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In-situ TEM Study of the Crystallization of Thin Films composed of Sb3.6Te with Ge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Bart J. Kooi ,
Willemijn M.G. Groot  and
Jeff Th.M. De Hosson
Bart J. Kooi
Affiliation:
Dept. of Applied Physics, Materials Science Center and Netherlands Institute for Metals Research, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Willemijn M.G. Groot
Affiliation:
Dept. of Applied Physics, Materials Science Center and Netherlands Institute for Metals Research, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Jeff Th.M. De Hosson
Affiliation:
Dept. of Applied Physics, Materials Science Center and Netherlands Institute for Metals Research, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract

This paper addresses the crystallization of amorphous Sb3.6Te films (40 nm thick) and 5 at.% Ge containing Sb3.6Te films (10, 20 and 40 nm thick) as studied using in-situ annealing in a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). These materials show growth-dominated crystallization, in contrast to Ge2Sb2Te5 that shows nucleation-dominated crystallization. Particularly the crystal-growth velocity in these systems is measured as a function of temperature from which the activation energy for growth can be derived. The strong effect of the 5 at.% Ge addition on the total crystallization behavior is revealed: Ge increases the crystallization temperature (from 95 to 150 °C), increases the activation energy for growth (from 1.58 to 2.37 eV), increases the nucleation rate and decreases the growth anisotropy.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 803: Symposia GG/HH – Advanced Characterization Techniques for Data Storage Materials – Phase Change and Nonmagnetic Materials for Data Storage , 2003 , HH3.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

REFERENCES

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