Solid state dewetting of a metal –semiconductor bi-layers deposited onto c-Si substrate
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
A bi-layers stack consisting of a semiconductor thin film of a varied thickness and a very thin Pd layer (SiC/Pd/c-Si).was deposited onto c-Si by e-beam evaporation at room temperature. The multi-layers structure was subjected to a thermal annealing process at near eutectic temperature of the Si – Pd phase. It is noticed, through top view SEM and cross-section STEM analyses, that the sandwiched Pd metal layer dewets from the interface with the c-Si substrate in well dispersed nanoparticles and it diffuses inward onto the top few monolayers of the substrate; at times it permeates shallowly through the SiC semiconductor top layer. The size distribution of the nanoparticles was found to be closely linked to the thickness of the top semiconductor layer.
Description
Keywords
Physics, Metal nanoparticles, Palladium, Substrates, Thin films
Citation
Halindintwali, S. et al. (2023). Solid state dewetting of a metal –semiconductor bi-layers deposited onto c-Si substrate. Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, 265(2), 43. 10.1007/s10854-023-10135-0