The effect of arsenic on the brittle-to-ductile transition in Si single crystals

Abstract

The brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT) in arsenic doped (001) CZ silicon single crystals has been experimentally studied. The temperature dependence of apparent fracture toughness was measured by three-point bending tests at various strain rates. The BDT temperature in arsenic doped silicon was found to be lower than that in non-doped. The activation energy was obtained from the strain rate dependence of the BDT temperature. It was found that the value of the activation energy in the arsenic doped silicon is lower than that in non-doped, suggesting that the dislocation velocity in the silicon single crystal was increased byarsenic doping. The effect of increasing in dislocation velocity on the BDT temperature was also investigated by two-dimensional discrete dislocation dynamics simulations, indicating that the BDT temperature is decreased by increasing in dislocation velocity. © 2009 The Japan Institute of Metals.