Phenomenological Theory of Explosive Solid Phase Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon. II. Dynamical Processes

Abstract

The autocatalytic or “explosive” solid-phase crystallization is due to the feed back of the liberated latent heat to the kinetics of the phase transition. The dynamics of the explosive solid-phase nucleation (ESPN) is studied by use of a model containing phenomenologically the coupling between matter and energy transport in crystallizing amorphous layers of silicon on insulators. The effect of lateral moving explosive crystallization fronts (wave front solution) discussed in part I of this paper is investigated by solving the coupled reaction-diffusion equations numerically. The evolution of the wave fronts (ignition and dying out) is discussed in dependence on the conditions of the initial temperature distribution, the heat losses and the competitive nucleation processes in the layer. Optimum conditions of ignition and spreading are found.