Low-energy electron beam induced regrowth of isolated amorphous zones in Si and Ge

Abstract
Spatially isolated amorphous regions in Si and Ge have been regrown at room temperature by using an electron beam with an energy less than that required to cause displacement damage in crystalline material. The rate at which the zones regrow is a function of the energy of the electron beam. As the electron energy is increased from 25 keV (lowest energy employed), the regrowth rate decreases and reaches a minimum below the threshold displacement voltage. With further increases in the electron energy, the rate again increases. It is suggested that at the lower electron energies this room temperature regrowth process is stimulated by electronic excitation rather than by displacive-type processes.