These C-Si dumbbells agglomerate and once a critical radius is reached, the topotactic transformation into a SiC precipitate occurs \cite{werner97,lindner01}.
In contrast, investigations of strained Si$_{1-y}$C$_y$/Si heterostructures form
ed by MBE~\cite{strane94,guedj98}, which incidentally involve the formation of SiC nanocrystallites, suggest an initial coherent precipitation by agglomeration of substitutional instead of interstitial C.
These C-Si dumbbells agglomerate and once a critical radius is reached, the topotactic transformation into a SiC precipitate occurs \cite{werner97,lindner01}.
In contrast, investigations of strained Si$_{1-y}$C$_y$/Si heterostructures form
ed by MBE~\cite{strane94,guedj98}, which incidentally involve the formation of SiC nanocrystallites, suggest an initial coherent precipitation by agglomeration of substitutional instead of interstitial C.