Ordering and crystallization in thin Si/SiO2 superlattices

a detailed investigation of thermal crystallization of amorphous Si/SiO2 superlattices is presented. A one-step conventional furnace annealing and a two- step annealing process combining rapid thermal annealing and furnace annealing are studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. The increase of the crystallization temperature for sublayer thickness below 10 nn is demonstrated. The dependence of the nanocrystal size and the size asymmetry is monitored as a function of the sublayer thickness. Growth faults are shown with high resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) in nanocrystals of sizes larger than 7 nm. The influence of growth fault on the Scherrer size is discussed.