Melting and rapid solidification were studied by means of in situ ultra-high voltage electron microscopy. Quenching from the partly molten state was also carried out. The lattice defects which were introduced were examined by means of conventional transmission electron microscopy. Planar defects, dislocations and defect clusters were found to form in the specimens. The results indicated that thermal point defects were associated with the formation of induced defects. Thermally induced stacking-fault tetrahedra indicated that clustering, and the collapse of thermal vacancies, occurred at high temperatures. Some of the dislocations were helical, and this showed that a strong interaction existed between induced dislocations and thermal point defects during cooling from high temperatures.

Lattice Defects in Silicon Rapidly Solidified from the Melt H.Nishizawa, F.Hori, R.Oshima: Physica B, 1999, 273-274, 383-6