate have been determined in the framework of the classical Eshelby’s approach. A criterion has been proposed for the generation of the misfit dislocation and the onset of motion of the perfect interstitial dislocation loop lying in the precipitate plane. The proposed precipitate model and criterion have been used for determining the dependence of the precipitate radius that corresponds to the formation of the misfit dislocation and the onset of motion of the perfect interstitial dislocation loop when an external load is applied to the sample. The results obtained are compared with the available experimental data.