硅、锗材料在Si（100）表面的生长研究

利用扫描隧道显微镜和超高真空实验装置系统进行了Si（100）表面生长Si，Ge的实验研究。分析了所生成表面的形貌、结构等物理性质。研究表明：Si在Si（100）表面的同质生长可以形成纳米结构薄膜。Ge在Si（100）表面生长形成规则的三维小岛，而在Si/Ge/Si（100）多层膜上生长则形成大小二种三维岛，研究表明大岛具有Ge/Si/Ge的壳层结构。     

Si_3N_4/Si表面Ge生长过程的STM研究

利用STM和LEED分析了Ge在Si3 N4 /Si(111)和Si3 N4 /Si(10 0 )表面生长过程的结构演变。在生长早期 ,Ge在两种衬底表面上都形成高密度的三维纳米团簇 ,这些团簇的大小均在几个纳米范围内 ,并在高温退火时体积增大。当生长继续时 ,Ge的晶体小面开始显现。在晶态的Si3 N4 (0 0 0 1) /Si(111)表面 ,Ge的 (111)晶向的小面生长比其他方向优先。最后在大范围内形成以 (111)方向为主的晶面。相反 ,在非晶的Si3 N4 表面 ,即Si3 N4 /Si(10 0 ) ,Ge晶体的高指数侧面生长较顶面快 ,最终形成金字塔形的岛结构。对这样的表面生长过程进行了探讨并给出了合理的物理解释     

Si3N4／Si表面Ge生长过程的STM研究

利用STM和LEED分析了Ge在Si3N4/Si(111)和Si3N4/Si(100)表面生长过程的结构演变,在生长早期,Ge在两种衬底表面上都形成高密度的三维纳米团簇,这些团簇的大小均在几个纳米范围内,并在高温退火时积增大,当生长继续围内形成以（111）方向为主的晶面,相反,在非晶的Si3N4表面,Ge的（111）晶向的小面生长比其他方向优先,最后在大范围内形成以（111）方向为主的晶面,相反,在非晶的Si3N4表面,即Si3N4/Si(100),Ge晶体的高指数侧面生长较顶面快,最终形成金字塔形的岛结构,对这样的表面生长过程进行了探讨给出合理的物理解释。     

Si_(0.75)Ge_(0.25)虚衬底上应变补偿Si/Si_(0.62)Ge_(0.38)量子阱发光

由于Si/SiGe异质结构的带阶差主要发生在价带,为实现高效率的发光,本文从理论上设计了在硅基Si1-xGex虚衬底上外延应变补偿的Si/S1-yGey(y>x)量子阱的能带结构,将量子阱对电子的限制势垒提高到100meV以上。在实验上,采用300℃生长的Ge量子点插入层,制备出薄的SiGe驰豫缓冲层(虚衬底),表面Ge组份达到0.25,表面粗糙度小于2nm,驰豫度接近100%。在我们制备的SiGe缓冲层上外延了应变补偿SiGe/Si多量子阱结构,并初步研究了其发光特性。     

500℃下利用UHV/CVD在Si衬底上直接生长近平面Si0.5Ge0.5层

利用UHV/CVD系统,在一个相对较低的温度500℃下,研究了Si1-xGex层中的Ge含量与生长条件之间的关系,此时的Si1-xGex层处于一种亚稳的状态.并直接在Si衬底上生长制备了10个周期的3.0 nm-Si0.5Ge0.5/3.4 nm-Si多量子阱.拉曼谱、高分辨显微电镜和光荧光谱对其结构和光学性能进行的表征表明这种相对较厚的Si0.5Ge0.5/Si多量子阱结构基本上仍是近平面生长的,内部没有位错,其在电学和光学器件上具有潜在的应用.     

生长参数对Si1-xGex:C合金薄膜中元素分布的影响

用化学气相淀积方法在Si(100)衬底上外延生长Ge组分渐变的Si1-xGexC合金薄膜.本文通过能量色散谱仪乔(EDS)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对合金薄膜的元素深度分布和表面形貌进行了表征,分析研究了外延层的生长温度、生长时间对Si1-xGexC合金薄膜性质的影响.结果表明,Si1-xGexC外延层生长温度和生长时间一定范围内的增加加强了岛与岛之间的合并,促进了衬底Si原子向表面扩散、表面Ge原子向衬底扩散,且生长温度比生长时间对Si、Ge原子互扩散的影响大.     

