Metastable SiGeC formation by solid phase epitaxy

Journal Article · Mon Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Applied Physics Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.110334· OSTI ID:5724578

Strane, J W ^[1]; Stein, H J; Lee, S R; Doyle, B L; Picraux, S T ^[2]; Mayer, J W ^[3]

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1. Department of MS E, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850 (United States)
2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
3. CSSS, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States)

We report the synthesis and detailed structural characterization of SiGeC metastable alloys formed by solid phase epitaxial regrowth. Epitaxial layers with 0.7 and 1.4 at. % C are formed by 700 [degree]C regrowth of multiple energy carbon implants into preamorphized Si[sub 0.86]Ge[sub 0.14] layers on Si substrates. Transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry show heteroepitaxial regrowth of Si[sub 1[minus][ital x][minus][ital y]]Ge[sub [ital x]]C[sub [ital y]] layers into the metastable diamond cubic phase. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verifies that the carbon occupies substitutional lattice sites. Double crystal x-ray diffraction measurements of Si[sub 1[minus][ital x][minus][ital y]]Ge[sub [ital x]]C[sub [ital y]] and Si[sub 1[minus][ital y]]C[sub [ital y]] reference layers quantify the C-induced tensile strain component. This strain compensates for the compressive strain in the SiGe layers, and indicates a change in lattice constant per atomic fraction C in agreement with Vegard's law.

• OSTI ID: 5724578
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (United States), Vol. 63:20; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GERMANIUM CARBIDES
EPITAXY
SILICON CARBIDES
ANNEALING
ION IMPLANTATION
METASTABLE STATES
RUTHERFORD SCATTERING
STRAINS
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ALLOY SYSTEMS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
MICROSCOPY
SCATTERING
SILICON COMPOUNDS
360601* - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture
360602 - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies