In situ transmission electron microscope investigation of the annealing of copper precipitate colonies in silicon

Abstract

The annealing of copper precipitate colonies in silicon single crystals has been followed in situ in the electron microscope hot stage. The colony dissolution was found to be a two‐stage process; the first stage involved the enveloping dislocations and the precipitates attached to these only. The onset of the second stage was associated with a phase transformation and the generation of dislocations from all of the colony precipitates.