Zr/Nb薄膜材料的制备及界面结构研究

通过直流磁控溅射法在单晶Si(100)基底上制备了Zr/Nb/Si薄膜材料。X射线衍射(XRD)研究表明Zr薄膜以多晶形式存在,而Nb薄膜则形成了(110)晶面择优生长。薄膜中Zr和Nb晶粒大小分别为14,6 nm。扫描电镜研究表明形成的薄膜表面平整光滑,没有微裂纹存在。扫描俄歇电子能谱及X射线光电子能谱的研究表明,Zr/Nb/Si薄膜样品具有清晰的界面结构。在薄膜表面形成了致密的氧化层物种,而在膜层内部少量氧则以吸附态形式存在。     

用smart-cut方法制备GOI材料及研究

研究了氢离子注入后锗表面的剥离情况,观察发现其表面剥离的情况与Si相比有明显不同,H 注入后形成的微气泡层并没有导致Ge表面形成类似砂眼的凹坑,而是整个表层薄膜受H 膨胀压力导致其全部脱落.利用特殊的Ge的清洗工艺,完成了注H 的Ge片与热生长SiO2片的键合,通过热处理完成SiO2上的Ge薄膜转移,形成了GOI(Germanium-on-insulator)结构.采用扫描电镜(SEM)、原子力显微镜(AFM)、以及X射线四晶衍射对GOI的微结构进行了表征和分析.研究表明,获得的GOI中顶层Ge具有较好的晶体质量,锗和二氧化硅埋层界面陡直.     

生长参数对Si_(1-x)Ge_x∶C合金薄膜中元素分布的影响

用化学气相淀积方法在Si(100)衬底上外延生长Ge组分渐变的Si1-xGex∶C合金薄膜。本文通过能量色散谱仪(EDS)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对合金薄膜的元素深度分布和表面形貌进行了表征,分析研究了外延层的生长温度、生长时间对Si1-xGex∶C合金薄膜性质的影响。结果表明,Si1-xGex∶C外延层生长温度和生长时间一定范围内的增加加强了岛与岛之间的合并,促进了衬底Si原子向表面扩散、表面Ge原子向衬底扩散,且生长温度比生长时间对Si、Ge原子互扩散的影响大。     

SiO2/Si(111)表面Ge量子点的生长研究

Si衬底用化学方法清洗后,表面大约残余1.0 nm厚SiO2薄膜.利用原子力显微镜(AFM)和反射高能电子衍射(RHEED)来研究温度和Ge蒸发厚度对在SiO2薄膜表面生长的Ge量子点的影响.实验结果表明,当衬底温度超过500 ℃时,SiO2开始与Ge原子发生化学反应,并形成与Si(111)表面直接外延的Ge量子点.在650 ℃时,只有Ge的厚度达到0.5nm时,Ge量子点才开始形成.     

Real-time studies of Ge growth on nanostructured Si substrates

Nanostructured substrates are an interesting path towards the production of quantum dots devoted to microelectronic applications. In this work we report results on the effects of different nanopatterning methods to obtain lateral ordering of Ge islands grown on Si. By using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy we have studied in real-time the wetting layer growth and islands formation on nanopatterned Si substrates at 500 °C. We compare results obtained on Si substrates nanopatterned by using two different techniques: STM lithography and natural patterning induced by surface instabilities such as step bunching. Different issues on both cases have been addressed: substrate preparation, Ge dots placement and growth mode. We have observed that, on Si(001), the Ge islands nucleate near the holes and on Si(111) step bunching can guide the growth of aligned rows of islands.     

Sb mediated formation of Ge/Si quantum dots: Growth and properties

The phenomenon of surfactant (Sb) mediated formation of Ge/Si(100) islands (quantum dots) by means of molecular beam epitaxy is discussed. The limited diffusivity of Si and Ge adatoms caused by the Sb layer leads to a reduction of the size of Ge islands, the increase in the island density, and the sharpening of the interfaces of Ge islands. Thereby, a thin Sb layer is considered to be a powerful tool that provides more freedom in designing Ge quantum dot features. Ge quantum dots, grown via a thin Sb layer and embedded coherently in a Si p-n junction, are revealed to be the origin of the intense photo- and electroluminescence in the spectral range of about 1.5 μm at room temperature.     

Metal-induced assembly of a semiconductor island lattice: Ge truncated pyramids on Au-patterned Si

We report the two-dimensional alignment of semiconductor islands using rudimentary metal patterning to control nucleation and growth. In the Ge on Si system, a square array of submicron Au dots on the Si (001) surface induces the assembly of deposited Ge adatoms into an extensive island lattice. Remarkably, these highly ordered Ge islands form between the patterned Au dots and are characterized by a unique truncated pyramidal shape. A model based on patterned diffusion barriers explains the observed ordering and establishes general criteria for the broader applicability of such a directed assembly process to quantum dot ordering.     

