Phase separation in SiGe nanocrystals embedded in SiO{sub 2} matrix during high temperature annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mogaddam, N. A. P.; Turan, R.; Alagoz, A. S.

2008-12-15

SiGe nanocrystals have been formed in SiO{sub 2} matrix by cosputtering Si, Ge, and SiO{sub 2} independently on Si substrate. Effects of the annealing time and temperature on structural and compositional properties are studied by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy measurements. It is observed that Ge-rich Si{sub (1-x)}Ge{sub x} nanocrystals do not hold their compositional uniformity when annealed at high temperatures for enough long time. A segregation process leading to separation of Ge and Si atoms from each other takes place. This process has been evidenced by a double peak formation in the XRD and Ramanmore » spectra. We attributed this phase separation to the differences in atomic size, surface energy, and surface diffusion disparity between Si and Ge atoms leading to the formation of nonhomogenous structure consist of a Si-rich SiGe core covered by a Ge-rich SiGe shell. This experimental observation is consistent with the result of reported theoretical and simulation methods.« less

CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: A super junction SiGe low-loss fast switching power diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Li; Gao, Yong

2009-01-01

This paper proposes a novel super junction (SJ) SiGe switching power diode which has a columnar structure of alternating p- and n- doped pillar substituting conventional n- base region and has far thinner strained SiGe p+ layer to overcome the drawbacks of existing Si switching power diode. The SJ SiGe diode can achieve low specific on-resistance, high breakdown voltages and fast switching speed. The results indicate that the forward voltage drop of SJ SiGe diode is much lower than that of conventional Si power diode when the operating current densities do not exceed 1000 A/cm2, which is very good for getting lower operating loss. The forward voltage drop of the Si diode is 0.66 V whereas that of the SJ SiGe diode is only 0.52 V at operating current density of 10 A/cm2. The breakdown voltages are 203 V for the former and 235 V for the latter. Compared with the conventional Si power diode, the reverse recovery time of SJ SiGe diode with 20 per cent Ge content is shortened by above a half and the peak reverse current is reduced by over 15%. The SJ SiGe diode can remarkably improve the characteristics of power diode by combining the merits of both SJ structure and SiGe material.

Strong quantum-confined Stark effect in a lattice-matched GeSiSn/GeSn multi-quantum-well structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Ruizhi; Chunfuzhang; Han, Genquan; Hao, Yue

2017-06-01

This paper presents modeling and simulation of a multiple quantum well structure formed with Ge0.95Sn0.05 quantum wells separated by Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 barriers for the applications. These alloy compositions are chosen to satisfy two conditions simultaneously: type-I band alignment between Ge0.95Sn0.05/Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 and a lattice match between wells and barriers. This lattice match ensures that the strain-free structure can be grown upon a relaxed Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 buffer on a silicon substrate - a CMOS compatible process. A electro-absorption modulator with the Ge0.95Sn0.05/Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 multiple quantum well structure based on quantum-confined Stark effect(QCSE) is demonstrated in theory. The energy band diagrams of the GeSiSn/GeSn multi-quantum-well structure at 0 and 0.5V bias are calculated, respectively. And the corresponding absorption coefficients as a function of cut-off energy for this multiple quantum well structure at 0 and 0.5Vbias are also obtained, respectively. The reduction of cut-off energy is observed with the applying of the external electric field, indicating a strong QCSE in the structure.

Secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands deposited on a mixed-phase microcrystalline Si by ion beam co-sputtering.

PubMed

Ke, S Y; Yang, J; Qiu, F; Wang, Z Q; Wang, C; Yang, Y

2015-11-06

We discuss the SiGe island co-sputtering deposition on a microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) buffer layer and the secondary island growth based on this pre-SiGe island layer. The growth phenomenon of SiGe islands on crystalline silicon (c-Si) is also investigated for comparison. The pre-SiGe layer grown on μc-Si exhibits a mixed-phase structure, including SiGe islands and amorphous SiGe (a-SiGe) alloy, while the layer deposited on c-Si shows a single-phase island structure. The preferential growth and Ostwald ripening growth are shown to be the secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands on μc-Si and c-Si, respectively. This difference may result from the effect of amorphous phase Si (AP-Si) in μc-Si on the island growth. In addition, the Si-Ge intermixing behavior of the secondary-grown islands on μc-Si is interpreted by constructing the model of lateral atomic migration, while this behavior on c-Si is ascribed to traditional uphill atomic diffusion. It is found that the aspect ratios of the preferential-grown super islands are higher than those of the Ostwald-ripening ones. The lower lateral growth rate of super islands due to the lower surface energy of AP-Si on the μc-Si buffer layer for the non-wetting of Ge at 700 °C and the stronger Si-Ge intermixing effect at 730 °C may be responsible for this aspect ratio difference.

SiGe layer thickness effect on the structural and optical properties of well-organized SiGe/SiO2 multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, E. M. F.; Toudert, J.; Rolo, A. G.; Parisini, A.; Leitão, J. P.; Correia, M. R.; Franco, N.; Alves, E.; Chahboun, A.; Martín-Sánchez, J.; Serna, R.; Gomes, M. J. M.

2017-08-01

In this work, we report on the production of regular (SiGe/SiO2)20 multilayer structures by conventional RF-magnetron sputtering, at 350 °C. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, raman spectroscopy, and x-ray reflectometry measurements revealed that annealing at a temperature of 1000 °C leads to the formation of SiGe nanocrystals between SiO2 thin layers with good multilayer stability. Reducing the nominal SiGe layer thickness (t SiGe) from 3.5-2 nm results in a transition from continuous SiGe crystalline layer (t SiGe ˜ 3.5 nm) to layers consisting of isolated nanocrystals (t SiGe ˜ 2 nm). Namely, in the latter case, the presence of SiGe nanocrystals ˜3-8 nm in size, is observed. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was applied to determine the evolution of the onset in the effective optical absorption, as well as the dielectric function, in SiGe multilayers as a function of the SiGe thickness. A clear blue-shift in the optical absorption is observed for t SiGe ˜ 2 nm multilayer, as a consequence of the presence of isolated nanocrystals. Furthermore, the observed near infrared values of n = 2.8 and k = 1.5 are lower than those of bulk SiGe compounds, suggesting the presence of electronic confinement effects in the nanocrystals. The low temperature (70 K) photoluminescence measurements performed on annealed SiGe/SiO2 nanostructures show an emission band located between 0.7-0.9 eV associated with the development of interface states between the formed nanocrystals and surrounding amorphous matrix.

Towards rhombohedral SiGe epitaxy on 150mm c-plane sapphire substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duzik, Adam J.; Park, Yeonjoon; Choi, Sang H.

2015-04-01

Previous work demonstrated for the first time the ability to epitaxially grow uniform single crystal diamond cubic SiGe (111) films on trigonal sapphire (0001) substrates. While SiGe (111) forms two possible crystallographic twins on sapphire (0001), films consisting primarily of one twin were produced on up to 99.95% of the total wafer area. This permits new bandgap engineering possibilities and improved group IV based devices that can exploit the higher carrier mobility in Ge compared to Si. Models are proposed on the epitaxy of such dissimilar crystal structures based on the energetic favorability of crystallographic twins and surface reconstructions. This new method permits Ge (111) on sapphire (0001) epitaxy, rendering Ge an economically feasible replacement for Si in some applications, including higher efficiency Si/Ge/Si quantum well solar cells. Epitaxial SiGe films on sapphire showed a 280% increase in electron mobility and a 500% increase in hole mobility over single crystal Si. Moreover, Ge possesses a wider bandgap for solar spectrum conversion than Si, while the transparent sapphire substrate permits an inverted device structure, increasing the total efficiency to an estimated 30-40%, much higher than traditional Si solar cells. Hall Effect mobility measurements of the Ge layer in the Si/Ge/Si quantum well structure were performed to demonstrate the advantage in carrier mobility over a pure Si solar cell. Another application comes in the use of microelectromechanical devices technology, where high-resistivity Si is currently used as a substrate. Sapphire is a more resistive substrate and offers better performance via lower parasitic capacitance and higher film carrier mobility over the current Si-based technology.

GeO{sub 2}/Ge structure submitted to annealing in deuterium: Incorporation pathways and associated oxide modifications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bom, N. M., E-mail: nicolau.bom@ufrgs.br; Soares, G. V.; Hartmann, S.

2014-10-06

Deuterium (D) incorporation in GeO{sub 2}/Ge structures following D{sub 2} annealing was investigated. Higher D concentrations were obtained for GeO{sub 2}/Ge samples in comparison to their SiO{sub 2}/Si counterparts annealed in the same conditions. Oxygen vacancies produced during the annealing step in D{sub 2} constitute defect sites for D incorporation, analogous to defects at the SiO{sub 2}/Si interfacial region. Besides D incorporation, volatilization of the oxide layer is also observed as a consequence of D{sub 2} annealing, especially in the high temperature regime of the present study (>450 °C). In parallel to this volatilization, the stoichiometry and chemical structure of remnantmore » oxide are modified as well. These results evidence the broader impact of forming gas annealing in dielectric/Ge structures with respect to SiO{sub 2}/Si counterparts.« less

Pseudomorphic GeSiSn, SiSn and Ge layers in strained heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeev, V. A.; Nikiforov, A. I.; Tuktamyshev, A. R.; Mashanov, V. I.; Loshkarev, I. D.; Bloshkin, A. A.; Gutakovskii, A. K.

2018-04-01

The GeSiSn, SiSn layer growth mechanisms on Si(100) were investigated and the kinetic diagrams of the morphological GeSiSn, SiSn film states in the temperature range of 150 °C-450 °C at the tin content from 0% to 35% were built. The phase diagram of the superstructural change on the surface of Sn grown on Si(100) in the annealing temperature range of 0 °C-850 °C was established. The specular beam oscillations were first obtained during the SiSn film growth from 150 °C to 300 °C at the Sn content up to 35%. The transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffractometry data confirm the crystal perfection and the pseudomorphic GeSiSn, SiSn film state, and also the presence of smooth heterointerfaces between GeSiSn or SiSn and Si. The photoluminescence for the multilayer periodic GeSiSn/Si structures in the range of 0.6-0.8 eV was detected. The blue shift with the excitation power increase is observed suggesting the presence of a type II heterostructure. The creation of tensile strained Ge films, which are pseudomorphic to the underlying GeSn layer, is confirmed by the results of the formation and analysis of the reciprocal space map in the x-ray diffractometry. The tensile strain in the Ge films reached the value in the range of 0.86%-1.5%. The GeSn buffer layer growth in the Sn content range from 8% to 12% was studied. The band structure of heterosystems based on pseudomorphic GeSiSn, SiSn and Ge layers was calculated and the valence and conduction band subband position dependences on the Sn content were built. Based on the calculation, the Sn content range in the GeSiSn, SiSn, and GeSn layers, which corresponds to the direct bandgap GeSiSn, SiSn, and Ge material, was obtained.

p-n Junction Diodes Fabricated on Si-Si/Ge Heteroepitaxial Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, K.; Mazumder, M. D. A.; Hall, H.; Alterovitz, Samuel A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A set of photolithographic masks was designed for the fabrication of diodes in the Si-Si/Ge material system. Fabrication was performed on samples obtained from two different wafers: (1) a complete HBT structure with an n (Si emitter), p (Si/Ge base), and an n/n+ (Si collector/sub-collector) deposited epitaxially (MBE) on a high resistivity p-Si substrate, (2) an HBT structure where epitaxial growth was terminated after the p-type base (Si/Ge) layer deposition. Two different process runs were attempted for the fabrication of Si-Si/Ge (n-p) and Si/Ge-Si (p-n) junction diodes formed between the emitter-base and base-collector layers, respectively, of the Si-Si/Ge-Si HBT structure. One of the processes employed a plasma etching step to expose the p-layer in the structure (1) and to expose the e-layer in structure (2). The Contact metallization used for these diodes was a Cu-based metallization scheme that was developed during the first year of the grant. The plasma-etched base-collector diodes on structure (2) exhibited well-behaved diode-like characteristics. However, the plasma-etched emitter-base diodes demonstrated back-to-back diode characteristics. These back-to back characteristics were probably due to complete etching of the base-layer, yielding a p-n-p diode. The deep implantation process yielded rectifying diodes with asymmetric forward and reverse characteristics. The ideality factor of these diodes were between 1.6 -2.1, indicating that the quality of the MBE grown epitaxial films was not sufficiently high, and also incomplete annealing of the implantation damage. Further study will be conducted on CVD grown films, which are expected to have higher epitaxial quality.

Strain-free Ge/GeSiSn Quantum Cascade Lasers Based on L-Valley Intersubband Transitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

found in III-V quantum cascade lasers QCLs. Various groups have obtained electroluminescence from Si-rich Si/SiGe quantum cascade structures,2–4 but...Ge/GeSiSn quantum cascade lasers based on L-valley intersubband transitions 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 612305 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...ABSTRACT The authors propose a Ge/Ge0.76Si0.19Sn0.05 quantum cascade laser using intersubband transitions at L valleys of the conduction band

Vertical nanowire heterojunction devices based on a clean Si/Ge interface.

PubMed

Chen, Lin; Fung, Wayne Y; Lu, Wei

2013-01-01

Different vertical nanowire heterojunction devices were fabricated and tested based on vertical Ge nanowires grown epitaxially at low temperatures on (111) Si substrates with a sharp and clean Si/Ge interface. The nearly ideal Si/Ge heterojuctions with controlled and abrupt doping profiles were verified through material analysis and electrical characterizations. In the nSi/pGe heterojunction diode, an ideality factor of 1.16, subpicoampere reverse saturation current, and rectifying ratio of 10(6) were obtained, while the n+Si/p+Ge structure leads to Esaki tunnel diodes with a high peak tunneling current of 4.57 kA/cm(2) and negative differential resistance at room temperature. The large valence band discontinuity between the Ge and Si in the nanowire heterojunctions was further verified in the p+Si/pGe structure, which shows a rectifying behavior instead of an Ohmic contact and raises an important issue in making Ohmic contacts to heterogeneously integrated materials. A raised Si/Ge structure was further developed using a self-aligned etch process, allowing greater freedom in device design for applications such as the tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET). All measurement data can be well-explained and fitted with theoretical models with known bulk properties, suggesting that the Si/Ge nanowire system offers a very clean heterojunction interface with low defect density, and holds great potential as a platform for future high-density and high-performance electronics.

Density-functional theory molecular dynamics simulations of a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe and a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge with a-SiO2 and a-SiO suboxide interfacial layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chagarov, Evgueni A.; Kavrik, Mahmut S.; Fang, Ziwei; Tsai, Wilman; Kummel, Andrew C.

2018-06-01

Comprehensive Density-Functional Theory (DFT) Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate interfaces between a-HfO2 and SiGe or Ge semiconductors with fully-stoichiometric a-SiO2 or sub-oxide SiO interlayers. The electronic structure of the selected stacks was calculated with a HSE06 hybrid functional. Simulations were performed before and after hydrogen passivation of residual interlayer defects. For the SiGe substrate with Ge termination prior to H passivation, the stacks with a-SiO suboxide interlayer (a-HfO2/a-SiO/SiGe) demonstrate superior electronic properties and wider band-gaps than the stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers (a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe). After H passivation, most of the a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe defects are passivated. To investigate effect of random placement of Si and Ge atoms additional simulations with a randomized SiGe slab were performed demonstrating improvement of electronic structure. For Ge substrates, before H passivation, the stacks with a SiO suboxide interlayer (a-HfO2/a-SiO/Ge) also demonstrate wider band-gaps than the stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers (a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge). However, even for a-HfO2/a-SiO/Ge, the Fermi level is shifted close to the conduction band edge (CBM) consistent with Fermi level pinning. Again, after H passivation, most of the a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge defects are passivated. The stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers have much stronger deformation and irregularity in the semiconductor (SiGe or Ge) upper layers leading to multiple under-coordinated atoms which create band-edge states and decrease the band-gap prior to H passivation.

Ultra-low Thermal Conductivity in Si/Ge Hierarchical Superlattice Nanowire.

PubMed

Mu, Xin; Wang, Lili; Yang, Xueming; Zhang, Pu; To, Albert C; Luo, Tengfei

2015-11-16

Due to interfacial phonon scattering and nanoscale size effect, silicon/germanium (Si/Ge) superlattice nanowire (SNW) can have very low thermal conductivity, which is very attractive for thermoelectrics. In this paper, we demonstrate using molecular dynamics simulations that the already low thermal conductivity of Si/Ge SNW can be further reduced by introducing hierarchical structure to form Si/Ge hierarchical superlattice nanowire (H-SNW). The structural hierarchy introduces defects to disrupt the periodicity of regular SNW and scatters coherent phonons, which are the key contributors to thermal transport in regular SNW. Our simulation results show that periodically arranged defects in Si/Ge H-SNW lead to a ~38% reduction of the already low thermal conductivity of regular Si/Ge SNW. By randomizing the arrangement of defects and imposing additional surface complexities to enhance phonon scattering, further reduction in thermal conductivity can be achieved. Compared to pure Si nanowire, the thermal conductivity reduction of Si/Ge H-SNW can be as large as ~95%. It is concluded that the hierarchical structuring is an effective way of reducing thermal conductivity significantly in SNW, which can be a promising path for improving the efficiency of Si/Ge-based SNW thermoelectrics.

Ultra-low Thermal Conductivity in Si/Ge Hierarchical Superlattice Nanowire

PubMed Central

Mu, Xin; Wang, Lili; Yang, Xueming; Zhang, Pu; To, Albert C.; Luo, Tengfei

2015-01-01

Due to interfacial phonon scattering and nanoscale size effect, silicon/germanium (Si/Ge) superlattice nanowire (SNW) can have very low thermal conductivity, which is very attractive for thermoelectrics. In this paper, we demonstrate using molecular dynamics simulations that the already low thermal conductivity of Si/Ge SNW can be further reduced by introducing hierarchical structure to form Si/Ge hierarchical superlattice nanowire (H-SNW). The structural hierarchy introduces defects to disrupt the periodicity of regular SNW and scatters coherent phonons, which are the key contributors to thermal transport in regular SNW. Our simulation results show that periodically arranged defects in Si/Ge H-SNW lead to a ~38% reduction of the already low thermal conductivity of regular Si/Ge SNW. By randomizing the arrangement of defects and imposing additional surface complexities to enhance phonon scattering, further reduction in thermal conductivity can be achieved. Compared to pure Si nanowire, the thermal conductivity reduction of Si/Ge H-SNW can be as large as ~95%. It is concluded that the hierarchical structuring is an effective way of reducing thermal conductivity significantly in SNW, which can be a promising path for improving the efficiency of Si/Ge-based SNW thermoelectrics. PMID:26568511

A Theoretical Simulation of the Radiation Responses of Si, Ge, and Si/Ge Superlattice to Low-Energy Irradiation.

PubMed

Jiang, Ming; Xiao, Haiyan; Peng, Shuming; Yang, Guixia; Liu, Zijiang; Qiao, Liang; Zu, Xiaotao

2018-05-02

In this study, the low-energy radiation responses of Si, Ge, and Si/Ge superlattice are investigated by an ab initio molecular dynamics method and the origins of their different radiation behaviors are explored. It is found that the radiation resistance of the Ge atoms that are around the interface of Si/Ge superlattice is comparable to bulk Ge, whereas the Si atoms around the interface are more difficult to be displaced than the bulk Si, showing enhanced radiation tolerance as compared with the bulk Si. The mechanisms for defect generation in the bulk and superlattice structures show somewhat different character, and the associated defects in the superlattice are more complex. Defect formation and migration calculations show that in the superlattice structure, the point defects are more difficult to form and the vacancies are less mobile. The enhanced radiation tolerance of the Si/Ge superlattice will benefit for its applications as electronic and optoelectronic devices under radiation environment.

A Theoretical Simulation of the Radiation Responses of Si, Ge, and Si/Ge Superlattice to Low-Energy Irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ming; Xiao, Haiyan; Peng, Shuming; Yang, Guixia; Liu, Zijiang; Qiao, Liang; Zu, Xiaotao

2018-05-01

In this study, the low-energy radiation responses of Si, Ge, and Si/Ge superlattice are investigated by an ab initio molecular dynamics method and the origins of their different radiation behaviors are explored. It is found that the radiation resistance of the Ge atoms that are around the interface of Si/Ge superlattice is comparable to bulk Ge, whereas the Si atoms around the interface are more difficult to be displaced than the bulk Si, showing enhanced radiation tolerance as compared with the bulk Si. The mechanisms for defect generation in the bulk and superlattice structures show somewhat different character, and the associated defects in the superlattice are more complex. Defect formation and migration calculations show that in the superlattice structure, the point defects are more difficult to form and the vacancies are less mobile. The enhanced radiation tolerance of the Si/Ge superlattice will benefit for its applications as electronic and optoelectronic devices under radiation environment.

Ge 3P 6Si 2O 25: A cage structure closely related to the intersecting tunnel structure KMo 3P 6Si 2O 25

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclaire, A.; Raveau, B.

1988-08-01

A germanosilicophosphate Ge 3P 6Si 2O 25 has been isolated. Its structure was solved from a single-crystal study in the space group P overline31c . Its cell parameters are a = b = 7.994(1) Å, c = 16.513(2) Å, Z = 2. The refinement by full-matrix least-squares calculations leads to R = 0.043 with 686 independent reflections. The structure of this oxide is built up from corner-sharing PO 4 and SiO 4 tetrahedra and GeO 6 octahedra. One observes a feature common to several silicophosphates: the presence of the structural unit P 6Si 2O 25 built up from a disilicate group sharing its corners with six PO 4 tetrahedra. The structural relationships between this oxide and the silicophosphates AMo 3P 6Si 2O 25 and Si 3P 6Si 2O 25 (or Ge 3P 6 Ge 2O 25) are described.

New members of the A2 M ‧ M2″ structure family (A=Ca, Sr, Yb, La; M ‧ = In , Sn , Pb; M ″ = Si , Ge)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jehle, Michael; Dürr, Ines; Fink, Saskia; Lang, Britta; Langenmaier, Michael; Steckhan, Julia; Röhr, Caroline

2015-01-01

The new mixed tetrelides Sr2PbGe2 and Yb2SnGe2, several mixed Ca/Sr (AII) germanides A2II (Sn, Pb)Ge2 and two polymorphs of La2 InSi2 represent new members of the general structure family of ternary alkaline-earth/lanthanoid main group silicides/germanides A2 M ‧ M2″ (M ‧ = In , Sn , Pb ; M ″ = Si , Ge). All compounds were synthesized from melts of the elements and their crystal structures have been determined by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction. Sr2PbGe2 (Cmmm, a=402.36(11), b=1542.3(4), c=463.27(10) pm) crystallizes with the Mn2AlB2 -type structure. In exhibiting infinite planar Ge zig-zag chains, it represents one border of the compound series. The other borderline case, where only [Ge2 ] dumbbells are left as Ge building units, is represented by the Ca/Yb tin germanides Ca2SnGe2 and Yb2SnGe2 (Mo2FeB2 -type; P4/mbm, a=748.58(13)/740.27(7), c=445.59(8)/435.26(5) pm). In between these two border structures compounds with variable Si/Ge chain lengths could be obtained by varying the averaged size of the AII cations: Ca0.45Sr1.55PbGe2 (new structure type; Pbam, a=791.64(5), b=2311.2(2), c=458.53(3) pm) contains planar six-membered chain segments [Ge6 ]. Tetrameric pieces [Ge4 ] are the conspicuous structure elements in Ca1.16Sr0.84SnGe2 and La2 InSi2 (La2InNi2 -type; Pbam, a=781.01(2)/762.01(13), b=1477.95(3)/1494.38(6), c=457.004(9)/442.1(3) pm). The tetragonal form of 'La2 In Si2‧ (exact composition: La2In1.07Si1.93, P4/mbm, a=1309.11(12), c=443.32(4) pm) also crystallizes in a new structure type, containing only [Si3 ] trimers as cutouts of the planar chains. In all structures the Si/Ge zig-zag chains/chain segments are connected by In/Sn/Pb atoms to form planar M layers, which are separated by pure A layers. Band structure calculations within the FP-LAPW DFT approach together with the Zintl formalism, extended by the presence of hypervalent bonding of the heavier M ‧ elements, give insight into the chemical bonding of this series of p-block metallides. An analysis of the band structure for the border phases Sr2PbGe2 and Ca2SnGe2 shows the considerable π bonding contributions within the Ge building units, which also become apparent from the short Ge-Ge bond lengths.

