Abstract
Ex situ atomic force microscopy in combination with a high-precision furnace has been employed for a systematic study of crystallization kinetics of sputtered amorphous Ag0.055In0.065Sb0.59Te0.29, Ge4Sb1Te5, and Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films used for optical data storage. Direct observation of crystals enabled us to establish the temperature dependence of the crystal nucleation rate and crystal growth velocity around 150°C. While these alloys exhibited similar crystal growth characteristics, the crystal nucleation behavior of Ag0.055In0.065Sb0.59Te0.29 differed significantly from that of Ge4Sb1Te5 and Ge2Sb2Te5. These observations provide an explanation for the different recrystallization mechanisms observed upon laser heating of amorphous marks.
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