Interfacial kinetics in nanosized Au/Ge films: An in situ TEM study

Abstract We investigate the morphology and crystalline structure of Au/Ge films in a wide range of temperatures by in situ TEM heating. Au/Ge films with Au mass thickness of 0.2–0.3 nm and Ge thickness of 5 nm were produced in vacuum by the sequential deposition of components on a carbon substrate at room temperature. It has been shown that particles with an average size of 4 nm, formed by Au film de-wetting, melt on the germanium substrate at temperatures 110–160 °C, which are below the eutectic temperature for the bulk. The effect of crystallization-induced capillary motion of liquid eutectic particles over Ge surface has been found in this work. Formation of metastable fcc phase of Ge has been observed at the liquid–germanium interface and behind the moving particle. Formation of a liquid phase with its subsequent crystallization at the metal–semiconductor interface seems to play a key role in the metal-induced crystallization effect.