Evidence for the formation of SiGe nanoparticles in Ge-implanted Si 3N 4

DOE PAGES

Mirzaei, S.; Kremer, F.; Feng, R.; ...

2017-03-14

SiGe nanoparticles were formed in an amorphous Si 3N 4 matrix by Ge + ion implantation and thermal annealing. The size of the nanoparticles was determined by transmission electron microscopy and their atomic structure by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Nanoparticles were observed for excess Ge concentrations in the range from 9 to 12 at. % after annealing at temperatures in the range from 700 to 900 °C. The average nanoparticle size increased with excess Ge concentration and annealing temperature and varied from an average diameter of 1.8±0.2 nm for the lowest concentration and annealing temperature to 3.2±0.5 nm for the highestmore » concentration and annealing temperature. Our study demonstrates that the structural properties of embedded SiGe nanoparticles in amorphous Si 3N 4 are sensitive to the implantation and post implantation conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ion implantation is a novel pathway to fabricate and control the SiGe nanoparticle structure and potentially useful for future optoelectronic device applications.« less

Production of three-dimensional quantum dot lattice of Ge/Si core-shell quantum dots and Si/Ge layers in an alumina glass matrix.

PubMed

Buljan, M; Radić, N; Sancho-Paramon, J; Janicki, V; Grenzer, J; Bogdanović-Radović, I; Siketić, Z; Ivanda, M; Utrobičić, A; Hübner, R; Weidauer, R; Valeš, V; Endres, J; Car, T; Jerčinović, M; Roško, J; Bernstorff, S; Holy, V

2015-02-13

We report on the formation of Ge/Si quantum dots with core/shell structure that are arranged in a three-dimensional body centered tetragonal quantum dot lattice in an amorphous alumina matrix. The material is prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition of Al2O3/Ge/Si multilayer. The inversion of Ge and Si in the deposition sequence results in the formation of thin Si/Ge layers instead of the dots. Both materials show an atomically sharp interface between the Ge and Si parts of the dots and layers. They have an amorphous internal structure that can be crystallized by an annealing treatment. The light absorption properties of these complex materials are significantly different compared to films that form quantum dot lattices of the pure Ge, Si or a solid solution of GeSi. They show a strong narrow absorption peak that characterizes a type II confinement in accordance with theoretical predictions. The prepared materials are promising for application in quantum dot solar cells.

Ge-cap quantum-well bulk FinFET for 5 nm node CMOS integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwi Kurniawan, Erry; Peng, Kang-Hui; Yang, Shang-Yi; Yang, Yi-Yun; Thirunavukkarasu, Vasanthan; Lin, Yu-Hsien; Wu, Yung-Chun

2018-04-01

We propose the use of Ge-cap quantum-well (QW) bulk FinFET for 5 nm CMOS integration, which is a Si channel wrapped with Ge around three sides of the fin channel. The simulation results show that the Ge-cap FinFET structure demonstrates better performance than pure Si, pure Ge, and Si-cap FinFET structures. By optimizing Si fin width and Ge-cap thickness, the on-state current of nFET and pFET can also be symmetric without changing the total fin width (F Wp = F Wn). The electrons in Ge-cap nFinFET concentrate in the Si channel because of QWs formed in the lowest conduction band of the Ge and Si heterostructure, while the holes in Ge-cap pFinFET prefer to stay in Ge surfaces owing to QWs formed in the Ge valence band. The physics studies of this device have made the design rules relevant for the application of the CMOS inverter and static random access memory (SRAM) application technology.

X-ray characterization of Ge dots epitaxially grown on nanostructured Si islands on silicon-on-insulator substrates.

PubMed

Zaumseil, Peter; Kozlowski, Grzegorz; Yamamoto, Yuji; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Schroeder, Thomas

2013-08-01

On the way to integrate lattice mismatched semiconductors on Si(001), the Ge/Si heterosystem was used as a case study for the concept of compliant substrate effects that offer the vision to be able to integrate defect-free alternative semiconductor structures on Si. Ge nanoclusters were selectively grown by chemical vapour deposition on Si nano-islands on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. The strain states of Ge clusters and Si islands were measured by grazing-incidence diffraction using a laboratory-based X-ray diffraction technique. A tensile strain of up to 0.5% was detected in the Si islands after direct Ge deposition. Using a thin (∼10 nm) SiGe buffer layer between Si and Ge the tensile strain increases to 1.8%. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the absence of a regular grid of misfit dislocations in such structures. This clear experimental evidence for the compliance of Si nano-islands on SOI substrates opens a new integration concept that is not only limited to Ge but also extendable to semiconductors like III-V and II-VI materials.

Strain-induced structural defects and their effects on the electrochemical performances of silicon core/germanium shell nanowire heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Lin, Yung-Chen; Kim, Dongheun; Li, Zhen; ...

2016-12-14

Here we report on strain-induced structural defect formation in core Si nanowire of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure and influences of the structural defects on the electrochemical performances in lithium-ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures. The induced structural defects consisting of stacking faults and dislocations in the core Si nanowire were observed for the first time. The generation of stacking faults in Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure is observed to prefer settling in either only Ge shell region or in both Ge shell and Si core regions and is associated with the increase of the shell volume fraction. Themore » relax of misfit strain in [112] oriented core/shell nanowire heterostructure leads to subsequent gliding of Shockley partial dislocations, preferentially forming the twins. The observation of cross-over defect formation is of great importance for the understanding of heteroepitaxy in radial heterostructures at nanoscale and building the three dimensional heterostructures for the various applications. In addition, the effect of the defect formation on nanomaterial’s functionality is investigated by electrochemical performance test. The Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures enhance the gravimetric capacity of lithium ion battery anodes under fast charging/discharging rates compared to Si nanowires. However, the induced structural defects hamper lithiation of the Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure.« less

Strain-induced structural defects and their effects on the electrochemical performances of silicon core/germanium shell nanowire heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Yung-Chen; Kim, Dongheun; Li, Zhen

Here we report on strain-induced structural defect formation in core Si nanowire of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure and influences of the structural defects on the electrochemical performances in lithium-ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures. The induced structural defects consisting of stacking faults and dislocations in the core Si nanowire were observed for the first time. The generation of stacking faults in Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure is observed to prefer settling in either only Ge shell region or in both Ge shell and Si core regions and is associated with the increase of the shell volume fraction. Themore » relax of misfit strain in [112] oriented core/shell nanowire heterostructure leads to subsequent gliding of Shockley partial dislocations, preferentially forming the twins. The observation of cross-over defect formation is of great importance for the understanding of heteroepitaxy in radial heterostructures at nanoscale and building the three dimensional heterostructures for the various applications. In addition, the effect of the defect formation on nanomaterial’s functionality is investigated by electrochemical performance test. The Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures enhance the gravimetric capacity of lithium ion battery anodes under fast charging/discharging rates compared to Si nanowires. However, the induced structural defects hamper lithiation of the Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure.« less

High Mobility Transport Layer Structures for Rhombohedral Si/Ge/SiGe Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sang Hyouk (Inventor); Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor); King, Glen C. (Inventor); Kim, Hyun-Jung (Inventor); Lee, Kunik (Inventor)

2017-01-01

An electronic device includes a trigonal crystal substrate defining a (0001) C-plane. The substrate may comprise Sapphire or other suitable material. A plurality of rhombohedrally aligned SiGe (111)-oriented crystals are disposed on the (0001) C-plane of the crystal substrate. A first region of material is disposed on the rhombohedrally aligned SiGe layer. The first region comprises an intrinsic or doped Si, Ge, or SiGe layer. The first region can be layered between two secondary regions comprising n+doped SiGe or n+doped Ge, whereby the first region collects electrons from the two secondary regions.

Effect of Ge atoms on crystal structure and optoelectronic properties of hydrogenated Si-Ge films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianwei; Zhang, Jianjun; Ma, Ying; Yu, Yunwu; Zhao, Ying

2017-07-01

Optoelectronic and structural properties of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon-germanium (μc-Si1-xGex:H) alloys prepared by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) were investigated. When the Ge atoms were predominantly incorporated in amorphous matrix, the dark and photo-conductivity decreased due to the reduced crystalline volume fraction of the Si atoms (XSi-Si) and the increased Ge dangling bond density. The photosensitivity decreased monotonously with Ge incorporation under higher hydrogen dilution condition, which was attributed to the increase in both crystallization of Ge and the defect density.

Reduced thermal conductivity of nanotwinned random layer structures: a promising nanostructuring towards efficient Si and Si/Ge thermoelectric materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samaraweera, Nalaka; Chan, Kin L.; Mithraratne, Kumar

2018-05-01

Si and Si/Ge based nanostructures of reduced lattice thermal conductivity are widely attractive for developing efficient thermoelectric materials. In this study, we demonstrate the reduced thermal conductivity of Si nanotwinned random layer (NTRL) structures over corresponding superlattice and twin-free counterparts. The participation ratio analysis of vibrational modes shows that a possible cause of thermal conductivity reduction is phonon localization due to the random arrangement of twin boundaries. Via non-equilibrium molecular dynamic simulations, it is shown that ~23 and ~27% reductions over superlattice counterparts and ~55 and 53% over twin-free counterparts can be attained for the structures of total lengths of 90 and 170 nm, respectively. Furthermore, a random twin boundary distribution is applied for Si/Ge random layer structures seeking further reduction of thermal conductivity. A significant reduction in thermal conductivity of Si/Ge structures exceeding the thermal insulating performance of the corresponding amorphous Si structure by ~31% for a total length of 90 nm can be achieved. This reduction is as high as ~98% compared to the twin-free Si counterpart. It is demonstrated that application of randomly organised nanoscale twin boundaries is a promising nanostructuring strategy towards developing efficient Si and Si/Ge based thermoelectric materials in the future.

Ion-Beam-Induced Atomic Mixing in Ge, Si, and SiGe, Studied by Means of Isotope Multilayer Structures

PubMed Central

Radek, Manuel; Liedke, Bartosz; Schmidt, Bernd; Voelskow, Matthias; Bischoff, Lothar; Lundsgaard Hansen, John; Nylandsted Larsen, Arne; Bougeard, Dominique; Böttger, Roman; Prucnal, Slawomir; Posselt, Matthias; Bracht, Hartmut

2017-01-01

Crystalline and preamorphized isotope multilayers are utilized to investigate the dependence of ion beam mixing in silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and silicon germanium (SiGe) on the atomic structure of the sample, temperature, ion flux, and electrical doping by the implanted ions. The magnitude of mixing is determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy provide information about the structural state after ion irradiation. Different temperature regimes with characteristic mixing properties are identified. A disparity in atomic mixing of Si and Ge becomes evident while SiGe shows an intermediate behavior. Overall, atomic mixing increases with temperature, and it is stronger in the amorphous than in the crystalline state. Ion-beam-induced mixing in Ge shows no dependence on doping by the implanted ions. In contrast, a doping effect is found in Si at higher temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations clearly show that ion beam mixing in Ge is mainly determined by the thermal spike mechanism. In the case of Si thermal spike, mixing prevails at low temperature whereas ion beam-induced enhanced self-diffusion dominates the atomic mixing at high temperature. The latter process is attributed to highly mobile Si di-interstitials formed under irradiation and during damage annealing. PMID:28773172

Ion-Beam-Induced Atomic Mixing in Ge, Si, and SiGe, Studied by Means of Isotope Multilayer Structures.

PubMed

Radek, Manuel; Liedke, Bartosz; Schmidt, Bernd; Voelskow, Matthias; Bischoff, Lothar; Hansen, John Lundsgaard; Larsen, Arne Nylandsted; Bougeard, Dominique; Böttger, Roman; Prucnal, Slawomir; Posselt, Matthias; Bracht, Hartmut

2017-07-17

Crystalline and preamorphized isotope multilayers are utilized to investigate the dependence of ion beam mixing in silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and silicon germanium (SiGe) on the atomic structure of the sample, temperature, ion flux, and electrical doping by the implanted ions. The magnitude of mixing is determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy provide information about the structural state after ion irradiation. Different temperature regimes with characteristic mixing properties are identified. A disparity in atomic mixing of Si and Ge becomes evident while SiGe shows an intermediate behavior. Overall, atomic mixing increases with temperature, and it is stronger in the amorphous than in the crystalline state. Ion-beam-induced mixing in Ge shows no dependence on doping by the implanted ions. In contrast, a doping effect is found in Si at higher temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations clearly show that ion beam mixing in Ge is mainly determined by the thermal spike mechanism. In the case of Si thermal spike, mixing prevails at low temperature whereas ion beam-induced enhanced self-diffusion dominates the atomic mixing at high temperature. The latter process is attributed to highly mobile Si di-interstitials formed under irradiation and during damage annealing.

Ultra-low temperature (≤300 °C) growth of Ge-rich SiGe by solid-liquid-coexisting annealing of a-GeSn/c-Si structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sadoh, Taizoh, E-mail: sadoh@ed.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Chikita, Hironori; Miyao, Masanobu

2015-09-07

Ultra-low temperature (≤300 °C) growth of Ge-rich SiGe on Si substrates is strongly desired to realize advanced electronic and optical devices, which can be merged onto Si large-scale integrated circuits (LSI). To achieve this, annealing characteristics of a-GeSn/c-Si structures are investigated under wide ranges of the initial Sn concentrations (0%–26%) and annealing conditions (300–1000 °C, 1 s–48 h). Epitaxial growth triggered by SiGe mixing is observed after annealing, where the annealing temperatures necessary for epitaxial growth significantly decrease with increasing initial Sn concentration and/or annealing time. As a result, Ge-rich (∼80%) SiGe layers with Sn concentrations of ∼2% are realized by ultra-low temperature annealingmore » (300 °C, 48 h) for a sample with the initial Sn concentration of 26%. The annealing temperature (300 °C) is in the solid-liquid coexisting temperature region of the phase diagram for Ge-Sn system. From detailed analysis of crystallization characteristics and composition profiles in grown layers, it is suggested that SiGe mixing is generated by a liquid-phase reaction even at ultra-low temperatures far below the melting temperature of a-GeSn. This ultra-low-temperature growth technique of Ge-rich SiGe on Si substrates is expected to be useful to realize next-generation LSI, where various multi-functional devices are integrated on Si substrates.« less

Enhanced Emission of Quantum System in Si-Ge Nanolayer Structure.

PubMed

Huang, Zhong-Mei; Huang, Wei-Qi; Dong, Tai-Ge; Wang, Gang; Wu, Xue-Ke

2016-12-01

It is very interesting that the enhanced peaks near 1150 and 1550 nm are observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the quantum system of Si-Ge nanolayer structure, which have the emission characteristics of a three-level system with quantum dots (QDs) pumping and emission of quasi-direct-gap band, in our experiment. In the preparing process of Si-Ge nanolayer structure by using a pulsed laser deposition method, it is discovered that the nanocrystals of Si and Ge grow in the (100) and (111) directions after annealing or electron beam irradiation. The enhanced PL peaks with multi-longitudinal-mode are measured at room temperature in the super-lattice of Si-Ge nanolayer quantum system on SOI.

The Effects of Annealing Temperatures on Composition and Strain in Si x Ge1-x Obtained by Melting Growth of Electrodeposited Ge on Si (100).

PubMed

Abidin, Mastura Shafinaz Zainal; Morshed, Tahsin; Chikita, Hironori; Kinoshita, Yuki; Muta, Shunpei; Anisuzzaman, Mohammad; Park, Jong-Hyeok; Matsumura, Ryo; Mahmood, Mohamad Rusop; Sadoh, Taizoh; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2014-02-24

The effects of annealing temperatures on composition and strain in Si x Ge 1- x , obtained by rapid melting growth of electrodeposited Ge on Si (100) substrate were investigated. Here, a rapid melting process was performed at temperatures of 1000, 1050 and 1100 °C for 1 s. All annealed samples show single crystalline structure in (100) orientation. A significant appearance of Si-Ge vibration mode peak at ~400 cm -1 confirms the existence of Si-Ge intermixing due to out-diffusion of Si into Ge region. On a rapid melting process, Ge melts and reaches the thermal equilibrium in short time. Si at Ge/Si interface begins to dissolve once in contact with the molten Ge to produce Si-Ge intermixing. The Si fraction in Si-Ge intermixing was calculated by taking into account the intensity ratio of Ge-Ge and Si-Ge vibration mode peaks and was found to increase with the annealing temperatures. It is found that the strain turns from tensile to compressive as the annealing temperature increases. The Si fraction dependent thermal expansion coefficient of Si x Ge 1- x is a possible cause to generate such strain behavior. The understanding of compositional and strain characteristics is important in Ge/Si heterostructure as these properties seem to give significant effects in device performance.

X-ray characterization of Ge dots epitaxially grown on nanostructured Si islands on silicon-on-insulator substrates

PubMed Central

Zaumseil, Peter; Kozlowski, Grzegorz; Yamamoto, Yuji; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Schroeder, Thomas

2013-01-01

On the way to integrate lattice mismatched semiconductors on Si(001), the Ge/Si heterosystem was used as a case study for the concept of compliant substrate effects that offer the vision to be able to integrate defect-free alternative semiconductor structures on Si. Ge nanoclusters were selectively grown by chemical vapour deposition on Si nano-islands on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. The strain states of Ge clusters and Si islands were measured by grazing-incidence diffraction using a laboratory-based X-ray diffraction technique. A tensile strain of up to 0.5% was detected in the Si islands after direct Ge deposition. Using a thin (∼10 nm) SiGe buffer layer between Si and Ge the tensile strain increases to 1.8%. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the absence of a regular grid of misfit dislocations in such structures. This clear experimental evidence for the compliance of Si nano-islands on SOI substrates opens a new integration concept that is not only limited to Ge but also extendable to semiconductors like III–V and II–VI materials. PMID:24046490

Formation of nanocrystalline SiGe in Polycrystalline-Ge/Si thin film without any metal induced crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tah, Twisha; Singh, Ch. Kishan; Madapu, K. K.; Polaki, S. R.; Ilango, S.; David, C.; Dash, S.; Panigrahi, B. K.

2017-05-01

The formation of nanocrystalline SiGe without the aid of metal induced crystallization is reported. Re-crystallization of the as-deposited poly-Ge film (deposited at 450 °C) leads to development of regions with depleted Ge concentration upon annealing at 500 °C. Clusters with crystalline facet containing both nanocrystalline SiGe and crystalline Ge phase starts appearing at 600 °C. The structural phase characteristics were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The stoichiometry of the SiGe phase was estimated from the positions of the Raman spectral peaks.

Structural and optical properties of axial silicon-germanium nanowire heterojunctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, X.; Tsybeskov, L., E-mail: tsybesko@njit.edu; Kamins, T. I.

2015-12-21

Detailed studies of the structural and optical properties of axial silicon-germanium nanowire heterojunctions show that despite the 4.2% lattice mismatch between Si and Ge they can be grown without a significant density of structural defects. The lattice mismatch induced strain is partially relieved due to spontaneous SiGe intermixing at the heterointerface during growth and lateral expansion of the Ge segment of the nanowire. The mismatch in Ge and Si coefficients of thermal expansion and low thermal conductivity of Si/Ge nanowire heterojunctions are proposed to be responsible for the thermally induced stress detected under intense laser radiation in photoluminescence and Ramanmore » scattering measurements.« less

Formation of a Ge-rich Si1-x Ge x (x > 0.9) fin epitaxial layer condensed by dry oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyunchul; Kim, Byongju; Koo, Sangmo; Ko, Dae-Hong

2017-11-01

We have selectively grown an epitaxial Si0.35Ge0.65 fin layer in a 65 nm oxide trench pattern array and formed a Ge-rich Si1-x Ge x (x > 0.9) fin layer with condensed Ge using dry oxidation. During oxidation of the SiGe fin structure, we found that the compressive strain of the condensed SiGe layer was increased by about 1.3% while Ge was efficiently condensed due to a two-dimensional oxidation reaction. In this paper, we discussed in detail the diffusion during the two-dimensional condensation reaction as well as the asymmetric biaxial strain of the SiGe fin before and after oxidation using a reciprocal space mapping measurement. The application of dry oxidation on selectively grown SiGe fin layer can be an effective method for increasing hole mobility of SiGe fin with increased Ge content and self-induced compressive strain.

The Effects of Annealing Temperatures on Composition and Strain in SixGe1−x Obtained by Melting Growth of Electrodeposited Ge on Si (100)

PubMed Central

Abidin, Mastura Shafinaz Zainal; Morshed, Tahsin; Chikita, Hironori; Kinoshita, Yuki; Muta, Shunpei; Anisuzzaman, Mohammad; Park, Jong-Hyeok; Matsumura, Ryo; Mahmood, Mohamad Rusop; Sadoh, Taizoh; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2014-01-01

The effects of annealing temperatures on composition and strain in SixGe1−x, obtained by rapid melting growth of electrodeposited Ge on Si (100) substrate were investigated. Here, a rapid melting process was performed at temperatures of 1000, 1050 and 1100°C for 1 s. All annealed samples show single crystalline structure in (100) orientation. A significant appearance of Si-Ge vibration mode peak at ~00 cm−1 confirms the existence of Si-Ge intermixing due to out-diffusion of Si into Ge region. On a rapid melting process, Ge melts and reaches the thermal equilibrium in short time. Si at Ge/Si interface begins to dissolve once in contact with the molten Ge to produce Si-Ge intermixing. The Si fraction in Si-Ge intermixing was calculated by taking into account the intensity ratio of Ge-Ge and Si-Ge vibration mode peaks and was found to increase with the annealing temperatures. It is found that the strain turns from tensile to compressive as the annealing temperature increases. The Si fraction dependent thermal expansion coefficient of SixGe1−x is a possible cause to generate such strain behavior. The understanding of compositional and strain characteristics is important in Ge/Si heterostructure as these properties seem to give significant effects in device performance. PMID:28788521

Strain and stability of ultrathin Ge layers in Si/Ge/Si axial heterojunction nanowires

DOE PAGES

Ross, Frances M.; Stach, Eric A.; Wen, Cheng -Yen; ...

