Due to promising advantages over the Tersoff potential the bond order potential of Erhard and Albe is used.
A time step of one fs is set.
-\subsection{Initial simulations}
+\subsection{Simulations at temperatures used in ion beam synthesis}
+\label{subsection:initial_sims}
In initial simulations aiming to reproduce a precipitation process simulation volumes of $31\times 31\times 31$ unit cells are utilized.
Periodic boundary conditions in each direction are applied.
Here is the problem.
The excess amount of next neighboured strongly bounded C-C bonds in the high concentration simulations make these configurations energetically more favorable compared to the low concentration configuration.
However, in the same way a lot of energy is needed to break these bonds to get out of the local energy minimum advancing towards the global minimum configuration.
-Thus, this transformation is very unlikely to happen.
+Thus, such conformational chamges are very unlikely to happen.
This is in accordance with the constant total energy observed in the continuation step of 100 ps inbetween the end of carbon insertion and the cooling process.
Obviously no energetically favorable relaxation is taking place at a system temperature of $450\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.
This indicates the formation of an amorphous SiC-like phase.
In fact the resulting Si-C and C-C radial distribution functions compare quite well with these obtained by cascade amorphized and melt-quenched amorphous SiC using a modified Tersoff potential \cite{gao02}.
-The question of the formation of such an amoprhous phase, although experiments show crystalline 3C-SiC precipitates at prevailing temperatures remains.
-The answer is found in the short range and abrupt cut-off of the employed bond order potential.
-The abrupt cut-off, which ... to zero betwenn the first and second next neighbour distance, is responsible for overestimated and unphysical high forces of next neighboured atoms.
-Indeed it is not only the C-C bonds which seem to be unbreakable.
-Also the C-Si pairs, as observed in the low concentration simulations, are stuck.
-This can be seen from the almost horizontal progress of the total energy graph in the continuation step, even for the low concentartion simulation.
-Longer time scales might on the one hand be not sufficient enough and on the other hand not .
-Alternatively higher temperatures to speed up or actually make possible the precipitation simulation are needed.
+\subsection{Limitations of conventional MD and short range potentials}
-{\color{red}Todo: Read again about the accelerated dynamics methods and maybe explain a bit more here.}
+At first the formation of an amorphous SiC-like phase is unexpected since IBS experiments show crystalline 3C-SiC precipitates at prevailing temperatures.
+On closer inspection, however, reasons become clear, which are discussed in the following.
-Finally explain which methods will be applied in the following.
+The first reason is a general problem of MD simulations in conjunction with limitations in computer power, which results in a slow and restricted propagation in phase space.
+In molecular systems, characteristic motions take place over a wide range of time scales.
+Vibrations of the covalent bond take place on the order of $10^{-14}\,\text{s}$ of which the thermodynamic and kinetic properties are well described by MD simulations.
+To avoid dicretization errors the integration timestep needs to be chosen smaller than the fastest vibrational frequency in the system.
+On the other hand, infrequent processes, such as conformational changes, reorganization processes during film growth, defect diffusion and phase transitions are processes undergoing long-term evolution in the range of microseconds.
+This is due to the existence of several local minima in the free energy surface separated by large energy barriers compared to the kinetic energy of the particles, that is the system temperature.
+Thus, the average time of a transition from one potential basin to another corresponds to a great deal of vibrational periods, which in turn determine the integration timestep.
+Hence, time scales covering the neccessary amount of infrequent events to observe long-term evolution are not accessible by traditional MD simulations, which are limited to the order of nanoseconds.
+New methods have been developed to bypass the time scale problem like hyperdnyamics (HMD) \cite{voter97,voter97_2}, parallel replica dynamics \cite{voter98}, temperature acclerated dynamics (TAD) \cite{sorensen2000} and self-guided dynamics (SGMD) \cite{wu99} retaining proper thermodynmic sampling.
+
+In addition to the time scale limitation, problems attributed to the short range potential exist.
