Crystallization of amorphous antimony layers on as-deposited ultrathin sublayers of silver

• Published in: Thin solid films 1988-12, Vol.167 (1), p.223-232
• Main Authors: Hashimoto, Mituru, Umezawa, Kiyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysing. Testing. Standards; Applied sciences; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Measurement of properties and materials state; Metals, semimetals and alloys; Metals. Metallurgy; Nondestructive testing; Physics; Specific materials; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/0040-6090(88)90499-3

We have directly observed, by optical microscopy, the crystallization process of an amorphous antimony layer 3.4–8.9 nm thick prepared on an as-deposited layer of silver whose thickness ranges from 0.7 × 10 −2 to 8.5 × 10 −2 nm. A whole specimen is deposited onto a cover glass in a vacuum of 3 × 10 −4 Pa. The averaged growth rate v of crystallites nucleated in the amorphous antimony layer is measured as a function of the reciprocal thickness d Sb −1 of the antimony layer and also as a function of the substrate temperature T s at d Sb = 3.7 and 4.5 nm. v decreases monotinically with increasing d Sb -1 in accordance with a model previously presented (M. Hashimoto, Thin Solid Films, 116 (1984) 373–381). When the thickness d Ag of the silver sublayer is equal to 8.5 × 10 −2 nm such parameters as the thicknesses d s0 and d v0 of surface regions near the substrate and the vacuum and the growth rates u s and u v at surfaces adjacent to the substrate and the vacuum are estimated to be 5.6 nm and 2.0 nm and 10 μm s −1 and 0.21 μm s −1. Effective values of the activation energy for crystallization are estimated from the Arrhenius plot of v from 30 to 60°C to be, for example, 0.8 eV at d Sb = 3.7 nm and 0.6 eV at d Sb = 4.5 nm when d Ag is 8.5 × 10 -2 nm.