Abstract
Semiconductors are the materials that underlie nearly all modern electron ics. They include elemental solids, such as silicon and germanium, as well as compounds such as gallium arsenide and silicon carbide. Since their main use is in electronic applications, semiconductors are not usually thought of as structural materials. Nevertheless there are important reasons, both technological and scientific, for the study of mechanical properties of semiconductors. The developing field of micro-machines, from micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to nanotechnology, relies on fabrication techniques developed for electronic devices to make microscopic mechanical system. To a large extent it is the link between these fabrication techniques, including deposition, masking, and etching, and the materials that has driven the use of semiconductors as structural components. On a more fundamental level, the ability to fabricate extremely pure and nearly defect free samples makes semiconductors excellent model systems for studying the physics of fracture. In this section I will attempt to give an overview of the ways in which atomistic simulations have been applied to fracture in semiconductors using a number of illustrative examples.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
K.B. Broberg, Cracks and Fracture, Academic Press, San Diego, 1999.
G.R. Irwin, “Analysis of stresses and strains near the end of a crack traversing a plate,” J. Appl. Mech., 24, 361–364, 1957.
A.A. Griffith, “The phenomena of rupture and flow in solids,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London A, 221, 163, 1921.
J.P. Hirth and J. Lothe, Theory of Dislocations, 2nd edn., Wiley, New York, 1992.
D. Farkas and R.L.B. Selinger, “Atomistics of fracture,” Article 2.23, this volume.
J. Samuels and S.G. Roberts, “The brittle-ductile transition in silicon. I. Experiments,” Proc. Roy. Soc. London A, 421, 1–23, 1989.
M.L. Cohen, “Concepts for modeling electrons in solids,” Article 1.2, this volume.
W.A. Harrison, Electronic Structure and the Properties of Solids., Freeman, San Francisco, 1980.
M.J. Mehl and D.A. Papaconstantopoulos, “Tight-binding total energy methods for magnetic materials and multi-element systems,” Article 1.14, this volume.
C.Z. Wang and K.M. Ho, “Environment-dependent tight-binding potential models,” Article 1.15, this volume.
J. Justo, “Interatomic potentials: covalent bonds,” Article 2.4, this volume.
P. Haasen, Physical Metallurgy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986.
A.Y. Liu, and M.L. Cohen, “Prediction of new low compressibility solids,” Science, 245, 841–842, 1989.
J.R. Rice, “Dislocation nucleation from a crack tip: an analysis based on the Peierls concept,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 40, 239–271, 1992.
C.R.A. Catlow, “Perspective: energy minimisation techniques in materials modelling,” Article 2.7, this volume.
J. Li, “Basic molecular dynamics,” Article 2.8, this volume.
B. Lawn, Fracture of Brittle Solids, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 148, 1993.
R. Perez and P. Gumbsch, “An ab initio study of the cleavage anisotropy in silicon,” Acta Mater, 48, 4517–4530, 2000.
D.J. Bammann, “Perspective: continuum modeling of mesoscale/macroscale phenomena,” Article 3.2, this volume.
M. Marder, “Molecular dynamics of cracks,” Comp. Sci. Eng., l, 48–55, 1999.
I. Beery, U. Lev, and D. Sherman, “On the lower limiting velocity of a dynamic crack in brittle solids,” J. Appl. Phys., 93, 2429–2434, 2003.
L.B. Freund, Dynamic Fracture Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998.
S. Kohlhoff, P. Gumbsch, and H.R Fischmeister, “Crack propagation in BCC crystals studied with a combined finite-element and atomistic model,” Phil. Mag. A, 64, 851–878, 1991.
Y. Mishin, “Interatomic potentials: metals,” Article 2.2, this volume.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bernstein, N. (2005). Atomistic Simulations of Fracture in Semiconductors. In: Yip, S. (eds) Handbook of Materials Modeling. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3286-8_45
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3286-8_45
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3287-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3286-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)