title: Observation of Ultrathin Precursor Film Formation during Ge-Si Liquid-Phase Epitaxy from an Undersaturated Solution.
abstract: Our in situ X-ray study shows that a silicon substrate in contact with an undersaturated In(Ge) solution is wetted by an approximately 1 nm thin germanium film, which does not grow any thicker. The results can be understood by the use of thickness-dependent correlated interfacial energies. This near-equilibrium heterogeneous interface structure marks the initial stage of crystal growth before the formation of bulk material, which can only form under conditions of supersaturation. This finding uncovers a fundamental aspect of the thermodynamics at solid-liquid interfaces relevant for understanding the transition from equilibrium to supersaturation and is of importance for nanoscale solution growth methods.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.|Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Hamburg 22607, Germany.
authors.forename: Vedran
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9854-1101
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vonk
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility , Grenoble 38000, France.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pontoni
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cremers
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kerkenaar
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arno A C
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wiesiek
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szweryn
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Hamburg 22607, Germany.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility , Grenoble 38000, France.
authors.forename: Aryan E F
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Hamburg 22607, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dosch
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen , Nijmegen 6525AJ, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1343-4102
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlieg
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D005857:Germanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D005857:Germanium; D007204:Indium; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012825:Silicon