Xiaoping Shao

Optical and electronic properties of SiGeC alloys grown on Si substrates

Abstract Metastable Si 1 − x − y Ge x C y alloys were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (100) Si substrates. Solid elemental sources were used for the Si and Ge beams, and a resistively heated graphite filament was used for the C beam. Up to 3 at% of C was incorporated in the alloy layers. Optical transmission measurements showed that the absorption edge of thick layers increased to higher energies with increasing C fraction, and revealed the presence of SiC and GeC vibrational modes in the infrared. At low temperatures, the alloys showed significant photoluminescence. The bandgap energies of thick layers increased linearly with the C fraction and followed a linear dependence of the bandgap on composition. Measurements of the valence band density of states using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the valence band energy maximum increased with the C fraction relative to that of SiGe alloys of similar composition. Our results indicated that SiGeC alloys are promising materials for Si-based heterostructure devices.

1.3 μm photoresponsivity in Si-based Ge1−xCx photodiodes

Ge1−xCx/Si heterostructure photodiodes with nominal carbon percentages (0⩽x⩽0.02), which exceed the solubility limit, were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy on n-type (100) Si substrates. The p-Ge1−xCx/n-Si photodiodes were fabricated and tested. The p-Ge1−xCx/n-Si junction exhibits diode rectification with a reverse saturation current of about 10 pA/μm2 at −1 V and high reverse breakdown voltage, up to −80 V. A significant reduction in diode reverse leakage current was observed by adding C to Ge, but these effects saturated with more C. Photoresponsivity was observed from these Si-based p-Ge1−xCx/n-Si photodiodes at a wavelength of ⩾1.3 μm, compatible with fiber optic wavelengths. External quantum efficiency of these thin surface-normal photodetectors was measured up to 2.2%, which decreased as the carbon percentage was increased.

Optical properties of Ge 1-y C y alloys

The Ge1-yCy semiconductor alloy system offers promise as a material for use in heterostructure devices based on Si as well as other materials. We have grown Ge1-y Cy alloys by solid source molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates. Layer thicknesses ranged from 0.01 to 3 µm, and Auger electron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry indicated C fractions up to 3 at. %. Optical absorption in the near-infrared region indicated a shift in the energy bandgap from that of Ge which was attributed to the effects of alloying. The dependence of the bandgap on composition was consistent with linear interpolations of the Ge and C conduction band minimums. We observed a fundamental absorption edge characteristic of an indirect bandgap material. Photoluminescence spectra at 11K of thick, relaxed layers indicated single broad peaks near the expected bandgap energy.

STRAIN MODIFICATION IN THIN SI1-X-YGEXCY ALLOYS ON (100) SI FOR FORMATION OF HIGH DENSITY AND UNIFORMLY SIZED QUANTUM DOTS

The effects of alloying C with Ge and Si and varying the C/Ge ratio during the growth of very thin layers of the ternary alloy SiGeC grown on Si (100) substrates and the resulting strain modification on self-assembled and self-organized quantum dots are examined. During coherent islanded growth, where dislocations are not formed yet to relieve the strain, higher strain energy produced by greater lattice mismatch acts to reduce the island size, increase the density of islands, and significantly narrow the distribution of island sizes to nearly uniformly sized quantum dots. Strain energy can also control the critical thickness for dislocation generation within the three-dimensional islands, which then limits the maximum height which coherent islands can achieve. After the islands relax by misfit dislocations, the island sizes increase and the island size distribution becomes broader with the increase of misfit and strain. The optimal growth for a high density of uniform coherent islands occurred for the Si0...

Ge1-xCx/Si heterojunction photodiode

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a photodiode made from a heterojunction of epitaxial p-type Ge1-xCx on an n-type Si substrate. Epitaxial Ge1-xCx layers with carbon percentages of 0.2, 0.8, 1.4 and 2% were grown on (100) Si substrates by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. The p-GeC/n-Si junction exhibits diode rectification with low reverse saturation current (2 at -1 volt) and high reverse breakdown voltage in excess of -40 volts. Despite the large number of dislocations and defects at the heterojunction, photoresponsivity was observed from the p- Ge1-xCx/n-Si diodes using laser excitation at a wavelength of 1.3 micrometers . External quantum efficiency was measured between 1.2 and 2.3%.