Solid-phase epitaxial crystallization of strain-relaxed Si1-xGex alloy layers

Abstract

Solid-phase epitaxial crystallization (SPEC) of Si, Ge, and strain-relaxed Si1-xGex alloys, with x in the range 0.11 to 0.53, is investigated in the temperature range 300 to 650°C. The activation energy for SPEC is shown not to vary monotonically with increasing Ge concentration but to increase above that of Si for Ge concentrations less than x≤0.4. This unexpected behavior is discussed in terms of existing models for SPEC. Show more