The influence of stress, strain and fracture of crystals on the crystal growth process

Abstract

An examination has been made of the regrowth of fractured and strained crystals in an effort to define the potential influence of attrition on the defect structure of a regrown crystal and hence on its growth rate. The primary consequence of regrowth is the development of lattice strain at the newly formed interface. The degree of strain depends on the nature of the original damage and the rate of refacetting. The strain may be released plastically by the formation of dislocations or it may be retained. The dislocations so formed can contribute to the growth process and enhance the growth rate in proportion to the number formed. Elastic strain leads to a reduction in growth rate. Thus the distribution of dislocation and strain in different crystals could lead to growth rate dispersion. The possibility that similar processes could contribute to growth rate dispersion in micro-crystals is discussed.