@article{784c78d9b047449bb571cad9bfd49d28,
title = "Structural properties of Ge nanocrystals embedded in sapphire",
abstract = "Isotopically pure Ge74 nanocrystals were formed in a sapphire matrix by the ion beam synthesis method. In contrast to those embedded in amorphous silica, sapphire-embedded nanocrystals are clearly faceted and are preferentially oriented with respect to the crystalline matrix. In situ transmission electron microscopy of heated samples reveals that the nanocrystals melt at 955±15 °C, very near to the bulk Ge melting point. The Raman spectra indicate that the sapphire-embedded Ge nanocrystals are under compressive stress in the range of 3-4 GPa. The magnitude of the stress is consistent with that expected for hydrostatic pressure arising from solidification. Stress relaxation was not observed for sapphire-embedded Ge nanocrystals; this is attributed to the slow self-diffusion rate of the alumina matrix atoms at temperatures below the nanocrystal melting point.",
author = "Sharp, {I. D.} and Q. Xu and Yi, {D. O.} and Yuan, {C. W.} and Beeman, {J. W.} and Yu, {K. M.} and Ager, {J. W.} and Chrzan, {D. C.} and Haller, {E. E.}",
note = "Funding Information: One of the authors (I.D.S.) acknowledges support from the Intel Robert N. Noyce fellowship. Another author (Q.X.) acknowledges support through a U.C. Berkeley Fellowship. Two of the authors (D.C.C. and E.E.H.) acknowledge support from the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science. This work is supported in part by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231 and in part by U.S. NSF under Grant No. DMR-0405472. Electron microscopy was performed at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, LBNL. ",
year = "2006",
doi = "10.1063/1.2398727",
language = "English",
volume = "100",
journal = "Journal of Applied Physics",
issn = "0021-8979",
publisher = "American Institute of Physics",
number = "11",
}