Dominant Influence of Beam-Induced Interface Rearrangement on Solid-Phase Epitaxial Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon

J. S. Williams; R. G. Elliman; W. L. Brown; T. E. Seidel

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.1482

Dominant Influence of Beam-Induced Interface Rearrangement on Solid-Phase Epitaxial Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon

J. S. Williams, R. G. Elliman, W. L. Brown, and T. E. Seidel

Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 1482 – Published 30 September 1985

Abstract

Bombardment with 0.6-3-MeV ${Ne}^{+}$ ions has been employed to stimulate solid-phase epitaxial growth of amorphous silicon at temperatures 200-500°C. Two distinctly different regrowth regimes have been identified. In the temperature range 200-400°C the activation energy for beaminduced regrowth is 0.24 eV, whereas, in the temperature range above 400°C, it is higher (>0.5 eV), but less well defined because of competing thermal effects. Results indicate that ion irradiation generates (athermally) nucleation sites for crystal growth, a process which has a high (∼ 2.4 eV) activation energy in the absence of ion-beam excitation.

Received 12 June 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.1482

Authors & Affiliations

J. S. Williams^*, R. G. Elliman^†, W. L. Brown, and T. E. Seidel^‡

AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974

^*Permanent address: Microelectronics Technology Centre, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
^†Permanent address: Division of Chemical Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Clayton 3168, Australia.
^‡Present address: J.C. Schumacher Co., Oceanside, Cal. 92054.