+The sharp cut-off funtion, which limits the interacting ions to the next neighboured atoms by gradually pushing the interaction force and energy to zero between the first and second next neighbour distance, is responsible for overestimated and unphysical high forces of next neighboured atoms \cite{tang95,mattoni2007}.
+Indeed it is not only the strong C-C bond which is hard to break inhibiting carbon diffusion and further rearrengements.
+This is also true for the low concentration simulations dominated by the occurrence of C-Si dumbbells spread over the whole simulation volume.
+The bonds of these C-Si pairs are also affected by the cut-off artifact preventing carbon diffusion and agglomeration of the dumbbells.
+This can be seen from the almost horizontal progress of the total energy graph in the continuation step, even for the low concentration simulation.
+The unphysical effects inherent to this type of model potentials are solely attributed to their short range character.
+However, since valueable insights into various physical properties can be gained using this potentials, modifications mainly affecting the cut-off were designed.
+One possibility is to simply skip the force contributions containing the derivatives of the cut-off function, which was successfully applied to reproduce the brittle propagation of fracture in SiC at zero temperature \cite{mattoni2007}.
+Another one is to use variable cut-off values scaled by the system volume, which properly describes thermomechanical properties of 3C-SiC \cite{tang95} but might be rather ineffective for the challange inherent to this study.
+
+To conclude the obstacle needed to get passed is twofold.
+The sharp cut-off of the used bond order model potential introduces overestimated high forces between next neighboured atoms enhancing the problem of slow phase space propagation immanent to MD simulations.
+Thus, pushing the time scale to the limits of computational ressources or applying one of the above mentioned accelerated dynamics methods exclusively will not be sufficient enough.
+
+Instead the first approach followed in this study, is the use of higher temperatures as exploited in TAD to find transition pathways of one local energy minimum to another one more quickly.
+Since merely increasing the temperature leads to different equilibrium kinetics than valid at low temperatures, TAD introduces basin-constrained MD allowing only those transitions that should occur at the original temperature and a properly advancing system clock \cite{sorensen2000}.
+The TAD corrections are not applied in coming up simulations.
+This is justified by two reasons.
+First of all a compensation of the overestimated bond strengthes due to the short range potential is expected.
+Secondly there is no conflict applying higher temperatures without the TAD corrections, since crystalline 3C-SiC is also observed for higher temperatures than $450\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ in IBS \cite{lindner01}.
+It is therefore expected that the kinetics affecting the 3C-SiC precipitation are not much different at higher temperatures aside from the fact that it is occuring much more faster.
+Moreover, the interest of this study is focused on structural evolution of a system far from equilibrium instead of equilibrium properties which rely upon proper phase space sampling.
+On the other hand, during implantation, the actual temperature inside the implantation volume is definetly higher than the experimentally determined temperature tapped from the surface of the sample.
\subsection{Increased temperature simulations}
-\subsection{Simulations at temperatures exceeding the silicon melting point}
+Due to the limitations of short range potentials and conventional MD as discussed above elevated temperatures are used in the following.
+The simulation sequence and other parameters aside system temperature remain unchanged as in section \ref{subsection:initial_sims}.
+Since there is no significant difference among the $V_2$ and $V_3$ simulations only the $V_1$ and $V_2$ simulations are carried on and refered to as low carbon and high carbon concentration simulations.
+Temperatures ranging from $450\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ up to $2050\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ are used.
-LL Cool J is hot as hell!
+A simple quality value $Q$ is introduced, which helps to estimate the progress of structural evolution.
+In bulk 3C-SiC every C atom has four next neighboured Si atoms and every Si atom four next neighboured C atoms.
+The quality could be determined by counting the amount of atoms which form bonds to four atoms of the other species.
+However, the aim of the simulation on hand is to reproduce the formation of a 3C-SiC precipitate embedded in c-Si.