2015-02-05

The abrupt heterointerfaces in the Si/Ge materials system presents useful possibilities for electronic device engineering because the band structure can be affected by strain induced by the lattice mismatch. In planar layers, heterointerfaces with abrupt composition changes are difficult to realize without introducing misfit dislocations. However, in catalytically grown nanowires, abrupt heterointerfaces can be fabricated by appropriate choice of the catalyst. Here we grow nanowires containing Si/Ge and Si/Ge/Si structures respectively with sub-1nm thick Ge "quantum wells" and we measure the interfacial strain fields using geometric phase analysis. Narrow Ge layers show radial strains of several percent, with a correspondingmore » dilation in the axial direction. Si/Ge interfaces show lattice rotation and curvature of the lattice planes. We conclude that high strains can be achieved, compared to what is possible in planar layers. In addition, we study the stability of these heterostructures under heating and electron beam irradiation. The strain and composition gradients are supposed to the cause of the instability for interdiffusion.« less

Compact and low power operation optical switch using silicon-germanium/silicon hetero-structure waveguide.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, Shigeaki; Kurahashi, Teruo; Zhu, Lei; Kawaguchi, Kenichi; Morito, Ken

2012-04-09

We proposed a silicon-based optical switch with a carrier-plasma-induced phase shifter which employs a silicon-germanium (SiGe) / silicon (Si) hetero-structure in the waveguide core. A type-I hetero-interface formed by SiGe and Si is expected to confine carriers effectively in the SiGe waveguide core. The fabricated Mach-Zehnder optical switch shows a low switching power of only 1.53 mW with a compact phase shifter length of 250 μm. The switching time of the optical switch is less than 4.6 ns for the case of a square waveform driving condition, and 1 ns for the case of a pre-emphasis electric driving condition. These results show that our proposed SiGe/Si waveguide structure holds promise for active devices with compact size and low operation power.

Degradation of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures during lithiation and delithiation at 0.8 and 20 A g-1.

PubMed

Kim, Dongheun; Li, Nan; Sheehan, Chris J; Yoo, Jinkyoung

2018-04-26

Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures have been expected to provide high energy and power densities for lithium ion battery anodes due to the large capacity of Si and the high electrical and ionic conductivities of Ge. Although the battery anode performances of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures have been characterized, the degradation of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures has not been thoroughly investigated. Here we report the compositional and structural changes of the Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure over cycling of lithiation and delithiation at different charging rates. The Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure holds the core and shell structure at a charging rate of 0.8 A g-1 up to 50 cycles. On the other hand, compositional intermixing and loss of Si occur at a charging rate of 20 A g-1 within 50 cycles. The operation condition-dependent degradation provides a new aspect of materials research for the development of high performance lithium ion battery anodes with a long cycle life.

Nanoscale Phase-Separated Structure in Core-Shell Nanoparticles of SiO2-Si1-xGexO2 Glass Revealed by Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Kubo, Yugo; Yonezawa, Kazuhiro

2017-09-05

SiO 2 -based optical fibers are indispensable components of modern information communication technologies. It has recently become increasingly important to establish a technique for visualizing the nanoscale phase-separated structure inside SiO 2 -GeO 2 glass nanoparticles during the manufacturing of SiO 2 -GeO 2 fibers. This is because the rapidly increasing price of Ge has made it necessary to improve the Ge yield by clarifying the detailed mechanism of Ge diffusion into SiO 2 . However, direct observation of the internal nanostructure of glass particles has been extremely difficult, mainly due to electrostatic charging and the damage induced by electron and X-ray irradiation. In the present study, we used state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to examine cross-sectional samples of SiO 2 -GeO 2 particles embedded in an epoxy resin, which were fabricated using a broad Ar ion beam and a focused Ga ion beam. These advanced techniques enabled us to observe the internal phase-separated structure of the nanoparticles. We have for the first time clearly determined the SiO 2 -Si 1-x Ge x O 2 core-shell structure of such particles, the element distribution, the degree of crystallinity, and the quantitative chemical composition of microscopic regions, and we discuss the formation mechanism for the observed structure. The proposed imaging protocol is highly promising for studying the internal structure of various core-shell nanoparticles, which affects their catalytic, optical, and electronic properties.

Direct growth of Ge quantum dots on a graphene/SiO2/Si structure using ion beam sputtering deposition.

PubMed

Zhang, Z; Wang, R F; Zhang, J; Li, H S; Zhang, J; Qiu, F; Yang, J; Wang, C; Yang, Y

2016-07-29

The growth of Ge quantum dots (QDs) using the ion beam sputtering deposition technique has been successfully conducted directly on single-layer graphene supported by SiO2/Si substrate. The results show that the morphology and size of Ge QDs on graphene can be modulated by tuning the Ge coverage. Charge transfer behavior, i.e. doping effect in graphene has been demonstrated at the interface of Ge/graphene. Compared with that of traditional Ge dots grown on Si substrate, the positions of both corresponding photoluminescence (PL) peaks of Ge QDs/graphene hybrid structure undergo a large red-shift, which can probably be attributed to the lack of atomic intermixing and the existence of surface states in this hybrid material. According to first-principles calculations, the Ge growth on the graphene should follow the so-called Volmer-Weber mode instead of the Stranski-Krastanow one which is observed generally in the traditional Ge QDs/Si system. The calculations also suggest that the interaction between Ge and graphene layer can be enhanced with the decrease of the Ge coverage. Our results may supply a prototype for fabricating novel optoelectronic devices based on a QDs/graphene hybrid nanostructure.

Method of producing buried porous silicon-geramanium layers in monocrystalline silicon lattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si--Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are stain etched resulting in porosification of the Si--Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si--Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

Comparative study of GeO 2/Ge and SiO 2/Si structures on anomalous charging of oxide films upon water adsorption revealed by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Mori, Daichi; Oka, Hiroshi; Hosoi, Takuji; ...

2016-09-02

The energy difference between the oxide and bulk peaks in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra was investigated in this paper for both GeO 2/Ge and SiO 2/Si structures with thickness-controlled water films. This was achieved by obtaining XPS spectra at various values of relative humidity (RH) of up to ~15%. The increase in the energy shift is more significant for thermal GeO 2 on Ge than for thermal SiO 2 on Si above ~10 -4% RH, which is due to the larger amount of water molecules that infiltrate into the GeO 2 film to form hydroxyls. Analyzing the origins ofmore » this energy shift, we propose that the positive charging of a partially hydroxylated GeO 2 film, which is unrelated to X-ray irradiation, causes the larger energy shift for GeO 2/Ge than for SiO 2/Si. A possible microscopic mechanism of this intrinsic positive charging is the emission of electrons from adsorbed water species in the suboxide layer of the GeO 2 film to the Ge bulk, leaving immobile cations or positively charged states in the oxide. Finally, this may be related to the reported negative shift of flat band voltages in metal-oxide-semiconductor diodes with an air-exposed GeO 2 layer.« less

Synthesis and fundamental properties of stable Ph(3)SnSiH(3) and Ph(3)SnGeH(3) hydrides: model compounds for the design of Si-Ge-Sn photonic alloys.

PubMed

Tice, Jesse B; Chizmeshya, Andrew V G; Groy, Thomas L; Kouvetakis, John

2009-07-06

The compounds Ph(3)SnSiH(3) and Ph(3)SnGeH(3) (Ph = C(6)H(5)) have been synthesized as colorless solids containing Sn-MH(3) (M = Si, Ge) moieties that are stable in air despite the presence of multiple and highly reactive Si-H and Ge-H bonds. These molecules are of interest since they represent potential model compounds for the design of new classes of IR semiconductors in the Si-Ge-Sn system. Their unexpected stability and high solubility also makes them a safe, convenient, and potentially useful delivery source of -SiH(3) and -GeH(3) ligands in molecular synthesis. The structure and composition of both compounds has been determined by chemical analysis and a range of spectroscopic methods including multinuclear NMR. Single crystal X-ray structures were determined and indicated that both compounds condense in a Z = 2 triclinic (P1) space group with lattice parameters (a = 9.7754(4) A, b = 9.8008(4) A, c = 10.4093(5) A, alpha = 73.35(10)(o), beta = 65.39(10)(o), gamma = 73.18(10)(o)) for Ph(3)SnSiH(3) and (a = 9.7927(2) A, b = 9.8005(2) A, c = 10.4224(2) A, alpha = 74.01(3)(o), beta = 65.48(3)(o), gamma = 73.43(3)(o)) for Ph(3)SnGeH(3). First principles density functional theory simulations are used to corroborate the molecular structures of Ph(3)SnSiH(3) and Ph(3)SnGeH(3), gain valuable insight into the relative stability of the two compounds, and provide correlations between the Si-Sn and Ge-Sn bonds in the molecules and those in tetrahedral Si-Ge-Sn solids.

The formal combination of three singlet biradicaloid entities to a singlet hexaradicaloid metalloid Ge14[Si(SiMe3)3]5[Li(THF)2]3 cluster.

PubMed

Schenk, Christian; Kracke, Andreas; Fink, Karin; Kubas, Adam; Klopper, Wim; Neumaier, Marco; Schnöckel, Hansgeorg; Schnepf, Andreas

2011-03-02

The reaction of GeBr with LiSi(SiMe(3))(3) leads to the metalloid cluster compound [(THF)(2)Li](3)Ge(14)[Si(SiMe(3))(3)](5) (1). After the introduction of a first cluster of this type, in which 14 germanium atoms form an empty polyhedron, [(THF)(2)Li](3)Ge(14)[Ge(SiMe(3))(3)](5) (2), we present here further investigations on 1 to obtain preliminary insight into its chemical and bonding properties. The molecular structure of 1 is determined via X-ray crystal structure solution using synchrotron radiation. The electronic structure of the Ge(14) polyhedron is further examined by quantum chemical calculations, which indicate that three singlet biradicaloid entities formally combine to yield the singlet hexaradicaloid character of 1. Moreover, the initial reactions of 1 after elimination of the [Li(THF)(2)](+) groups by chelating ligands (e.g., TMEDA or 12-crown-4) are presented. Collision induced dissociation experiments in the gas phase, employing FT-ICR mass spectrometry, lead to the elimination of the singlet biradicaloid Ge(5)H(2)[Si(SiMe(3))(3)](2) cluster. The unique multiradicaloid bonding character of the metalloid cluster 1 might be used as a model for reactions and properties in the field of surface science and nanotechnology.

Quantum-confined Stark effect at 1.3 μm in Ge/Si(0.35)Ge(0.65) quantum-well structure.

PubMed

Rouifed, Mohamed Said; Chaisakul, Papichaya; Marris-Morini, Delphine; Frigerio, Jacopo; Isella, Giovanni; Chrastina, Daniel; Edmond, Samson; Le Roux, Xavier; Coudevylle, Jean-René; Vivien, Laurent

2012-10-01

Room-temperature quantum-confined Stark effect in a Ge/SiGe quantum-well structure is reported at the wavelength of 1.3 μm. The operating wavelength is tuned by the use of strain engineering. Low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is used to grow 20 periods of strain-compensated quantum wells (8 nm Ge well and 12 nm Si(0.35)Ge(0.65) barrier) on Si(0.21)Ge(0.79) virtual substrate. The fraction of light absorbed per well allows for a strong modulation around 1.3 μm. The half-width at half-maximum of the excitonic peak of only 12 meV allows for a discussion on physical mechanisms limiting the performances of such devices.

Magnetism and electronic structure of CoFeCrX (X = Si, Ge) Heusler alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Y.; Kharel, P.; Lukashev, P.; Valloppilly, S.; Staten, B.; Herran, J.; Tutic, I.; Mitrakumar, M.; Bhusal, B.; O'Connell, A.; Yang, K.; Huh, Y.; Skomski, R.; Sellmyer, D. J.

2016-08-01

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of CoFeCrX (X = Si, Ge) Heusler alloys have been investigated. Experimentally, the alloys were synthesized in the cubic L21 structure with small disorder. The cubic phase of CoFeCrSi was found to be highly stable against heat treatment, but CoFeCrGe disintegrated into other new compounds when the temperature reached 402 °C (675 K). Although the first-principle calculation predicted the possibility of tetragonal phase in CoFeCrGe, the tetragonal phase could not be stabilized experimentally. Both CoFeCrSi and CoFeCrGe compounds showed ferrimagnetic spin order at room temperature and have Curie temperatures (TC) significantly above room temperature. The measured TC for CoFeCrSi is 790 K but that of CoFeCrGe could not be measured due to its dissociation into new compounds at 675 K. The saturation magnetizations of CoFeCrSi and CoFeCrGe are 2.82 μB/f.u. and 2.78 μB/f.u., respectively, which are close to the theoretically predicted value of 3 μB/f.u. for their half-metallic phases. The calculated band gaps for CoFeCrSi and CoFeCrGe are, respectively, 1 eV and 0.5 eV. These materials have potential for spintronic device applications, as they exhibit half-metallic electronic structures with large band gaps, and Curie temperatures significantly above room temperature.

Measurements of Local Strain Variation in Si(1-x)Ge(x)/Si Heterostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, L. D.; Kaiser, W. J.; Manion, S. J.; Milliken, S. J.; Pike, W. T.; Fathauer, R. W.

1995-01-01

The energy splitting of the conduction-band minimum of Si(1-x), Ge(x), due to strain has been directly measured by the application of ballistic-electron-emission microscope (BEEM) spectroscopy to Ag/Si(1-x), Ge(x) structures. Experimental values for this conduction-band splitting agree well with calculations. For Au/Si(1-x), Ge(x), however, heterogeneity in the strain of the Si(1-x), Ge(x) layer is introduced by deposition of the Au. This variation is attributed to species interdiffusion, which produces a rough Si(1-x)Ge(x) surface. Preliminary modeling indicates that the observed roughness is consistent with the strain variation measured by BEEM.

Monoclinic 122-Type BaIr2Ge2 with a Channel Framework: A Structural Connection between Clathrate and Layered Compounds

DOE PAGES

Gui, Xin; Chang, Tay-Rong; Kong, Tai; ...

2017-07-18

A new 122-type phase, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 is successfully synthesized by arc melting; X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are used to purify the phase and determine its crystal structure. BaIr2Ge2 adopts a clathrate-like channel framework structure of the monoclinic BaRh2Si2-type, with space group P21/c. Structural comparisons of clathrate, ThCr2Si2, CaBe2Ge2, and BaRh2Si2 structure types indicate that BaIr2Ge2 can be considered as an intermediate between clathrate and layered compounds. Magnetic measurements show it to be diamagnetic and non-superconducting down to 1.8 K. Different from many layered or clathrate compounds, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 displays a metallic resistivity. Electronic structure calculations performed for BaIr2Ge2more » support its observed structural stability and physical properties.« less

Monoclinic 122-Type BaIr2Ge2 with a Channel Framework: A Structural Connection between Clathrate and Layered Compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gui, Xin; Chang, Tay-Rong; Kong, Tai

A new 122-type phase, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 is successfully synthesized by arc melting; X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are used to purify the phase and determine its crystal structure. BaIr2Ge2 adopts a clathrate-like channel framework structure of the monoclinic BaRh2Si2-type, with space group P21/c. Structural comparisons of clathrate, ThCr2Si2, CaBe2Ge2, and BaRh2Si2 structure types indicate that BaIr2Ge2 can be considered as an intermediate between clathrate and layered compounds. Magnetic measurements show it to be diamagnetic and non-superconducting down to 1.8 K. Different from many layered or clathrate compounds, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 displays a metallic resistivity. Electronic structure calculations performed for BaIr2Ge2more » support its observed structural stability and physical properties.« less

Identification of Second Shell Coordination in Transition Metal Species Using Theoretical XANES: Example of Ti–O–(C, Si, Ge) Complexes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spanjers, Charles S.; Guillo, Pascal; Tilley, T. Don

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) is a common technique for elucidating oxidation state and first shell coordination geometry in transition metal complexes, among many other materials. However, the structural information obtained from XANES is often limited to the first coordination sphere. In this study, we show how XANES can be used to differentiate between C, Si, and Ge in the second coordination shell of Ti–O–(C, Si, Ge) molecular complexes based on differences in their Ti K-edge XANES spectra. Experimental spectra were compared with theoretical spectra calculated using density functional theory structural optimization and ab initio XANES calculations. The unique featuresmore » for second shell C, Si, and Ge present in the Ti K pre-edge XANES are attributed to the interaction between the Ti center and the O–X (X = C, Si, or Ge) antibonding orbitals.« less

Structural and electrical characterization of epitaxial Ge thin films on Si(001) formed by sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuka, Shintaro; Mori, Takahiro; Morita, Yukinori; Uchida, Noriyuki; Liu, Yongxun; O'uchi, Shin-ichi; Fuketa, Hiroshi; Migita, Shinji; Masahara, Meishoku; Matsukawa, Takashi

2017-04-01

We structurally and electrically characterize sub-10-nm-thick heteroepitaxial Ge films on Si(001), formed by heated sputtering and subsequent rapid thermal annealing (RTA). After RTA treatment at 720 °C, we find the heteroepitaxial Ge films to have smooth surfaces with a roughness root mean square value of 0.54 nm. Raman measurement reveals that the 720 °C RTA improves the crystallinity of Ge films while maintaining abrupt Ge/Si interfaces. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy confirms that the 720 °C RTA step effectively reduces stacking faults and dislocations in the Ge films. The Richardson plot of the TaN/Ge/n-Si diode indicates a Schottky barrier height (SBH) of 0.33 V, which is close to the height of 0.37 V measured from the capacitance-voltage measurement. These values are reasonable compared with the reported SBH of the TaN/bulk Ge Schottky barrier diode, indicating that the method involving heated sputtering and subsequent RTA provides adequate thin Ge films for Ge/Si heterostructures.

High Mobility SiGe/Si Transistor Structures on Sapphire Substrates Using Ion Implantation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, S. A.; Mueller, C. H.; Croke, E. T.

2003-01-01

High mobility n-type SiGe/Si transistor structures have been fabricated on sapphire substrates by ion implanting phosphorus ions into strained 100 Angstrom thick silicon channels for the first time. The strained Si channels were sandwiched between Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3) layers, which, in turn, were deposited on Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3) virtual substrates and graded SiGe buffer layers. After the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) film growth process was completed, ion thick silicon channels implantation and post-annealing were used to introduce donors. The phosphorous ions were preferentially located in the Si channel at a peak concentration of approximately 1x10(exp 18)/cu cm. Room temperature electron mobilities exceeding 750 sq cm/V-sec at carrier densities of 1x10(exp 12)/sq cm were measured. Electron concentration appears to be the key factor that determines mobility, with the highest mobility observed for electron densities in the 1 - 2x10(exp 12)/sq cm range.

Structures and stability of metal-doped Ge nM (n = 9, 10) clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qin, Wei; Lu, Wen-Cai; Xia, Lin-Hua

The lowest-energy structures of neutral and cationic Ge nM (n = 9, 10; M = Si, Li, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Au, Ag, Yb, Pm and Dy) clusters were studied by genetic algorithm (GA) and first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that doping of the metal atoms and Si into Ge 9 and Ge 10 clusters is energetically favorable. Most of the metal-doped Ge cluster structures can be viewed as adding or substituting metal atom on the surface of the corresponding ground-state Ge n clusters. However, the neutral and cationic FeGe 9,10,MnGe 9,10 and Ge 10Al are cage-like withmore » the metal atom encapsulated inside. Such cage-like transition metal doped Ge n clusters are shown to have higher adsorption energy and thermal stability. Our calculation results suggest that Ge 9,10Fe and Ge 9Si would be used as building blocks in cluster-assembled nanomaterials because of their high stabilities.« less

Structures and stability of metal-doped Ge nM (n = 9, 10) clusters

DOE PAGES

Qin, Wei; Lu, Wen-Cai; Xia, Lin-Hua; ...

2015-06-26

The lowest-energy structures of neutral and cationic Ge nM (n = 9, 10; M = Si, Li, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Au, Ag, Yb, Pm and Dy) clusters were studied by genetic algorithm (GA) and first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that doping of the metal atoms and Si into Ge 9 and Ge 10 clusters is energetically favorable. Most of the metal-doped Ge cluster structures can be viewed as adding or substituting metal atom on the surface of the corresponding ground-state Ge n clusters. However, the neutral and cationic FeGe 9,10,MnGe 9,10 and Ge 10Al are cage-like withmore » the metal atom encapsulated inside. Such cage-like transition metal doped Ge n clusters are shown to have higher adsorption energy and thermal stability. Our calculation results suggest that Ge 9,10Fe and Ge 9Si would be used as building blocks in cluster-assembled nanomaterials because of their high stabilities.« less

Hot Carrier Dynamics in the X Valley in Si and Ge Measured by Pump-IR-Probe Absorption Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, W. B.; Cavicchia, M. A.; Alfano, R. R.

1996-01-01

Si is the semiconductor of choice for nanoelectronic roadmap into the next century for computer and other nanodevices. With growing interest in Si, Ge, and Si(sub m)Ge(sub n) strained superlattices, knowledge of the carrier relaxation processes in these materials and structures has become increasingly important. The limited time resolution for earlier studies of carrier dynamics in Ge and Si, performed using Nd:glass lasers, was not sufficient to observe the fast cooling processes. In this paper, we present a direct measurement of hot carrier dynamics in the satellite X valley in Si and Ge by time-resolved infrared(IR) absorption spectroscopy, and show the potential of our technique to identify whether the X valley is the lowest conduction valley in semiconductor materials and structures.

Growth of BaSi2 film on Ge(100) by vacuum evaporation and its photoresponse properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, Cham Thi; Nakagawa, Yoshihiko; Hara, Kosuke O.; Kurokawa, Yasuyoshi; Takabe, Ryota; Suemasu, Takashi; Usami, Noritaka

2017-05-01

We have successfully grown a polycrystalline orthorhombic BaSi2 film on a Ge(100) substrate by an evaporation method. Deposition of an amorphous Si (a-Si) film on the Ge substrate prior to BaSi2 evaporation plays a critical role in obtaining a high-quality BaSi2 film. By controlling substrate temperature and the thickness of the a-Si film, a crack-free and single-phase polycrystalline orthorhombic BaSi2 film with a long carrier lifetime of 1.5 µs was obtained on Ge substrates. The photoresponse property of the ITO/BaSi2/Ge/Al structure was clearly observed, and photoresponsivity was found to increase with increasing substrate temperature during deposition of a-Si. Furthermore, the BaSi2 film grown on Ge showed a higher photoresponsivity than that grown on Si, indicating the potential application of evaporated BaSi2 on Ge to thin-film solar cells.

Structure and lattice dynamics of the wide band gap semiconductors MgSiN2 and MgGeN2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Râsander, M.; Quirk, J. B.; Wang, T.; Mathew, S.; Davies, R.; Palgrave, R. G.; Moram, M. A.

2017-08-01

We have determined the structural and lattice dynamical properties of the orthorhombic, wide band gap semiconductors MgSiN2 and MgGeN2 using density functional theory. In addition, we present the structural properties and Raman spectra of MgSiN2 powder. The structural properties and lattice dynamics of the orthorhombic systems are compared to those of wurtzite AlN. We find clear differences in the lattice dynamics between MgSiN2, MgGeN2 and AlN, for example, we find that the highest phonon frequency in MgSiN2 is about 100 cm-1 higher than the highest frequency in AlN, and that MgGeN2 is much softer. We also provide the Born effective charge tensors and dielectric tensors of MgSiN2, MgGeN2 and AlN. Phonon related thermodynamic properties, such as the heat capacity and the entropy, have also been evaluated and are found to be in very good agreement with available experimental results.

