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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Tailoring the ultrathin Al-induced crystallization temperature of amorphous si by application of interface
Z M Wang1, J Y Wang, L P H Jeurgens
1Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Heisenbergstrasse 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Abstract:
It has been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that the thickness of a very thin, pure Al film put on top of an amorphous Si (a-Si) layer can be used as a very accurate tool to control the crystallization temperature of a-Si. The effect has been explained quantitatively by application of surface-interface thermodynamics. The predictions have been confirmed experimentally by a real-time in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of the crystallization temperature of a-Si as a function of the thickness of ultrathin Al layers.
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