We present a comprehensive study on the formation of micrometer-sized, textured hexagonal diamond silicon (hd-Si) crystals via nanoindentation followed by annealing. Utilizing advanced characterization techniques such as polarized Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, we demonstrate the successful transformation of silicon into high-quality hd-Si. The experimental results are further supported by first-principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Notably, the hd-Si phase consists of nanometer-sized grains with slight misorientations, organized into large micrometer-scale textured domains. These findings underscore the potential of nanoindentation as a precise and versatile tool for inducing pressure-driven phase transformations, particularly for the stabilization of hexagonal silicon. The textured nature of hd-Si also presents a unique opportunity to tailor its optical properties, opening new avenues for its application in semiconductor and optoelectronic devices.
@article{arxiv.2410.08372,
title = {Formation of Micrometer-Sized Textured Hexagonal Silicon Crystals via Nanoindentation},
author = {Mouad Bikerouin and Anna Marzegalli and Davide Spirito and Gerald J. K. Schaffar and Corrado Bongiorno and Fabrizio Rovaris and Mohamed Zaghloul and Agnieszka Anna Corley-Wiciak and Antonio M. Mio and Leo Miglio and Verena Maier-Kiener and Giovanni Capellini and Emilio Scalise},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.08372},
year = {2025}
}