Computer simulation of high speed melting of amorphous silicon

The laser melting of amorphous Si is accurately modelled by computer calculations. It is found that the thermal conductivity of the amorphous phase must be set at approximately 10−2 W/cm K, a value much lower than that of crystalline material to obtain close agreement with experimental measurements. This low value is, however, consistent with the thermal conductivities of other amorphous materials. The results of the computations, when compared with experimental observations, confirm that the melting point of ion implanted amorphous Si is below that of crystalline Si, with a best estimate in the range 1185–1385 K.