Homogeneity of Ge-rich nanostructures as characterized by chemical etching and transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Bollani, Monica; Chrastina, Daniel; Montuori, Valeria; Terziotti, Daniela; Bonera, Emiliano; Vanacore, Giovanni M; Tagliaferri, Alberto; Sordan, Roman; Spinella, Corrado; Nicotra, Giuseppe

2012-02-03

The extension of SiGe technology towards new electronic and optoelectronic applications on the Si platform requires that Ge-rich nanostructures be obtained in a well-controlled manner. Ge deposition on Si substrates usually creates SiGe nanostructures with relatively low and inhomogeneous Ge content. We have realized SiGe nanostructures with a very high (up to 90%) Ge content. Using substrate patterning, a regular array of nanostructures is obtained. We report that electron microscopy reveals an abrupt change in Ge content of about 20% between the filled pit and the island, which has not been observed in other Ge island systems. Dislocations are mainly found within the filled pit and only rarely in the island. Selective chemical etching and electron energy-loss spectroscopy reveal that the island itself is homogeneous. These Ge-rich islands are possible candidates for electronic applications requiring locally induced stress, and optoelectronic applications which exploit the Ge-like band structure of Ge-rich SiGe.

Development of Mid-infrared GeSn Light Emitting Diodes on a Silicon Substrate

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-22

Materials, Heterostrucuture Semiconductor, Light Emitting Devices, Molecular Beam Epitaxy 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT...LED) structure. Optimization of traditional and hetero- P-i-N structures designed and grown on Ge-buffer Si (001) wafers using molecular beam epitaxy ...designed structures were grown on Ge-buffer Si (001) wafers using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with the low-temperature growth technique. (The Ge-buffer

Comparative study of GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures on anomalous charging of oxide films upon water adsorption revealed by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mori, Daichi; Kawai, Kentaro; Morita, Mizuho

2016-09-07

The energy difference between the oxide and bulk peaks in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra was investigated for both GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures with thickness-controlled water films. This was achieved by obtaining XPS spectra at various values of relative humidity (RH) of up to ∼15%. The increase in the energy shift is more significant for thermal GeO{sub 2} on Ge than for thermal SiO{sub 2} on Si above ∼10{sup −4}% RH, which is due to the larger amount of water molecules that infiltrate into the GeO{sub 2} film to form hydroxyls. Analyzing the origins of this energy shift,more » we propose that the positive charging of a partially hydroxylated GeO{sub 2} film, which is unrelated to X-ray irradiation, causes the larger energy shift for GeO{sub 2}/Ge than for SiO{sub 2}/Si. A possible microscopic mechanism of this intrinsic positive charging is the emission of electrons from adsorbed water species in the suboxide layer of the GeO{sub 2} film to the Ge bulk, leaving immobile cations or positively charged states in the oxide. This may be related to the reported negative shift of flat band voltages in metal-oxide-semiconductor diodes with an air-exposed GeO{sub 2} layer.« less

Synthesis, structures, and solution dynamics of tetrasubstituted nine-atom germanium deltahedral clusters.

PubMed

Li, Feng; Sevov, Slavi C

2014-08-27

Reported are the rational synthesis, structures, and solution dynamics of three tetrasubstituted and neutral Ge9-based deltahedral clusters [Ge9R3R'](0), where R = Si(SiMe3)3 and R' = Et (1), Sn(n)Bu3 (2), or Tl (3). The first step of the synthesis is a reaction of an acetonitrile suspension of the intermetallic precursor compound K4Ge9 with {Si(SiMe3)3}Cl which produces the trisubstituted monoanions [Ge9{Si(SiMe3)3}](-). A benzene suspension of the latter is then reacted with Sn(n)Bu3Cl or TlCp to produce 2 and 3, respectively, while the same acetonitrile solution is reacted with EtBr in order to produce 1. All three structures can be viewed as tricapped trigonal prisms of Ge9 with the three "hypersilyl" substituents, Si(SiMe3)3, exo-bonded to the capping atoms. The fourth substituent in 1, the ethyl group, is exo-bonded to one of the six available Ge atoms with the Ge-C bond positioned radially to the Ge9 core. In the case of 2, on the other hand, the tin fragment is found above one of the triangular bases of the prism interacting with one or more Ge atoms in three crystallographically different molecules in the structure. Lastly, the Tl atom in the structure of 3 is found capping a pseudosquare face between two hypersilyl substituents. NMR spectroscopy indicates that all three compounds are dynamic at room temperature. Variable-temperature studies suggest that the process in 1 and 2 is intramolecular while the process in 3 involves dissociation of the Tl(+) ion from the molecule followed by association at the same or another equivalent pseudosquare face of the molecule. Thus, the latter compound may be considered to a large extent to be ionic as it is made of a thallium cation and a trisubstituted cluster anion.

The curious case of exploding quantum dots: anomalous migration and growth behaviors of Ge under Si oxidation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We have previously demonstrated the unique migration behavior of Ge quantum dots (QDs) through Si3N4 layers during high-temperature oxidation. Penetration of these QDs into the underlying Si substrate however, leads to a completely different behavior: the Ge QDs ‘explode,’ regressing back almost to their origins as individual Ge nuclei as formed during the oxidation of the original nanopatterned SiGe structures used for their generation. A kinetics-based model is proposed to explain the anomalous migration behavior and morphology changes of the Ge QDs based on the Si flux generated during the oxidation of Si-containing layers. PMID:23618165

The structure and stability of Si60 and Ge60 cages: a computational study.

PubMed

Chen, Zhongfang; Jiao, Haijun; Seifert, Gotthard; Horn, Anselm H C; Yu, Dengke; Clark, Tim; Thiel, Walter; von Ragué Schleyer, Paul

2003-06-01

Structural studies of fullerene-like Si(60) and Ge(60) cages using ab initio methods were augmented by density functional tight-binding molecular dynamics (DFTB-MD) simulations of finite temperature effects. Neither the perfect I(h) symmetry nor the distorted T(h) structures are true minima. The energies of both are high relative to distorted, lower symmetry minima, C(i) and T, respectively, which still preserve C(60)-type connectivity. Both Si(60) and Ge(60) favor C(i) symmetry cages in which Si and Ge vertexes exhibit either near-trigonal or pyramidal geometries. These structural variations imply significant reactivity differences between different positions. The small magnetic shielding effects (NICS) indicate that aromaticity is not important in these systems. The inorganic fullerene cages have lower stabilities compared with their carbon analogs. Si(60) is stable towards spontaneous disintegration up to 700 K according to DFTB-MD simulations, and thus has potential for experimental observation. In contrast, Ge(60) preserves its cage structure only up to 200 K. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 948-953, 2003

CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: Research on reverse recovery characteristics of SiGeC p-i-n diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yong; Liu, Jing; Yang, Yuan

2008-12-01

This paper analyses the reverse recovery characteristics and mechanism of SiGeC p-i-n diodes. Based on the integrated systems engineering (ISE) data, the critical physical models of SiGeC diodes are proposed. Based on hetero-junction band gap engineering, the softness factor increases over six times, reverse recovery time is over 30% short and there is a 20% decrease in peak reverse recovery current for SiGeC diodes with 20% of germanium and 0.5% of carbon, compared to Si diodes. Those advantages of SiGeC p-i-n diodes are more obvious at high temperature. Compared to lifetime control, SiGeC technique is more suitable for improving diode properties and the tradeoff between reverse recovery time and forward voltage drop can be easily achieved in SiGeC diodes. Furthermore, the high thermal-stability of SiGeC diodes reduces the costs of further process steps and offers more freedoms to device design.

Exceptional cracking behavior in H-implanted Si/B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30/Si heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Da; Wang, Dadi; Chang, Yongwei; Li, Ya; Ding, Rui; Li, Jiurong; Chen, Xiao; Wang, Gang; Guo, Qinglei

2018-01-01

The cracking behavior in H-implanted Si/B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30/Si structures after thermal annealing was investigated. The crack formation position is found to closely correlate with the thickness of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer. For H-implanted Si containing a buried 3-nm-thick B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30 layer, localized continuous cracking occurs at the interfaces on both sides of the Si0.70Ge0.30 interlayer. Once the thickness of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer increases to 15 and 70 nm, however, a continuous sharp crack is individually observed along the interface between the Si substrate and the B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30 interlayer. We attribute this exceptional cracking behavior to the existence of shear stress on both sides of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer and the subsequent trapping of hydrogen, which leads to a crack in a well-controlled manner. This work may pave the way for high-quality Si or SiGe membrane transfer in a feasible manner, thus expediting its potential applications to ultrathin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-germanium-on-insulator (SGOI) production.

Nanostructured germanium deposited on heated substrates with enhanced photoelectric properties.

PubMed

Stavarache, Ionel; Maraloiu, Valentin Adrian; Prepelita, Petronela; Iordache, Gheorghe

2016-01-01

Obtaining high-quality materials, based on nanocrystals, at low temperatures is one of the current challenges for opening new paths in improving and developing functional devices in nanoscale electronics and optoelectronics. Here we report a detailed investigation of the optimization of parameters for the in situ synthesis of thin films with high Ge content (50 %) into SiO 2 . Crystalline Ge nanoparticles were directly formed during co-deposition of SiO 2 and Ge on substrates at 300, 400 and 500 °C. Using this approach, effects related to Ge-Ge spacing are emphasized through a significant improvement of the spatial distribution of the Ge nanoparticles and by avoiding multi-step fabrication processes or Ge loss. The influence of the preparation conditions on structural, electrical and optical properties of the fabricated nanostructures was studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electrical measurements in dark or under illumination and response time investigations. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of the procedure by the means of an Al/n-Si/Ge:SiO 2 /ITO photodetector test structure. The structures, investigated at room temperature, show superior performance, high photoresponse gain, high responsivity (about 7 AW -1 ), fast response time (0.5 µs at 4 kHz) and great optoelectronic conversion efficiency of 900% in a wide operation bandwidth, from 450 to 1300 nm. The obtained photoresponse gain and the spectral width are attributed mainly to the high Ge content packed into a SiO 2 matrix showing the direct connection between synthesis and optical properties of the tested nanostructures. Our deposition approach put in evidence the great potential of Ge nanoparticles embedded in a SiO 2 matrix for hybrid integration, as they may be employed in structures and devices individually or with other materials, hence the possibility of fabricating various heterojunctions on Si, glass or flexible substrates for future development of Si-based integrated optoelectronics.

On the radiative recombination and tunneling of charge carriers in SiGe/Si heterostructures with double quantum wells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yablonsky, A. N., E-mail: yablonsk@ipmras.ru; Zhukavin, R. Kh.; Bekin, N. A.

For SiGe/Si(001) epitaxial structures with two nonequivalent SiGe quantum wells separated by a thin Si barrier, the spectral and time characteristics of interband photoluminescence corresponding to the radiative recombination of excitons in quantum wells are studied. For a series of structures with two SiGe quantum wells different in width, the characteristic time of tunneling of charge carriers (holes) from the narrow quantum well, distinguished by a higher exciton recombination energy, to the wide quantum well is determined as a function of the Si barrier thickness. It is shown that the time of tunneling of holes between the Si{sub 0.8}5Ge{sub 0.15}more » layers with thicknesses of 3 and 9 nm steadily decreases from ~500 to <5 ns, as the Si barrier thickness is reduced from 16 to 8 nm. At intermediate Si barrier thicknesses, an increase in the photoluminescence signal from the wide quantum well is observed, with a characteristic time of the same order of magnitude as the luminescence decay time of the narrow quantum well. This supports the observation of the effect of the tunneling of holes from the narrow to the wide quantum well. A strong dependence of the tunneling time of holes on the Ge content in the SiGe layers at the same thickness of the Si barrier between quantum wells is observed, which is attributed to an increase in the effective Si barrier height.« less

Effect of local atomic and electronic structures on thermoelectric properties of chemically substituted CoSi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, C. C.; Pao, C. W.; Chen, J. L.; Chen, C. L.; Dong, C. L.; Liu, Y. S.; Lee, J. F.; Chan, T. S.; Chang, C. L.; Kuo, Y. K.; Lue, C. S.

2014-05-01

We report the effects of Ge partial substitution for Si on local atomic and electronic structures of thermoelectric materials in binary compound cobalt monosilicides (\\text{CoSi}_{1-x}\\text{Ge}_{x}\\text{:}\\ 0 \\le x \\le 0.15 ). Correlations between local atomic/electronic structure and thermoelectric properties are investigated by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The spectroscopic results indicate that as Ge is partially substituted onto Si sites at x \\le 0.05 , Co in CoSi1-xGex gains a certain amount of charge in its 3d orbitals. Contrarily, upon further replacing Si with Ge at x \\ge 0.05 , the Co 3d orbitals start to lose some of their charge. Notably, thermopower is strongly correlated with charge redistribution in the Co 3d orbital, and the observed charge transfer between Ge and Co is responsible for the variation of Co 3d occupancy number. In addition to Seebeck coefficient, which can be modified by tailoring the Co 3d states, local lattice disorder may also be beneficial in enhancing the thermoelectric properties. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectrum results further demonstrate that the lattice phonons can be enhanced by Ge doping, which results in the formation of the disordered Co-Co pair. Improvements in the thermoelectric properties are interpreted based on the variation of local atomic and electronic structure induced by lattice distortion through chemical substitution.

Enhanced direct-gap light emission from Si-capped n+-Ge epitaxial layers on Si after post-growth rapid cyclic annealing: impact of non-radiative interface recombination toward Ge/Si double heterostructure lasers.

PubMed

Higashitarumizu, Naoki; Ishikawa, Yasuhiko

2017-09-04

Enhanced direct-gap light emission is reported for Si-capped n + -Ge layers on Si after post-growth rapid cyclic annealing (RCA), and impact of non-radiative recombination (NRR) at the Ge/Si interface is discussed toward Ge/Si double heterostructure (DH) lasers. P-doped n + -Ge layer (1 × 10 19 cm -3 , 400 nm) is grown on Si by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition, followed by a growth of Si capping layer (5 nm) to form a Si/Ge/Si DH structure. Post-growth RCA to eliminate defects in Ge is performed in N 2 at temperatures between 900°C and 780°C, where the annealing time is minimized to be 5 s in each RCA cycle to prevent an out-diffusion of P dopants from the Ge surface. Direct-gap photoluminescence (PL) intensity at 1.6 µm increases with the RCA cycles up to 40, although the threading dislocation density in Ge is not reduced after 3 cycles in the present condition. The PL enhancement is ascribed to the suppression of NRR at the Ge/Si interface, where an intermixed SiGe alloy is formed. For Ge/Si DH lasers, NRR at the Ge/Si interface is found to have a significant impact on the threshold current density Jth. In order to achieve Jth on the order of 1 kA/cm 2 , similar to III-V lasers, the interface recombination velocity S is required below 10 3 cm/s in spite of S as large as 10 5 cm/s at the ordinary defect-rich Ge/Si interface.

Epitaxial Ge Solar Cells Directly Grown on Si (001) by MOCVD Using Isobutylgermane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youngjo; Kim, Kangho; Lee, Jaejin; Kim, Chang Zoo; Kang, Ho Kwan; Park, Won-Kyu

2018-03-01

Epitaxial Ge layers have been grown on Si (001) substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using an isobutylgermane (IBuGe) metalorganic source. Low and high temperature two-step growth and post annealing techniques are employed to overcome the lattice mismatch problem between Ge and Si. It is demonstrated that high quality Ge epitaxial layers can be grown on Si (001) by using IBuGe with surface RMS roughness of 2 nm and an estimated threading dislocation density of 4.9 × 107 cm -2. Furthermore, single-junction Ge solar cells have been directly grown on Si substrates with an in situ MOCVD growth. The epitaxial Ge p- n junction structures are investigated with transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical C- V measurements. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 1.69% was achieved for the Ge solar cell directly grown on Si substrate under AM1.5G condition.

Mechanical characterization of poly-SiGe layers for CMOS-MEMS integrated application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modlinski, Robert; Witvrouw, Ann; Verbist, Agnes; Puers, Robert; De Wolf, Ingrid

2010-01-01

Measuring mechanical properties at the microscale is essential to understand and to fabricate reliable MEMS. In this paper a tensile testing system and matching microscale test samples are presented. The test samples have a dog-bone-like structure. They are designed to mimic standard macro-tensile test samples. The micro-tensile tests are used to characterize 0.9 µm thick polycrystalline silicon germanium (poly-SiGe) films. The poly-SiGe film, that can be considered as a close equivalent to polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), is studied as a very promising material for use in CMOS/MEMS integration in a single chip due to its low-temperature LPCVD deposition (T < 450 °C). The fabrication process of the poly-SiGe micro-tensile test structure is explained in detail: the design, the processing and post-processing, the testing and finally the results' discussion. The poly-SiGe micro-tensile results are also compared with nanoindentation data obtained on the same poly-SiGe films as well as with results obtained by other research groups.

Low temperature thermal ALD of a SiNx interfacial diffusion barrier and interface passivation layer on SixGe1- x(001) and SixGe1- x(110)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmonds, Mary; Sardashti, Kasra; Wolf, Steven; Chagarov, Evgueni; Clemons, Max; Kent, Tyler; Park, Jun Hong; Tang, Kechao; McIntyre, Paul C.; Yoshida, Naomi; Dong, Lin; Holmes, Russell; Alvarez, Daniel; Kummel, Andrew C.

2017-02-01

Atomic layer deposition of a silicon rich SiNx layer on Si0.7Ge0.3(001), Si0.5Ge0.5(001), and Si0.5Ge0.5(110) surfaces has been achieved by sequential pulsing of Si2Cl6 and N2H4 precursors at a substrate temperature of 285 °C. XPS spectra show a higher binding energy shoulder peak on Si 2p indicative of SiOxNyClz bonding while Ge 2p and Ge 3d peaks show only a small amount of higher binding energy components consistent with only interfacial bonds, indicating the growth of SiOxNy on the SiGe surface with negligible subsurface reactions. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements confirm that the SiNx interfacial layer forms an electrically passive surface on p-type Si0.70Ge0.30(001), Si0.50Ge0.50(110), and Si0.50Ge0.50(001) substrates as the surface Fermi level is unpinned and the electronic structure is free of states in the band gap. DFT calculations show that a Si rich a-SiO0.4N0,4 interlayer can produce lower interfacial defect density than stoichiometric a-SiO0.8N0.8, substoichiometric a-Si3N2, or stoichiometric a-Si3N4 interlayers by minimizing strain and bond breaking in the SiGe by the interlayer. Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors devices were fabricated on p-type Si0.7Ge0.3(001) and Si0.5Ge0.5(001) substrates with and without the insertion of an ALD SiOxNy interfacial layer, and the SiOxNy layer resulted in a decrease in interface state density near midgap with a comparable Cmax value.

K-Band Si/SiGe HBT MMIC Amplifiers Using Lumped Passive Components with a Micromachined Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Liang-Hung; Rieh, Jae-Sung; Bhattacharya, Pallab; Katechi, Linda P. B.; Croke, E. T.; Ponchak, George E.; Alterovitz, Samuel A.

2000-01-01

Using Si/SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors with a maximum oscillation frequency of 52 GHz and a novel structure for passive components, a two-stage K-band lumped-element amplifier has been designed and fabricated on high-resistivity Si substrates. The chip size including biasing and RF chokes is 0.92 x 0.67 sq mm.

Structures and stability of metal-doped Ge{sub n}M (n = 9, 10) clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qin, Wei, E-mail: qinw@qdu.edu.cn; Xia, Lin-Hua; Zhao, Li-Zhen

The lowest-energy structures of neutral and cationic Ge{sub n}M (n = 9, 10; M = Si, Li, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Au, Ag, Yb, Pm and Dy) clusters were studied by genetic algorithm (GA) and first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that doping of the metal atoms and Si into Ge{sub 9} and Ge{sub 10} clusters is energetically favorable. Most of the metal-doped Ge cluster structures can be viewed as adding or substituting metal atom on the surface of the corresponding ground-state Ge{sub n} clusters. However, the neutral and cationic FeGe{sub 9,10},MnGe{sub 9,10} and Ge{sub 10}Al are cage-like withmore » the metal atom encapsulated inside. Such cage-like transition metal doped Ge{sub n} clusters are shown to have higher adsorption energy and thermal stability. Our calculation results suggest that Ge{sub 9,10}Fe and Ge{sub 9}Si would be used as building blocks in cluster-assembled nanomaterials because of their high stabilities.« less

Effect of mixed Ge/Si cross-linking on the physical properties of amorphous Ge-Si-Te networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunasekera, K.; Boolchand, P.; Micoulaut, M.

2014-04-01

Amorphous GexSixTe1-2x glasses are studied as a function of composition by a combination of experimental and theoretical methods, allowing for a full description of the network structure in relationship with physico-chemical properties. Calorimetric and thermal measurements reveal that such glasses display an anomalous behavior across a range of compositions xc1=7.5% and

Introduction of Si/SiO{sub 2} interface states by annealing Ge-implanted films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marstein, E.S.; Gunnaes, A.E.; Olsen, A.

2004-10-15

Nanocrystals embedded in SiO{sub 2} films are the subject of a number of recent works, mainly because of their potential usefulness in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices and nanocrystal memory structures. One interesting method for the fabrication of such nanocrystals is the ion implantation of segregating species into SiO{sub 2} films followed by heat treatment in order to induce nanocrystal formation. This method is both relatively simple and also compatible with the current MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) device technology. An unintentional effect can occur during the fabrication of nanocrystals using this method, namely a significant diffusion of the implanted species during annealing,more » away from the regions with the highest concentration. The Si/SiO{sub 2} interface can be exposed to this diffusion flux. This can result in an altered interface and have a significant influence on electronic devices. Here, we report on ion implantation of Ge into SiO{sub 2} on Si followed by annealing under conditions, resulting in Ge accumulation at the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface as determined by secondary-ion mass spectroscopy analysis, transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of x-rays, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The accumulation of Ge at the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface has also been reported before. The resulting effect on the electronic structure of the interface is a priori unknown. We have fabricated MOS capacitors on the sample structures and their capacitance-voltage characteristics were measured and analyzed. We measure an interface state density around 1x10{sup 12} cm{sup -2}, which is high compared to standard Si MOS devices. We discuss the results in terms of the previous electrical measurements on Ge-oxide interfaces and SiGe interfaces, which also can yield a high interface state density. The specific conditions we report result in a sufficiently low Ge concentration that nanocrystals are not segregated in the SiO{sub 2} film, while Ge still accumulates at the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface after annealing.« less

Near Edge X-Ray Absorption and X-Ray Photoelectron Diffraction Studies of the Structural Environment of Ge-Si Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castrucci, P.; Gunnella, R.; Pinto, N.; Bernardini, R.; de Crescenzi, M.; Sacchi, M.

Near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) and Auger electron diffraction (AED) are powerful techniques for the qualitative study of the structural and electronic properties of several systems. The recent development of a multiple scattering approach to simulating experimental spectra opened a friendly way to the study of structural environments of solids and surfaces. This article reviews recent X-ray absorption experiments using synchrotron radiation which were performed at Ge L edges and core level electron diffraction measurements obtained using a traditional X-ray source from Ge core levels for ultrathin Ge films deposited on silicon substrates. Thermodynamics and surface reconstruction have been found to play a crucial role in the first stages of Ge growth on Si(001) and Si(111) surfaces. Both techniques show the occurrence of intermixing processes even for room-temperature-grown Ge/Si(001) samples and give a straightforward measurement of the overlayer tetragonal distortion. The effects of Sb as a surfactant on the Ge/Si(001) interface have also been investigated. In this case, evidence of layer-by-layer growth of the fully strained Ge overlayer with a reduced intermixing is obtained when one monolayer of Sb is predeposited on the surface.

Comparative studies of Ge and Si p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors with HfSiON dielectric and TaN metal gate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Ai-Bin; Xu, Qiu-Xia

2010-05-01

Ge and Si p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (p-MOSFETs) with hafnium silicon oxynitride (HfSiON) gate dielectric and tantalum nitride (TaN) metal gate are fabricated. Self-isolated ring-type transistor structures with two masks are employed. W/TaN metal stacks are used as gate electrode and shadow masks of source/drain implantation separately. Capacitance-voltage curve hysteresis of Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors may be caused by charge trapping centres in GeO2 (1 < x < 2). Effective hole mobilities of Ge and Si transistors are extracted by using a channel conductance method. The peak hole mobilities of Si and Ge transistors are 33.4 cm2/(V · s) and 81.0 cm2/(V · s), respectively. Ge transistor has a hole mobility 2.4 times higher than that of Si control sample.

The role of SiGe buffer in growth and relaxation of Ge on free-standing Si(001) nano-pillars.

PubMed

Zaumseil, P; Kozlowski, G; Schubert, M A; Yamamoto, Y; Bauer, J; Schülli, T U; Tillack, B; Schroeder, T

2012-09-07

We study the growth and relaxation processes of Ge nano-clusters selectively grown by chemical vapor deposition on free-standing 90 nm wide Si(001) nano-pillars with a thin Si(0.23)Ge(0.77) buffer layer. We found that the dome-shaped SiGe layer with a height of about 28 nm as well as the Ge dot deposited on top of it partially relaxes, mainly by elastic lattice bending. The Si nano-pillar shows a clear compliance behavior-an elastic response of the substrate on the growing film-with the tensile strained top part of the pillar. Additional annealing at 800 °C leads to the generation of misfit dislocation and reduces the compliance effect significantly. This example demonstrates that despite the compressive strain generated due to the surrounding SiO(2) growth mask it is possible to realize an overall tensile strain in the Si nano-pillar and following a compliant substrate effect by using a SiGe buffer layer. We further show that the SiGe buffer is able to improve the structural quality of the Ge nano-dot.

High Quality GaAs Growth by MBE on Si Using GeSi Buffers and Prospects for Space Photovoltaics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlin, J. A.; Ringel, S. A.; Fitzgerald, E. A.; Bulsara, M.

2005-01-01

III-V solar cells on Si substrates are of interest for space photovoltaics since this would combine high performance space cells with a strong, lightweight and inexpensive substrate. However, the primary obstacles blocking III-V/Si cells from achieving high performance to date have been fundamental materials incompatabilities, namely the 4% lattice mismatch between GaAs and Si, and the large mismatch in thermal expansion coefficient. In this paper, we report on the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth and properties of GaAs layers and single junction GaAs cells on Si wafers which utilize compositionally graded GeSi Intermediate buffers grown by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD) to mitigate the large lattice mismatch between GaAs and Si. Ga As cell structures were found to incorporate a threading dislocation density of 0.9-1.5 x 10 (exp 6) per square centimeter, identical to the underlying relaxed Ge cap of the graded buffer, via a combination of transmission electron microscopy, electron beam induced current, and etch pit density measurements. AlGaAs/GaAs double heterostructures wre grown on the GeSi/Si substrates for time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, which revealed a bulk GaAs minority carrier lifetime in excess of 10 ns, the highest lifetime ever reported for GaAs on Si. A series of growth were performed to ass3ss the impact of a GaAs buffer to a thickness of only 0.1 micrometer. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy studies revealed that there is negligible cross diffusion of Ga, As and Ge at he III-V/Ge interface, identical to our earlier findings for GaAs grown on Ge wafers using MBE. This indicates that there is no need for a buffer to "bury" regions of high autodopjing,a nd that either pn or np configuration cells are easily accomodated by these substrates. Preliminary diodes and single junction Al Ga As heteroface cells were grown and fabricated on the Ge/GeSi/Si substrates for the first time. Diodes fabricated on GaAs, Ge and Ge/GeSi/Si substrate show nearly identical I-V characteristics in both forward and reverse bias regions. External quantum efficiencies of AlGaAs/GaAs cell structures grown on Ge/GeSi/Si and Ge substrates demonstrated nearly identical photoresponse, which indicates that high lifetimes, diffusion lengths and efficient minority carrier collection is maintained after complete cell processing.

Realization of magnetostructural coupling by modifying structural transitions in MnNiSi-CoNiGe system with a wide Curie-temperature window.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Gong, Yuanyuan; Xu, Guizhou; Peng, Guo; Shah, Ishfaq Ahmad; Ul Hassan, Najam; Xu, Feng

2016-03-16

The magnetostructural coupling between structural and magnetic transitions leads to magneto-multifunctionalities of phase-transition alloys. Due to the increasing demands of multifunctional applications, to search for the new materials with tunable magnetostructural transformations in a large operating temperature range is important. In this work, we demonstrate that by chemically alloying MnNiSi with CoNiGe, the structural transformation temperature of MnNiSi (1200 K) is remarkably decreased by almost 1000 K. A tunable magnetostructural transformation between the paramagnetic hexagonal and ferromagnetic orthorhombic phase over a wide temperature window from 425 to 125 K is realized in (MnNiSi)1-x(CoNiGe)x system. The magnetic-field-induced magnetostructural transformation is accompanied by the high-performance magnetocaloric effect, proving that MnNiSi-CoNiGe system is a promising candidate for magnetic cooling refrigerant.

Mechanical, Anisotropic, and Electronic Properties of XN (X = C, Si, Ge): Theoretical Investigations.

PubMed

Ma, Zhenyang; Liu, Xuhong; Yu, Xinhai; Shi, Chunlei; Wang, Dayun

2017-08-08

The structural, mechanical, elastic anisotropic, and electronic properties of Pbca -XN (X = C, Si, Ge) are investigated in this work using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional, Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof for solids (PBEsol) functional, and Ceperly and Alder, parameterized by Perdew and Zunger (CA-PZ) functional in the framework of density functional theory. The achieved results for the lattice parameters and band gap of Pbca -CN with the PBE functional in this research are in good accordance with other theoretical results. The band structures of Pbca -XN (X = C, Si, Ge) show that Pbca -SiN and Pbca -GeN are both direct band gap semiconductor materials with a band gap of 3.39 eV and 2.22 eV, respectively. Pbca -XN (X = C, Si, Ge) exhibits varying degrees of mechanical anisotropic properties with respect to the Poisson's ratio, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and universal anisotropic index. The (001) plane and (010) plane of Pbca -CN/SiN/GeN both exhibit greater elastic anisotropy in the bulk modulus and Young's modulus than the (100) plane.

Mechanical, Anisotropic, and Electronic Properties of XN (X = C, Si, Ge): Theoretical Investigations

PubMed Central

Ma, Zhenyang; Liu, Xuhong; Yu, Xinhai; Shi, Chunlei; Wang, Dayun

2017-01-01

The structural, mechanical, elastic anisotropic, and electronic properties of Pbca-XN (X = C, Si, Ge) are investigated in this work using the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) functional, Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof for solids (PBEsol) functional, and Ceperly and Alder, parameterized by Perdew and Zunger (CA–PZ) functional in the framework of density functional theory. The achieved results for the lattice parameters and band gap of Pbca-CN with the PBE functional in this research are in good accordance with other theoretical results. The band structures of Pbca-XN (X = C, Si, Ge) show that Pbca-SiN and Pbca-GeN are both direct band gap semiconductor materials with a band gap of 3.39 eV and 2.22 eV, respectively. Pbca-XN (X = C, Si, Ge) exhibits varying degrees of mechanical anisotropic properties with respect to the Poisson’s ratio, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, and universal anisotropic index. The (001) plane and (010) plane of Pbca-CN/SiN/GeN both exhibit greater elastic anisotropy in the bulk modulus and Young’s modulus than the (100) plane. PMID:28786960

Thermal Improvement and Stability of Si3N4/GeNx/p- and n-Ge Structures Prepared by Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance Plasma Nitridation and Sputtering at Room Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Yukio; Okamoto, Hiroshi; Iwasaki, Takuro; Izumi, Kohei; Otani, Yohei; Ishizaki, Hiroki; Ono, Toshiro

2012-09-01

This paper reports on the thermal improvement of Si3N4/GeNx/Ge structures. After the Si3N4 (5 nm)/GeNx (2 nm) stacks were prepared on Ge substrates by electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma nitridation and sputtering at room temperature, they were thermally annealed in atmospheric N2 + 10% H2 ambient at temperatures from 400 to 600 °C. It was demonstrated that the electronic properties of the GeNx/Ge interfaces were thermally improved at temperatures of up to 500 °C with a minimum interface trap density (Dit) of ˜1×1011 cm-2 eV-1 near the Ge midgap, whereas the interface properties were slightly degraded after annealing at 600 °C with a minimum Dit value of ˜4×1011 cm-2 eV-1.

New silicate-germanate Cs2Pb2[(Si0.6Ge0.4)2O7] from the series A2Pb2[B2O7], A = K, Cs, B = Si, Ge with the umbrella-like [PbO3]4- group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belokoneva, Elena L.; Morozov, Ivan A.; Volkov, Anatoly S.; Dimitrova, Olga V.; Stefanovich, Sergey Yu.

2018-04-01

New silicate-germanate Cs2Pb2[(Si0.6Ge0.4)2O7] was synthesized in multi-components hydrothermal solution with 20 w.% concentration of Cs2CO3 mineralizer, pH = 10. Novel mixed compound belongs to the structure type A2Pb2[B2O7] previously indicated for powders with A = K, B=Si or Ge. Singe crystal structure determination of Cs2Pb2[(Si0.6Ge0.4)2O7] revealed the need for the correction of the space group of the earlier suggested structural model from P-3 to P-3m1, as well as for the splitting of the Pb-atom position. Umbrella-like groups [PbO3]4- are located between [(Si,Ge)O4]4- tetrahedra in mica-like honeycomb layers and play the role of tetrahedra with the Pb-lone-pair as the forth apex. Crystal chemical comparison revealed similarities and differences with the classical structure type of α-celsian Ba[Al2Si2O8] with the tetrahedral double layer. Recently investigated nonlinear optical acentric borates Pb2(BO3)(NO3) and Pb2(BO3)Cl are both related to this structural type, possessing umbrella-like groups [PbO3]4- and honeycomb layers [Pb2(BO3)]+ with the BO3-triangles on the tetrahedral positions.

Si/SiGe heterointerfaces in one-, two-, and three-dimensional nanostructures: their impact on SiGe light emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockwood, David; Wu, Xiaohua; Baribeau, Jean-Marc; Mala, Selina; Wang, Xialou; Tsybeskov, Leonid

2016-03-01

Fast optical interconnects together with an associated light emitter that are both compatible with conventional Si-based complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit technology is an unavoidable requirement for the next-generation microprocessors and computers. Self-assembled Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures, which can emit light at wavelengths within the important optical communication wavelength range of 1.3 - 1.55 μm, are already compatible with standard CMOS practices. However, the expected long carrier radiative lifetimes observed to date in Si and Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures have prevented the attainment of efficient light-emitting devices including the desired lasers. Thus, the engineering of Si/Si1-xGex heterostructures having a controlled composition and sharp interfaces is crucial for producing the requisite fast and efficient photoluminescence (PL) at energies in the range 0.8-0.9 eV. In this paper we assess how the nature of the interfaces between SiGe nanostructures and Si in heterostructures strongly affects carrier mobility and recombination for physical confinement in three dimensions (corresponding to the case of quantum dots), two dimensions (corresponding to quantum wires), and one dimension (corresponding to quantum wells). The interface sharpness is influenced by many factors such as growth conditions, strain, and thermal processing, which in practice can make it difficult to attain the ideal structures required. This is certainly the case for nanostructure confinement in one dimension. However, we demonstrate that axial Si/Ge nanowire (NW) heterojunctions (HJs) with a Si/Ge NW diameter in the range 50 - 120 nm produce a clear PL signal associated with band-to-band electron-hole recombination at the NW HJ that is attributed to a specific interfacial SiGe alloy composition. For three-dimensional confinement, the experiments outlined here show that two quite different Si1-xGex nanostructures incorporated into a Si0.6Ge0.4 wavy superlattice structure display PL of high intensity while exhibiting a characteristic decay time that is up to 1000 times shorter than that found in conventional Si/SiGe nanostructures. The non-exponential PL decay found experimentally in Si/SiGe nanostructures can be interpreted as resulting from variations in the separation distance between electrons and holes at the Si/SiGe heterointerface. The results demonstrate that a sharp Si/SiGe heterointerface acts to reduce the carrier radiative recombination lifetime and increase the PL quantum

Structures and stability of metal-doped GenM (n = 9, 10) clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Wei; Lu, Wen-Cai; Xia, Lin-Hua; Zhao, Li-Zhen; Zang, Qing-Jun; Wang, C. Z.; Ho, K. M.

2015-06-01

The lowest-energy structures of neutral and cationic GenM (n = 9, 10; M = Si, Li, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Au, Ag, Yb, Pm and Dy) clusters were studied by genetic algorithm (GA) and first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that doping of the metal atoms and Si into Ge9 and Ge10 clusters is energetically favorable. Most of the metal-doped Ge cluster structures can be viewed as adding or substituting metal atom on the surface of the corresponding ground-state Gen clusters. However, the neutral and cationic FeGe9,10,MnGe9,10 and Ge10Al are cage-like with the metal atom encapsulated inside. Such cage-like transition metal doped Gen clusters are shown to have higher adsorption energy and thermal stability. Our calculation results suggest that Ge9,10Fe and Ge9Si would be used as building blocks in cluster-assembled nanomaterials because of their high stabilities.

Enhancement-mode two-channel triple quantum dot from an undoped Si/Si 0.8Ge 0.2 quantum well hetero-structure

DOE PAGES

Studenikin, S. A.; Gaudreau, L.; Kataoka, K.; ...

2018-06-04

Here, we demonstrate coupled triple dot operation and charge sensing capability for the recently introduced quantum dot technology employing undoped Si/Si 0.8Ge 0.2 hetero-structures which also incorporate a single metal-gate layer to simplify fabrication. Si/SiGe hetero-structures with a Ge concentration of 20% rather than the more usual 30% typically encountered offer higher electron mobility. The devices consist of two in-plane parallel electron channels that host a double dot in one channel and a single dot in the other channel. In a device where the channels are sufficiently close a triple dot in a triangular configuration is induced leading to regionsmore » in the charge stability diagram where three charge-addition lines of different slope approach each other and anti-cross. In a device where the channels are further apart, the single dot charge-senses the double dot with relative change of ~2% in the sensor current.« less

Enhancement-mode two-channel triple quantum dot from an undoped Si/Si 0.8Ge 0.2 quantum well hetero-structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Studenikin, S. A.; Gaudreau, L.; Kataoka, K.

Here, we demonstrate coupled triple dot operation and charge sensing capability for the recently introduced quantum dot technology employing undoped Si/Si 0.8Ge 0.2 hetero-structures which also incorporate a single metal-gate layer to simplify fabrication. Si/SiGe hetero-structures with a Ge concentration of 20% rather than the more usual 30% typically encountered offer higher electron mobility. The devices consist of two in-plane parallel electron channels that host a double dot in one channel and a single dot in the other channel. In a device where the channels are sufficiently close a triple dot in a triangular configuration is induced leading to regionsmore » in the charge stability diagram where three charge-addition lines of different slope approach each other and anti-cross. In a device where the channels are further apart, the single dot charge-senses the double dot with relative change of ~2% in the sensor current.« less

Synthesis and characterization of group IV semiconductor nanowires by vapor-liquid-solid growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lew, Kok-Keong

There is currently intense interest in one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanotubes and nanowires, due to their potential to test fundamental concepts of dimensionality and to serve as building blocks for nanoscale devices. Vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth, which is one of the most common fabrication methods, has been used to produce single crystal semiconductor nanowires such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and gallium arsenide (GaAs). In the VLS growth of Group IV semiconductor nanowires, a metal, such as gold (Au) is used as a catalyst agent to nucleate whisker growth from a Si-containing (silane (SIH4)) or Ge-containing vapor (germane (GeH 4)). Au and Si/Ge form a liquid alloy that has a eutectic temperature of around 360°C, which, upon supersaturation, nucleates the growth of a Si or Ge wire. The goal of this work is to develop a more fundamental understanding of VLS growth kinetics and intentional doping of Group IV semiconductor nanowires in order to better control the properties of the nanowires. The fabrication of p-type and n-type Si nanowires will be studied via the addition of dopant gases such as diborane (B2H 6), trimethylboron (TMB), and phosphine (PH3) during growth. The use of gaseous dopant sources provides more flexibility in growth, particularly for the fabrication of p-n junctions and structures with axial dopant variations (e.g. p+-p- p+). The study is then extended to fabricate SiGe alloy nanowires by mixing SiH4 and GeH4. Bandgap engineering in Si/SiGe heterostructures can lead to novel devices with improved performance compared to those made entirely of Si. The scientific findings will lead to a better understanding of the fabrication of Si/SiGe axial and radial heterostructure nanowires for functional nanowire device structures, such as heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Eventually, the central theme of this research is to provide a scientific knowledge base and foundation for the design of Si, Ge, and SiGe nanostructures that will be of importance in nanoscale device applications.

Synthesis of dual porous structured germanium anodes with exceptional lithium-ion storage performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Dohyoung; Ryu, Jaegeon; Shin, Myungsoo; Song, Gyujin; Hong, Dongki; Kim, Kwang S.; Park, Soojin

2018-01-01

Dual-porous Ge nanostructures are synthesized via two straightforward steps. Compared with conventional approaches related to porous Ge materials, different types of pores can be readily generated by adjusting the relative ratio of the precursor amounts for GeO2 and SiO2. Unlike using hard templates with different sizes for introducing secondary pores, this system makes a uniformly blended structure of porogen and active sites in the nanoscale range. When GeO2 is subjected to zincothermic reduction, it is selectively converted to pure Ge still connected to unreacted SiO2. During the reduction process, primary pores (larger than 50 nm) are formed by eliminating zinc oxide by-products, while inactive SiO2 with respect to zinc metal could contribute to retaining the overall structure. Finally, the HF treatment completely leaches remaining SiO2 and formed secondary pores (micro/mesopores) to complete the dual-porous Ge structure. The resulting Ge structure is tested as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The Ge electrode exhibits an outstanding reversibility and an exceptional cycling stability corresponding to a capacity retention of 100% after 100 cycles at C/5 and of 94.4% after 300 cycles at C/2. Furthermore, multi-scale pores facilitate a facile Li-ion accessibility, resulting in an excellent rate capability delivering ∼740 mAh g-1 at 5C.

Low-temperature formation of crystalline Si:H/Ge:H heterostructures by plasma-enhanced CVD in combination with Ni-nanodots seeding nucleation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yimin; Makihara, Katsunori; Takeuchi, Daichi; Ikeda, Mitsuhisa; Ohta, Akio; Miyazaki, Seiichi

2017-06-01

Hydrogenated microcrystalline (µc) Si/Ge heterostructures were prepared on quartz substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from VHF inductively coupled plasma of SiH4 just after GeH4 employing Ni nanodots (NDs) as seeds for crystalline nucleation. The crystallinity of the films and the progress of grain growth were characterized by Raman scattering spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. When the Ge films were grown on Ni-NDs at 250 °C, the growth of µc-Ge films with crystallinity as high as 80% was realized without an amorphous phase near the Ge film/quartz substrate interface. After the subsequent Si film deposition at 250 °C, fine grains were formed in the early stages of film growth on µc-Ge films with compositional mixing (µc-Si0.85Ge0.15:H) caused by the release of large lattice mismatch between c-Si and c-Ge. With further increase in Si:H film thickness, the formation of large grain structures accompanied by fine grains was promoted. These results suggest that crystalline Si/Ge heterojunctions can be used for efficient carrier collection in solar cell application.

Structural studies of gels and gel-glasses in the SiO2-GeO2 system using vibrational spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukherjee, Shyama P.; Sharma, Shiv K.

1986-01-01

GeO2 gel and gels in the SiO2-GeO2 system synthesized by the hydrolytic polycondensation of metal alkoxides have been studied by infrared and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures, hydroxyl contents, and crystallinity of gels and gel-glasses in relation to the thermal history and GeO2 concentration were investigated. The binary compositions having up to 70 mol percent GeO2 were examined.

Effect of the growth rate on the morphology and structural properties of hut-shaped Ge islands in Si(001).

PubMed

Yakimov, A I; Nikiforov, A I; Dvurechenskii, A V; Ulyanov, V V; Volodin, V A; Groetzschel, R

2006-09-28

The effect of Ge deposition rate on the morphology and structural properties of self-assembled Ge/Si(001) islands was studied. Ge/Si(001) layers were grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy at 500 °C. We adjusted the Ge coverage, 6 monolayers (ML), and varied the Ge growth rate by a factor of 100, R = 0.02-2 ML s(-1), to produce films consisting of hut-shaped Ge islands. The samples were characterized by scanning tunnelling microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscattering measurements. The mean lateral size of Ge nanoclusters decreases from 14.1 nm at R = 0.02 ML s(-1) to 9.8 nm at R = 2 ML s(-1). The normalized width of the size distribution shows non-monotonic behaviour as a function of R and has a minimum value of 19% at R = 2 ML s(-1). Ge nanoclusters fabricated at the highest deposition rate demonstrate the best structural quality and the highest Ge content (∼0.9).

Electronic structure of O-doped SiGe calculated by DFT + U method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zong-Yan; Yang, Wen; Yang, Pei-Zhi

2016-12-01

To more in depth understand the doping effects of oxygen on SiGe alloys, both the micro-structure and properties of O-doped SiGe (including: bulk, (001) surface, and (110) surface) are calculated by DFT + U method in the present work. The calculated results are as follows. (i) The (110) surface is the main exposing surface of SiGe, in which O impurity prefers to occupy the surface vacancy sites. (ii) For O interstitial doping on SiGe (110) surface, the existences of energy states caused by O doping in the band gap not only enhance the infrared light absorption, but also improve the behaviors of photo-generated carriers. (iii) The finding about decreased surface work function of O-doped SiGe (110) surface can confirm previous experimental observations. (iv) In all cases, O doing mainly induces the electronic structures near the band gap to vary, but is not directly involved in these variations. Therefore, these findings in the present work not only can provide further explanation and analysis for the corresponding underlying mechanism for some of the experimental findings reported in the literature, but also conduce to the development of μc-SiGe-based solar cells in the future. Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (Grant No. 2015FB123), the 18th Yunnan Province Young Academic and Technical Leaders Reserve Talent Project, China (Grant No. 2015HB015), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1037604).

Evidence for Kinetic Limitations as a Controlling Factor of Ge Pyramid Formation: a Study of Structural Features of Ge/Si(001) Wetting Layer Formed by Ge Deposition at Room Temperature Followed by Annealing at 600 °C.

PubMed

Storozhevykh, Mikhail S; Arapkina, Larisa V; Yuryev, Vladimir A

2015-12-01

The article presents an experimental study of an issue of whether the formation of arrays of Ge quantum dots on the Si(001) surface is an equilibrium process or it is kinetically controlled. We deposited Ge on Si(001) at the room temperature and explored crystallization of the disordered Ge film as a result of annealing at 600 °C. The experiment has demonstrated that the Ge/Si(001) film formed in the conditions of an isolated system consists of the standard patched wetting layer and large droplike clusters of Ge rather than of huts or domes which appear when a film is grown in a flux of Ge atoms arriving on its surface. We conclude that the growth of the pyramids appearing at temperatures greater than 600 °C is controlled by kinetics rather than thermodynamic equilibrium whereas the wetting layer is an equilibrium structure. Primary 68.37.Ef; 68.55.Ac; 68.65.Hb; 81.07.Ta; 81.16.Dn.

