Atomistic simulation of stacking fault tetrahedra formation in Cu

Atomistic simulations based on the embedded atom method (EAM) are used to model the formation of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) in face centered cubic (fcc) Cu. SFTs are observed in fcc metals following both irradiation and plastic deformation and have significant impact on defect accumulation and microstructural evolution of the irradiated material. Many authors have proposed SFT formation mechanisms; however, a concise atomistic view is lacking. Starting from the vacancy-rich regions produced in high-energy displacement cascades, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at a range of temperatures and observed SFT formation. In this work, we provide an atomistic picture of SFT formation.