Theoretical Analysis of Explosively Propagating Molten Layers in Pulsed-Laser-Irradiated a−Si

Nanosecond-pulsed-laser melting of amorphous (a) Si on crystalline (c) Si substrates produces a highly undercooled liquid (l) that solidifies into a complex morphology. Recently developed techniques for including undercooling, interface kinetics, and nucleation in heat-flow calculations are used to analyze the experimental results. It is shown how explosive crystallization, involving the difference in the a- and c-phase latent heats, can produce a nearly self-sustaining crystallization front mediated by a thin l layer.