Molecular dynamics methods were used to study disordering and amorphization processes in material which was bombarded with Si and Au ions. Large disordered domains, which consisted of interstitials and antisite defects, were created in the cascades that were produced by Au primary knock-on atoms. The Si primary knock-on atoms generated only small interstitial clusters; with most defects being single interstitials and vacancies that were distributed over a large region. No evidence of amorphization was found at the end of the cascades which were created by Si recoils. However, structure analysis indicated that the large disordered domains which were generated by Au recoils could be defined as being an amorphous cluster which lacked long-range order. The driving force for amorphization in this material was the local accumulation of Frenkel pairs and antisite defects. These results were in good agreement with observed higher disordering rates, and the residual disorder which existed after Au2+ bombardment and annealing. They were associated with a higher probability of in-cascade amorphization or the formation of a large disordered cluster.

Computer Simulation of Disordering and Amorphization by Si and Au Recoils in 3C-SiC. F.Gao, W.J.Weber: Journal of Applied Physics, 2001, 89[8], 4275-81