Observation of Ultrathin Precursor Film Formation during Ge–Si Liquid-Phase Epitaxy from an Undersaturated Solution
2017
Vonk, Vedran | Pontoni, Diego | Cremers, Melissa | Kerkenaar, Anne | Bode, Arno A. C. | Szweryn, Wiesiek | Nowak, Gregor | de Jong, Aryan E. F. | Dosch, Helmut | Vlieg, Elias
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.
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