Amorphous-silicon formation by rapid quenching: A molecular-dynamics study

We have studied the formation of amorphous silicon by rapid quenching of the melt using the Stillinger-Weber potential to model the interaction between silicon atoms. By quenching the melt at a rate of 3×{}10¹⁴ K/s we form amorphous silicon. Excellent agreement with the experimental neutron scattering structure factor is obtained. In our sample of amorphous silicon, approximately 88% of the atoms have a coordination number of 4 while 12% have a coordination number of 5. The distribution in space of the fivefold-coordinated atoms is not uniform.