Dual crystallization modes of sputter-deposited amorphous SiGe films

The crystallization behavior of sputter-deposited films of amorphous Si (a-Si) and SiGe alloys (a-SiGe) induced by electron irradiation at room temperature and by thermal annealing was investigated by in situ transmission electron microscopy. On electron irradiation at room temperature, extremely rapid crystallization, so-called explosive crystallization, occurred at a higher electron flux but not at a lower electron flux. On in situ thermal annealing, explosive crystallization occurred preferentially and partially at low temperatures in Ge-rich a-SixGe100−x for x   50. These results indicate that the increase of Si content in a-SiGe prevents the occurrence of explosive crystallization. We previously proposed that explosive crystallization can occur in pristine a-Ge films via the interface of a liquid-like, high-density amorphous state at the growth front. An increase in the instability of this high-density amorphous state caused by the increase of Si in a-SiGe apparently gives rise to the suppression of explosive crystallization.