Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
The effects of arsenic doping on the solidification dynamics during pulsedmelting of silicon have been studied using the transient conductancetechnique. At As concentrations below 1 at.%, the incorporation of As intothe Si lattice results in negligible differences in the solidificationdynamics. Between 2 and 7 at.% As, however, the interface velocity isdramatically modified as the liquid-solid interface crosses the Ascontaining region. These velocity changes are consistent with a reducedmelting temperature for Si-As alloys. For concentrations of 11 at.% As, thedepression in the melting temperature is sufficient to allow the surface tosolidify while considerable melt remains buried within the sample. At 16at.%, the melting temperature is drastically reduced and internal nucleationof melt occurs prior to normal surface melting.