Detlev Grützmacher

Band engineering and growth of tensile strained Ge/(Si)GeSn heterostructures for tunnel field effect transistors

In this letter, we propose a heterostructure design for tunnel field effect transistors with two low direct bandgap group IV compounds, GeSn and highly tensely strained Ge in combination with ternary SiGeSn alloy. Electronic band calculations show that strained Ge, used as channel, grown on Ge 1−xSnx (x > 9%) buffer, as source, becomes a direct bandgap which significantly increases the tunneling probability. The SiGeSn ternaries are well suitable as drain since they offer a large indirect bandgap. The growth of such heterostructures with the desired band alignment is presented. The crystalline quality of the (Si)Ge(Sn) layers is similar to state-of-the-art SiGe layers.

Interface and Wetting Layer Effect on the Catalyst-Free Nucleation and Growth of GaN Nanowires†

To avoid catalyst-induced contaminations that might alter the electronic properties of the material, catalyst-free growth is preferable. However, the nucleation and growth mechanisms of GaN wires in the catalyst-free procedure are still under debate. Two mechanisms are usually invoked for the nucleation and the growth of NWs. One is based on the Ga-droplet formation followed by the well-established vapor–liquid–solid mechanism, [13] and the other is based on small GaN clusters as nucleation seeds and a vapor–solid growth process. [12] In the present work the formation of crystalline GaN nanoclusters as possible NW precursors in catalyst-free plasma-assisted MBE (PAMBE) growth is studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging. Details of the interface between the GaN layer and the substrate are investigated and discussed in connection with the mechanism of catalyst-free NW growth. GaN NWs were grown at 7808C by PAMBE without the use of catalysts, on clean Si(111) and oxidized Si(100) substrates, according to the procedure described elsewhere. [6] The GaN NWs were investigated by HRTEM using a JEOL 3000F

A new technique for fabricating three-dimensional micro- and nanostructures of various shapes

In this paper we show that complex three-dimensional micro- and nanostructure shells can be formed by directional rolling up of thin strained Si/SiGe heterostructures. By lifting strain-designed Si/SiGe films using a sacrificial layer from the substrate and by a proper patterning prior to the etching almost arbitrary-shaped three-dimensional structures can be fabricated. A technique for controlling the shape and location of the structures is proposed and realized. In addition we show that it is possible to obtain cylindrical objects with the axes perpendicular to the substrate surface, and the objects themselves can be located at prescribed places on the substrate.

Electroluminescence from strain-compensated Si0.2Ge0.8/Si quantum-cascade structures based on a bound-to-continuum transition

Intersubband electroluminescence from strain-compensated Si/Si0.2Ge0.8 quantum cascade (QC) structures, consisting of up to 30 periods grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si0.5Ge0.5 pseudosubstrates is reported. The design of the active region is based on a so-called “bound-to-continuum transition.” The intersubband radiation is emitted at a wavelength of 7 μm and is polarized, as expected for intersubband transitions between heavy hole states. A good agreement with photocurrent measurements is also found.

Interface-roughness-induced broadening of intersubband electroluminescence in p-SiGe and n-GaInAs∕AlInAs quantum-cascade structures

The effect of intrasubband interface roughness scattering on intersubband transition linewidths in double-quantum-well and quantum-cascade (QC) structures is studied. In n-GaInAs∕AlInAs structures, the calculated ratios between the linewidths of the spatially vertical and diagonal transitions agree with the experimental values. In p-Si∕Si0.2Ge0.8 QC structures, the experimentally observed linewidth is a factor of 4–7 smaller than the predicted value. However, by assuming a vertical interface correlation between adjacent interfaces separated by less than ∼1.5nm, the theory reproduces the experiment. Transmission electron microscopy of the SiGe QC sample reveals this vertical correlation, supporting the model.

Raman scattering of phonon-plasmon coupled modes in self-assembled GaN nanowires

We report the determination of free-electron concentration and mobility of free-standing GaN nanowires (NWs) by line shape analysis of the coupled longitudinal optical phonon-plasmon Raman modes (L+). The E2high phonon mode at 566.9 cm−1 with a sharp linewidth of 2.8 cm−1 indicates strain free NWs with high crystalline perfection. The lattice temperature of the NWs was varied between 313 and 472 K by varying the excitation laser beam power. For unintentionally doped samples at room temperature, an average electron concentration and mobility of strain free NWs were found to be ∼2×1017 cm−3 and 460 cm2/V s, respectively. We have shown that the electron concentration does not change significantly over a temperature range between 313 and 472 K. The electron mobility decreases at high temperatures, in agreement with literature data for compact layers. For Si-doped NWs, the L+ phonon peak is strongly upshifted indicating a higher free-carrier concentration of about 1×1018 cm−3. Asymmetric broadening observed at...

Extreme ultraviolet interference lithography at the Paul Scherrer Institut

We review the performance and applications of an extreme ultraviolet interference lithography (EUV-IL) system built at the Swiss Light Source of the Paul Scherrer Institut (Villigen, Switzerland). The interferometer uses fully coherent radiation from an undulator source. 1-D (line/space) and 2-D (dot/hole arrays) patterns are obtained with a transmission-diffraction-grating type of interferometer. Features with sizes in the range from one micrometer down to the 10-nm scale can be printed in a variety of resists. The highest resolution of 11-nm half-pitch line/space patterns obtained with this method represents a current record for photon based lithography. Thanks to the excellent performance of the system in terms of pattern resolution, uniformity, size of the patterned area, and the throughput, the system has been used in numerous applications. Here we demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of this emerging nanolithography method through a review of some of the applications, namely, fabrication of metallic and magnetic nanodevice components, self-assembly of Si/Ge quantum dots, chemical patterning of self-assembled monolayers (SAM), and radiation grafting of polymers. (c) 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3116559]

Hall effect measurements on InAs nanowires

We have processed Hall contacts on InAs nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy using an electron beam lithography process with an extremely high alignment accuracy. The carrier concentrations determined from the Hall effect measurements on these nanowires are lower by a factor of about 4 in comparison with those measured by the common field-effect technique. The results are used to evaluate quantitatively the charging effect of the interface and surface states.

Tensely strained GeSn alloys as optical gain media

This letter presents the epitaxial growth and characterization of a heterostructure for an electrically injected laser, based on a strained GeSn active well. The elastic strain within the GeSn well can be tuned from compressive to tensile by high quality large Sn content (Si)GeSn buffers. The optimum combination of tensile strain and Sn alloying softens the requirements upon indirect to direct bandgap transition. We theoretically discuss the strain-doping relation for maximum net gain in the GeSn active layer. Employing tensile strain of 0.5% enables reasonable high optical gain values for Ge0.94Sn0.06 and even without any n-type doping for Ge0.92Sn0.08.

Effect of Si-doping on InAs nanowire transport and morphology

The effect of Si-doping on the morphology, structure, and transport properties of nanowires was investigated. The nanowires were deposited by selective-area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy in an N2 ambient. It is observed that doping systematically affects the nanowire morphology but not the structure of the nanowires. However, the transport properties of the wires are greatly affected. Room-temperature four-terminal measurements show that with an increasing dopant supply the conductivity monotonously increases. For the highest doping level the conductivity is higher by a factor of 25 compared to only intrinsically doped reference nanowires. By means of back-gate field-effect transistor measurements it was confirmed that the doping results in an increased carrier concentration. Temperature dependent resistance measurements reveal, for lower doping concentrations, a thermally activated semiconductor-type increase of the conductivity. In contrast, the nanowires with the highest doping concentration show a...