+The amount of Si atoms and, thus, the amount of Si atoms remaining in the silicon diamond lattice is much higher than the amount of inserted C atoms.
+Thus, counting the atoms, which exhibit proper coordination is limited to the C atoms.
+The quality value is defined to be
+\begin{equation}
+Q = \frac{\text{Amount of C atoms with 4 next neighboured Si atoms}}
+ {\text{Total amount of C atoms}} \text{ .}
+\label{eq:md:qdef}
+\end{equation}
+By this, bulk 3C-SiC will still result in $Q=1$ and precipitates will also reach values close to one.
+However, since the quality value does not account for bond lengthes, bond angles, crystallinity or the stacking sequence high values of $Q$ not necessarily correspond to structures close to 3C-SiC.
+Structures that look promising due to high quality values need to be further investigated by other means.
+
+\begin{figure}[!ht]
+\begin{center}
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{tot_pc_thesis.ps}\\
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{tot_ba.ps}
+\end{center}
+\caption[Si-C radial distribution and quality evolution for the low concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures.]{Si-C radial distribution and quality evolution for the low concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures. All structures are cooled down to $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The grey line shows resulting Si-C bonds in a configuration of substitutional C in c-Si (C$_\text{sub}$) at zero temperature. Arrows in the quality plot mark the end of carbon insertion and the start of the cooling down step. A fit function according to equation \eqref{eq:md:fit} shows the estimated evolution of quality in the absence of the cooling down sequence.}
+\label{fig:md:tot_si-c_q}
+\end{figure}
+Figure \ref{fig:md:tot_si-c_q} shows the radial distribution of Si-C bonds for different temperatures and the corresponding quality evolution as defined earlier for the low concentration simulaton, that is the $V_1$ simulation.
+The first noticeable and promising change in the Si-C radial distribution is the successive decline of the artificial peak at the Si-C cut-off distance with increasing temperature up to the point of disappearance at temperatures above $1650\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.
+The system provides enough kinetic energy to affected atoms, which are able to escape the cut-off region.
+Another important observation in structural change is exemplified in the two shaded areas.
+In the grey shaded region a decrease of the peak at 0.186 nm and the bump at 0.175 nm and a concurrent increase of the peak at 0.197 nm with increasing temperature is visible.
+Similarly the peaks at 0.335 nm and 0.386 nm shrink in contrast to a new peak forming at 0.372 nm as can be seen in the yellow shaded region.
+Obviously the structure obtained from the $450\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ simulations, which is dominated by the existence of \hkl<1 0 0> C-Si dumbbells transforms into a different structure with increasing simulation temperature.
+Investigations of the atomic data reveal substitutional carbon to be responsible for the new Si-C bonds.
+The peak at 0.197 nm corresponds to the distance of a substitutional carbon to the next neighboured silicon atoms.
+The one at 0.372 is the distance of the substitutional carbon atom to the second next silicon neighbour along the \hkl<1 1 0> direction.
+Comparing the radial distribution for the Si-C bonds at $2050\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to the resulting Si-C bonds in a configuration of a substitutional carbon atom in crystalline silicon excludes all possibility of doubt.
+The resulting bonds perfectly match and, thus, explain the peaks observed for the increased temperature simulations.
+To conclude, by increasing the simulation temperature, the \hkl<1 0 0> C-Si dumbbell characterized structure transforms into a structure dominated by substitutional C.
+
+This is also reflected in the quality values obtained for different temperatures.
+While simulations at $450\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ exhibit 10 \% of fourfold coordinated carbon simulations at $2050\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ exceed the 80 \% range.
+Since substitutional carbon has four next neighboured silicon atoms and is the preferential type of defect in elevated temperature simulations the increase of the quality values become evident.
+The quality values at a fixed temperature increase with simulation time.
+After the end of the insertion sequence marked by the first arrow the quality is increasing and a saturation behaviour, yet before the cooling process starts, can be expected.
