  The generalized stacking fault (GSF) energy surfaces have received
considerable attention due to their close relation to the mechanical properties
of solids. We present a detailed study of the GSF energy surfaces of silicon
within the framework of density functional theory. We have calculated the GSF
energy surfaces for the shuffle and glide set of the (111) plane, and that of
the (100) plane of silicon, paying particular attention to the effects of the
relaxation of atomic coordinates. Based on the calculated GSF energy surfaces
and the Peierls-Nabarro model, we obtain estimates for the dislocation
profiles, core energies, Peierls energies, and the corresponding stresses for
various planar dislocations of silicon.
