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Nucleation, growth, and phase transformation mechanism of Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 thin films
Author(s) -
Kim Eun Tae,
Lee Jeong Yong,
Kim Yong Tae
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200925059
Subject(s) - nucleation , metastability , materials science , crystallization , crystallography , phase (matter) , transmission electron microscopy , grain boundary , condensed matter physics , amorphous solid , chemical physics , diffusion , vacancy defect , enhanced data rates for gsm evolution , low energy electron microscopy , dislocation , thin film , surface energy , electron microscope , thermodynamics , microstructure , nanotechnology , optics , chemistry , metallurgy , composite material , physics , organic chemistry , computer science , telecommunications
The nucleation, growth, and metastable‐to‐stable phase transformation behavior of Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 thin film were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. The results confirm that nucleation begins at the surface of the film and proceeds by growth of grains through the thickness of film. Also, the result provides further grounds to the suggestion that some of the Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 grains grow with an elongated grain shape to reduce interface energy between crystalline and amorphous phases at the initial stage of crystallization. We find edge dislocations in the metastable‐to‐stable phase transition region. We think these edge dislocations can explain the metastable‐to‐stable phase transformation mechanism as a result of vacancy diffusion.