Magnetic phase transitions and magnetic structures in RTxX2, RSn1+xGe1-x and RSn2 compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, Alina

2018-02-01

The work presents the review of magnetic properties of the RTxX2, RSn1+xGe1-x and RSn2 compounds. The RTxX2 (where R - rare earth, T - 3d-metal, X - p-electron element: Si, Ge, Sn, and 1 ≥ x > 0) and RSn1+xGe1-x compounds (where x ≈ 0.1) crystallize in the orthorhombic crystal structure of CeNiSi2-type and RSn2 compounds crystallize in ZrSi2-type structure. Both structures are described by the space group Cmcm. The RSn1+xGe1-x compounds seem to be interesting due to the replacement of d-metal to p-electron element. The non-stoichiometric CeNiSi2-type of RTxX2 compounds may be regarded as partially filled ZrSi2-type compounds. The transitions from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic states are observed at low temperatures and there are lots of variants of magnetic structures ranging from simple collinear to the sine-modulated structures with commensurate or incommensurate propagation vector. The comparison of magnetic properties of these compounds may help to find answers to questions concerning mechanisms of interaction between the magnetic moments.

Si-Ge-Sn alloys with 1.0 eV gap for CPV multijunction solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roucka, Radek, E-mail: radek@translucentinc.com; Clark, Andrew; Landini, Barbara

2015-09-28

Si-Ge-Sn ternary group IV alloys offer an alternative to currently used 1.0 eV gap materials utilized in multijunction solar cells. The advantage of Si-Ge-Sn is the ability to vary both the bandgap and lattice parameter independently. We present current development in fabrication of Si-Ge-Sn alloys with gaps in the 1.0 eV range. Produced material exhibits excellent structural properties, which allow for integration with existing III-V photovoltaic cell concepts. Time dependent room temperature photoluminescence data demonstrate that these materials have long carrier lifetimes. Absorption tunable by compositional changes is observed. As a prototype device set utilizing the 1 eV Si-Ge-Sn junction,more » single junction Si-Ge-Sn device and triple junction device with Si-Ge-Sn subcell have been fabricated. The resulting I-V and external quantum efficiency data show that the Si-Ge-Sn junction is fully functional and the performance is comparable to other 1.0 eV gap materials currently used.« less

Structural and energetic properties of acetonitrile-Group IV (A & B) halide complexes.

PubMed

Helminiak, Heather M; Knauf, Robin R; Danforth, Samuel J; Phillips, James A

2014-06-19

We have conducted an extensive computational study of the structural and energetic properties of select acetonitrile-Group IV (A & B) tetrahalide complexes, both CH3CN-MX4 and (CH3CN)2-MX4 (M = Si, Ge, Ti; X = F, Cl). We have also examined the reactivity of CH3CN with SiF4, SiCl4, GeCl4, and TiCl4, and measured low-temperature IR spectra of thin films containing CH3CN with SiF4, GeCl4, or TiCl4. The six 1:1 complexes fall into two general structural classes. CH3CN-TiCl4, CH3CN-TiF4, and CH3CN-GeF4, exhibit relatively short M-N bonds (~2.3 Å), an intermediate degree of distortion in the MX4 subunit, and binding energies ranging from 11.0 to 13.0 kcal/mol. Conversely, CH3CN-GeCl4, CH3CN-SiF4, and CH3CN-SiCl4, are weakly bonded systems, with long M-N distances (>3.0 Å), little distortion in the MX4 subunit, and binding energies ranging from 3.0 to 4.4 kcal/mol. The structural features of analogous 2:1 systems resemble those of their 1:1 counterparts, whereas the binding energies (relative to three isolated fragments) are roughly twice as large. Calculated M-N potential curves in the gas phase and bulk, dielectric media are reported for all 1:1 complexes, and for two systems, CH3CN-GeF4 and CH3CN-SiF4, these data predict significant condensed-phase structural changes. The effect on the CH3CN-SiF4 potential is extreme; the curve becomes quite flat over a broad range in dielectric media, and at higher ε values, the global minimum shifts inward by about 1.0 Å. In bulk reactivity experiments, no reaction was observed between CH3CN and SiF4, SiCl4, or GeCl4, whereas CH3CN and TiCl4 were found to react immediately upon contact. Also, thin-film IR spectra indicate a strong interaction between CH3CN and TiCl4, yet only weak interactions between CH3CN and GeCl4 or SiF4 in the solid state.

Ballistic-Electron-Emission-Microscopy of Strained Si(sub 1-x)Ge(sub x) Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, L. D.; Milliken, A. M.; Manion, S. J.; Kaiser, W. J.; Fathauer, R. W.; Pike, W. T.

1994-01-01

Ballistic-electron-emission microscopy (BEEM) has been used to investigate the effects of strain on Si(sub 1-x)Ge(sub x) alloys. Lifting of the degeneracy of the conduction-band minimum of Si(sub 1-x)Ge(sub x), due to lattice deformation has been directly measured by application of BEEM spectroscopy to Ag/Si structures. Experimental values for this conduction-band splitting agree well with calculations. In addition, an unexpected heterogeneity in the strain of the Si(sub 1-x)Ge(sub x) layer is introduced by deposition of Au. This effect, not observed with Ag, is attributed to species interdiffusion and has important implications for metal-semiconductor devices based oil pseudomorphic Si(sub 1-x)Ge(sub x)/Si material systems.

Interwell coupling effect in Si/SiGe quantum wells grown by ultra high vacuum chemical vapor deposition

PubMed Central

Wang, Rui; Lu, Fen; Fan, Wei Jun; Liu, Chong Yang; Loh, Ter-Hoe; Nguyen, Hoai Son; Narayanan, Balasubramanian

2007-01-01

Si/Si0.66Ge0.34coupled quantum well (CQW) structures with different barrier thickness of 40, 4 and 2 nm were grown on Si substrates using an ultra high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD) system. The samples were characterized using high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Blue shift in PL peak energy due to interwell coupling was observed in the CQWs following increase in the Si barrier thickness. The Si/SiGe heterostructure growth process and theoretical band structure model was validated by comparing the energy of the no-phonon peak calculated by the 6 + 2-bandk·pmethod with experimental PL data. Close agreement between theoretical calculations and experimental data was obtained.

Development of Si(1-x)Ge(x) technology for microwave sensing applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mena, Rafael A.; Taub, Susan R.; Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Young, Paul E.; Simons, Rainee N.; Rosenfeld, David

1993-01-01

The progress for the first year of the work done under the Director's Discretionary Fund (DDF) research project entitled, 'Development of Si(1-x)Ge(x) Technology for Microwave Sensing Applications.' This project includes basic material characterization studies of silicon-germanium (SiGe), device processing on both silicon (Si) and SiGe substrates, and microwave characterization of transmission lines on silicon substrates. The material characterization studies consisted of ellipsometric and magneto-transport measurements and theoretical calculations of the SiGe band-structure. The device fabrication efforts consisted of establishing SiGe device processing capabilities in the Lewis cleanroom. The characterization of microwave transmission lines included studying the losses of various coplanar transmission lines and the development of transitions on silicon. Each part of the project is discussed individually and the findings for each part are presented. Future directions are also discussed.

A self-ordered, body-centered tetragonal superlattice of SiGe nanodot growth by reduced pressure CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Zaumseil, Peter; Capellini, Giovanni; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Hesse, Anne; Albani, Marco; Bergamaschini, Roberto; Montalenti, Francesco; Schroeder, Thomas; Tillack, Bernd

2017-12-01

Self-ordered three-dimensional body-centered tetragonal (BCT) SiGe nanodot structures are fabricated by depositing SiGe/Si superlattice layer stacks using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition. For high enough Ge content in the island (>30%) and deposition temperature of the Si spacer layers (T > 700 °C), we observe the formation of an ordered array with islands arranged in staggered position in adjacent layers. The in plane periodicity of the islands can be selected by a suitable choice of the annealing temperature before the Si spacer layer growth and of the SiGe dot volume, while only a weak influence of the Ge concentration is observed. Phase-field simulations are used to clarify the driving force determining the observed BCT ordering, shedding light on the competition between heteroepitaxial strain and surface-energy minimization in the presence of a non-negligible surface roughness.

Phonons in self-assembled Ge/Si structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milekhin, A. G.; Nikiforov, A. I.; Pchelyakov, O. P.; Schulze, S.; Zahn, D. R. T.

2002-03-01

We present the results of an investigation dealing with fundamental vibrations in periodical Ge/Si structures with small-size Ge quantum dots (QDs) performed using macro- and micro-Raman spectroscopy under resonant and off-resonant conditions. Samples with different number of repetition of Ge and Si layers contain Ge QDs with an average dot base size of 15 nm and a QD height of 2 nm. Periodic oscillations observed in the low-frequency region of the Raman spectra are assigned to folded LA phonons in the Ge QD superlattices. The measured phonon frequencies are in a good agreement with those calculated using the Rytov model. These oscillations are superimposed with a broad continuous emission originating from the whole acoustic dispersion branch due to a breaking up of translational invariance. The Raman spectra of the structure with single Ge QD layer reveal a series of peaks corresponding to LA phonons localized in the Si layer. Using the measured phonon frequencies and corresponding wave vectors the dispersion of the LA phonons in the Si is obtained. The longitudinal-acoustic wave velocity determined from the dispersion is 8365 ms-1 and in excellent agreement with that derived from the Brillouin study. In the optical phonon range, the LO and TO phonons localized in Ge QDs are observed. The position of the LO Ge phonons shifts downwards with increasing excitation energy (from 2.5 to 2.7 eV) indicating the presence of a QD size distribution in Ge dot superlattices. Raman scattering from Ge QDs is size-selectively enhanced by the resonance of the exciting laser energy and the confined excitonic states.

Ge nanocrystals formed by furnace annealing of Ge(x)[SiO2](1-x) films: structure and optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volodin, V. A.; Cherkov, A. G.; Antonenko, A. Kh; Stoffel, M.; Rinnert, H.; Vergnat, M.

2017-07-01

Ge(x)[SiO2](1-x) (0.1  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.4) films were deposited onto Si(0 0 1) or fused quartz substrates using co-evaporation of both Ge and SiO2 in high vacuum. Germanium nanocrystals were synthesized in the SiO2 matrix by furnace annealing of Ge x [SiO2](1-x) films with x  ⩾  0.2. According to electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy data, the average size of the nanocrystals depends weakly on the annealing temperature (700, 800, or 900 °C) and on the Ge concentration in the films. Neither amorphous Ge clusters nor Ge nanocrystals were observed in as-deposited and annealed Ge0.1[SiO2]0.9 films. Infrared absorption spectroscopy measurements show that the studied films do not contain a noticeable amount of GeO x clusters. After annealing at 900 °C intermixing of germanium and silicon atoms was still negligible thus preventing the formation of GeSi nanocrystals. For annealed samples, we report the observation of infrared photoluminescence at low temperatures, which can be explained by exciton recombination in Ge nanocrystals. Moreover, we report strong photoluminescence in the visible range at room temperature, which is certainly due to Ge-related defect-induced radiative transitions.

Ge nanocrystals embedded in ultrathin Si3N4 multilayers with SiO2 barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahariqushchi, R.; Gundogdu, Sinan; Aydinli, A.

2017-04-01

Multilayers of germanium nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in thin films of silicon nitride matrix separated with SiO2 barriers have been fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). SiGeN/SiO2 alternating bilayers have been grown on quartz and Si substrates followed by post annealing in Ar ambient from 600 to 900 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) as well as Raman spectroscopy show good crystallinity of Ge confined to SiGeN layers in samples annealed at 900 °C. Strong compressive stress for SiGeN/SiO2 structures were observed through Raman spectroscopy. Size, as well as NC-NC distance were controlled along the growth direction for multilayer samples by varying the thickness of bilayers. Visible photoluminescence (PL) at 2.3 and 3.1 eV with NC size dependent intensity is observed and possible origin of PL is discussed.

Formation mechanisms of nano and microcones by laser radiation on surfaces of Si, Ge, and SiGe crystals

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In this work we study the mechanisms of laser radiation interaction with elementary semiconductors such as Si and Ge and their solid solution SiGe. As a result of this investigation, the mechanisms of nanocones and microcones formation on a surface of semiconductor were proposed. We have shown the possibility to control the size and the shape of cones both by the laser. The main reason for the formation of nanocones is the mechanical compressive stresses due to the atoms’ redistribution caused by the gradient of temperature induced by strongly absorbed laser radiation. According to our investigation, the nanocone formation mechanism in semiconductors is characterized by two stages. The first stage is characterized by formation of a p-n junction for elementary semiconductors or of a Ge/Si heterojunction for SiGe solid solution. The generation and redistribution of intrinsic point defects in elementary semiconductors and Ge atoms concentration on the irradiated surface of SiGe solid solution in temperature gradient field take place at this stage due to the thermogradient effect which is caused by strongly absorbed laser radiation. The second stage is characterized by formation of nanocones due to mechanical plastic deformation of the compressed Ge layer on Si. Moreover, a new 1D-graded band gap structure in elementary semiconductors due to quantum confinement effect was formed. For the formation of microcones Ni/Si structure was used. The mechanism of the formation of microcones is characterized by two stages as well. The first stage is the melting of Ni film after irradiation by laser beam and formation of Ni islands due to surface tension force. The second step is the melting of Ni and subsequent manifestations of Marangoni effect with the growth of microcones. PMID:23735193

Structures and bonding of C2X2Y q (X=Si,Ge,Sn,Pb; Y=C,Si,Ge,Sn,Pb; q = +1,0,-1): π-type templates for planar tetracoordinate heavier group 14 atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Shuang; Sui, Jing-jing; Xu, Jing; Ding, Yi-hong

2018-05-01

Contrasting the big family of the planar tetracoordinate carbon (ptC), species featuring the planar tetracoordinate heavier group element M (ptM) have been largely limited. Effective structural frameworks to accommodate such ptM centres are thus highly desired. In the present article, we report an extensive computational study on 60 pentatomic systems C2X2Yq (X=Si,Ge,Sn,Pb; Y=C,Si,Ge,Sn,Pb; q = +1,0,-1) covering both the low and high spin states. Up to 34 systems were shown to have the very low-lying singlet planar tetracoordinate heavier group 14 (ptM with M=Si,Ge,Sn,Pb) structures bearing the 19 (q = +1), 20 (q = 0) and 21 (q = -1) valence electrons (ve). Structural and bonding analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the inherent π-type ligand skeleton XCCX or XCCY that each have several sets of π-bonding orbitals to stabilise the ptM centre. The structural and bonding motifs of these ptMs differ greatly from the classic ptMs, which have the σ-type ligand skeleton, smaller number of valence electrons (≤18ve), and the centre → ligand π-delocalisation.

High-speed Si/GeSi hetero-structure Electro Absorption Modulator.

PubMed

Mastronardi, L; Banakar, M; Khokhar, A Z; Hattasan, N; Rutirawut, T; Bucio, T Domínguez; Grabska, K M; Littlejohns, C; Bazin, A; Mashanovich, G; Gardes, F Y

2018-03-19

The ever-increasing demand for integrated, low power interconnect systems is pushing the bandwidth density of CMOS photonic devices. Taking advantage of the strong Franz-Keldysh effect in the C and L communication bands, electro-absorption modulators in Ge and GeSi are setting a new standard in terms of device footprint and power consumption for next generation photonics interconnect arrays. In this paper, we present a compact, low power electro-absorption modulator (EAM) Si/GeSi hetero-structure based on an 800 nm SOI overlayer with a modulation bandwidth of 56 GHz. The device design and fabrication tolerant process are presented, followed by the measurement analysis. Eye diagram measurements show a dynamic ER of 5.2 dB at a data rate of 56 Gb/s at 1566 nm, and calculated modulator power is 44 fJ/bit.

Structural and thermodynamic similarities of phases in the Li-Tt (Tt = Si, Ge) systems: redetermination of the lithium-rich side of the Li-Ge phase diagram and crystal structures of Li17Si4.0-xGex for x = 2.3, 3.1, 3.5, and 4 as well as Li4.1Ge.

PubMed

Zeilinger, Michael; Fässler, Thomas F

2014-10-28

A reinvestigation of the lithium-rich section of the Li-Ge phase diagram reveals the existence of two new phases, Li17Ge4 and Li4.10Ge (Li16.38Ge4). Their structures are determined by X-ray diffraction experiments of large single crystals obtained from equilibrated melts with compositions Li95Ge5 and Li85Ge15. Excess melt is subsequently removed through isothermal centrifugation at 400 °C and 530 °C, respectively. Li17Ge4 crystallizes in the space group F4[combining macron]3m (a = 18.8521(3) Å, V = 6700.1(2) Å(3), Z = 20, T = 298 K) and Li4.10Ge (Li16.38Ge4) in Cmcm (a = 4.5511(2) Å, b = 22.0862(7) Å, c = 13.2751(4) Å, V = 1334.37(8) Å(3), Z = 16, T = 123 K). Both phases are isotypic with their Si counterparts and are further representative of the Li17Pb4 and Li4.11Si structure types. Additionally, the solid solutions Li17Si4-xGex follows Vegard's law. A comparison of the GeLin coordination polyhedra shows that isolated Ge atoms are 13- and 14-coordinated in Li17Ge4, whereas in Li16.38Ge4 the Ge atoms possess coordination numbers 12 and 13. Regarding the thermodynamic stability, Li16.38Ge4 is assigned a high-temperature phase existing between ∼400 °C and 627 °C, whereas Li17Ge4 decomposes peritectically at 520-522 °C. Additionally, the decomposition of Li16.38Ge4 below ∼400 °C was found to be very sluggish. These findings are manifested by differential scanning calorimetry, long-term annealing experiments and the results from melt equilibration experiments. Interestingly, the thermodynamic properties of the lithium-rich tetrelides Li17Tt4 and Li4.1Tt (Li16.4Tt4) are very similar (Tt = Si, Ge). Besides Li15Tt4, Li14Tt6, Li12Tt7, and LiTt, the title compounds are further examples of isotypic tetrelides in the systems Li-Tt.

Plateau-Rayleigh Crystal Growth of Nanowire Heterostructures: Strain-Modified Surface Chemistry and Morphological Control in One, Two, and Three Dimensions.

PubMed

Day, Robert W; Mankin, Max N; Lieber, Charles M

2016-04-13

One-dimensional (1D) structures offer unique opportunities for materials synthesis since crystal phases and morphologies that are difficult or impossible to achieve in macroscopic crystals can be synthesized as 1D nanowires (NWs). Recently, we demonstrated one such phenomenon unique to growth on a 1D substrate, termed Plateau-Rayleigh (P-R) crystal growth, where periodic shells develop along a NW core to form diameter-modulated NW homostructures with tunable morphologies. Here we report a novel extension of the P-R crystal growth concept with the synthesis of heterostructures in which Ge (Si) is deposited on Si (Ge) 1D cores to generate complex NW morphologies in 1, 2, or 3D. Depositing Ge on 50 nm Si cores with a constant GeH4 pressure yields a single set of periodic shells, while sequential variation of GeH4 pressure can yield multimodulated 1D NWs with two distinct sets of shell periodicities. P-R crystal growth on 30 nm cores also produces 2D loop structures, where Ge (Si) shells lie primarily on the outside (inside) of a highly curved Si (Ge) core. Systematic investigation of shell morphology as a function of growth time indicates that Ge shells grow in length along positive curvature Si cores faster than along straight Si cores by an order of magnitude. Short Ge deposition times reveal that shells develop on opposite sides of 50 and 100 nm Si cores to form straight 1D morphologies but that shells develop on the same side of 20 nm cores to produce 2D loop and 3D spring structures. These results suggest that strain mediates the formation of 2 and 3D morphologies by altering the NW's surface chemistry and that surface diffusion of heteroatoms on flexible freestanding 1D substrates can facilitate this strain-mediated mechanism.

Two-dimensional Si(x)Ge(1-x) films with variable composition made via multilayer colloidal template-guided ionic liquid electrodeposition.

PubMed

Xin, Wuhong; Zhao, Jiupeng; Ge, Dengteng; Ding, Yanbo; Li, Yao; Endres, Frank

2013-02-21

The binary alloy system Si(x)Ge(1-x) provides a continuous series of materials with gradually varying properties. In this paper, we report on a fundamental basis a method to make large-area macroporous Si(x)Ge(1-x) films with variable Ge content by electrodeposition in an ionic liquid, with SiCl(4) and GeCl(4) as precursors. The chemical composition of the products can be modified by changing the molar ratio of the precursors. Periodical macroporous Si(x)Ge(1-x) was made by a multilayer polystyrene (PS) template assembled as face-centered cubic lattice. Two-dimensional (2-D) Si(x)Ge(1-x) bowl-like and fishing-net structures can be obtained by applying different deposition temperatures. The results highlight the potential applications, including photonic bandgap and battery materials, as well as ultra-thin gratings, due to the effect of modification of light and improved tunability of composition, although Si(x)Ge(1-x) made by our method is sensitive to oxidation by air.

Investigation of the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of {\\sf Co}_{\\sf 2}{\\sf CrZ} (Z = Si, Ge) under pressure—a density functional theory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seema, K.; Kumar, Ranjan

2014-01-01

The structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of Co-based Heusler compounds, Co2CrZ (Z = Si, Ge), are studied using first-principle density functional theory. The calculations are performed within the generalized gradient approximation. Our calculated structural parameters at 0 GPa agree well with previous available results. The calculated magnetic moment agrees well with the Slater-Pauling (SP) rule. We have studied the effect of pressure on the electronic and magnetic properties of Co2CrSi and Co2CrGe. With an increase in applied pressure, a decrease in cell volume is observed. Under application of external pressure, the valence band and conduction band are shifted downward which leads to a modification of electronic structure. There exists an indirect band gap along Γ-X for both the alloys. Co2CrSi and Co2CrGe retain 100% spin polarization up to 60 and 50 GPa, respectively. The local magnetic moments of the Co and Si (Ge) atoms increase with an increase in pressure whereas the local magnetic moment of the Cr atom decreases. In addition, the optical properties such as dielectric function, absorption spectra, optical conductivity and energy loss function of these alloys have also been investigated. To our knowledge this is the first theoretical prediction of the pressure dependence of the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of Co2CrSi and Co2CrGe.

Advanced Si solid phase crystallization for vertical channel in vertical NANDs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sangsoo; Son, Yong-Hoon; Semiconductor R and D Center, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Hwasung 445-701

The advanced solid phase crystallization (SPC) method using the SiGe/Si bi-layer structure is proposed to obtain high-mobility poly-Si thin-film transistors in next generation vertical NAND (VNAND) devices. During the SPC process, the top SiGe thin film acts as a selective nucleation layer to induce surface nucleation and equiaxial microstructure. Subsequently, this SiGe thin film microstructure is propagated to the underlying Si thin film by epitaxy-like growth. The initial nucleation at the SiGe surface was clearly observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) when heating up to 600 °C. The equiaxial microstructures of both SiGe nucleation and Si channel layers weremore » shown in the crystallized bi-layer plan-view TEM measurements. Based on these experimental results, the large-grained and less-defective Si microstructure is expected to form near the channel region of each VNAND cell transistor, which may improve the electrical characteristics.« less

Buried Porous Silicon-Germanium Layers in Monocrystalline Silicon Lattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

Monocrystalline semiconductor lattices with a buried porous semiconductor layer having different chemical composition is discussed and monocrystalline semiconductor superlattices with a buried porous semiconductor layers having different chemical composition than that of its monocrystalline semiconductor superlattice are discussed. Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si-Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are strain etched resulting in porosification of the Si-Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si-Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

Degradation of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures during lithiation and delithiation at 0.8 and 20 A g −1

DOE PAGES

Kim, Dongheun; Li, Nan; Sheehan, Chris J.; ...

