Strain fields in diamondlike amorphous carbon
Journal
International Journal of Modern Physics B
Date Issued
2000
Author(s)
DOI
10.1142/S021797920000025X
Abstract
This paper reviews the fundamental ideas related to the concept of local atomic stresses and their application to the study of strain fields in ta-C. The calculations are based on Monte Carlo simulations within the empirical potential approach. We find that the stress distributions in ta-C are highly inhomogeneous, both in the bulk as well as in the surface and interface regions. There is a close relationship between local stress and hybridization. The most probable stress state for fourfold sites is compression, while threefold sites prefer to be under tension. Local-atomic behavior dominates longer-ranged stress conditions. Interdiffusion following thermal annealing is an important factor for the reduction of compressive stress in ta-C films grown on silicon substrates.