Effect of tensile-strained Si layer on photoluminescence of Ge(Si) self-assembled islands grown on relaxed SiGe/Si(001) buffer layers

The results of studying the photoluminescence of the structures with Ge(Si) self-assembled islands embedded into tensile-strained Si layer are reported. The structures were grown on smooth relaxed Si_{1 ? x} Ge_x/Si(001) (x = 0.2–0.3) buffer layers. The photoluminescence peak found in the photoluminescence spectra of the studied structures is related to the indirect (in real space) optical transition between the holes localized in the Ge(Si) islands and electrons localized in the tensile-strained Si layers under and above an island. It is shown that one can efficiently control the position of the photoluminescence peak for a specified type of structure by varying the thickness of the strained Si layers. It is found that, at 77 K, the intensity of the photoluminescence signal from the heterostructures with Ge(Si) self-assembled islands contained between the tensile-strained Si layers exceeds by an order of magnitude the intensity of the photoluminescence signal from the GeSi structures with islands formed on the Si(001) substrates.     

Causes of the stability of three-bilayer islands and steps on a Si (111) surface

The initial stages of growth of Ge and Si layers on a singular Si (111) surface result in an unusual morphology of the growth surface if the layers are deposited at a low rate; i.e., triangular islands with a height of as much as three atomic layers are formed. A simulation based on the Monte Carlo method has been used to show that an additional barrier with a height of 0.5–0.6 eV, serving to incorporate atoms into dimerized bonds at the edges of the triangular islands, brings about enhanced growth of the islands in relation to their height and a change in the triangles’ orientation. According to the suggested hypothesis, the increase in the islands’ height and the limitation of their height to three bilayers are due to the effect of the edge dimers, whose orientation changes when the height of a step perpendicular to the \(\langle \bar 1\bar 12\rangle \) direction becomes as large as three bilayers. Scanning tunneling microscopy has been used to detect new special features in the atomic structure of regular three-bilayer steps on a Si (557) surface. The results of an analysis of the images obtained using a scanning tunneling microscope confirm the hypothesis that a row of dimers is formed at the edge of a three-bilayer step.     

Photoluminescence line width of self-assembled Ge(Si) islands arranged between strained Si layers

The effect of variations in the strained Si layer thicknesses, measurement temperature, and optical excitation power on the width of the photoluminescence line produced by self-assembled Ge(Si) nanoislands, which are grown on relaxed SiGe/Si(001) buffer layers and arranged between strained Si layers, is studied. It is shown that the width of the photoluminescence line related to the Ge(Si) islands can be decreased or increased by varying the thickness of strained Si layers lying above and under the islands. A decrease in the width of the photoluminescence line of the Ge(Si) islands to widths comparable with the width of the photoluminescence line of quantum dot (QD) structures based on direct-gap InAs/GaAs semiconductors is attained with consideration of diffusive smearing of the strained Si layer lying above the islands.     

Effect of silicon spacer thickness on the electroluminescence of multilayer structures with self-assembled Ge(Si)/Si(001) islands

The results of investigation of the electroluminescence of multilayer p-i-n structures with Ge(Si)/Si(001) self-assembled islands are presented. The nonmonotonic dependence of the room-temperature intensity of the electroluminescence signal from islands on the Si spacer thickness is revealed. The highest electroluminescence signal intensity is observed for structures with a Si spacer thickness of 15?C20 nm. The significant decrease detected in the electroluminescence signal from the islands in structures with thick Si spacers (>20 nm) is explained by the formation of defect regions in them. The observed decrease in the electroluminescence signal in structures with thin Si layers is associated with a decrease in the Ge fraction in the islands in these structures, which is caused by enhanced Si diffusion into islands with increasing elastic strains in the structure.     

Special features of the formation of Ge(Si) islands on the relaxed Si1−xGex/Si(001) buffer layers

The results of studying the growth of self-assembled Ge(Si) islands on relaxed Si_1?xGe_x/Si(001) buffer layers (x≈25%), with a low surface roughness are reported. It is shown that the growth of self-assembled islands on the buffer SiGe layers is qualitatively similar to the growth of islands on the Si (001) surface. It is found that a variation in the surface morphology (the transition from dome-to hut-shaped islands) in the case of island growth on the relaxed SiGe buffer layers occurs at a higher temperature than for the Ge(Si)/Si(001) islands. This effect can be caused by both a lesser mismatch between the crystal lattices of an island and the buffer layer and a somewhat higher surface density of islands, when they are grown on an SiGe buffer layer.     

