Lateral growth of single-crystal Ge on insulating substrate using amorphous Si seed by rapid melting growth

•Single-crystal GOI was obtained by Si concentration gradient driving lateral growth.•Different single-crystal GOI has different orientation.•Ge stripes with different nucleation observed at different annealing temperatures

A rapid melting growth of Ge on insulating substrate was developed using amorphous Si seed. Spontaneous nucleation process and lateral growth process occurred at different annealing temperature. Single-crystal Ge stripes on the insulator substrate were obtained as the Ge stripe was dominated by the lateral growth process along the stripes. Different single-crystal Ge stripe has different orientation. No preferential orientation was observed. Spatial gradient of solidification temperature along the Ge stripes induced by Si–Ge mixing in seeding region is the key to cause lateral growth of Ge stripes. Saturation of Si concentration along the Ge stripes at higher annealing temperature was observed, which was explained by limited Si volume in the seeding region.