+The evolution of the quality value of the simulation at $2050\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ inside the range in which the simulation is continued at constant temperature for 100 fs is well approximated by the simple fit function
+\begin{equation}
+f(t)=a-\frac{b}{t} \text{ ,}
+\label{eq:md:fit}
+\end{equation}
+which results in a saturation value of 93 \%.
+Obviously the decrease in temperature accelerates the saturation and inhibits further formation of substitutional carbon.
+Conclusions drawn from investigations of the quality evolution correlate well with the findings of the radial distribution results.
+
+\begin{figure}[!ht]
+\begin{center}
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{tot_pc2_thesis.ps}\\
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{tot_pc3_thesis.ps}
+\end{center}
+\caption[C-C and Si-Si radial distribution for the low concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures.]{C-C and Si-Si radial distribution for the low concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures. All structures are cooled down to $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. Arrows with dashed lines mark C-C distances of \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbell combinations and those with solid lines mark C-C distances of combinations of substitutional C. The dashed line corresponds to the distance of a substitutional C with a next neighboured \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbell.}
+\label{fig:md:tot_c-c_si-si}
+\end{figure}
+The formation of substitutional carbon also affects the Si-Si radial distribution displayed in the lower part of figure \ref{fig:md:tot_c-c_si-si}.
+Investigating the atomic strcuture indeed shows that the peak arising at 0.325 nm with increasing temperature is due to two Si atoms directly bound to a C substitutional.
+It corresponds to the distance of second next neighboured Si atoms along a \hkl<1 1 0>-equivalent direction with substitutional C inbetween.
+Since the expected distance of these Si pairs in 3C-SiC is 0.308 nm the existing SiC structures embedded in the c-Si host are stretched.
+
+In the upper part of figure \ref{fig:md:tot_c-c_si-si} the C-C radial distribution is shown.
+With increasing temperature a decrease of the amount of next neighboured C pairs can be observed.
+This is a promising result gained by the high temperature simulations since the breaking of these diomand and graphite like bonds is mandatory for the formation of 3C-SiC.
+A slight shift towards higher distances can be observed for the maximum above 0.3 nm.
+Arrows with dashed lines mark C-C distances resulting from \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbell combinations while the arrows with solid lines mark distances arising from combinations of substitutional C.
+The continuous dashed line corresponds to the distance of a substitutional C with a next neighboured \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbell.
+By comparison with the radial distribution it becomes evident that the shift accompanies the advancing transformation of \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbells into substitutional C.
+Next to combinations of two substitutional C atoms and two \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbells respectively also combinations of \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbells with a substitutional C atom arise.
+In addition, structures form that result in distances residing inbetween the ones obtained from combinations of mixed defect types and the ones obtained by substitutional C configurations, as can be seen by quite high g(r) values to the right of the continuous dashed line and to the left of the first arrow with a solid line.
+For the most part these structures can be identified as configurations of one substitutional C atom with either another C atom that practically occupies a Si lattice site but with a Si interstitial residing in the very next surrounding or a C atom that nearly occupies a Si lattice site forming a defect other than the \hkl<1 0 0>-type with the Si atom.
+Again, this is a quite promising result, since the C atoms are taking the appropriate coordination as expected in 3C-SiC.
+However, this is contrary to the initial precipitation model proposed in section \ref{section:assumed_prec}, which assumes that the transformation into 3C-SiC takes place in a very last step once enough C-Si dumbbells agglomerated.
+
+{\color{red}Todo: Summarize again! Mention, that the agglomeration necessary in order to form 3C-SiC is missing.}
+
+\begin{figure}[!ht]
+\begin{center}
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{12_pc_thesis.ps}\\
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{12_pc_c_thesis.ps}
+\end{center}
+\caption[Si-C and C-C radial distribution for the high concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures.]{Si-C (top) and C-C (bottom) radial distribution for the high concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures. All structures are cooled down to $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.}
+\label{fig:md:12_pc}
+\end{figure}
+Figure \ref{fig:md:12_pc} displays the radial distribution for Si-C and C-C pairs obtained from high C concentration simulations at different elevated temperatures.
