The use of molecular dynamics simulation methods to study disordering and ion implantation was considered with regard to the methodology and the interatomic potential. It was shown that, in Si, a displacement cascade resulted in a distinct primary state of damage that was dominated by large pockets of highly unrelaxed amorphous-like disordered material. The amorphous volumes that were produced by 5keV Si cascades contained about 1000 atoms; corresponding to an energy of about 10eV/atom. The replacement collision sequences were found to be very short and, as a result, very few point defects appeared as a result of the displacement cascade. It was noted that, upon annealing the damaged microstructure at high temperatures, the amorphous pockets recrystallized and led to the freezing-in of vacancies, self-interstitials and clusters.

M.J.Caturla, T.Diaz de la Rubia, G.H.Gilmer: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1995, 106[1-4], 1-8