The Early Stage of Dislocation Process around a Crack Tip Observed by HVEM-Tomography in Silicon Single Crystals

Abstract

Crack tip dislocations in silicon single crystals were observed by combining high-voltage electron microscopy and electron tomography. Cracks were introduced by an indentation method and dislocations were introduced around the crack tip by keeping the indented sample at high temperatures for several hours. The number of dislocations emitted from the crack tip was controlled by changing the holding time of the indented specimen at high temperatures. The dislocations observed were characterized in detail. It was found that primary emitted dislocations all had the same Burgers vectors and that some dislocation segments cross-slipped around the crack. The local stress intensity factor due to dislocations was calculated, basing on the dislocation character obtained in this study, indicating that emitted dislocations shields mode I, II and III stress intensity at the crack tip. After the emission of the number of those dislocations, dislocations with another Burgers vector were emitted around the crack. It was found that those dislocations accommodate mode II and III stress components which are the excess shielding fields due to the dislocations primary emitted from the crack tip.