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The Grain Size Distribution in Crystallization Processes With Anisotropic Growth Rate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Kimberly S. Lokovic
Affiliation:
klokovic@gmail.com, California State University Long Beach, Physics & Astronomy, 90840, California, United States
Ralf B. Bergmann
Affiliation:
bergmann@bias.de, Bremen Institute for Applied Beam Technology, Bremen, Germany
Andreas Bill
Affiliation:
abill@csulb.edu, California State University Long Beach, Physics & Astronomy, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, California, 90840, United States, 5629858616, 5629857924
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Abstract

The grain size distribution allows characterizing quantitatively the microstructure at different stages of crystallization of an amorphous solid. We propose a generalization of the theory we established for spherical grains, to the case of grains with ellipsoidal shape. We discuss different anisotropic growth mechanisms of the grains in thin films. An analytical expression of the grain size distribution is obtained for the case where grains grow through a change of volume while keeping their shape invariant. The resulting normalized grain size distribution is shown to be affected by anisotropy through the time-decay of the effective growth rate.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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