Low-temperature solid-phase-crystallization in Si Ge rSiO 1yx x 2

Solid-phase crystallization SPC.properties of Si1yxGex xs0–0.3.layers on SiO2 have been investigated by using ellipsometric spectroscopy. Crystallinity of the Si1yxGex layers is significantly affected by both annealing-time and Ge-concentration x. The crystallinity abruptly increases at the end of the incubation time and gradually saturated during the crystallization time. As x increases, we have found that the nucleation is significantly enhanced and the estimated incubation time of xs0.3 is about 1r100 of that of pure Si xs0.. The crystallization time defined as the time to complete SPC after nucleation also significantly decreases with increasing x. Such changes of the crystallinity in the Ge-doped Si1yxGex layers perhaps originates from the difference between bond energies of Si`Si, Si`Ge, and Ge`Ge. The decrease of bond energy activates both nucleation and crystal-growth process in Si1yxGex layers. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved