Abstract
We present a method for the simulation of the kinetic evolution in the sub µs timescale for composite materials containing regions occupied by alloys, compounds, and mixtures belonging to the Ni-Si-C ternary system. Pulsed laser irradiation (pulses of the order of 100 ns) promotes this evolution. The simulation approach is formulated in the framework of the phase-field theory and it consists of a system of coupled non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs), which considers as variables the following fields: the laser electro-magnetic field, the temperature, the phase-field and the material (Ni, Si, C, C clusters and Ni-silicides) densities. The model integrates a large set of materials and reaction parameters which could also self-consistently depend on the model variables. A parameter calibration is also proposed, specifically suited for the wavelength of a widely used class of excimer lasers (λ = 308 nm). The model is implemented on a proprietary laser annealing technology computer-aided design (TCAD) tool based on the finite element method (FEM). This integration allows, in principle, numerical solutions in systems of any dimension. Here we discuss the complex simulation trend in the one-dimensional case, considering as a starting state, thin films on 4H-SiC substrates, i.e., a configuration reproducing a technologically relevant case study. Simulations as a function of the laser energy density show an articulated scenario, also induced by the variables’ dependency of the materials’ parameters, for the non-melting, partial-melting and full-melting process conditions. The simulation results are validated by post-process experimental analyses of the microstructure and composition of the irradiated samples.
Highlights
Ultra-fast heating/cooling cycles induced by pulsed laser irradiation with pulses of electro-magnetic power density in the ten-hundred ns range is, nowadays, relevant technology for the production of advanced materials, manufacturing of electronic devices and other high-tech applications [1,2]
We present a method for the simulation of the kinetic evolution in the sub μs timescale for composite materials containing regions occupied by alloys, compounds, and mixtures belonging to the Ni-Si-C ternary system
The simulation approach is formulated in the framework of the phase-field theory and it consists of a system of coupled non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs), which considers as variables the following fields: the laser electro-magnetic field, the temperature, the phase-field and the material (Ni, Si, C, C clusters and Ni-silicides) densities
Summary
Ultra-fast heating/cooling cycles (in the sub-10−6 s time scale) induced by pulsed laser irradiation with pulses of electro-magnetic power density in the ten-hundred ns range is, nowadays, relevant technology for the production of advanced materials, manufacturing of electronic devices and other high-tech applications [1,2]. The benefits of this annealing technique are localized-in-space heat sources (due to the nm range of the laser penetration depth in key-materials), very high peak temperatures in the source location, fast quenching with a negligible thermal budget in material regions tens of microns from the heat source [3]. The usual assumption is that in pulsed laser annealing, process mass transport does not occur in the non-melting regime, and LA modeling focuses on the prevalence of melting conditions
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