Stationary dislocation motion at stresses significantly below the Peierls stress: Example of shuffle screw and [formula omitted] dislocations in silicon

Abstract

The stationary motion of shuffle screw and 60∘ dislocations in silicon when the applied shear, τap, is much below the static Peierls stress,τpmax, is proved and quantified through a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 1 K and 300 K, and also by solving the continuum-level equation of motion, which uses the atomistic information as inputs. The concept of a dynamic Peierls stress, τpd, below which a stationary dislocation motion can never be possible, is built upon a firm atomistic foundation. In MD simulations at 1 K, the dynamic Peierls stress is found to be 0.33GPa for a shuffle screw dislocation and 0.21GPa for a shuffle 60∘ dislocation, versus τpmax of 1.71GPa and 1.46GPa, respectively. The critical initial velocity v0c(τap) above which a dislocation can maintain a stationary motion at τpd<τap<τpmax is found. The velocity dependence of the dissipation stress associated with the dislocation motion is then characterized and informed into the equation of motion of dislocation at the continuum level. A stationary dislocation motion below τpmax is attributed to: (i) the periodic lattice resistance smaller than τpmax almost everywhere; and (ii) the change of a dislocation’s kinetic energy, which acts in a way equivalent to reducing τpmax. The results obtained here open up the possibilities of a dynamic intensification of plastic flow and defects accumulations, and consequently, the strain-induced phase transformations. Similar approaches can be applicable to partial dislocations, twin and phase interfaces.