Homogeneous and interfacial heat releases in amorphous silicon.

Amorphous Si layers prepared by MeV Si implantation of (100) wafers have been studied by scanning and isothermal calorimetry. A homogeneous heat release of 5.1±1.2 kJ/mole and an interfacial heat release, due to crystallization, of 13.4±0.7 kJ/mole have been measured. Isothermal measurements unambiguously demonstrate the occurrence of the homogeneous release. The heat released isothermally at each temperature is between 6% and 8.5% of the total homogeneous release, and the time constants are only very weakly temperature dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]