Effect of interlayer on silver-induced layer exchange crystallization of amorphous germanium thin film on insulator

Abstract

Metal-induced layer exchange (MILE) is an advanced crystallization technique for fabricating high-quality semiconductor thin films on insulating substrates at low temperatures. Here, we focused on Ag as a catalytic metal for crystallizing amorphous germanium thin films on glass through MILE. The layer exchange between Ag and aGe was not simple because Ag diffused into aGe so fast that it crystallized the top aGe layer before the completion of layer exchange. To suppress Ag diffusion into aGe , we explored the kind of interlayer material between them as well as the growth temperature. Preparing SiO2 and GeO2 interlayers allowed for a complete layer exchange, resulting in the formation of polycrystalline Ge thin films on glass at temperatures as low as 250 °C. These findings are essential for further understanding and controlling the layer exchange phenomenon.

Low-temperature (330 °C) crystallization and dopant activation of Ge thin films via AgSb-induced layer exchange: Operation of an n-channel polycrystalline Ge thin-film transistor

“…Crystallization is confirmed in the presence of Sb, but the crystallization temperature is much higher than the reported temperature for the Ag=Ge system (250 °C). 11) The FWHM of the peaks is nearly twice as large as that for the Ge wafer, which implies a lower crystallinity, and does not seem to have a large temperature dependence. Figure 1(b) shows the XRD profiles of the samples.…”

“…High-quality films are fabricated at a temperature as low as 250 °C. [9][10][11] Recently, the MIC method has been used also for activating B and P atoms implanted on single-crystalline Ge and crystallizing the amorphized region during ion implantation to achieve shallow pn junctions. 12) In this study, a novel process involving layer-exchange MIC using AgSb alloy is proposed to fabricate a counterdoped poly-Ge thin film at low temperatures.…”

Low Energy Ion-Induced Crystallization of Ge in c-Al/a-Ge Bilayer Thin Films at Low Temperatures of ∼125 °C

“…The accumulation of Ge around Al grain boundaries due to enhanced diffusion leads to the nucleation and growth at the lowest ever temperature. , These are the main causes to reduce crystallization temperature. Table is prepared to show the interplay of various variables such as deposition methods, phase conversion conditions, and crystallization temperature in explaining a reduction in crystallization temperature. − ,,,,,− Better crystallization in Xe + ion-irradiated samples may also be understood in terms of recoils or the density of free atoms generated due to irradiation. It is evident that the number of recoils generated due to Xe + ions is significantly larger than that of Kr + ions.…”