Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • S. C. Jain
  • H. J. Osten
  • B. Dietrich
  • H. Rücker

External Research Organisations

  • University of Oxford
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number001
Pages (from-to)1289-1302
Number of pages14
JournalSemiconductor Science and Technology
Volume10
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 1995

Abstract

Advances made in the growth and properties of CSi and CSiGe pseudomorphic strained layers are reviewed. The solubility of C in Si is small (3.5*1017 atoms/cm3 near the melting point). However, high-quality strained layers of the alloys with considerably larger C concentrations have been grown using MBE, CVD and solid-phase epitaxy methods. A careful control of the growth rate and temperature is necessary to avoid formation of silicon carbide. In high-quality layers, most of the C atoms occupy lattice positions of the Si or SiGe host crystals and a substitutional alloy is formed although the equilibrium volume of C atoms is only 30% of that of Si. The formation and stability of alloys of atoms with large differences in size is a topic of fundamental interest. Experimental and theoretical investigations have focused on the microscopic structure of substitutional Si 1-x-yGexCy alloys. C compensates the compressive strain produced by Ge in the pseudomorphic layers grown on a Si substrate. From Raman studies of the microscopic strain in substitutional Si1-x-yGexCy alloys it has been concluded that Si-Si bonds experience a considerable local deformation even in strain-compensated alloys. The pair interaction of substitutional C atoms in an Si lattice and the possibility of forming ordered alloys have been studied theoretically. It has been found that the interaction of pairs of substitutional C atoms is attractive for special atomic configurations. Information available on electronic properties is rather meagre. Recent theoretical work shows that the bandgap of the alloy should decrease with C concentration. Experiments to confirm this have not yet been performed. Using strain-compensated alloys it is possible to grow symmetrically strained superlattices without the need of growing buffer layers. Si1-x-yGexCy strained layers are likely to be very useful for passive applications such as buffer layers. Considerably more work is required to determine their utility for active device applications.

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Cite this

Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers. / Jain, S. C.; Osten, H. J.; Dietrich, B. et al.
In: Semiconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 10, No. 10, 001, 1995, p. 1289-1302.

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleResearchpeer review

Jain, SC, Osten, HJ, Dietrich, B & Rücker, H 1995, 'Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers', Semiconductor Science and Technology, vol. 10, no. 10, 001, pp. 1289-1302. https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/10/10/001
Jain, S. C., Osten, H. J., Dietrich, B., & Rücker, H. (1995). Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers. Semiconductor Science and Technology, 10(10), 1289-1302. Article 001. https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/10/10/001
Jain SC, Osten HJ, Dietrich B, Rücker H. Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers. Semiconductor Science and Technology. 1995;10(10):1289-1302. 001. doi: 10.1088/0268-1242/10/10/001
Jain, S. C. ; Osten, H. J. ; Dietrich, B. et al. / Growth and properties of strained Si1-x-yGexC y layers. In: Semiconductor Science and Technology. 1995 ; Vol. 10, No. 10. pp. 1289-1302.
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AU - Jain, S. C.

AU - Osten, H. J.

AU - Dietrich, B.

AU - Rücker, H.

PY - 1995

Y1 - 1995

N2 - Advances made in the growth and properties of CSi and CSiGe pseudomorphic strained layers are reviewed. The solubility of C in Si is small (3.5*1017 atoms/cm3 near the melting point). However, high-quality strained layers of the alloys with considerably larger C concentrations have been grown using MBE, CVD and solid-phase epitaxy methods. A careful control of the growth rate and temperature is necessary to avoid formation of silicon carbide. In high-quality layers, most of the C atoms occupy lattice positions of the Si or SiGe host crystals and a substitutional alloy is formed although the equilibrium volume of C atoms is only 30% of that of Si. The formation and stability of alloys of atoms with large differences in size is a topic of fundamental interest. Experimental and theoretical investigations have focused on the microscopic structure of substitutional Si 1-x-yGexCy alloys. C compensates the compressive strain produced by Ge in the pseudomorphic layers grown on a Si substrate. From Raman studies of the microscopic strain in substitutional Si1-x-yGexCy alloys it has been concluded that Si-Si bonds experience a considerable local deformation even in strain-compensated alloys. The pair interaction of substitutional C atoms in an Si lattice and the possibility of forming ordered alloys have been studied theoretically. It has been found that the interaction of pairs of substitutional C atoms is attractive for special atomic configurations. Information available on electronic properties is rather meagre. Recent theoretical work shows that the bandgap of the alloy should decrease with C concentration. Experiments to confirm this have not yet been performed. Using strain-compensated alloys it is possible to grow symmetrically strained superlattices without the need of growing buffer layers. Si1-x-yGexCy strained layers are likely to be very useful for passive applications such as buffer layers. Considerably more work is required to determine their utility for active device applications.

AB - Advances made in the growth and properties of CSi and CSiGe pseudomorphic strained layers are reviewed. The solubility of C in Si is small (3.5*1017 atoms/cm3 near the melting point). However, high-quality strained layers of the alloys with considerably larger C concentrations have been grown using MBE, CVD and solid-phase epitaxy methods. A careful control of the growth rate and temperature is necessary to avoid formation of silicon carbide. In high-quality layers, most of the C atoms occupy lattice positions of the Si or SiGe host crystals and a substitutional alloy is formed although the equilibrium volume of C atoms is only 30% of that of Si. The formation and stability of alloys of atoms with large differences in size is a topic of fundamental interest. Experimental and theoretical investigations have focused on the microscopic structure of substitutional Si 1-x-yGexCy alloys. C compensates the compressive strain produced by Ge in the pseudomorphic layers grown on a Si substrate. From Raman studies of the microscopic strain in substitutional Si1-x-yGexCy alloys it has been concluded that Si-Si bonds experience a considerable local deformation even in strain-compensated alloys. The pair interaction of substitutional C atoms in an Si lattice and the possibility of forming ordered alloys have been studied theoretically. It has been found that the interaction of pairs of substitutional C atoms is attractive for special atomic configurations. Information available on electronic properties is rather meagre. Recent theoretical work shows that the bandgap of the alloy should decrease with C concentration. Experiments to confirm this have not yet been performed. Using strain-compensated alloys it is possible to grow symmetrically strained superlattices without the need of growing buffer layers. Si1-x-yGexCy strained layers are likely to be very useful for passive applications such as buffer layers. Considerably more work is required to determine their utility for active device applications.

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