Growth and crystallization of molybdenum layers on amorphous silicon

Abstract

The structure of molybdenum layers deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering onto the amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers as function of nominal layer thickness was studied by methods of transmission electron microscopy. Molybdenum layers with nominal thickness 1.5btMo nomb1.9 nm consist of clusters which should be considered as a transient state between strongly disordered (amorphous) state and crystal one. A transition from clusters to polycrystals takes place within the thickness range of 1.9btMo nomb2.5 nm. Resulting Mo crystallites have an inequiaxial form with dimensions of (3–4)×(15–30)nm2 and consist of blocks. The lateral axis of inequiaxial crystallites is parallel to 110 direction. As the metal layer thickness increases Mocrystallites take the more regular form at the expense of recrystallization.