Dominant Influence of Beam-Induced Interface Rearrangement on Solid-Phase Epitaxial Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon

Bombardment with 0.6-3-MeV Ne⁺ ions has been employed to stimulate solid-phase epitaxial growth of amorphous silicon at temperatures 200-500^∘{}C. Two distinctly different regrowth regimes have been identified. In the temperature range 200-400^∘{}C the activation energy for beaminduced regrowth is 0.24 eV, whereas, in the temperature range above 400^∘{}C, it is higher (>0.5 eV), but less well defined because of competing thermal effects. Results indicate that ion irradiation generates (athermally) nucleation sites for crystal growth, a process which has a high ({~} 2.4 eV) activation energy in the absence of ion-beam excitation.