Mechanism of stress relaxation in Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

Journal Article · Mon Aug 30 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Applied Physics Letters

OSTI ID:837744

Sharp, I D ^[1]; Yi, D O; Xu, Q; Liao, C Y; Beeman, J W; Liliental-Weber, Z; Yu, K M; Zakharov, D N; Ager, III, J W; Chrzan, D C; Haller, E E

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1. LBNL Library

Ion-beam-synthesized {sup 74}Ge nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous silica matrix exhibit large compressive stresses in the as-grown state. The compressive stress is determined quantitatively by evaluating the Raman line shift referenced to the line position of free-standing nanocrystals. Post-growth thermal treatments lead to stress reduction. The stress relief process is shown to be governed by the diffusive flux of matrix atoms away from the local nanocrystal growth region. A theoretical model that quantitatively describes this process is presented.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Materials Science and Engineering Division; National Science Foundation Grants DMR-0109844 and EEC-0085569; Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 837744
• Report Number(s): LBNL--54873
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Vol. 86
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATOMS
SILICA
STRESS RELAXATION
STRESSES