ION BEAM INDUCED AMORPHIZATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESSES IN SILICON AND GaAs.

Abstract

Thin amorphous layers in crystalline Si and GaAs substrates have been irradiated at selected temperatures with 1. 5 MeV Ne** plus ions to induce either epitaxial crystallization or amorphization. In Si, such irradiation can induce complete epitaxial crystallization of a 1000 Angstrom surface amorphous layer for temperatures typically greater than 200 degree C whereas, at significantly lower temperatures, layer-by-layer amorphization results. Although epitaxial crystallization can also be stimulated in GaAs by ion irradiation at temperatures greater than 65 degree C, the process is non-linear with ion dose and results in poor quality crystal growth for amorphous layers greater than a few hundred Angstroms in thickness. Layer-by-layer amorphization has not been observed in GaAs. Show more