Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T10:55:30.034Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of growth conditions on the composition and structure of Si1−xGex nanowires grown by vapor–liquid–solid growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Kok-Keong Lew ,
Ling Pan ,
Elizabeth C. Dickey  and
Joan M. Redwing
Kok-Keong Lew
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and The Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Ling Pan
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and The Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Elizabeth C. Dickey
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and The Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Joan M. Redwing*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and The Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
*
c) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The effect of growth conditions on the composition and structure of Si1−xGex nanowires grown by the vapor–liquid–solid method using gaseous precursors (SiH4 and GeH4) was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the structural properties and elemental composition of the nanowires. At higher growth temperatures (>425 °C), Ge thin film deposition on the nanowire surface resulted in Au loss during growth and the formation of tapered structures. By simultaneously reducing the growth temperature from 425 to 325 °C to suppress the rate of Ge film deposition and increasing the GeH4/(GeH4 + SiH4) gas ratio, Si1−xGex nanowires were produced with Ge fractions spanning the entire composition range. The Ge fraction follows that predicted from the elemental nanowire growth rates in the Ge-rich (x > 0.5) regime, but deviates to higher Ge fractions in Si-rich (x < 0.5) nanowires. A mechanism was proposed whereby surface diffusion provides an additional pathway to Ge incorporation in Si-rich Si1−xGex nanowires.

Keywords

GeNanostructureSi
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 21 , Issue 11 , November 2006 , pp. 2876 - 2881
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Ertekin, E., Greaney, P.A., Sands, T.D., and Chrzan, D.C.: Equilibrium analysis of lattice-mismatched nanowire heterostructures, in Quantum Confined Semiconductor Nanostructures, edited by Klimov, V.I., Buriak, J.M., Wayner, D.D.M., Priolo, F., White, B., and Tsybeskov, L. (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 737, Warrendale, PA, 2003), p. 769.Google Scholar
2.Lu, W., Xiang, J., Timko, B.P., Wu, Y., Lieber, C.M.: One-dimensional hole gas in germanium/silicon nanowire heterostructures. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 10046 (2005).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Lauhon, L.J., Gudiksen, M.S., Wang, C.L., Lieber, C.M.: Epitaxial core-shell and core-multishell nanowire heterostructures. Nature 420, 57 (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Duan, X.F., Lieber, C.M.: General synthesis of compound semiconductor nanowires. Adv. Mater. 12, 298 (2000).3.0.CO;2-Y>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Wu, Y.Y., Fan, R., Yang, P.D.: Block-by-block growth of single-crystalline Si/SiGe superlattice nanowires. Nano Lett. 2, 83 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Lew, K-K., Pan, L., Dickey, E.C., Redwing, J.M.: Vapor– liquid–solid growth of silicon-germanium nanowires. Adv. Mater. 15, 2073 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Simka, H., Hierlemann, M., Utz, M., Jensen, K.F.: Computational chemistry predictions of kinetics and major reaction pathways for germane gas-phase reactions. J. Electrochem. Soc. 143, 2646 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Meyerson, B.S., Jasinski, J.M.: Silane pyrolysis rates for the modeling of chemical vapor deposition. J. Appl. Phys. 61, 785 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Pan, L., Lew, K-K., Redwing, J.M., Dickey, E.C.: Stranski– Krastanow growth of germanium on silicon nanowires. Nano Lett. 5, 1081 (2005).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Pan, L., Lew, K-K., Redwing, J.M., Dickey, E.C.: Effect of diborane on the microstructure of boron-doped silicon nanowires. J. Cryst. Growth 277, 428 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Hannon, J.B., Kodambaka, S., Ross, F.M., Tromp, R.M.: The influence of the surface migration of gold on the growth of silicon nanowires. Nature 440, 69 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Carim, A.H., Lew, K-K., Redwing, J.M.: Bicrystalline silicon nanowires. Adv. Mater. 13, 1489 (2001).3.0.CO;2-E>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Lew, K-K., Pan, L., Bogart, T.E., Dilts, S.M., Dickey, E.C., Redwing, J.M., Wang, Y.F., Cabassi, M., Mayer, T.S., Novak, S.W.: Structural and electrical properties of trimethylborondoped silicon nanowires. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 3101 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Wang, Y., Lew, K-K., Ho, T-T., Pan, L., Dickey, E.C., Redwing, J.M., Mayer, T.S.: Use of phosphine as an n-type dopant source for vapor-liquid-solid growth of silicon nanowires. Nano Lett. 5, 2139 (2005).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Wang, D.W., Dai, H.J.: Low-temperature synthesis of single-crystal germanium nanowires by chemical vapor deposition. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 41, 4783 (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Redwing, J.M., Dilts, S.M., Lew, K-K., Cranmer, A., and Mohney, S.E.: High density group IV semiconductor nanowire arrays fabricated in nanoporous alumina templates. Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 6003, 60030S-1 (2005).Google Scholar
17.Lew, K-K., Redwing, J.M.: Growth characteristics of silicon nanowires synthesized by vapor-liquid-solid growth in nanoporous alumina templates. J. Cryst. Growth 254, 14 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Jensen, L.E., Bjork, M.T., Jeppesen, S., Persson, A.I., Ohlsson, B.J., Samuelson, L.: Role of surface diffusion in chemical beam epitaxy of InAs nanowires. Nano Lett. 4, 1961 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Johansson, J., Patrik, C., Svensson, T., Mårtensson, T., Samuelson, L., Seifert, W.: Mass transport model for semiconductor nanowire growth. J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 13567 (2005).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Kim, H.J., Zhao, Z.M., Liu, J., Ozolins, V., Chang, J.Y., Xie, Y.H.: A technique for the measurement of surface diffusion coefficient and activation energy of Ge adatom on Si (001). J. Appl. Phys. 95, 6065 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar