Evolution of microstructural defects with strain effects in germanium nanocrystals synthesized at different annealing temperatures
- The Cultivation Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, No. 308, Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071 (China)
- INRS-EMT, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2 (Canada)
Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs) were produced by implantation of {sup 74}Ge{sup +} into a SiO{sub 2} film on (100) Si, followed by high-temperature annealing from 700 °C to 1100 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show that the average size of Ge-ncs increases with the annealing temperature. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) investigations reveal the presence of planar and linear defects in the formed Ge-ncs, whose relative concentrations are determined at each annealing temperature. The relative concentration of planar defects is almost independent of the annealing temperature up to 1000 °C. However, from 1000 °C to 1100 °C, its concentration decreases dramatically. For the linear defects, their concentration varies considerably with the annealing temperatures. In addition, by measuring the interplanar spacing of Ge-ncs from the HRTEM images, a strong correlation is found between the dislocation percentage and the stress field intensity. Our results provide fundamental insights regarding both the presence of microstructural defects and the origin of the residual stress field within Ge-ncs, which can shed light on the fabrication of Ge-ncs with quantified crystallinity and appropriate size for the advanced Ge-nc devices. - Highlights: • Growth of Ge nanocrystals at different annealing temperatures was investigated. • Strain field has great effects on the formation of dislocations. • Different mechanisms are proposed to explain growth regimes of Ge nanocrystals.
- OSTI ID:
- 22340375
- Journal Information:
- Materials Characterization, Vol. 93; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1044-5803
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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