Indentation-induced low-temperature solid-phase crystallization of Si1-xGex (x=0-1) on insulator

Indentation-induced solid-phase crystallization (SPC) was proposed to achieve low-temperature growth of Si1-xGex (x=0-1) on insulator. Crystal nucleation was enhanced at the indented positions due to the stress effect, which triggered the lateral SPC. As a result, large Si1-xGex (x=0-1) crystal regions (>2 mu m) were achieved on insulator at low temperatures (< 590 degrees C). The growth kinetics for this catalyst metal-free process, i.e., activation energies for nucleation and lateral growth, are presented as a function of the Ge fraction (x).