Electron-beam-initiated crystallization of iron-carbon films

A structure formed in nanocrystalline iron-carbon films exposed to an electron beam was studied. Explosive crystallization (EC) with the formation of dendrite and cellular-dendritic instabilities at a rate of up to 1 cm/s was observed. It was shown that the dependence between the growth rate of dendrite branches (or cells) during EC and the rounding radius of dendrite branch tips can be approximately described by equations used to calculate the crystal growth in supercooled melts. To explain the EC mechanism, a model of a liquid zone formed at the crystallization front was used. It was shown that the liquid zone arises due to energy accumulated in the film in the nanocrystalline state. It was assumed that this energy was accumulated due to the energy of elastic stresses.