High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of silicon re-growth at controlled elevated temperatures

Re-growth of a 300 nm thick Si film was observed in-situ in a TEM by maintaining the material at temperatures between 500-800 C. The transition from an amorphous phase caused by an implantation to an annealed, crystal phase was observed during solid-phase epitaxial re-growth. A video recording was of the process, and the progression of the crystalline phase region throughout the sample is described. The data indicated that crystalization does not always proceed atom by atom, i.e., several atomic layers assume crystalline lattice structures nearly simultaneously. Also, the amorphous/crystalline interface sometimes regresses. The results confirm the effectiveness of the method for studying phase transitions in materials, provided an appropriate temperature range is used.