+Again, in both cases, the cut-off artifact decreases with increasing temperature.
+Peaks that already exist for the low temperature simulations get slightly more distinct for elevated temperatures.
+This is also true for peaks located past distances of next neighbours indicating an increase in the long range order.
+However this change is rather small and no significant structural change is observeable.
+Due to the continuity of high amounts of damage atomic configurations remain hard to identify even for the highest temperature.
+Other than in the low concentration simulation analyzed defect structures are no longer necessarily aligned to the primarily existing but succesively disappearing c-Si host matrix inhibiting or at least hampering their identification and classification.
+As for low temperatures order in the short range exists decreasing with increasing distance.
+The increase of the amount of Si-C pairs at 0.186 nm could be positively interpreted since this type of bond also exists in 3C-SiC.
+On the other hand the amount of next neighboured C atoms with a distance of approximately 0.15 nm, which is the distance of C in graphite or diamond, is likewise increased.
+Thus, higher temperatures seem to additionally enhance a conflictive process, that is the formation of C agglomerates, instead of the desired process of 3C-SiC formation.
+This is supported by the C-C peak at 0.252 nm, which corresponds to the second next neighbour distance in the diamond structure of elemental C.
+Investigating the atomic data indeed reveals two C atoms which are bound to and interconnected by a third C atom to be responsible for this distance.
+The C-C peak at about 0.31 nm, wich is slightly shifted to higher distances (0.317 nm) with increasing temperature still corresponds quite well to the next neighbour distance of C in 3C-SiC as well as a-SiC and indeed results from C-Si-C bonds.
+The Si-C peak at 0.282 nm, which is pronounced with increasing temperature is constructed out of a Si atom and a C atom, which are both bound to another central C atom.
+This is similar for the Si-C peak at approximately 0.35 nm.
+In this case, the Si and the C atom are bound to a central Si atom.
+To summarize, the amorphous phase remains though sharper peaks in the radial distributions at distances expected for a-SiC are observed indicating a slight acceleration of the dynamics due to elevated temperatures.
+
+Regarding the outcome of both, high and low concentration simulations at increased temperatures, encouraging conclusions can be drawn.
+With the disappearance of the peaks at the respective cut-off radii one limitation of the short range potential seems to be accomplished.
+In addition, sharper peaks in the radial distributions lead to the assumption of expeditious structural formation.
+The increase in temperature leads to the occupation of new defect states, which is particularly evident but not limited to the low carbon concentration simulations.
+The question remains whether these states are only occupied due to the additional supply of kinetic energy and, thus, have to be considered unnatural for temperatures applied in IBS or whether the increase in temperature indeed enables infrequent transitions to occur faster, thus, leading to the intended acceleration of the dynamics and weakening of the unphysical quirks inherent to the potential.
+{\color{red}Todo: Formation energy of C sub and nearby Si self-int, to see whether this is a preferable state!}
+In the first case these occupied states would be expected to be higher in energy than the states occupied at low temperatures.
+Since substitutional C without the presence of a Si self-interstitial is energetically more favorable than the lowest defect structure obtained without removing a Si atom, that is the \hkl<1 0 0> dumbbell interstitial, and the migration of Si self-interstitials towards the sample surface can be assumed for real life experiments \cite{}, this approach is accepted as an accelerated way of approximatively describing the structural evolution.
