Abstract
The effect of metal induced crystallization (MIC) is widely used in the production of electronic devices by forming large grained polycrystalline Si from amorphous Si in contact with Al. This effect can also be utilized in conjunction with silicon-germanium (SiGe) alloys and thus provides means of a possible low cost production of future high temperature thermoelectric devices. In this work, sputter deposited multilayer systems of Si80Ge20/Al thin films have been investigated. The effect of MIC is used to crystallize the initially amorphous SiGe while simultaneously doping it with Al. As metallic phases would be detrimental to the thermoelectric performance, special interest is directed to the Al layers and their dissociation during the annealing treatment. A percolation limit regarding the thickness and continuity of the Al layers was found, but no detrimental side effects with respect to the MIC process could be detected.
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