Size-tunable strain engineering in Ge nanocrystals embedded within SiO{sub 2} and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}
- Department of Physics, National Central University, ChungLi 32001, Taiwan (China)
- Private Consultancy, Arcadia, California 91007 (United States)
We report a unique ability to control the sign and size of the stress within Ge nanocrystals or nanodots fabricated using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible process within SiO{sub 2} and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} layers. Very large (as much as 4.5%), size-dependent compressive and tensile strains can be generated depending on whether the dot is embedded within either a Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} or a SiO{sub 2} layer. Raman measurements reveal significant anharmonicity for smaller Ge dots and possible distortions of the diamond cubic lattice as evidenced by the measured Grünesien parameters and confirmed by their transmission electron diffraction patterns. Two completely different mechanisms are proposed to explain the formation of the tensile and compressive strain states, respectively.
- OSTI ID:
- 22310656
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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