Investigation of Si and Ge growth on Si3N4/Si

The growth of Si and Ge on silicon nitride surfaces has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and Auger electron spectrometer (AES). In the early stages, Si or Ge nanoclusters appeared irrespective of the different substrates. When annealed, the Si clusters were more stable against coalescence than those of Ge. As these clusters continued to grow, crystalline facets started to form. Both Si and Ge islands grew predominantly with (111)-oriented top facets on the crystalline Si₃N₄(0001)/Si(111). By contrast, they both grew in random orientation on the amorphous Si₃N₄ surface. Low-index facets such as (111) and (001) coexisted with high-index facets such as (113).     

Growth of Ge islands on Si substrates

We present a study of Ge islands formation on Si(100) substrates using grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Samples were prepared by magnetron sputtering of a 5 nm thick Ge layer in a very high vacuum on Si(100) substrate held at different temperatures. The vertical cut (perpendicular to the surface) of the experimental 2D GISAXS pattern has been fitted using a Guinier approximation. The optimum temperature for the islands formation was 650 °C. At this temperature, islands grow in conical shape with very similar dimensions; however, inter-island distances varied significantly.     

Nucleation of Ge quantum dots on the C-alloyed Si(001) surface

Carbon pre-deposition onto the bare Si(001) surface has been shown to alter the (2×1) surface structure by formation of c(4×4) reconstructed domains containing a high C-concentration. Here we studied by ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy the effect of this restructured surface on the initial stages of Ge nucleation by molecular beam epitaxy. Ge is found to form three-dimensional (3D) islands already at sub-monolayer coverage, resulting in a Volmer–Weber growth mode. Strain effects repel Ge adatoms from the C-rich domains, leading to enhanced Ge island formation on the C-free surface regions in between the c(4×4) areas. At a low growth temperature of 350°C, very small three-dimensional islands (3–5 nm in diameter, height 3–4 ML) with a density of nearly 1×10¹² cm⁻² are obtained for only 0.5 ML of Ge. At higher substrate temperatures of approximately 500°C this three-dimensional growth mode is less pronounced, but still evident. The initially nucleated three-dimensional islands define the positions of the larger quantum dots at higher Ge coverage, that exhibit enhanced photoluminescence (PL) properties.     

One-step Ge/Si epitaxial growth

Fabricating a low-cost virtual germanium (Ge) template by epitaxial growth of Ge films on silicon wafer with a Ge(x)Si(1-x) (0 < x < 1) graded buffer layer was demonstrated through a facile chemical vapor deposition method in one step by decomposing a hazardousless GeO(2) powder under hydrogen atmosphere without ultra-high vacuum condition and then depositing in a low-temperature region. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the Ge film with an epitaxial relationship is along the in-plane direction of Si. The successful growth of epitaxial Ge films on Si substrate demonstrates the feasibility of integrating various functional devices on the Ge/Si substrates.     

Ge-rich islands grown on patterned Si substrates by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition

Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands grown on Si patterned substrates have received considerable attention during the last decade for potential applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this work we propose a new methodology to grow Ge-rich islands using a chemical vapour deposition technique. Electron-beam lithography is used to pre-pattern Si substrates, creating material traps. Epitaxial deposition of thin Ge films by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition then leads to the formation of Ge-rich Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands (x > 0.8) with a homogeneous size distribution, precisely positioned with respect to the substrate pattern. The island morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the Ge content and strain in the islands was studied by μRaman spectroscopy. This characterization indicates a uniform distribution of islands with high Ge content and low strain: this suggests that the relatively high growth rate (0.1 nm s(-1)) and low temperature (650?°C) used is able to limit Si intermixing, while maintaining a long enough adatom diffusion length to prevent nucleation of islands outside pits. This offers the novel possibility of using these Ge-rich islands to induce strain in a Si cap.     

Effect of the growth rate on the morphology and structural properties of hut-shaped Ge islands in Si(001)

The effect of Ge deposition rate on the morphology and structural properties of self-assembled Ge/Si(001) islands was studied. Ge/Si(001) layers were grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy at 500?°C. We adjusted the Ge coverage, 6?monolayers (ML), and varied the Ge growth rate by a factor of 100, R = 0.02-2?ML?s(-1), to produce films consisting of hut-shaped Ge islands. The samples were characterized by scanning tunnelling microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscattering measurements. The mean lateral size of Ge nanoclusters decreases from 14.1?nm at R = 0.02?ML?s(-1) to 9.8?nm at R = 2?ML?s(-1). The normalized width of the size distribution shows non-monotonic behaviour as a function of R and has a minimum value of 19% at R = 2?ML?s(-1). Ge nanoclusters fabricated at the highest deposition rate demonstrate the best structural quality and the highest Ge content (～0.9).