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Epitaxial Growth of Metastable SnχGe1-χ Alloy Films by Ion-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Harry A. Atwater ,
G. He  and
K. Saipetch
Harry A. Atwater
Affiliation:
Thomas J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
G. He
Affiliation:
Thomas J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
K. Saipetch
Affiliation:
Thomas J. Watson Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
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Abstract

The group IV metastable SnχGe1-χ alloy system is an interesting semiconductor material with potential applications in the fabrication of Si-based heterojunctions and long wavelength infrared optoelectronic devices. Band structure calculations have suggested that the SnχGe1-χ alloys may have direct energy gaps continuously tunable from 0.55 eV to 0 eV for compositions χ from 0.2 to 0.6 with very small electron effective masses and hence high electron mobilities. However, synthesis of SnχGeχ-1 alloy films in the direct gap composition range by conventional epitaxial or poly crystalline thin film growth techniques have not been successful due to the severe surface segregation of Sn during the film growth.

In this work, we report the synthesis of epitaxial SnχGeχ-1/Ge/Si(001) with compositions up to χ = 0.34 by ion-assisted molecular beam epitaxy with 30–100 eV Ar+ ions produced by an electron cyclotron resonance ionization source with ion to atom flux ratios of the order of unity in the substrate temperature range of 120 °C to 200 °C. High flux low energy ion beam irradiation greatly inhibits Sn segregation without interrupting epitaxy. In situ reflection high energy electron diffraction as well as x-ray rocking curve indicated epitaxial SnχGeχ-1 alloy films, and Rutherford backscattering spectra confirmed the SnχGeχ-1 alloy compositions and indicated an absence of Sn segregation.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 355: Symposium B1 – Evolution of Thin-Film and Surface Structure and Morphology , 1994 , 123
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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