Crystallization behavior and resistance change in eutectic Si15Te85 amorphous films

Crystallization process and the corresponding electrical resistance change were investigated in eutectic Si15Te85 amorphous thin films. The Si15Te85 amorphous film showed two-stage crystallization process upon heating. In the first stage, the Si15Te85 amorphous crystallized into Te crystals at 175 °C. In the second stage, the residual amorphous phase crystallized into Si2Te3 crystals at above 300 °C accompanying the resistance drop. Before the second crystallization, the electrical resistance once increased in the temperature range of about 250–295 °C. This phenomenon can be explained by considering the formation of amorphous phase with a high electrical resistivity.