On the size dependence of melting parameters for silicon

Using the dependences of melting point $T_m$ and crystallization point $T_c$ on the number of atoms $(N)$ in a spherical silicon crystal that were calculated elsewhere [6] by the method of molecular dynamics, (i) the number of atoms at which the latent heat of the solid–liquid phase transition disappears and (ii) temperature $T_{0}=T_{m}(N_{0})=T_{N}(N_{0})$ below which solidifying nanoclusters remain noncrystalline are estimated. These values are found to be $N_0$ = 22.8156 and $T_0$ = 400.851 K. The $N$ dependences for silicon melting parameters, namely, a jump of entropy of melting, latent melting heat, slope of the melting line, and jumps in the surface energy and volume, are derived.