1. Microstructural Evolution of Ni-Stanogermanides and Sn Segregation during Interfacial Reaction between Ni Film and Ge 1−x Sn x Epilayer Grown on Si Substrate.
- Author
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Jang, Han-Soo, Kim, Jong Hee, Janardhanam, Vallivedu, Jeong, Hyun-Ho, Kim, Seong-Jong, and Choi, Chel-Jong
- Subjects
GERMANIUM films ,INTERFACIAL reactions ,SURFACE segregation ,RAPID thermal processing ,TIN - Abstract
The Ni-stanogermanides were formed via an interfacial reaction between Ni film and a Ge
1−x Snx (x = 0.083) epilayer grown on a Si substrate driven by thermal treatment, and their microstructural and chemical features were investigated as a function of a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) temperature. The Ni3 (Ge1−x Snx ) phase was formed at the RTA temperature of 300 °C, above which Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) was the only phase formed. The fairly uniform Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) film was formed without unreactive Ni remaining after annealing at 400 °C. However, the Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) film formed at 500 °C exhibited large surface and interface roughening, followed by the formation of Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) islands eventually at 600 °C. The Sn concentration in Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) gradually decreased with increasing RTA temperature, implying the enhancement of Sn out-diffusion from Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) grains during the Ni-stanogermanidation process at higher temperature. The out-diffused Sn atoms were accumulated on the surface of Ni(Ge1−x Snx ), which could be associated with the low melting temperature of Sn. On the other hand, the out-diffusion of Sn atoms from Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) along its interface was dominant during the Ni/Ge1−x Snx interfacial reaction, which could be responsible for the segregation of metallic Sn grains that were spatially confined near the edge of Ni(Ge1−x Snx ) islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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