(Si/Ge)n多层薄膜的设计制备及光吸收性能

采用射频磁控溅射技术,在石英玻璃衬底上沉积了具有不同层数和厚度的(Si/Ge)n多层薄膜。XRD、Raman光谱测试表明,溅射态薄膜为微晶结构,在溅射过程中层间扩散形成Si-Ge振动键,溅射时间和薄膜层数影响着薄膜层间的扩散和结晶率;FESEM结果表明,薄膜表面由颗粒团簇构成,层与层之间有明显界面。UV-vis光谱测试表明,(Si/Ge)n多层薄膜在可见光范围内具有较宽的吸收,增加薄膜层数可扩大太阳能光谱的响应范围,而增加Si单层膜厚度对光吸收范围的影响较小。     

Studies on the growth of CdTe on Si using ge interfacial layer in an organometallic vapor phase epitaxial system

Epitaxial CdTe layers were grown using organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on Si substrates with a Ge buffer layer. Ge layer was grown in the same reactor using germane gas and the reaction of germane gas with the native Si surface is studied in detail at low temperature. It is shown that germane gas can be used to “clean” the Si surface oxide prior to CdTe growth by first reducing the thin native oxide that may be present on Si. When Ge layer was grown on Si using germane gas, an induction period was observed before the continuous layer of Ge growth starts. This induction period is a function of the thickness of the native oxide present on Si and possible reasons for this behavior are outlined. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) data show negligible outdiffusion and cross contamination of Ge in CdTe.     

Transition from the two- to three-dimensional growth of Ge films upon deposition onto relaxed SiGe/Si(001) buffer layers

The critical thickness of the two-dimensional growth of Ge on relaxed SiGe/Si(001) buffer layers different in Ge content is studied in relation to the parameters of the layers. It is shown that the critical thickness of the two-dimensional growth of Ge on SiGe buffer layers depends on the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate and, in addition, is heavily influenced by Ge segregation during SiGe-layer growth and by variations in the growth-surface roughness upon the deposition of strained (stretched) Si layers. It is found that the critical thickness of the two-dimensional growth of Ge directly onto SiGe buffer layers with a Ge content of x = 11–36% is smaller than that in the case of deposition onto a Si (001) substrate. The experimentally detected increase in the critical thickness of the two-dimensional growth of Ge with increasing thickness of the strained (stretched) Si layer predeposited onto the buffer layer is attributed to a decrease in the growth-surface roughness and in the amount of Ge located on the surface as a result of segregation.     

Effect of growth temperature on photoluminescence of self-assembled Ge(Si) islands confined between strained Si layers

The effect of growth temperature on photoluminescence is studied for structures with Ge(Si) islands grown on relaxed SiGe/Si(001) buffer layers and confined between strained Si layers. It is shown that, with decreasing growth temperature in the range from 700 to 630°C, the photoluminescence peak associated with the islands shifts to lower energies, which is due to the increase in Ge content in the islands and to suppression of degradation of the strained Si layers. The experimentally observed shift of the photoluminescence peak to higher energies with decreasing temperature from 630 to 600°C is attributed to the change in the type of the islands from domelike to hutlike in this temperature range. This change is accompanied by an abrupt decrease in the average height of the islands. The larger width of the photoluminescence peak produced by the hut islands in comparison with the width of the peak produced by the domelike islands is interpreted as a result of a wider size dispersion of the hutlike islands.     

Observation and nucleation control of Ge nanoislands on Si(111) surfaces using scanning reflection electron microscopy

Using a high-resolution scanning reflection electron microscope with multifunctions, we investigate Ge nucleation processes on clean Si(111) surfaces and form Ge islands on them by controlling step arrangements of Si(111) surfaces and by using focused electron beam (EB)-induced surface reactions. It is found that three-dimensional (3D) Ge islands grow selectively at step band areas on the surfaces without growth of the islands at terrace areas. Three-dimensional Ge nanoislands are formed at given points by stimulating the Ge wetting layer using focused electron beams and scanning tunnelling microscopy. Ge nanoislands are also formed by depositing Ge on Si windows in ultrathin SiO2 films and subsequent annealing of the sample. The islands are formed only at the window positions. These results imply new methods for forming Ge quantum dots or nanostructures at given areas.     

Photoconductivity of Si/Ge multilayer structures with Ge quantum dots pseudomorphic to the Si matrix

Longitudinal photoconductivity spectra of Si/Ge multilayer structures with Ge quantum dots grown pseudomorphically to the Si matrix are studied. Lines of optical transitions between hole levels of quantum dots and Si electronic states are observed. This allowed us to construct a detailed energy-level diagram of electron-hole levels of the structure. It is shown that hole levels of pseudomorphic Ge quantum dots are well described by the simplest “quantum box” model using actual sizes of Ge islands. The possibility of controlling the position of the long-wavelength photosensitivity edge by varying the growth parameters of Si/Ge structures with Ge quantum dots is determined.     

Si passivation for Ge pMOSFETs: Impact of Si cap growth conditions

Ultra thin Si cap growth by Reduced Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition on relaxed Ge substrates is detailed in this paper for Ge pMOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) passivation purposes. A cross calibration of different measurement techniques is first proposed to perfectly monitor Si monolayers thickness deposited on Ge substrates. Different characteristics, impacting Ge pMOSFETs device performances, are next detailed for various Si cap growth processes using different Si precursors: DiChloroSilane (DCS), silane and trisilane. The critical Si thickness of plastic relaxation has been determined at 12 monolayers. Presence of point defects has been identified for very low growth temperature as 350 °C. Ge-Si intermixing, caused by a Ge segregation mechanism, is strongly reduced by the use of trisilane as Si precursor at low temperatures.     

Electrical characteristics of diodes fabricated in selective Si/Si1−x Ge x epitaxial layers

Diodes have been fabricated in layers of Si_1−x Ge _x and silicon deposited selectively on patterned wafers, and the electrical characteristics of the diodes have been examined. For 50 nm thick Si_1−x Ge _x layers containing about 22% Ge, the forward characteristics of larger diodes are nearly ideal. However, the reverse leakage current is higher when the edges of the diode intersect the oxide defining the selectively deposited layers than when the diode edges are separated from this oxide. The diode characteristics are more ideal when the diode edges are aligned along the [100] directions than when aligned along the [110] directions. Higher-temperature hydrogen pre-treatments before epitaxial deposition can degrade the diode characteristics.     

Effect of parameters of Ge(Si)/Si(001) self-assembled islands on their electroluminescence at room temperature

The electroluminescence (EL) of multilayered p-i-n structures with the self-assembled Ge(Si)/Si(001) islands are investigated. It is found that the structures with islands grown at 600°C have the highest intensity of the electroluminescence signal at room temperature in the wavelength range of 1.3–1.55 μm. The annealing of structures with the Ge(Si) islands leads to an increase in the EL-signal intensity at low temperatures and hampers the temperature stability of this signal, which is related to the additional Si diffusion into islands during annealing. The found considerable increase in the electroluminescence-signal intensity with the thickness of the separating Si layer is associated with a decrease in the elastic stresses in the structure with an increase in this layer’s thickness. The highest EL quantum efficiency in the wavelength range of 1.3–1.55 μm obtained in investigated structures amounted to 0.01% at room temperature.     

The properties of Si/Si1-xGex films grown on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition

A growth parameter study was made to determine the proper of a SiGe superlattice-type configuration grown on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The study included such variables as growth temperature, layer composition, layer thickness, total film thickness, doping concentrations, and film orientation. Si and SiGe layers were grown using SiH₄ as the Si source and GeH₄ as the Ge source. When intentional doping was desired, diluted diborane for p-type films and phosphine for n-type films were used. The study led to films grown at ∼1000°C with mobilities from ∼20 to 40 percent higher than that of epitaxial Si layers and ∼100 percent higher than that of epitaxial SiGe layers grown on (100) Si in the same deposition system for net carrier concentrations of ∼8x10¹⁵ cm^-3 to ∼2x10¹⁷ cm^-3. Enhanced mobilities were found in multilayer (100)-oriented Si/Si_1-xGe_x films for layer thicknesses ≥400A, for film thicknesses >2μm, and for layers with x = 0.15. No enhanced mobility was found for (111)-oriented films and for B-doped multilayered (100)-orlented films. Supported in part by NASA-Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, Contract NAS1-16102 (R. Stermer & A. Fripp, Contr. Mon.)     

