Effect of nanocavities on Ge nanoclustering and out-diffusion in SiO 2

Germanium nanocrystals (Ge-ncs) were synthesized by implantation of Ge ions into the fused silica, followed by a thermal annealing at 1000 °C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was employed to characterize both the morphology of the formed Ge-ncs and the evolution of their depth-distr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2017-01, Vol.28 (3), p.035707
Main Authors: Li, Chen, Feng, Honglei, Liu, Bin, Liang, Wenshuang, Liu, Guiju, Ross, Guy G, Wang, Yiqian, Barba, David
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Germanium nanocrystals (Ge-ncs) were synthesized by implantation of Ge ions into the fused silica, followed by a thermal annealing at 1000 °C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was employed to characterize both the morphology of the formed Ge-ncs and the evolution of their depth-distribution as a function of annealing durations. The formation of nanocavities in the vicinity of nanocrystal/SiO interface is evidenced, as well as their influence on the release of the compressive stress exerted on Ge-ncs by surrounding SiO . Some Ge-ncs are found inside nanocavities, and can move into the implanted layer through a nanocavity-assisted diffusion mechanism. This finding sheds light on a new process that can explain the non-uniformity of the Ge-nanocrystal spatial distribution.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/1361-6528/28/3/035707