Figure 5
From: Thin films of the \(\alpha\)-quartz \(Si_xGe_{1-x}O_2\) solid solution
(a) SEM images of a \(Si_{0.75}Ge_{0.25}O_2\) film grown on Y-cut quartz substrate shows the crystallization of domains surrounded by low crystallinity areas (i) and amorphous areas (ii). The black arrows point to the new domains nucleated at the edge of a bigger domain. (b) AFM image of a domain boundary where bumps are formed when the stripes meet the boundary. Notice the stripes are about 10 nm higher than the areas in between them. (c) AFM image showing the middle part of the domains with the nucleation point is a central point in area from which stripes arise.
