A New Route to Quantum-Scale Structures through a Novel Enhanced Germanium Diffusion Mechanism

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1854722· OSTI ID:1854722

Wang, George ^[1]; Lu, Ping ^[1]; Sapkota, Keshab ^[1]; Baczewski, Andrew David ^[1]; Campbell, Quinn ^[2]; Schultz, Peter ^[1]; Jones, Kevin S. ^[2]; Turner, Emily M. ^[2]; Sharrock, Chappel J. ^[2]; Law, Mark E. ^[2]; Yang, Hongbin ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)

This project sought to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms underlying a newly observed enhanced germanium (Ge) diffusion process in silicon germanium (SiGe) semiconductor nanostructures during thermal oxidation. Using a combination of oxidationdiffusion experiments, high resolution imaging, and theoretical modeling, a model for the enhanced Ge diffusion mechanism was proposed. Additionally, a nanofabrication approach utilizing this enhanced Ge diffusion mechanism was shown to be applicable to arbitrary 3D shapes, leading to the fabrication of stacked silicon quantum dots embedded in SiGe nanopillars. A new wet etch-based method for preparing 3D nanostructures for highresolution imaging free of obscuring material or damage was also developed. These results enable a new method for the controlled and scalable fabrication of on-chip silicon nanostructures with sub-10 nm dimensions needed for next generation microelectronics, including low energy electronics, quantum computing, sensors, and integrated photonics.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1854722
• Report Number(s): SAND2021-12006; 700354
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY