Amorphous-to-crystalline transition-induced two-step thin film growth of quasi-one-dimensional penta-telluride ZrTe₅

Quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) van der Waals (vdWs) materials, such as ZrTe₅, exhibit unique electrical properties and quantum phenomena, making them attractive for advanced electronic applications. However, large-scale growth of ZrTe₅ thin films presents challenges. We address this by employing sputtering, a common semiconductor industry technique. The as-deposited ZrTe₅ film is amorphous, and post-annealing induces a crystallization process akin to transition-metal dichalcogenides. Our study investigates the electrical and optical properties during this amorphous-to-crystalline transition, revealing insights into the underlying mechanism. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of quasi-1D materials and introduces a scalable fabrication method for ZrTe₅ which offers the possibility of fabricating unique future electronic and optical devices.