title: Templated Solid-State Dewetting of Thin Silicon Films.
abstract: Thin film dewetting can be efficiently exploited for the implementation of functionalized surfaces over very large scales. Although the formation of sub-micrometer sized crystals via solid-state dewetting represents a viable method for the fabrication of quantum dots and optical meta-surfaces, there are several limitations related to the intrinsic features of dewetting in a crystalline medium. Disordered spatial organization, size, and shape fluctuations are relevant issues not properly addressed so far. This study reports on the deterministic nucleation and precise positioning of Si- and SiGe-based nanocrystals by templated solid-state dewetting of thin silicon films. The dewetting dynamics is guided by pattern size and shape taking full control over number, size, shape, and relative position of the particles (islands dimensions and relative distances are in the hundreds nm range and fluctuate ≈11% for the volumes and ≈5% for the positioning).
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.|Laboratoire de Micro-optoélectronique et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Meher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naffouti
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Abdelmalek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benkouider
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Favre
authors.affiliation: Orsay Physics, 13710, Fuveau, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delobbe
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronda
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berbezier
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Université de Toulon, IM2NP UMR 7334, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbarchi
keywords: SiGe alloys; organization; patterning; silicon on insulator; solid-state dewetting, nanocrystals