CRYSTALLIZATION OF AMORPHOUS Ge IN Ge/Au BILAYER FILMS AND Ge-Au Alloy FILMS

The crystallization temperature of amorphous Ge(a-Ge) in a-Ge/polycrystalline Au(p-Au) films is much lower than that in a-Ge/monocrystalline Au(m-Au) films. In order to explain this phenomenon it is suggested that the grain boundary triple points of p-Au films are the favourable nucleation positions. The favourable crystallization regions in a-Ge/p-Au films are related to the agglomeration of p-Au films. The crystallization temperature of Ge-Au alloy films is lower than that of a-Ge/p-Au films when Au content in alloy films is less than 35wt%, and is higher when Au content is more than 35wt%.