Theory 27/Competing Rates/Materials processing
Defect Density Balances Two Processes
The claim
The equilibrium defect density in a growing crystal is set by the ratio of defect generation to annealing, so a slower growth can be more perfect than a faster one.
01Mechanism
Defects form at the growth front and anneal out behind it; the steady-state density is their balance.
02Prediction
Defect density should track the ratio across growth rates.
03Refutation
Density tracking growth rate alone would remove annealing.