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 but not 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.

1.
J. M.
Poate
and
J. W.
Mayer
,
Laser Annealing of Semiconductors
(
Academic Press
,
New York
,
1982
), Chap. 1.
2.
E.
Kasper
,
Appl. Surf. Sci.
254
,
6158
(
2008
).
3.
G.
Kissinger
and
S.
Pizzini
,
Silicon, Germanium, and Their Alloys
(
CRC Press
,
Boca Raton
,
2015
).
4.
A.
Toriumi
and
T.
Nishimura
,
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.
57
,
010101
(
2018
).
5.
M.
Okugawa
,
R.
Nakamura
,
M.
Ishimaru
,
K.
Watanabe
,
H.
Yasuda
, and
H.
Numakura
,
J. Appl. Phys.
119
,
214309
(
2016
).
6.
M.
Okugawa
,
R.
Nakamura
,
M.
Ishimaru
,
H.
Yasuda
, and
H.
Numakura
,
J. Appl. Phys.
120
,
134308
(
2016
).
7.
M.
Okugawa
,
R.
Nakamura
,
M.
Ishimaru
,
H.
Yasuda
, and
H.
Numakura
,
AIP Adv.
6
,
125035
(
2016
).
8.
M.
Okugawa
,
R.
Nakamura
,
A.
Hirata
,
M.
Ishimaru
,
H.
Yasuda
, and
H.
Numakura
,
J. Appl. Crystallogr.
51
,
1467
(
2018
).
9.
T.
Takamori
,
R.
Messier
, and
R.
Roy
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
20
,
201
(
1972
).
10.
T.
Takamori
,
R.
Messier
, and
R.
Roy
,
J. Mater. Sci.
8
,
1809
(
1973
).
11.
A.
Mineo
,
A.
Matsuda
,
T.
Kurosu
, and
M.
Kikuchi
,
Solid State Commun.
13
,
329
(
1973
).
12.
U.
Köster
,
Phys. Status Solidi A
48
,
313
(
1978
).
13.
L.
Csepregi
,
R. P.
Kullen
,
J. W.
Mayer
, and
T. W.
Sigmon
,
Solid State Commun.
21
,
1019
(
1977
).
14.
H. J.
Leamy
,
W. L.
Brown
,
G. K.
Celler
,
G.
Foti
,
G. H.
Gilmer
, and
J. C. C.
Fan
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
38
,
137
(
1981
).
15.
J. R.
Parsons
and
C. W.
Hoelke
,
Philos. Mag. A
50
,
329
(
1985
).
16.
H.-D.
Geiler
,
E.
Glaser
,
G.
Götz
, and
M.
Wagner
,
J. Appl. Phys.
59
,
3091
(
1986
).
17.
K.
Ohdaira
,
T.
Fujiwara
,
Y.
Endo
,
S.
Nishizaki
, and
H.
Matsumura
,
J. Appl. Phys.
106
,
044907
(
2009
).
18.
L.
Nikolova
,
T.
Lagrange
,
B. W.
Reed
,
M. J.
Stern
,
N. D.
Browning
,
G. H.
Campbell
,
J.-C.
Kieffer
,
B. J.
Siwick
, and
F.
Rosei
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
97
,
203102
(
2010
).
19.
K.
Ohdaira
and
H.
Matsumura
,
Thin Solid Films
524
,
161
(
2012
).
20.
L.
Nikolova
,
M. J.
Stern
,
J. M.
MacLeod
,
B. W.
Reed
,
H.
Ibrahim
,
G. H.
Campbell
,
F.
Rosei
,
T.
LaGrange
, and
B. J.
Siwick
,
J. Appl. Phys.
116
,
093512
(
2014
).
21.
M.
Okugawa
,
R.
Nakamura
,
H.
Numakura
,
A.
Heya
,
N.
Matsuo
, and
H.
Yasuda
,
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.
58
,
045501
(
2019
).
22.
T.
Ohkubo
and
Y.
Hirotsu
,
Phys. Rev. B
67
,
094201
(
2003
).
23.
M.
Ishimaru
,
Nucl. Instrum. Met. Phys. Res. Sect. B
250
,
309
(
2006
).
24.
I.
Jenčič
,
M. W.
Bench
,
I. M.
Robertson
, and
M. A.
Kirk
,
J. Appl. Phys.
78
,
974
(
1995
).
25.
A.
Meldrum
,
L. A.
Boatner
, and
R. C.
Ewing
,
J. Mater. Res.
12
,
1816
(
1997
).
26.
I.
Jenčič
,
I. M.
Robertson
, and
J.
Skvarč
,
Nucl. Instrum. Met. Phys. Res. Sect. B
148
,
345
(
1999
).
27.
R.
Nakamura
,
M.
Ishimaru
,
H.
Yasuda
, and
H.
Nakajima
,
J. Appl. Phys.
113
,
064312
(
2013
).
28.
M. H.
Bhat
,
V.
Molinero
,
E.
Soignard
,
V. C.
Solomon
,
S.
Sastry
,
J. L.
Yarger
, and
C. A.
Angell
,
Nature
448
,
787
(
2007
).
29.
O. I.
Barkalov
,
V. G.
Tissen
,
P. F.
McMillan
,
M.
Wilson
,
A.
Sella
, and
M. V.
Nefedova
,
Phys. Rev. B
82
,
020507
(
2010
).
30.
S.
Sastry
and
C. A.
Angell
,
Nat. Mater.
2
,
739
(
2003
).
31.
P. F.
McMillan
,
M.
Wilson
,
D.
Daisenberger
, and
D.
Machon
,
Nat. Mater.
4
,
680
(
2005
).
32.
F.
Romano
,
J.
Russo
, and
H.
Tanaka
,
Phys. Rev. B
90
,
014204
(
2014
).
33.
J. K.
Bording
and
J.
Taftø
,
Phys. Rev. B
62
,
8098
(
2000
).
34.
R.
Kube
,
H.
Bracht
,
E.
Hüger
,
H.
Schmidt
,
J. L.
Hansen
,
A. N.
Larsen
,
J. W.
Ager
,
E. E.
Haller
,
T.
Geue
, and
J.
Stahn
,
Phys. Rev. B
88
,
085206
(
2013
).
35.
E.
Hüger
,
U.
Tietze
,
D.
Lott
,
H.
Bracht
,
D.
Bougeard
,
E. E.
Haller
, and
H.
Schmidt
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
93
,
162104
(
2008
).
You do not currently have access to this content.