Liquid‐metal‐mediated homoepitaxial film growth of Ge at low temperature

We demonstrate liquid‐metal‐mediated homoepitaxial crystal growth of Ge on Ge(111) at temperatures in the range of 400–450 °C. Crystal growth proceeds by diffusion of Ge through a liquid layer, followed by precipitation onto the substrate by the vapor‐liquid‐solid mechanism. The liquid‐metal phase at the interface is a Au‐Ge alloy formed by initial deposition of a thin Au layer above the eutectic temperature. Ge vapor is provided by a molecular‐beam evaporator. The resulting films revealed high‐crystalline quality by in situ high‐energy ion scattering and channeling analysis and ex situ by cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy.