Atomic computer simulations of defect migration in 3C and 4H-SiC

Knowledge of the migration of intrinsic point defects is crucial to understand defect recovery, various annealing stages and microstructural evolution after irradiation or ion implantation. Molecular dynamics (MD) and the nudged-elastic band method have been applied to investigate long-range migration of point defects in SiC over the temperature range from 0.36 to 0.95 Tm , and the defect diffusion coefficient, activation energy and defect correlation factor have been determined. The results show that the activation energies for C and Si interstitials in 3C-SiC are about 0.74 and 1.53 eV, respectively, while it is about 0.77 eV for a C interstitial in 4H-SiC. The minima energy paths reveal that the activation energies for C and Si vacancies are about 4.1 and 2.35 eV, respectively. Finally, the results are discussed and compared with experimental observations and available ab initio data.