Modeling the Stress Evolution of Ion Beam Synthesized Nanocrystals

摘要

Under certain conditions, nucleation and growth can lead to substantial stresses in nanocrystals embedded in a host matrix. These stresses may be relaxed through subsequent annealing treatments. A model is presented for the relaxation of these stresses via diffusive processes within the matrix. The model reflects the effects of surface tension, potential phase transformations at or near the processing temperature, and differential thermal expansion. It is demonstrated that the model describes well the stress relaxation of ion beam synthesized Ge nanocrystals embedded in a silica matrix.