+{\color{red}Todo: If C sub and Si self-int is energetically more favorable, the migration towards the surface can be kicked out. Otherwise we should actually care about removal of Si! In any way these findings suggest a different prec model.}
+
+\subsection{Valuation of a practicable temperature limit}
+
+\begin{figure}[!ht]
+\begin{center}
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{fe_and_t.ps}
+\end{center}
+\caption{Free energy and temperature evolution of plain silicon at temperatures in the region around the melting transition.}
+\label{fig:md:fe_and_t}
+\end{figure}
+The assumed applicability of increased temperature simulations as discussed above and the remaining absence of either agglomeration of substitutional C in low concentration simulations or amorphous to crystalline transition in high concentration simulations suggests to further increase the system temperature.
+So far, the highest temperature applied corresponds to 95 \% of the absolute silicon melting temperature, which is 2450 K and specific to the Erhard/Albe potential.
+However, melting is not predicted to occur instantly after exceeding the melting point due to additionally required transition enthalpy and hysteresis behaviour.
+To check for the possibly highest temperature at which a transition fails to appear plain silicon is heated up using a heating rate of $1\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}/\text{ps}$.
+Figure \ref{fig:md:fe_and_t} shows the free energy and temperature evolution in the region around the transition temperature.
+Indeed a transition and the accompanying critical behaviour of the free energy is first observed at approximately 3125 K, which corresponds to 128 \% of the silicon melting temperature.
+The difference in free energy is 0.58 eV per atom corresponding to $55.7 \text{ kJ/mole}$, which compares quite well to the silicon enthalpy of melting of $50.2 \text{ kJ/mole}$.
+The late transition probably occurs due to the high heating rate and, thus, a large hysteresis behaviour extending the temperature of transition.
+To avoid melting transitions in further simulations system temperatures well below the transition point are considered safe.
+Thus, in the following system temperatures of 100 \% and 120 \% of the silicon melting point are used.
\subsection{Constructed 3C-SiC precipitate in crystalline silicon}
-In the following a spherical 3C-SiC precipitate enclosed in a c-Si surrounding is constructed as it is expected from IBS experiments and from simulations that finally succeed simulating the precipitation event.
-On the one hand this sheds light on characteristic values like the radial distribution function or the total amount of energy for configurations that are aimed to be reproduced by simulation possibly enabling the prediction of conditions necessary for the simulation of the precipitation process.
-On the other hand, assuming a correct alignment of the precipitate with the c-Si matrix, investigations of the behaviour of such precipitates and the surrounding can be made.
+Before proceeding with simulations at temperatrures exceeding the silicon melting point a spherical 3C-SiC precipitate enclosed in a c-Si surrounding is constructed as it is expected from IBS experiments and from simulations that finally succeed in simulating the precipitation event.
+On the one hand this sheds light on characteristic values like the radial distribution function or the total amount of free energy for such a configuration that is aimed to be reproduced by simulation.
+On the other hand, assuming a correct alignment of the precipitate with the c-Si matrix, properties of such precipitates and the surrounding as well as the interface can be investiagted.
+Furthermore these investigations might establish the prediction of conditions necessary for the simulation of the precipitation process.
-To construct a spherical 3C-SiC precipitate in c-Si, the approach illustrated in the following is applied.
-A total simulation volume $V$ consisting of 21 unit cells of c-Si in each direction is used.
+To construct a spherical and topotactically aligned 3C-SiC precipitate in c-Si, the approach illustrated in the following is applied.
+A total simulation volume $V$ consisting of 21 unit cells of c-Si in each direction is created.
To obtain a minimal and stable precipitate 5500 carbon atoms are considered necessary.
+This corresponds to a spherical 3C-SiC precipitate with a radius of approximately 3 nm.
The initial precipitate configuration is constructed in two steps.
In the first step the surrounding silicon matrix is created.
This is realized by just skipping the generation of silicon atoms inside a sphere of radius $x$, which is the first unknown variable.
