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Title: Growth and characterization of highly tensile strained Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} formed on relaxed In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}P buffer layers

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944718· OSTI ID:22594529
; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]; ;  [3]; ;  [4];  [5]
  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)
  2. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)
  3. School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371 (Singapore)
  4. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, Singapore 138634 (Singapore)
  5. Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117551 (Singapore)

Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06} films with high tensile strain were grown on strain-relaxed In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}P virtual substrates using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. The in-plane tensile strain in the Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06} film was varied by changing the In mole fraction in In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}P buffer layer. The tensile strained Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06} films were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. An in-plane tensile strain of up to 1% in the Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06} was measured, which is much higher than that achieved using other buffer systems. Controlled thermal anneal experiment demonstrated that the strain was not relaxed for temperatures up to 500 °C. The band alignment of the tensile strained Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06} on In{sub 0.77}Ga{sub 0.23}P was obtained by high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Ge{sub 0.94}Sn{sub 0.06}/In{sub 0.77}Ga{sub 0.23}P interface was found to be of the type I band alignment, with a valence band offset of 0.31 ± 0.12 eV and a conduction band offset of 0.74 ± 0.12 eV.

OSTI ID:
22594529
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English