2018-01-01

The charging rate-dependent degradation of lithium ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure was observed. Si/Ge core/shell structure was preserved at the charging rate of 0.8 A g −1 . On the other hand, compositional intermixing and loss of Si occurs at the charging rate of 20 A g −1 .

Degradation of Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructures during lithiation and delithiation at 0.8 and 20 A g −1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dongheun; Li, Nan; Sheehan, Chris J.

The charging rate-dependent degradation of lithium ion battery anodes based on Si/Ge core/shell nanowire heterostructure was observed. Si/Ge core/shell structure was preserved at the charging rate of 0.8 A g −1 . On the other hand, compositional intermixing and loss of Si occurs at the charging rate of 20 A g −1 .

Defect Characterization in SiGe/SOI Epitaxial Semiconductors by Positron Annihilation

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

The potential of positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) for defect characterization at the atomic scale in semiconductors has been demonstrated in thin multilayer structures of SiGe (50 nm) grown on UTB (ultra-thin body) SOI (silicon-on-insulator). A slow positron beam was used to probe the defect profile. The SiO2/Si interface in the UTB-SOI was well characterized, and a good estimation of its depth has been obtained. The chemical analysis indicates that the interface does not contain defects, but only strongly localized charged centers. In order to promote the relaxation, the samples have been submitted to a post-growth annealing treatment in vacuum. After this treatment, it was possible to observe the modifications of the defect structure of the relaxed film. Chemical analysis of the SiGe layers suggests a prevalent trapping site surrounded by germanium atoms, presumably Si vacancies associated with misfit dislocations and threading dislocations in the SiGe films. PMID:21170391

Electrical and structural properties of In-implanted Si 1–xGe x alloys

DOE PAGES

Feng, Ruixing; Kremer, F.; Sprouster, D. J.; ...

2016-01-14

Here, we report on the effects of dopant concentration and substrate stoichiometry on the electrical and structural properties of In-implanted Si 1–xGe x alloys. Correlating the fraction of electrically active In atoms from Hall Effect measurements with the In atomic environment determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we observed the transition from electrically active, substitutional In at low In concentration to electrically inactive metallic In at high In concentration. The In solid-solubility limit has been quantified and was dependent on the Si 1–xGe x alloy stoichiometry; the solid-solubility limit increased as the Ge fraction increased. This result was consistent with densitymore » functional theory calculations of two In atoms in a Si 1–xGe x supercell that demonstrated that In–In pairing was energetically favorable for x ≲ 0.7 and energetically unfavorable for x ≳ 0.7. Transmission electron microscopy imaging further complemented the results described earlier with the In concentration and Si 1–xGe x alloy stoichiometry dependencies readily visible. We have demonstrated that low resistivity values can be achieved with In implantation in Si 1–xGe x alloys, and this combination of dopant and substrate represents an effective doping protocol.« less

Photoactivated processes in optical fibers: generation and conversion mechanisms of twofold coordinated Si and Ge atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giacomazzi, Luigi; Martin-Samos, L.; Boukenter, A.; Ouerdane, Y.; Girard, S.; Alessi, A.; de Gironcoli, S.; Richard, N.

2017-05-01

In this work we present an extensive investigation of nanoscale physical phenomena related to oxygen-deficient centers (ODCs) in silica and Ge-doped silica by means of first-principles calculations, including nudged-elastic band, electron paramagnetic resonance parameters calculations, and many-body perturbation theory (GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation) techniques. We show that by neutralizing positively charged oxygen monovacancies we can obtain model structures of twofold Si and Ge defects of which the calculated absorption spectra and singlet-to-triplet transitions are in excellent agreement with the experimental optical absorption and photo-luminescence data. In particular we provide an exhaustive analysis of the main exciton peaks related to the presence of twofold defects including long-range correlation effects. By calculating the reaction pathways and energy barriers necessary for the interconversion, we advance a double precursory origin of the {E}α \\prime and Ge(2) centers as due to the ionization of neutral oxygen monovacancies (Si-Si and Ge-Si dimers) and as due to the ionization of twofold Si and Ge defects. Furthermore two distinct structural conversion mechanisms are found to occur between the neutral oxygen monovacancy and the twofold Si (and Ge) atom configurations. Such conversion mechanisms allow to explain the radiation induced generation of the ODC(II) centers, their photobleaching, and also their generation during the drawing of optical fibers.

Blocking germanium diffusion inside silicon dioxide using a co-implanted silicon barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barba, D.; Wang, C.; Nélis, A.; Terwagne, G.; Rosei, F.

2018-04-01

We investigate the effect of co-implanting a silicon sublayer on the thermal diffusion of germanium ions implanted into SiO2 and the growth of Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs). High-resolution imaging obtained by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements supported by Monte-Carlo calculations shows that the Si-enriched region acts as a diffusion barrier for Ge atoms. This barrier prevents Ge outgassing during thermal annealing at 1100 °C. Both the localization and the reduced size of Ge-ncs formed within the sample region co-implanted with Si are observed, as well as the nucleation of mixed Ge/Si nanocrystals containing structural point defects and stacking faults. Although it was found that the Si co-implantation affects the crystallinity of the formed Ge-ncs, this technique can be implemented to produce size-selective and depth-ordered nanostructured systems by controlling the spatial distribution of diffusing Ge. We illustrate this feature for Ge-ncs embedded within a single SiO2 monolayer, whose diameters were gradually increased from 1 nm to 5 nm over a depth of 100 nm.

Si /SiGe n-type resonant tunneling diodes fabricated using in situ hydrogen cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suet, Z.; Paul, D. J.; Zhang, J.; Turner, S. G.

2007-05-01

In situ hydrogen cleaning to reduce the surface segregation of n-type dopants in SiGe epitaxy has been used to fabricate Si /SiGe resonant tunneling diodes in a joint gas source chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxial system. Diodes fabricated without the in situ clean demonstrate linear current-voltage characteristics, while a 15min hydrogen clean produces negative differential resistance with peak-to-valley current ratios up to 2.2 and peak current densities of 5.0A/cm2 at 30K. Analysis of the valley current and the band structure of the devices suggest methods for increasing the operating temperature of Si /SiGe resonant tunneling diodes as required for applications.

GeAs and SiAs monolayers: Novel 2D semiconductors with suitable band structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Liqin; Guo, Yu; Zhao, Jijun

2018-01-01

Two dimensional (2D) materials provide a versatile platform for nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and clean energy conversion. Based on first-principles calculations, we propose a novel kind of 2D materials - GeAs and SiAs monolayers and investigate their atomic structure, thermodynamic stability, and electronic properties. The calculations show that monolayer GeAs and SiAs sheets are energetically and dynamically stable. Their small interlayer cohesion energies (0.191 eV/atom for GeAs and 0.178 eV/atom for SiAs) suggest easy exfoliation from the bulk solids that exist in nature. As 2D semiconductors, GeAs and SiAs monolayers possess band gap of 2.06 eV and 2.50 eV from HSE06 calculations, respectively, while their band gap can be further engineered by the number of layers. The relatively small and anisotropic carrier effective masses imply fast electric transport in these 2D semiconductors. In particular, monolayer SiAs is a direct gap semiconductor and a potential photocatalyst for water splitting. These theoretical results shine light on utilization of monolayer or few-layer GeAs and SiAs materials for the next-generation 2D electronics and optoelectronics with high performance and satisfactory stability.

Atomic structures of B20 FeGe thin films grown on the Si(111) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Wondong; Noh, Seungkyun; Yoon, Jisoo; Kim, Young Heon; Lee, Inho; Kim, Jae-Sung; Hwang, Chanyong

We investigated the growth and atomic structures of FeGe thin films on the Si (111) surface by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 2 5nm- thick FeGe thin films were prepared on the clean Si(111) 7x7 surface by co-deposition of Fe and Ge from separated electron-beam evaporators. With direct deposition on the substrate at the temperature above 550 K, the surface of FeGe films was not smooth and consisted of coarse grains. By the combination of room-temperature annealing and post-annealing process around 800 K, the structure of FeGe thin films evolved into the well crystalized structures. Atom-resolved STM images revealed that there are at least four different surface terminations. We constructed atomic models for each surface terminations based on the bulk atomic arrangement of a B20 chiral structure and confirmed that the observed STM images are successfully reproduced by using computational simulations employing Vienna Ab Initio Simulation package (VASP) with a B20 chiral structure model. TEM cross-sectional images also support our atomic models by revealing clearly the characteristic zigzag features of B20 structures of FeGe(111) thin films.

Formation of Ge nanoparticles in SiO xN y by ion implantation and thermal annealing

DOE PAGES

Mirzaei, Sahar; Kremer, F.; Sprouster, D. J.; ...

2015-10-20

Germanium nanoparticles embedded within dielectric matrices hold much promise for applications in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Here we investigate the formation of Ge nanoparticles in amorphous SiO 1.67N 0.14 as a function of implanted atom concentration and thermal annealing temperature. Using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and other complementary techniques, we show Ge nanoparticles exhibit significant finite-size effects such that the coordination number decreases and structural disorder increases as the nanoparticle size decreases. While the composition of SiO 1.67N 0.14 is close to that of SiO 2, we demonstrate that the addition of this small fraction of N yields a much reducedmore » nanoparticle size relative to those formed in SiO 2 under comparable implantation and annealing conditions. We attribute this difference to an increase in an atomic density and a much reduced diffusivity of Ge in the oxynitride matrix. Finally, these results demonstrate the potential for tailoring Ge nanoparticle sizes and structural properties in the SiO xN y matrices by controlling the oxynitride stoichiometry.« less

Evidence for Kinetic Limitations as a Controlling Factor of Ge Pyramid Formation: a Study of Structural Features of Ge/Si(001) Wetting Layer Formed by Ge Deposition at Room Temperature Followed by Annealing at 600 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storozhevykh, Mikhail S.; Arapkina, Larisa V.; Yuryev, Vladimir A.

2015-07-01

The article presents an experimental study of an issue of whether the formation of arrays of Ge quantum dots on the Si(001) surface is an equilibrium process or it is kinetically controlled. We deposited Ge on Si(001) at the room temperature and explored crystallization of the disordered Ge film as a result of annealing at 600 °C. The experiment has demonstrated that the Ge/Si(001) film formed in the conditions of an isolated system consists of the standard patched wetting layer and large droplike clusters of Ge rather than of huts or domes which appear when a film is grown in a flux of Ge atoms arriving on its surface. We conclude that the growth of the pyramids appearing at temperatures greater than 600 °C is controlled by kinetics rather than thermodynamic equilibrium whereas the wetting layer is an equilibrium structure. PACS: Primary 68.37.Ef; 68.55.Ac; 68.65.Hb; 81.07.Ta; 81.16.Dn

Structural and electrical investigations of MBE-grown SiGe nanoislands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şeker, İsa; Karatutlu, Ali; Gürbüz, Osman; Yanık, Serhat; Bakış, Yakup; Karakız, Mehmet

2018-01-01

SiGe nanoislands were grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) method on Si (100) substrates with comparative growth parameters such as annealing temperature, top Ge content and layer-by-layer annealing (LBLA). XRD and Raman data suggest that annealing temperature, top Ge content and layer-by-layer annealing (LBLA) can overall give a control not only over the amorphous content but also over yielding the strained Ge layer formation in addition to mostly Ge crystallites. Depending on the layer design and growth conditions, size of the crystallites was observed to be changed. Four Point Probe (FPP) Method via Semiconductor Analyzer shows that 100 °C rise in annealing temperature of the samples with Si0.25Ge0.75 top layers caused rougher islands with vacancies which further resulted in the formation of laterally higher resistive thin film sheets. However, vertically performed I-AFM analysis produced higher I-V values which suggest that the vertical and horizantal conductance mechanisms appear to be different. Ge top-layered samples gained greater crystalline structure and better surface conductivity where LBLA resulted in the formation of Ge nucleation and tight 2D stacking resulting in enhanced current values.

Intermixing between HfO{sub 2} and GeO{sub 2} films deposited on Ge(001) and Si(001): Role of the substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soares, G. V.; Krug, C.; Miotti, L.

2011-03-28

Thermally driven atomic transport in HfO{sub 2}/GeO{sub 2}/substrate structures on Ge(001) and Si(001) was investigated in N{sub 2} ambient as function of annealing temperature and time. As-deposited stacks showed no detectable intermixing and no instabilities were observed on Si. On Ge, loss of O and Ge was detected in all annealed samples, presumably due to evolution of GeO from the GeO{sub 2}/Ge interface. In addition, hafnium germanate is formed at 600 deg. C. Our data indicate that at 500 deg. C and above HfO{sub 2}/GeO{sub 2} stacks are stable only if isolated from the Ge substrate.

Structure and properties of the anions MF4-, MCl4- and MBr4- (M = C, Si, Ge)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grein, Friedrich

2015-04-01

Density functional theory (DFT), Møller-Plesset (MP2) and coupled cluster with single and double substitutions including non-iterative triple excitations (CCSD(T)) calculations on the anions MX4-, with M = C, Si, Ge and X = F, Cl, Br, show that GeF4-, SiCl4-, GeCl4- and SiBr4- prefer a C2v conformation, but CCl4- is an elongated C3v structure. CBr4- has Td symmetry in MP2, but is slightly more stable in elongated C3v form with DFT and CCSD(T). GeBr4- has Td symmetry. CF4- and SiF4- are unstable with respect to loss of an electron. Vertical electron affinities (EAs) are negative also for CCl4 and SiCl4, and close to zero for GeF4 and SiBr4. Adiabatic EAs range from 0.47 eV for SiCl4 to 1.78 eV for GeBr4. The lowest excited states at Td symmetry are 2T2 resonances with energies of 2.1-3.5 eV, resulting from excitation of the a1 singly occupied molecular orbital to vacant t2 orbitals. Vertical excitation energies (VEEs) and vibrational frequencies are given for the most stable anionic geometries. Comparison with experimental VEEs for CCl4- is made. From dissociation energies of MX4, MX4-, MX3 and MX3-, appearance energies of X-, MX3-, X2- and MX2- were calculated. Most were found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental values. Theoretical spin densities and g-factors have been compared with experimental results available for CCl4-, SiCl4- and GeCl4-.

Influence of Si and N additions on structure and phase stability of Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) thin films.

PubMed

Kölpin, Helmut; Music, Denis; Laptyeva, Galyna; Ghadimi, Reza; Merget, Florian; Richter, Silvia; Mykhaylonka, Ruslàn; Mayer, Joachim; Schneider, Jochen M

2009-10-28

The influence of Si and N in Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) (space group [Formula: see text]) on structure and phase stability thereof was studied experimentally by thin film growth and characterization as well as theoretically by ab initio calculations. It was found that Si and N most probably accumulate in the amorphous matrix embedding Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) grains. The incorporation of Si and N in these samples causes an increase of the crystallization temperature and the formation of finer grains. N is more efficient in increasing the crystallization temperature and in reducing the grain size than Si which can be understood based on the bonding analysis. The incorporation of both Si and N in Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) is energetically unfavourable, leading to finer grains and larger crystallization temperatures. While in the case of Si additions no significant changes in bonding are observed, N additions appear to enable the formation of strong Te-N bonds in the amorphous matrix, which are shown to be almost twice as strong as the strongest bonds in unalloyed Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5).

Composite films of highly ordered Si nanowires embedded in SiGe0.3 for thermoelectric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Akiou; Yao, Akifumi; Mori, Isamu; Ono, Takahito; Samukawa, Seiji

2017-10-01

We fabricated a high-density array of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with a diameter of 10 nm embedded in silicon germanium (SiGe0.3) to give a composite thin film for thermoelectric device applications. The SiNW array was first fabricated by bio-template mask and neutral beam etching techniques. The SiNW array was then embedded in SiGe0.3 by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The cross-plane thermal conductivity of the SiNW-SiGe0.3 composite film with a thickness of 100 nm was 3.5 ± 0.3 W/mK in the temperature range of 300-350 K. Moreover, the temperature dependences of the in-plane electrical conductivity and in-plane Seebeck coefficient of the SiNW-SiGe0.3 composite were evaluated. The fabricated SiNW-SiGe0.3 composite film displayed a maximum power factor of 1 × 103 W/m K2 (a Seebeck coefficient of 4.8 × 103 μV/K and an electrical conductivity of 4.4 × 103 S/m) at 873 K. The present high-density SiNW array structure represents a new route to realize practical thermoelectric devices using mature Si processes without any rare metals.

Crystal, magnetic, calorimetric and electronic structure investigation of GdScGe1-x Sb x compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillou, F.; Pathak, A. K.; Hackett, T. A.; Paudyal, D.; Mudryk, Y.; Pecharsky, V. K.

2017-12-01

Experimental investigations of crystal structure, magnetism and heat capacity of compounds in the pseudoternary GdScGe-GdScSb system combined with density functional theory projections have been employed to clarify the interplay between the crystal structure and magnetism in this series of RTX materials (R  =  rare-earth, T   =  transition metal and X  =  p-block element). We demonstrate that the CeScSi-type structure adopted by GdScGe and CeFeSi-type structure adopted by GdScSb coexist over a limited range of compositions 0.65 ≤slant x ≤slant 0.9 . Antimony for Ge substitutions in GdScGe result in an anisotropic expansion of the unit cell of the parent that is most pronounced along the c axis. We believe that such expansion acts as the driving force for the instability of the double layer CeScSi-type structure of the parent germanide. Extensive, yet limited Sb substitutions 0 ≤slant x < 0.65 lead to a strong reduction of the Curie temperature compared to the GdScGe parent, but without affecting the saturation magnetization. With a further increase in Sb content, the first compositions showing the presence of the CeFeSi-type structure of the antimonide, x ≈ 0.7 , coincide with the appearance of an antiferromagnetic phase. The application of a finite magnetic field reveals a jump in magnetization toward a fully saturated ferromagnetic state. This antiferro-ferromagnetic transformation is not associated with a sizeable latent heat, as confirmed by heat capacity measurements. The electronic structure calculations for x = 0.75 indicate that the key factor in the conversion from the ferromagnetic CeScSi-type to the antiferromagnetic CeFeSi-type structure is the disappearance of the induced magnetic moments on Sc. For the parent antimonide, heat capacity measurements indicate an additional transition below the main antiferromagnetic transition.

Crystal, magnetic, calorimetric and electronic structure investigation of GdScGe 1–xSb x compounds

DOE PAGES

Guillou, F.; Pathak, A. K.; Hackett, T. A.; ...

2017-11-09

Here, experimental investigations of crystal structure, magnetism and heat capacity of compounds in the pseudoternary GdScGe-GdScSb system combined with density functional theory projections have been employed to clarify the interplay between the crystal structure and magnetism in this series of RTX materials (R = rare-earth,more » $ T$ = transition metal and X = p-block element). We demonstrate that the CeScSi-type structure adopted by GdScGe and CeFeSi-type structure adopted by GdScSb coexist over a limited range of compositions $$0.65 \\leqslant x \\leqslant 0.9$$ . Antimony for Ge substitutions in GdScGe result in an anisotropic expansion of the unit cell of the parent that is most pronounced along the c axis. We believe that such expansion acts as the driving force for the instability of the double layer CeScSi-type structure of the parent germanide. Extensive, yet limited Sb substitutions $$0 \\leqslant x < 0.65$$ lead to a strong reduction of the Curie temperature compared to the GdScGe parent, but without affecting the saturation magnetization. With a further increase in Sb content, the first compositions showing the presence of the CeFeSi-type structure of the antimonide, $$x \\approx 0.7$$ , coincide with the appearance of an antiferromagnetic phase. The application of a finite magnetic field reveals a jump in magnetization toward a fully saturated ferromagnetic state. This antiferro–ferromagnetic transformation is not associated with a sizeable latent heat, as confirmed by heat capacity measurements. The electronic structure calculations for $x = 0.75$ indicate that the key factor in the conversion from the ferromagnetic CeScSi-type to the antiferromagnetic CeFeSi-type structure is the disappearance of the induced magnetic moments on Sc. For the parent antimonide, heat capacity measurements indicate an additional transition below the main antiferromagnetic transition.« less

Crystal, magnetic, calorimetric and electronic structure investigation of GdScGe 1–xSb x compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guillou, F.; Pathak, A. K.; Hackett, T. A.

Here, experimental investigations of crystal structure, magnetism and heat capacity of compounds in the pseudoternary GdScGe-GdScSb system combined with density functional theory projections have been employed to clarify the interplay between the crystal structure and magnetism in this series of RTX materials (R = rare-earth,more » $ T$ = transition metal and X = p-block element). We demonstrate that the CeScSi-type structure adopted by GdScGe and CeFeSi-type structure adopted by GdScSb coexist over a limited range of compositions $$0.65 \\leqslant x \\leqslant 0.9$$ . Antimony for Ge substitutions in GdScGe result in an anisotropic expansion of the unit cell of the parent that is most pronounced along the c axis. We believe that such expansion acts as the driving force for the instability of the double layer CeScSi-type structure of the parent germanide. Extensive, yet limited Sb substitutions $$0 \\leqslant x < 0.65$$ lead to a strong reduction of the Curie temperature compared to the GdScGe parent, but without affecting the saturation magnetization. With a further increase in Sb content, the first compositions showing the presence of the CeFeSi-type structure of the antimonide, $$x \\approx 0.7$$ , coincide with the appearance of an antiferromagnetic phase. The application of a finite magnetic field reveals a jump in magnetization toward a fully saturated ferromagnetic state. This antiferro–ferromagnetic transformation is not associated with a sizeable latent heat, as confirmed by heat capacity measurements. The electronic structure calculations for $x = 0.75$ indicate that the key factor in the conversion from the ferromagnetic CeScSi-type to the antiferromagnetic CeFeSi-type structure is the disappearance of the induced magnetic moments on Sc. For the parent antimonide, heat capacity measurements indicate an additional transition below the main antiferromagnetic transition.« less

Threshold switching in SiGeAsTeN chalcogenide glass prepared by As ion implantation into sputtered SiGeTeN film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guangyu; Wu, Liangcai; Song, Zhitang; Liu, Yan; Li, Tao; Zhang, Sifan; Song, Sannian; Feng, Songlin

2017-12-01

A memory cell composed of a selector device and a storage device is the basic unit of phase change memory. The threshold switching effect, main principle of selectors, is a universal phenomenon in chalcogenide glasses. In this work, we put forward a safe and controllable method to prepare a SiGeAsTeN chalcogenide film by implanting As ions into sputtered SiGeTeN films. For the SiGeAsTeN material, the phase structure maintains the amorphous state, even at high temperature, indicating that no phase transition occurs for this chalcogenide-based material. The electrical test results show that the SiGeAsTeN-based devices exhibit good threshold switching characteristics and the switching voltage decreases with the increasing As content. The decrease in valence alternation pairs, reducing trap state density, may be the physical mechanism for lower switch-on voltage, which makes the SiGeAsTeN material more applicable in selector devices through component optimization.

Remote plasma enhanced chemical deposition of non-crystalline GeO2 on Ge and Si substrates.

