The exploration of Swift Heavy Ions (SHI) in semiconductors is crucial due to the ion’s ability to induce material damage. One form of such damage is the creation of latent tracks during irradiation when the ions collide with the semiconductor material. Various physical processes govern the structural damage, encompassing mechanical stress, phase transition, and heat transfer. In this investigation, we have crafted a two-dimensional coupled phase-field inelastic-thermal spike (PF-iTS) model to scrutinize how elastic energy influences the structure and dimensions of latent tracks. This method introduces a novel critical electronic stoppage energy and a decrease in track radius under the influence of mechanical stress. Additionally, we shed light on thermal crosstalk, a byproduct of irradiation flux, in situations involving two simultaneous and delayed double ion impacts. This reveals that the thermal cross-talk between two adjacent tracks affects the dimensions and shapes of each one. Moreover, the overlap of neighboring incidents may cause two closely located tracks to merge, resulting in extensive track formation.
2025-04-09 09:00:00
