Duffy, R;Shayesteh, M;McCarthy, B;Blake, A;White, M;Scully, J;Yu, R;Kelleher, AM;Schmidt, M;Petkov, N;Pelaz, L;Marques, LA

2011

September

Applied Physics Letters

The curious case of thin-body Ge crystallization

Validated

WOS: 17 ()

ION-IMPLANTATION GERMANIUM LAYERS CRYSTALS SILICON FIELD

99

The authors investigate the templated crystallization of thin-body Ge fin structures with high aspect ratios. Experimental variables include fin thickness and thermal treatments, with fin structures oriented in the < 110 > direction. Transmission electron microscopy determined that various crystal defects form during crystallization of amorphous Ge regions, most notably {111} stacking faults, twin boundaries, and small crystallites. In all cases, the nature of the defects is dependent on the fin thickness and thermal treatments applied. Using a standard 600 degrees C rapid-thermal-anneal, Ge structures with high aspect ratios crystallize with better crystal quality and fewer uncured defects than the equivalent Si case, which is a cause for optimism for thin-film Ge devices. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3643160]

MELVILLE

0003-6951

10.1063/1.3643160