Devaud, G. | Search NASA

NASA NTRS1987

Microstructures of undercooled germanium droplets

Undercoolings at crystal nucleation onset of liquid Ge droplets are measured and the microstructures of the droplets are examined. Undercooling values ranging from 150-415 + or 20 C were obtained. It is observed that for the samples undercooled less than 300 C prior to solidification the grain size was greater than 100 microns; for samples undercooled between 300-400 C the grain size was between 50-100 microns; and for samples undercooled greater than 400 C the grain size was 10-20 microns. Consideration is given to dendritic growth and interfacial undercooling. It is noted that there is a correlation between undercooling and as-crystallized grain structure.

Devaud, G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Undercooling of molten silicon

Droplets of uncoated molten Si(0.4-0.8 mm diameter) have been undercooled 250 C. Ge droplets of similar size have been undercooled 280 C in a B2O3 flux. The observed nucleation onset temperatures of both Si and Ge droplets are at or below the predicted amorphous phase melting temperatures T(al). The solidified structures were polycrystalline. The nucleation frequency I, calculated from the Si data (20,000/cu cm s at 240 + or - 20 C undercooling), should be an upper limit of the homogeneous nucleation frequency of the crystal phase, since it has not been established that nucleation was homogeneous in these experiments. However, this limiting I for Si indicates that homogeneous nucleation of crystal would not become appreciable in laser pulsing experiments until the liquid Si is undercooled to well below T(al).

Devaud, G.↗