\hline
& C in 3C-SiC & Si in 3C-SiC & Si in c-Si surrounding & total amount of Si\\
\hline
-Expected & 5500 & 5500 & 68588 & 74088\\
Obtained & 5495 & 5486 & 68591 & 74077\\
-Difference & 5 & 14 & -3 & 11\\
+Expected & 5500 & 5500 & 68588 & 74088\\
+Difference & -5 & -14 & 3 & -11\\
+Notation & $N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{C}}$ & $N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{Si}}$
+ & $N^{\text{c-Si}}_{\text{Si}}$ & $N^{\text{total}}_{\text{Si}}$ \\
\hline
\hline
\end{tabular}
After the initial configuration is constructed some of the atoms located at the 3C-SiC/c-Si interface show small distances, which results in high repulsive forces acting on the atoms.
Thus, the system is equilibrated using strong coupling to the heat bath, which is set to be $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.
-Once the main part of th excess energy is carried out previous settings for the Berendsen thermostat are restored and the system is relaxed for another 10 ps.
+Once the main part of the excess energy is carried out previous settings for the Berendsen thermostat are restored and the system is relaxed for another 10 ps.
+
+\begin{figure}[!ht]
+\begin{center}
+\includegraphics[width=12cm]{pc_0.ps}
+\end{center}
+\caption[Radial distribution of a 3C-SiC precipitate embeeded in c-Si at $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.]{Radial distribution of a 3C-SiC precipitate embeeded in c-Si at $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The Si-Si radial distribution of plain c-Si is plotted for comparison. Green arrows mark bumps in the Si-Si distribution of the precipitate configuration, which do not exist in plain c-Si.}
+\label{fig:md:pc_sic-prec}
+\end{figure}
+Figure \ref{fig:md:pc_sic-prec} shows the radial distribution of the obtained precipitate configuration.
+The Si-Si radial distribution for both, plain c-Si and the precipitate configuration show a maximum at a distance of 0.235 nm, which is the distance of next neighboured Si atoms in c-Si.
+Although no significant change of the lattice constant of the surrounding c-Si matrix was assumed, surprisingly there is no change at all within observational accuracy.
+Looking closer at higher order Si-Si peaks might even allow the guess of a slight increase of the lattice constant compared to the plain c-Si structure.
+A new Si-Si peak arises at 0.307 nm, which is identical to the peak of the C-C distribution around that value.
+It corresponds to second next neighbours in 3C-SiC, which applies for Si as well as C pairs.
+The bumps of the Si-Si distribution at higher distances marked by the green arrows can be explained in the same manner.
+They correspond to the fourth and sixth next neighbour distance in 3C-SiC.
+It is easily identifiable how these C-C peaks, which imply Si pairs at same distances inside the precipitate, contribute to the bumps observed in the Si-Si distribution.
+The Si-Si and C-C peak at 0.307 nm enables the determination of the lattic constant of the embedded 3C-SiC precipitate.
+A lattice constant of 4.34 \AA{} compared to 4.36 \AA{} for bulk 3C-SiC is obtained.
+This is in accordance with the peak of Si-C pairs at a distance of 0.188 nm.
+Thus, the precipitate structure is slightly compressed compared to the bulk phase.
+This is a quite surprising result since due to the finite size of the c-Si surrounding a non-negligible impact of the precipitate on the materializing c-Si lattice constant especially near the precipitate could be assumed.
+However, it seems that the size of the c-Si host matrix is chosen large enough to even find the precipitate in a compressed state.
+
+The absence of a compression of the c-Si surrounding is due to the possibility of the system to change its volume.
+Otherwise the increase of the lattice constant of the precipitate of roughly 4.31 \AA{} in the beginning up to 4.34 \AA{} in the relaxed precipitate configuration could not take place without an accompanying reduction of the lattice constant of the c-Si surrounding.
