It was noted that transient supersaturation in a system undergoing Ostwald ripening was related to the cluster formation energy as a function of cluster size. This relationship was used to study the energetics of self-interstitial clusters. Measurements of transient enhanced B diffusion in Si-implanted material were used to determine the transient supersaturation, and inverse modelling was used to derive the cluster formation energy as a function of cluster size. For clusters with more than 15 atoms, the energy was about 0.8eV. This was close to the fault energy of {113} defects. For clusters with less than 10 atoms, the cluster formation energy was typically 0.5eV higher. More stable clusters existed which had 4 or 8 members; with cluster formation energies of 1.0 and 0.6eV, respectively.

Energetics of Self-Interstitial Clusters in Si. N.E.B.Cowern, G.Mannino, P.A.Stolk, F.Roozeboom, H.G.A.Huizing, J.G.M.Van Berkum, F.Cristiano, A.Claverie, M.Jaraíz: Physical Review Letters, 1999, 82[22], 4460-3