Phase-field modeling of twin-related faceted dendrite growth of silicon

Abstract

We investigated the growth of a twin-related silicon dendrite through a novel phase-field model. The correctness of the model for an equilibrium twined crystal was examined first before we modeled the faceted dendrite growth. The simulated morphologies of 〈112〉 and 〈110〉 faceted dendrites were consistent with experimental observations. The growth orientation of the simulated dendrite depended on the growth rates at the ridges and the re-entrant corners. We further extended the Twin-Plane-Reentrant-Edge (TPRE) mechanism and then proposed a new growth model for faceted dendrites based on our simulations. The undercooling and twin spacing could affect the growth rates at the ridges and the re-entrant corners, which were also explained by the proposed model.