Study of growth process of germanium nanocrystals using a grazing incidence x-ray diffraction method

The growth process of germanium nanocrystals in a SiOx matrix was studied b y an x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique using the grazing incidence of x ray s. The conclusion based on the XRD analysis of the Ge-doped glass is in goo d agreement with that from Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spect roscopy. There are two stages of crystallization: the first stage is nuclea tion of the Ge nanocrystals at 600 degrees C, and the second stage is growt h of the nanocrystals at 800 degrees C. During the second stage, the decomp osition of GeOx into Ge and O in the Ge-doped glass sample results in fast growth of Ge nanocrystals. This is the first report that studied the growth of Ge nanocrystals in an SiOx matrix by XRD. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Soci ety. [S0734-211X(99)08305-5].