ELECTRON-BEAM-INDUCED CRYSTALLIZATION OF A GE-AU AMORPHOUS FILM

An amorphous Ge-Au(a-Ge-Au) film prepared by vacuum deposition was stu died in situ and irradiated by an electron beam in a transmission elec tron microscope. The amorphous Ge-Au film can be crystallized rapidly and locally by electron beam irradiation, forming polycrystalline meta stable Ge0.4Au0.6 tetragonal phase and then decomposing to polycrystal line Ge and polycrystalline Au at increased irradiation dose. The resu lts suggest that the crystallization of a-GeAu film, the formation of Ge0.4Au0.6 and the decomposition of the metastable Ge0.4Au0.6 are depe ndent on the temperature rise of the irradiation process. (C) 1996 Ame rican Institute of Physics.