Hybrid continuum–atomistic modelling of swift heavy ion radiation damage in germanium

Abstract

The response of germanium to swift heavy ion irradiation is simulated using a hybrid continuum–atomistic approach. The continuum part of the model, which characterises the electronic excitations is an extension of the inelastic thermal spike based on an approximation to the Boltzmann transport equation; while the atomistic part is represented with molecular dynamics. This integrated method can realistically account for the non-equilibrium carrier dynamics in band-gap materials under irradiation, unlike earlier developments based on the two-temperature approach. The model is used to obtain temporal and spatial evolution of carrier density, electronic temperature and lattice temperature for germanium irradiated with carbon cluster ions. Good agreement with experimental data of amorphised latent track radii for different stopping powers is obtained by fitting a constant value for the electron–phonon coupling strength – the only parameter treated as free in the model