Pulsed laser crystallization of silicon–germanium films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 487; no. 1; pp. 67 - 71
• Main Authors: Sameshima, T., Watakabe, H., Kanno, H., Sadoh, T., Miyao, M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01-09-2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Gas lasers including excimer and metal-vapor lasers; Grain boundary; Laser annealing; Lasers; Melt depth; Melt duration; Optics; Physics; SiGe; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Transient conductance measurement; Melt duration; Laser annealing; SiGe; Transient conductance measurement; Melt depth; Grain boundary; Latent heat; Inorganic compounds; Semiconductor materials; Films; Ge-Si alloys; Crystallization; Glass; Quartz; Pulsed lasers; Substrates; Transients; Germanium alloys; Silicon alloys; Silicon oxides; Rapid solidification; Excimer lasers; Melts
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.01.037

Pulsed-XeCl excimer laser crystallization of germanium (Ge) and silicon–germanium (SiGe) alloy films formed on quartz glass substrates was investigated. The transient conductance measurements reveled that germanium films were rapidly melted and solidified because of low latent heat compared to silicon films. Formation of silicon–germanium alloy was also observed in the case of laser annealing the Ge/Si layered structure. The crystalline volume ratio was estimated almost 1.0 for Si
0.4Ge
0.6 films because of small disordered electronic states at grain boundaries, while it was 0.85 for Si films.