Local Order and Crystallization of Laser Quenched and Ion Implanted Amorphous Ge_1-xTe_x Thin Films

Abstract

Amorphous films of Ge_1-xTe_x (x=0.37, 0.51, 0.64) prepared by sputtering, by melt quenching or by ion irradiation were annealed up to 450°C. Different phase stability, i.e. crystallization temperature, was observed varying the amorphous status in stoichiometric and Te-rich alloys while no variation was obtained in the Ge-rich alloy. Laser and ion irradiated stoichiometric alloy exhibits lower stability with respect to the sputtered film while irradiated amorphous Te-rich samples are more stable than the as deposited amorphous sample. An enhancement of edge-sharing GeTe₄ tetrahedra Raman signal at the expenses of Ge-rich tetrahedra signal occurs in the irradiated samples with respect to the as-deposited amorphous layers both in the stoichiometric and in the Te-rich alloy. The crystallization temperature decreases in GeTe since the system during irradiation is promoted to a state closer to the crystalline phase while in Te-rich alloy the stability increases with the density of Ge-Te bonds since this local rearrangement delays Te precipitation and the subsequent GeTe crystallization. Irradiation does not affect the stability of Ge rich alloy in which crystallization is limited by the Ge mobility and the induced local rearrangements is probably prevented by the low atomic diffusivity.