Z. F. Krasil’nik

Self-organization of germanium nanoislands obtained in silicon by molecular-beam epitaxy

Nanometer germanium islands in epitaxial layers of silicon are obtained by molecular-beam epitaxy. The dimensions and shapes of the islands are determined in an atomic-force microscope. The photoluminescence spectra are found to contain lines that can be interpreted as quasidirect optical transitions in the islands. It is concluded on the basis of optical and microprobe measurements and theoretical calculations of the energies of electronic states that silicon is dissolved in the germanium islands. Values of the germanium and silicon contents in the solid solution are presented.

Raman Spectroscopy and Electroreflectance Studies of Self-Assembled SiGe Nanoislands Grown at Various Temperatures

SiGe nanoislands grown in a silicon matrix at temperatures of 300 to 600°C are studied using Raman spectroscopy and electroreflectance. For islands grown at relatively low temperatures (300–500°C), phonon bands are observed to have a doublet structure. It is shown that changes in the percentage composition, size, and shape of nanoislands and, hence, in the elastic stresses (depending on the growth temperature of the structures) have a significant effect on the energies of optical electronic interband transitions in the islands. As a consequence, the resonance conditions for Raman scattering also change. It is found that interdiffusion from the silicon substrate and the cover layer (determining the mixed composition of SiGe islands) is of importance even at low growth temperatures of nanostructures (300–400°C).

Low-energy photoluminescence of structures with GeSi/Si(001) self-assembled nanoislands

The photoluminescence spectra of structures with self-assembled GeSi/Si(001) islands are investigated as functions of the growth temperature. It is shown that the shift of the peak of photoluminescence from islands toward lower energies on decreasing the growth temperature is due to the suppression of Si diffusion into islands and an increase in the fraction of Ge in islands. A photoluminescence signal from the GeSi islands is found in the region of energies down to 0.6 eV, which is considerably smaller than the band-gap width in bulk Ge. The position of the peak of photoluminescence from islands is described well by the model of a real-space indirect optical transition with account of the real composition and elastic strains of the islands. Mono-and multilayer structures are obtained with self-assembled GeSi/Si(001) nanoislands exhibiting a photoluminescence signal in the region 1.3–2 μm at room temperature.

Influence of a predeposited Si1−xGex layer on the growth of self-assembled SiGe/Si(001) islands

The growth of self-assembled Ge(Si) islands on a strained Si1−xGex layer (0% < x < 20%) is studied. The size and the surface density of islands are found to increase with Ge content in the Si1−xGex layer. The increased surface density is related to augmentation of the surface roughness after deposition of the SiGe layer. The enlargement of islands is accounted for by the decrease of the wetting layer in thickness due to the additional elastic energy accumulated in the SiGe layer and to enhanced Si diffusion from the Si1−xGex layer into the islands. The increase in the fraction of the surface occupied by islands leads to a greater order in the island arrangement.

Si1−xGex/Si(001) relaxed buffer layers grown by chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure

Relaxed step-graded buffer layers of Si1−xGex/Si(001) heterostructures with a low density of threading dislocations are grown through chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. The surface of the Si1−xGex/Si(001) (x ∼ 25%) buffer layers is subjected to chemical mechanical polishing. As a result, the surface roughness of the layers is decreased to values comparable to the surface roughness of the Si(001) initial substrates. It is demonstrated that Si1−xGex/Si(001) buffer layers with a low density of threading dislocations and a small surface roughness can be used as artificial substrates for growing SiGe/Si heterostructures of different types through molecular-beam epitaxy.

Sublimation molecular beam epitaxy of silicon-based structures

The capabilities of various methods for fabricating silicon-based single-crystal structures are analyzed. The features and advantages of sublimation molecular-beam epitaxy are discussed.

Tunable source of terahertz radiation based on the difference-frequency generation in a GaP crystal

A tunable source of terahertz (1–4 THz) radiation with a line width of 12 GHz is created on the basis of difference- frequency generation in a GaP crystal. Radiation of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm and a tunable optical parametric oscillator is used as the pump. The radiation is generated in 10-ns-duration pulses with a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz. The pulsed radiation power is about 15 mW.

Photoluminescence of self-assembled GeSi/Si(001) nanoislands of different shapes

The dependence of the photoluminescence spectra of structures with self-assembled GeSi/Si(001) islands on Ge deposition temperature was studied. The position of the island photoluminescence peak maximum was found to shift nonmonotonically with decreasing Ge deposition temperature. The blue shift of the island photoluminescence peak with the growth temperature decreasing from 600 to 550°C is assigned to the change in the island shape occurring in this temperature interval accompanied by a strong decrease in the average island height.

Shallow acceptors in Ge/GeSi strained multilayer heterostructures with quantum wells

The impurity photoconductivity spectra of Ge/Ge1−xSix strained heterostructures with quantum wells are investigated. It is established that the built-in deformation in quantum-size Ge layers substantially changes the spectrum of shallow acceptors, shifting it into the long-wavelength region of the far-IR range. In strong magnetic fields the photoconductivity lines are observed to split and shift as a function of the field. This makes it possible to carry out a classification of the transitions.

Population inversion of the energy levels of erbium ions induced by excitation transfer from the semiconductor matrix in Si-Ge based structures

Population inversion of the energy levels of Er3+ ions in Si/Si1−xGex:Er/Si (x = 0.28) structures has been achieved due to electron excitation transfer from the semiconductor matrix. An analysis of the photoluminescence kinetics at a wavelength of 1.54 μm shows that up to 80% of the Er3+ ions are converted into excited states. This effect, together with the high photoluminescence intensity observed in the structures studied, shows good prospects for obtaining lasers compatible with planar silicon technology.