Directionality of nickel-induced layer exchange during graphitization in carbon-nickel thin films

Metal-induced crystallization with layer exchange (MIC w LE) can reduce the crystallization temperature of group 14 elements by several hundred degrees. This is especially interesting for device fabrication on substrates with limited thermal stability. Ideally, the process allows the transfer of defined amounts of an initially amorphous material onto a randomly selected substrate. In this contribution, MIC w LE is studied for Ni/ a-C thin films with different stacking sequences in order to quantify the influence of the stacking sequence on the layer exchange degree αLE and on the degree of graphitic ordering. The process was monitored in situ by temperature-dependent Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and Raman spectroscopy up to 700 °C. RBS, Raman, elastic recoil detection, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were applied for ex situ characterization. The highest αLE of 96% was found for the initial Ni/a-C stacking sequence. In contrast, the inverse sequence resulted in an incomplete LE. The formation of 2D-layered carbon structures occurred independently of the initial stacking sequence.1 Beyond the threshold of 580 °C, increasing the temperature to up to 700 °C had a negligible impact on the degree of 2D-ordering. Since LE and graphitization occur simultaneously at high temperatures, MIC w LE rather than dissolution/ precipitation is proposed as responsible mechanism for carbon crystallization.