Beta-induced decrease in the content of the Si-II, Si-XII, Si-III, and α-Si silicon phases formed under an indenter

Abstract

Volumes of the metastable Si-II, Si-XII, Si-III, and α-Si silicon phases in a locally deformed (Berkovich pyramid) region of unirradiated and beforehand irradiated Si single crystals are quantitatively estimated. Experimental data obtained by Raman spectroscopy and in situ detection of Si-I → Si-II silicon phase transformations under an indenter are used to calculate the volumes. The preliminary irradiation of silicon by β particles from a ⁹⁰Sr–⁹⁰Y source (fluence F = 3.24 × 10¹⁰ cm^–2, intensity I = 1.8 × 10⁵ cm^–2 s^–1) reduces the volume of these phases by a factor of more than 1.5.