Absence of an Abrupt Phase Change from Polycrystalline to Amorphous in Silicon with Deposition Temperature

P. M. Voyles, J. E. Gerbi, M. M. J. Treacy, J. M. Gibson, and J. R. Abelson
Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5514 – Published 11 June 2001
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Abstract

Using fluctuation electron microscopy, we have observed an increase in the mesoscopic spatial fluctuations in the diffracted intensity from vapor-deposited silicon thin films as a function of substrate temperature from the amorphous to polycrystalline regimes. We interpret this increase as an increase in paracrystalline medium-range order in the sample. A paracrystal consists of topologically crystalline grains in a disordered matrix; in this model the increase in ordering is caused by an increase in the grain size or density. Our observations are counter to the previous belief that the amorphous to polycrystalline transition is a discontinuous disorder-order phase transition.

  • Received 16 October 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.5514

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

P. M. Voyles1,2,*, J. E. Gerbi3, M. M. J. Treacy2, J. M. Gibson4, and J. R. Abelson3

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801
  • 2NEC Research Institute, 4 Independence Way, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
  • 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Coordinated Science Lab, University of Illinois, 1101 West Springfield Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801
  • 4Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439

  • *Current address: Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ 07974.

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Vol. 86, Iss. 24 — 11 June 2001

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