In order to clarify formation kinetics of self-interstitial atoms (SIA) clusters in cubic silicon carbide (β-SiC) during irradiation, the nucleation and growth process of SIA-clusters were investigated by a kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation technique. It was found from the kinetic Monte Carlo simulations that the formation kinetics of SIA-clusters in β-SiC during irradiation was classified into the following two types, depending on temperature. At relatively high temperatures, the thermal stability of an SIA-cluster was crucial for the nucleation and growth of the cluster, in which the composition of the cluster was almost stoichiometric. In contrast, at relatively low temperatures where the cluster thermal stability was no longer crucial, even an SIA-cluster far from stoichiometric composition was formed.

Nucleation and Growth of Self-Interstitial Atom Clusters in β-SiC during Irradiation: Kinetic Monte-Carlo Modeling. Y.Watanabe, K.Morishita, Y.Yamamoto: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 2011, 269[14], 1698–701