+If the total volume is assumed to be the sum of the volumes that are composed of Si atoms forming the c-Si surrounding and Si atoms involved forming the precipitate the expected increase can be calculated by
+\begin{equation}
+ \frac{V}{V_0}=
+ \frac{\frac{N^{\text{c-Si}}_{\text{Si}}}{8/a_{\text{c-Si of precipitate configuration}}}+
+ \frac{N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{Si}}}{4/a_{\text{3C-SiC of precipitate configuration}}}}
+ {\frac{N^{\text{total}}_{\text{Si}}}{8/a_{\text{plain c-Si}}}}
+\end{equation}
+with the notation used in table \ref{table:md:sic_prec}.
+The lattice constant of plain c-Si at $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ can be determined more accurately by the side lengthes of the simulation box of an equlibrated structure instead of using the radial distribution data.
+By this a value of $a_{\text{plain c-Si}}=5.439\text{ \AA}$ is obtained.
+The same lattice constant is assumed for the c-Si surrounding in the precipitate configuration $a_{\text{c-Si of precipitate configuration}}$ since peaks in the radial distribution match the ones of plain c-Si.
+Using $a_{\text{3C-SiC of precipitate configuration}}=4.34\text{ \AA}$ as observed from the radial distribution finally results in an increase of the initial volume by 0.12 \%.
+However, each side length and the total volume of the simulation box is increased by 0.20 \% and 0.61 \% respectively compared to plain c-Si at $20\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$.
+Since the c-Si surrounding resides in an uncompressed state the excess increase must be attributed to relaxation of strain with the strain resulting from either the compressed precipitate or the 3C-SiC/c-Si interface region.
+This also explains the possibly identified slight increase of the c-Si lattice constant in the surrounding as mentioned earlier.
+As the pressure is set to zero the free energy is minimized with respect to the volume enabled by the Berendsen barostat algorithm.
+Apparently the minimized structure with respect to the volume is a configuration of a small compressively stressed precipitate and a large amount of slightly stretched c-Si in the surrounding.
+
+In the following the 3C-SiC/c-Si interface is described in further detail.
+One important size analyzing the interface is the interfacial energy.
+It is determined exactly in the same way than the formation energy as described in equation \eqref{eq:defects:ef2}.
+Using the notation of table \ref{table:md:sic_prec} and assuming that the system is composed out of $N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{C}}$ C atoms forming the SiC compound plus the remaining Si atoms, the energy is given by
+\begin{equation}
+ E_{\text{f}}=E-
+ N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{C}} \mu_{\text{SiC}}-
+ \left(N^{\text{total}}_{\text{Si}}-N^{\text{3C-SiC}}_{\text{C}}\right)
+ \mu_{\text{Si}} \text{ ,}
+\label{eq:md:ife}
+\end{equation}
+with $E$ being the free energy of the precipitate configuration at zero temperature.
+An interfacial energy of 2267.28 eV is obtained.
+The amount of C atoms together with the observed lattice constant of the precipitate leads to a precipitate radius of 29.93 \AA.
+Thus, the interface tension, given by the energy of the interface devided by the surface area of the precipitate is $20.15\,\frac{\text{eV}}{\text{nm}^2}$ or $3.23\times 10^{-4}\,\frac{\text{J}}{\text{cm}^2}$.
+This is located inside the eperimentally estimated range of $2-8\times 10^{-4}\,\frac{\text{J}}{\text{cm}^2}$ \cite{taylor93}.
+
+
+Since interface region is constructed and not neccesarily corresponds to the energetically most favorable layout we will now try hard to improve this ...
+Let's see, whether annealing will lead to some energetically more favorable configurations.
+
+
+\subsection{Simulations at temperatures exceeding the silicon melting point}
+
+LL Cool J is hot as hell!
+
+A different simulation volume and refined amount as well as shape of insertion volume for the C atoms, to stay compareable to the results gained in the latter section, is used throughout all following simulations.
+
+\subsection{Todo}
+
+{\color{red}TODO: self-guided MD!}
-PC and energy of that one.
+{\color{red}TODO: other approaches!}
-Now let's see, whether annealing will lead to some energetically more favorable configurations.
+{\color{red}TODO: ART MD?}
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