title: Rapid thermal annealing and crystallization mechanisms study of silicon nanocrystal in silicon carbide matrix.
abstract: In this paper, a positive effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) technique has been researched and compared with conventional furnace annealing for Si nanocrystalline in silicon carbide (SiC) matrix system. Amorphous Si-rich SiC layer has been deposited by co-sputtering in different Si concentrations (50 to approximately 80 v%). Si nanocrystals (Si-NC) containing different grain sizes have been fabricated within the SiC matrix under two different annealing conditions: furnace annealing and RTA both at 1,100°C. HRTEM image clearly reveals both Si and SiC-NC formed in the films. Much better "degree of crystallization" of Si-NC can be achieved in RTA than furnace annealing from the research of GIXRD and Raman analysis, especially in high-Si-concentration situation. Differences from the two annealing procedures and the crystallization mechanism have been discussed based on the experimental results.
authors.affiliation: ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. z.wan@student.unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Shujuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conibeer