Formation of a crystalline phase in amorphous hydrogenated carbon-germanium films by electron beam irradiation

Abstract

The influence of electron beam irradiation on morphology of plasma deposited amorphous hydrogenated carbon-germanium films produced from tetramethylgermanium in a three-electrode af reactor has been studied. It has been found that the insulating films are insensitive to this treatment, whereas a crystalline phase occurs in the semiconducting films. Although the molar content of germanium in these films amounts only to about 0.2, the crystalline phase is composed of pure germanium nanocrystals which contain about 70% of the whole amount of germanium existing in the films. The nanocrystals are agglomerated in globules of 50–500 nm in diameter.