Effect of Deposition Temperature on the Electrical Properties of Solid-Phase Crystallized Ge Thin Films

We report the effect of deposition temperature, spanning from 30 °C to 200 °C, on the electrical properties of solid-phase crystallized Ge thin films on SiO₂/Si substrates. Our findings revealed three distinct ranges of deposition temperature, each exhibiting unique electrical properties. The initial thin films were amorphous with low density in the first range (below 100 °C), amorphous with high density in the second range (between 100 °C and 160 °C), and crystalline with high density in the third range (above 160 °C). In the first and second ranges, an increase in deposition temperature led to a fivefold increase in Hall mobility. This was attributed to the enlarged grain size and reduced energy barrier at grain boundaries possibly owing to the reduced concentration of oxygen impurities. Grain boundary scattering dominated carrier transport in the first range, while diminished energy barrier in the second range effectively mitigated grain boundary scattering. In the third range, an increase in deposition temperature resulted in a decrease in the Hall mobility. This may be linked to the reduced grain size. These results demonstrate the profound impact of deposition temperature on tailoring the electrical properties of polycrystalline Ge thin films, with potential implications for semiconductor processing.