Ge/Si量子点的控制生长

采用离子束溅射技术,在生长了Si缓冲层的硅晶片上制备了一系列Ge量子点样品.借助原子力显微镜(AFM)和Raman光谱等测试手段研究了Ge/Si量子点生长密度、尺寸及排列均匀性的演变规律.结果表明,改变Si缓冲层厚度及其生长方式,可以有效控制量子点的尺寸、均匀性和密度.随缓冲层厚度增大,量子点密度先增大后减小,停顿生长有利于提高缓冲层结晶性,从而提高量子点的密度,可以达到1.9×1010 cm-2.还研究了Si缓冲层在Ge量子点生长过程中的作用,并提出了量子点的生长模型.     

Low threading dislocation density Ge deposited on Si (1 0 0) using RPCVD

Epitaxial Ge layer growth of low threading dislocation density (TDD) and low surface roughness on Si (1 0 0) surface is investigated using a single wafer reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) system. Thin seed Ge layer is deposited at 300 °C at first to form two-dimensional Ge surface followed by thick Ge growth at 550 °C. Root mean square of roughness (RMS) of ∼0.45 nm is achieved. As-deposited Ge layers show high TDD of e.g. ∼4 × 10⁸ cm⁻² for a 4.7 μm thick Ge layer thickness. The TDD is decreasing with increasing Ge thickness. By applying a postannealing process at 800 °C, the TDD is decreased by one order of magnitude. By introducing several cycle of annealing during the Ge growth interrupting the Ge deposition, TDD as low as ∼7 × 10⁵ cm⁻² is achieved for 4.7 μm Ge thick layer. Surface roughness of the Ge sample with the cyclic annealing process is in the same level as without annealing process (RMS of ∼0.44 nm). The Ge layers are tensile strained as a result of a higher thermal expansion coefficient of Ge compared to Si in the cooling process down to room temperature. Enhanced Si diffusion was observed for annealed Ge samples. Direct band-to-band luminescence of the Ge layer grown on Si is demonstrated.     

Effect of inter-layer strain interaction on the optical properties of Ge/Si（001） island multi-layers

In this paper we present a study on the influence of the number and the thickness of silicon spacer layer on the optical properties of single-and multi-layers of self assembled Ge/Si(001) islands performed by means of cathodoluminescence spectroscopy,high resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. In single-layer sample,we do not evidence dependence of the island no-phonon emission peak position on the silicon cap-layer thickness. In multi-layer samples having a thin(33 nm) silicon spacer layer the no-phonon emission energy value progressively blue-shifts for an increasing number of island layers. This is interpreted as an enhanced intermixing driven by the strain interaction existing between island layers. On the contrary,island emission energy position is independent on the number of layers in the sample series having a thicker spacer layer(60 nm) . These findings are consistent with the X-ray diffraction observation that islands belonging to different layers have the same composition. As a consequence we can conclude that multilayers with 60-nm spaced islands layer are more homogeneous and ordered.     

Co/a-GeSi/Ti/Si多层薄膜固相反应外延生长CoSi_2薄膜

研究了在 Co/Ti/Si结构中加入非晶 Ge Si层对 Co Si2 /Si异质固相外延的影响 ,用离子束溅射方法在Si衬底上制备 Co/Ge Si/Ti/Si结构多层薄膜 ,通过快速热退火使多层薄膜发生固相反应。采用四探针电阻仪、AES、XRD、RBS等方法进行测试。实验表明 ,利用 Co/Ge Si/Ti/Si固相反应形成的 Co Si2 薄膜具有良好的外延特性和电学特性 ,Ti中间层和非晶 Ge Si中间层具有促进和改善 Co Si2 外延质量 ,减少衬底耗硅量的作用。Ge原子的存在能够改善外延 Co Si2 薄膜的晶格失配率