Improvement of the Thermal Stability of Nickel Stanogermanide by Carbon Pre-Stanogermanidation Implant into GeSn Substrate

摘要

An effective method to improve the thermal stability of Ni(Ge1-xSnx) by carbon pre-stanogermanidation implant into GeSn substrate is investigated systematically. As-prepared samples were characterized by means of sheet resistance measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) and secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The incorporation of carbon leads to significantly improved thermal stability of Ni(Ge1-xSnx) by about 100 degrees C as well as tends to change the preferred orientations of polycrystalline Ni(Ge1-xSnx). The robust thermal stability can be attributed to the segregation of C in grain boundaries and at Ni(Ge1-xSnx)/GeSn interface after stanogermanidation. (C) The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. All rights reserved.