Nucleation of amorphous germanium from supercooled melts

Journal Article · Mon Mar 12 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Applied Physics Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.103326· OSTI ID:6925399

Stiffler, S R; Thompson, M O ^[1]; Peercy, P S ^[2]

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1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (USA)
2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (USA)

Thin germanium films on SiO{sub 2} completely melted by pulsed laser irradiation cool rapidly by thermal conduction to the substrate until they solidify. {ital In} {ital situ} measurements indicate that the liquid is supercooled by 420--530 K with respect to the crystalline phase prior to solidification. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals nucleation events at the Ge/SiO{sub 2} interface. The microstructure of these events is comprised of a very fine grained (5--15 nm) polycrystalline core with much larger grains extending laterally and toward the free surface. It is believed that nucleation of the amorphous phase, which was subsequently converted to the fine-grained material, initiated solidification.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6925399
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (USA), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (USA) Vol. 56:11; ISSN APPLA; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360602* -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
AMORPHOUS STATE
CHALCOGENIDES
COOLING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FILMS
GERMANIUM
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INTERFACES
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
METALS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MINERALS
NUCLEATION
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLASMA HEATING
POLYCRYSTALS
PROCESSING
PULSES
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SOLIDIFICATION
THERMAL CONDUCTION
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY