Selective solid phase crystallization for control of grain size and location in Ge thin films on silicon dioxide

Abstract

Selective solid phase crystallization for control of grain size and location in polycrystalline thin Ge films on amorphous silicon dioxide substrates is described. The approach consists of solid phase crystal nucleation at predefined nucleation sites, which consist of metal islands deposited on top of the amorphous Ge film, followed by lateral solid phase epitaxial growth. Grain sizes as large as 30 μm have been achieved in 50-nm-thick Ge films at temperatures less than 475 °C.