Stability of Solid State Reaction Fronts

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of solid-solid interfaces during chemical reactions, demonstrating that stress effects can cause planar interfaces to become dynamically unstable under certain conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a continuum model incorporating stress-dependent reaction rates to analyze the stability of solid-solid interfaces during reactions.

Findings

Stress effects can destabilize planar interfaces.

Intermediate wavelength perturbations can grow due to stress.

The model predicts conditions for interface instability.

Abstract

We analyze the stability of a planar solid-solid interface at which a chemical reaction occurs. Examples include oxidation, nitridation, or silicide formation. Using a continuum model, including a general formula for the stress-dependence of the reaction rate, we show that stress effects can render a planar interface dynamically unstable with respect to perturbations of intermediate wavelength.