PubMed

Lucovsky, Gerald; Zeller, Daniel

2011-09-01

Non-crystalline GeO2 films remote were plasma deposited at 300 degrees C onto Ge substrates after a final rinse in NH4OH. The reactant precursors gas were: (i) down-stream injected 2% GeH4 in He as the Ge precursor, and (ii) up-stream, plasma excited O2-He mixtures as the O precursor. Films annealed at 400 degrees C displayed no evidence for loss of O resulting in Ge sub-oxide formation, and for a 5-6 eV mid-gap absorption associated with formation of GeOx suboxide bonding, x < 2. These films were stable in normal laboratory ambients with no evidence for reaction with atmospheric water. Films deposited on Ge and annealed at 600 degrees C and 700 degrees C display spectra indicative of loss of O-atoms, accompanied with a 5.5 eV absorption. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and many-electron theory are combined to describe symmetries and degeneracies for O-vacancy bonding defects. These include comparisons with remote plasma-deposited non-crystalline SiO2 on Si substrates with SiON interfacial layers. Three different properties of remote plasma GeO2 films are addressed comparisons between (i) conduction band and band edge states of GeO2 and SiO2, and (ii) electronic structure of O-atom vacancy defects in GeO2 and SiO2, and differences between (iii) annealing of GeO2 films on Ge substrates, and Si substrates passivated with SiON interfacial transition regions important for device applications.

Waveguide-integrated vertical pin photodiodes of Ge fabricated on p+ and n+ Si-on-insulator layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Kazuki; Hiraki, Tatsurou; Tsuchizawa, Tai; Ishikawa, Yasuhiko

2017-04-01

Vertical pin structures of Ge photodiodes (PDs) integrated with Si optical waveguides are fabricated by depositing Ge epitaxial layers on Si-on-insulator (SOI) layers, and the performances of n+-Ge/i-Ge/p+-SOI PDs are compared with those of p+-Ge/i-Ge/n+-SOI PDs. Both types of PDs show responsivities as high as 1.0 A/W at 1.55 µm, while the dark leakage current is different, which is consistent with previous reports on free-space PDs formed on bulk Si wafers. The dark current of the p+-Ge/i-Ge/n+-SOI PDs is higher by more than one order of magnitude. Taking into account the activation energies for dark current as well as the dependence on PD area, the dark current of the n+-Ge/i-Ge/p+-SOI PDs is dominated by the thermal generation of carriers via mid-gap defect levels in Ge, while for the p+-Ge/i-Ge/n+-SOI PDs, the dark current is ascribed to not only thermal generation but also other mechanisms such as locally formed conduction paths.

Hydrogen impurity effects. A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leon-Escamilla, E. Alejandro; Corbett, John D.

2001-06-01

All of the binary systems Ca, Sr, Ba, or Eu (A) with Tt (tetrel) = Si or Ge as well as Sr-Sn form both binary Cr{sub 5}B{sub 3}-type A{sub 5}Tt{sub 3} phases and the corresponding ternary hydrides with stuffed Cr{sub 5}B{sub 3}- (Ca{sub 5}Sn{sub 3}F-) type structures. All of those tested, Ca-Si, Ba-Si, Ca-Ge, also yield the isotypic A{sub 5}Tt{sub 3}F{sub x} phases. The tetragonal structures of Ca{sub 5}Si{sub 3}, Ca{sub 5}Si{sub 3}F{sub 0.42}, Sr{sub 5}Si{sub 3}, Eu{sub 5}Si{sub 3}H{sub x}, Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}H{sub x}, Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}F{sub 0.66} (I4/mcm, No. 140) and of Ba{sub 5}Si{sub 3}F{submore » 0.16} (P4/ncc, Ba{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-type) were refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The interstitial H, F atoms are bound in a constricted tetrahedral (A{sup 2+}){sub 4} cavity in the Cr{sub 5}B{sub 3}-type heavy atom structure, which can be described ideally as (A{sup 2+}){sub 5}(Tt{sub 2}){sup 6{minus}}(Tt){sup 4{minus}}. Many of 14 previous reports of the phases reported here were apparently hydrides according to lattice constant differences or, for Sr{sub 5}Si{sub 3}, the fractional coordinates of Sr2 about the tetrahedral site. An articulated model is developed that allows description of the relationship between the dimensions of the tetrahedral interstitial site and the cation cavity about Tt{sub 2} and for some matrix effects in this structure type. The model suggests limitations on the stability of these binary A{sub 5}Tt{sub 3} compounds for the heavier tetrels, as observed. The resistivities of Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} and Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}H{sub x} are both characteristic of poor metals, and Pauli-like magnetic susceptibilities are exhibited by Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}H{sub x}, Ca{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}F{sub 0.66}, Sr{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, and Sr{sub 5}Sn{sub 3}. The characteristic ideal Tt{sub 2}{sup 6{minus}} dimers are evidently not realistic descriptions for these phases; rather, at least some of the {pi}*{sup 4} electrons in the dimers are delocalized in a conduction band. This effect appears to be greater in two europium salts. Bond lengths of dimers in the Ca-Si and Ca-Ge families appear to shorten slightly in three instances of their oxidation to form the hydride or the fluoride, as might be expected.« less

Structural, optical, and spin properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stutzmann, M.; Street, R. A.; Tsai, C. C.; Boyce, J. B.; Ready, S. E.

1989-07-01

We report on a detailed study of structural and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium alloys deposited by rf glow discharge from SiH4 and GeH4 in a diode reactor. The chemical composition of the alloys is related to the deposition conditions, with special emphasis on preferential incorporation of Ge into the solid phase and on the role of inert dilutant gases. Hydrogen bonding in the alloys is investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance and vibrational (Raman and infrared) spectroscopy. The optical properties of a-SiGe:H samples deposited under optimal conditions are analyzed with the help of subgap absorption measurements and band-tail luminescence for the entire range of alloy composi-tions. A large part of the article describes an investigation of the electron-spin-resonance response of undoped alloys. The spin density associated with dangling bond defects localized on Si and Ge atoms has been measured as a function of alloy composition for optimized material. In addition, the dependence of the two defect densities on the detailed deposition conditions (rf power, substrate temperature, and dilution) has been determined in a systematic way for alloys deposited from a plasma with a fixed SiH4/GeH4ratio. The results of this study, especially the preferential creation of Ge dangling bonds, are discussed in the context of our structural data. Furthermore, spin resonance is employed to investigate the light-induced degradation (Staebler-Wronski effect) of a-SiGe:H. Finally, the changes of the spin-resonance spectra of a-Si0.7 Ge0.3 :H upon substitutional doping with phosphorus and boron have been obtained experimentally, and are used to construct a model for the electronic density of states in this material.

Low Temperature Rhombohedral Single Crystal SiGe Epitaxy on c-plane Sapphire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duzik, Adam J.; Choi, Sang H.

2016-01-01

Current best practice in epitaxial growth of rhombohedral SiGe onto (0001) sapphire (Al2O3) substrate surfaces requires extreme conditions to grow a single crystal SiGe film. Previous models described the sapphire surface reconstruction as the overriding factor in rhombohedral epitaxy, requiring a high temperature Al-terminated surface for high quality films. Temperatures in the 850-1100 C range were thought to be necessary to get SiGe to form coherent atomic matching between the (111) SiGe plane and the (0001) sapphire surface. Such fabrication conditions are difficult and uneconomical, hindering widespread application. This work proposes an alternative model that considers the bulk sapphire structure and determines how the SiGe film nucleates and grows. Accounting for thermal expansion effects, calculations using this new model show that both pure Ge and SiGe can form single crystal films in the 450-550 C temperature range. Experimental results confirm these predictions, where x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy show the films fabricated at low temperature rival the high temperature films in crystallographic and surface quality. Finally, an explanation is provided for why films of comparable high quality can be produced in either temperature range.

Evolution of Ge nanoislands on Si(110)-'16 × 2' surface under thermal annealing studied using STM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangopadhyay, Subhashis; Yoshimura, Masamichi; Ueda, Kazuyuki

2009-11-01

The initial nucleation of Ge nanoclusters on Si(110) at room temperature (RT), annealing-induced surface roughening and the evolution of three-dimensional Ge nanoislands have been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A few monolayers (ML) of Ge deposited at room temperature lead to the formation of Ge clusters which are homogeneously distributed across the surface. The stripe-like patterns, characteristic of the Si(110)-'16 × 2' surface reconstruction are also retained. Increasing annealing temperatures, however, lead to significant surface diffusion and thus, disruption of the underlying '16 × 2' reconstruction. The annealing-induced removal of the stripe structures (originated from '16 × 2' reconstruction) starts at approximately 300 °C, whereas the terrace structures of Si(110) are thermally stable up to 500 °C. At approximately 650 °C, shallow Ge islands of pyramidal shape with (15,17,1) side facets start to form. Annealing at even higher temperatures enhances Ge island formation. Our findings are explained in terms of partial dewetting of the metastable Ge wetting layer (WL) (formed at room temperature) as well as partial relaxation of lattice strain through three-dimensional (3D) island growth.

Characterization of Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x)/Si Heterostructures for Device Applications Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sieg, R. M.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Croke, E. T.; Harrell, M. J.; Tanner, M.; Wang, K. L.; Mena, R. A.; Young, P. G.

1993-01-01

Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) characterization of several complex Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x)/Si heterostructures prepared for device fabrication, including structures for heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT), p-type and n-type heterostructure modulation doped field effect transistors, has been performed. We have shown that SE can simultaneously determine all active layer thicknesses, Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x) compositions, and the oxide overlayer thickness, with only a general knowledge of the structure topology needed a priori. The characterization of HBT material included the SE analysis of a Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x) layer deeply buried (600 nanometers) under the silicon emitter and cap layers. In the SE analysis of n-type heterostructures, we examined for the first time a silicon layer under tensile strain. We found that an excellent fit can be obtained using optical constants of unstrained silicon to represent the strained silicon conduction layer. We also used SE to measure lateral sample homogeneity, providing quantitative identification of the inhomogeneous layer. Surface overlayers resulting from prior sample processing were also detected and measured quantitatively. These results should allow SE to be used extensively as a non-destructive means of characterizing Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x)/Si heterostructures prior to device fabrication and testing.

Amorphous Ge quantum dots embedded in crystalline Si: ab initio results.

PubMed

Laubscher, M; Küfner, S; Kroll, P; Bechstedt, F

2015-10-14

We study amorphous Ge quantum dots embedded in a crystalline Si matrix through structure modeling and simulation using ab initio density functional theory including spin-orbit interaction and quasiparticle effects. Three models are generated by replacing a spherical region within diamond Si by Ge atoms and creating a disordered bond network with appropriate density inside the Ge quantum dot. After total-energy optimisations of the atomic geometry we compute the electronic and optical properties. We find three major effects: (i) the resulting nanostructures adopt a type-I heterostructure character; (ii) the lowest optical transitions occur only within the Ge quantum dots, and do not involve or cross the Ge-Si interface. (iii) for larger amorphous Ge quantum dots, with diameters of about 2.0 and 2.7 nm, absorption peaks appear in the mid-infrared spectral region. These are promising candidates for intense luminescence at photon energies below the gap energy of bulk Ge.

Effect of Guest Atom Composition on the Structural and Vibrational Properties of the Type II Clathrate-Based Materials AxSi136, AxGe136 and AxSn136 (A = Na, K, Rb, Cs; 0 ≤ x ≤ 24).

PubMed

Xue, Dong; Myles, Charles W; Higgins, Craig

2016-08-11

Type II clathrates are interesting due to their potential thermoelectric applications. Powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and density functional calculations for Na x Si 136 found a lattice contraction as x increases for 0 < x < 8 and an expansion as x increases for x > 8. This is explained by XRD data that shows that as x increases, the Si 28 cages are filled first for x < 8 and the Si 20 cages are then filled for x > 8. Motivated by this work, here we report the results of first-principles calculations of the structural and vibrational properties of the Type II clathrate compounds A x Si 136 , A x Ge 136 , and A x Sn 136 . We present results for the variation of the lattice constants, bulk moduli, and other structural parameters with x. These are contrasted for the Si, Ge, and Sn compounds and for guests A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs. We also present calculated results of phonon dispersion relations for Na₄Si 136 , Na₄Ge 136 , and Na₄Sn 136 and we compare these for the three materials. Finally, we present calculated results for the elastic constants in Na x Si 136 , Na x Ge 136 , and Na x Sn 136 for x = 4 and 8. These are compared for the three hosts, as well as for the two compositions.

Lattice-Matched Semiconductor Layers on Single Crystalline Sapphire Substrate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sang; King, Glen; Park, Yeonjoon

2009-01-01

SiGe is an important semiconductor alloy for high-speed field effect transistors (FETs), high-temperature thermoelectric devices, photovoltaic solar cells, and photon detectors. The growth of SiGe layer is difficult because SiGe alloys have different lattice constants from those of the common Si wafers, which leads to a high density of defects, including dislocations, micro-twins, cracks, and delaminations. This innovation utilizes newly developed rhombohedral epitaxy of cubic semiconductors on trigonal substrates in order to solve the lattice mismatch problem of SiGe by using trigonal single crystals like sapphire (Al2O3) as substrate to give a unique growth-orientation to the SiGe layer, which is automatically controlled at the interface upon sapphire (0001). This technology is different from previous silicon on insulator (SOI) or SGOI (SiGe on insulator) technologies that use amorphous SiO2 as the growth plane. A cubic semiconductor crystal is a special case of a rhombohedron with the inter-planar angle, alpha = 90 deg. With a mathematical transformation, all rhombohedrons can be described by trigonal crystal lattice structures. Therefore, all cubic lattice constants and crystal planes (hkl) s can be transformed into those of trigonal crystal parameters. These unique alignments enable a new opportunity of perfect lattice matching conditions, which can eliminate misfit dislocations. Previously, these atomic alignments were thought to be impossible or very difficult. With the invention of a new x-ray diffraction measurement method here, growth of cubic semiconductors on trigonal crystals became possible. This epitaxy and lattice-matching condition can be applied not only to SiGe (111)/sapphire (0001) substrate relations, but also to other crystal structures and other materials, including similar crystal structures which have pointgroup rotational symmetries by 120 because the cubic (111) direction has 120 rotational symmetry. The use of slightly miscut (less than plus or minus 10 deg.) sapphire (0001) substrate can be used to improve epitaxial relationships better by providing attractive atomic steps in the epitaxial process.

Cationic aza-macrocyclic complexes of germanium(II) and silicon(IV).

PubMed

Everett, Matthew; Jolleys, Andrew; Levason, William; Light, Mark E; Pugh, David; Reid, Gillian

2015-12-28

[GeCl2(dioxane)] reacts with the neutral aza-macrocyclic ligands L, L = Me3tacn (1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), Me4cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) or Me4cyclam (1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) and two mol. equiv. of Me3SiO3SCF3 in thf solution to yield the unusual and hydrolytically very sensitive [Ge(L)][O3SCF3]2 as white solids in moderate yield. Using shorter reaction times [Ge(Me3tacn)]Cl2 and [Ge(Me3tacn)]Cl[O3SCF3] were also isolated; the preparation of [Ge(Me4cyclen)][GeCl3]2 is also described. The structures of the Me3tacn complexes show κ(3)-coordination of the macrocycle, with the anions interacting only weakly to produce very distorted five- or six-coordination at germanium. In contrast, the structure of [Ge(Me4cyclen)][O3SCF3]2 shows no anion interactions, and a distorted square planar geometry at germanium from coordination to the tetra-aza macrocycle. Crystal structures of the Si(iv) complexes, [SiCl3(Me3tacn)]Y (Y = O3SCF3, BAr(F); [B{3,5-(CF3)2C6H3}4]) and [SiHCl2(Me3tacn)][BAr(F)], obtained from reaction of SiCl4 or SiHCl3 with Me3tacn, followed by addition of either Me3SiO3SCF3 or Na[BAr(F)], contain distorted octahedral cations, with facialκ(3)-coordinated Me3tacn. The open-chain triamine, Me2NCH2CH2N(Me)CH2CH2NMe2 (pmdta), forms [SiCl3(pmdta)][BAr(F)] and [SiBr3(pmdta)][BAr(F)] under similar conditions, containing mer-octahedral cations.

Thermal transport across high-pressure semiconductor-metal transition in Si and Si 0.991 Ge 0.009

DOE PAGES

Hohensee, Gregory T.; Fellinger, Michael R.; Trinkle, Dallas R.; ...

2015-05-07

Time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) can be applied to metallic samples at high pressures in the diamond anvil cell (DAC) and provide non-contact measurements of thermal transport properties. We have performed regular and beam-offset TDTR to establish the thermal conductivities of Si and Si 0.991Ge 0.009 across the semiconductor-metal phase transition and up to 45 GPa. The thermal conductivities of metallic Si and Si(Ge) are comparable to aluminum and indicative of predominantly electronic heat carriers. Metallic Si and Si(Ge) have an anisotropy of approximately 1.4, similar to that of beryllium, due to the primitive hexagonal crystal structure. Furthermore, we used the Wiedemann-Franzmore » law to derive the associated electrical resistivity, and found it consistent with the Bloch-Gruneisen model.« less

Investigation of structural and electrical properties on substrate material for high frequency metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, M.; Yang, Sung-Hyun; Janardhan Reddy, K.; JagadeeshChandra, S. V.

2017-04-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films were grown on cleaned P-type <1 0 0> Ge and Si substrates by using atomic layer deposition technique (ALD) with thickness of 8 nm. The composition analysis of as-deposited and annealed HfO2 films was characterized by XPS, further electrical measurements; we fabricated the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices with Pt electrode. Post deposition annealing in O2 ambient at 500 °C for 30 min was carried out on both Ge and Si devices. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) curves measured at 1 MHz. The Ge MOS devices showed improved interfacial and electrical properties, high dielectric constant (~19), smaller EOT value (0.7 nm), and smaller D it value as Si MOS devices. The C-V curves shown significantly high accumulation capacitance values from Ge devices, relatively when compare with the Si MOS devices before and after annealing. It could be due to the presence of very thin interfacial layer at HfO2/Ge stacks than HfO2/Si stacks conformed by the HRTEM images. Besides, from current-voltage (I-V) curves of the Ge devices exhibited similar leakage current as Si devices. Therefore, Ge might be a reliable substrate material for structural, electrical and high frequency applications.

Si0.7Ge0.3 Nanorings Mediated By Ag Nanodots: Structural Evolution and Enhanced Photoluminescence Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Chih; -Hau He, Cheng-Ying Chen, Jr.

2009-03-01

Currently nanorings (NRs) are attractive because there is a great deal of interest in nanostructures from theoretical, experimental, and device perspectives. The feasible NR fabrication is demanded in the field of electronic and optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale. In the present study, the growth of high-density Si0.7Ge0.3 NRs has been achieved on ultrathin Ag films on Si0.7Ge0.3 substrate. In situ ultrahigh-vacuum transmission electron microscopy revealed that the formation of nanorings involves a mechanism mediated by Ag NDs and evaporation of Ag-Si-Ge eutectic liquid at high temperature. Si0.7Ge0.3 NRs exhibit the enhanced PL intensity over Si0.7Ge0.3 thin film due to quantum size effects. The luminescence efficiency as a function of the size of Si0.7Ge0.3 NRs has been investigated. Power-dependent PL demonstrates that the NR mediated by Ag NDs is type-I band alignment. The process promising the availability of type-I Si1-xGex NRs can serve as a useful platform for the fundamental understanding and future practical applications of NRs.

The Ho-Ni-Ge system: Isothermal section and new rare-earth nickel germanides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozkin, A. V.; Knotko, A. V.; Yapaskurt, V. O.; Yuan, Fang; Mozharivskyj, Y.; Pani, M.; Provino, A.; Manfrinetti, P.

2015-05-01

The Ho-Ni-Ge system has been investigated at 1070 K and up to 60 at% Ho by X-ray diffraction and microprobe analyses. Besides the eight known compounds, HoNi5Ge3 (YNi5Si3-type), HoNi2Ge2 (CeAl2Ga2-type), Ho2NiGe6 (Ce2CuGe6-type), HoNiGe3 (SmNiGe3-type), HoNi0.2÷0.6Ge2 (CeNiSi2-type), Ho37÷34Ni6÷24Ge57÷42 (AlB2-type), HoNiGe (TiNiSi-type), Ho3NiGe2 (La3NiGe2-type), the ternary system contains four new compounds: Ho3Ni11Ge4 (Sc3Ni11Ge4-type), HoNi3Ge2 (ErNi3Ge2-type), Ho3Ni2Ge3 (Hf3Ni2Si3-type) and Ho5Ni2Ge3 (unknown structure). Quasi-binary solid solutions were observed at 1070 K for Ho2Ni17, HoNi5, HoNi7, HoNi3, HoNi2, HoNi and Ho2Ge3, but no detectable solubility was found for the other binary compounds in the Ho-Ni-Ge system. Based on the magnetization measurements, the HoNi5Ge3, HoNi3Ge2 and Ho3Ni11Ge4 (and isostructural {Tb, Dy}3Ni11Ge4) compounds have been found to show paramagnetic behavior down to 5 K, whereas Ho3Ni2Ge3 exhibits an antiferromagnetic transition at 7 K. Additionally, the crystal structure of the new isostructural phases {Y, Yb}Ni3Ge2 (ErNi3Ge2-type), Er3Ni11Ge4 (Sc3Ni11Ge4-type) and {Y, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm}3Ni2Ge3 (Hf3Ni2Si3-type) has been also investigated.

LiGe(SiMe₃)₃: A New Substituent for the Synthesis of Metalloid Tin Clusters from Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solutions.

PubMed

Binder, Mareike; Schrenk, Claudio; Block, Theresa; Pöttgen, Rainer; Schnepf, Andreas

2018-04-26

The most fruitful synthetic route to metalloid tin clusters applies the disproportionation reaction of metastable Sn(I) halide solutions, whereby Si(SiMe₃)₃ is mostly used as the stabilizing substituent. Here, we describe the synthesis and application of the slightly modified substituent Ge(SiMe₃)₃, which can be used for the synthesis of metalloid tin clusters to give the neutral cluster Sn 10 [Ge(SiMe₃)₃]₆ as well as the charged clusters {Sn 10 [Ge(SiMe₃)₃]₅} − and {Sn 10 [Ge(SiMe₃)₃]₄} 2− . The obtained metalloid clusters are structurally similar to their Si(SiMe₃)₃ derivatives. However, differences with respect to the stability in solution are observed. Additionally, a different electronic situation for the tin atoms is realized as shown by 119m Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy, giving further insight into the different kinds of tin atoms within the metalloid cluster {Sn 10 [Ge(SiMe₃)₃]₄} 2− . The synthesis of diverse derivatives gives the opportunity to check the influence of the substituent for further investigations of metalloid tin cluster compounds.

Quantification of local strain distributions in nanoscale strained SiGe FinFET structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochizuki, Shogo; Murray, Conal E.; Madan, Anita; Pinto, Teresa; Wang, Yun-Yu; Li, Juntao; Weng, Weihao; Jagannathan, Hemanth; Imai, Yasuhiko; Kimura, Shigeru; Takeuchi, Shotaro; Sakai, Akira

2017-10-01

Strain within nanoscale strained SiGe FinFET structures has been investigated using a combination of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy-based nanobeam diffraction (NBD) techniques to reveal the evolution of the stress state within the FinFETs. Reciprocal space maps collected using high-resolution X-ray diffraction exhibited distinct features corresponding to the SiGe fin width, pitch, and lattice deformation and were analyzed to quantify the state of stress within the fins. Although the majority of the SiGe fin volume exhibited a uniaxial stress state due to elastic relaxation of the transverse in-plane stress, NBD measurements confirmed a small interaction region near the SOI interface that is mechanically constrained by the underlying substrate. We have quantitatively characterized the evolution of the fin stress state from biaxial to uniaxial as a function of fin aspect ratio and Ge fraction and confirmed that the fins obey elastic deformation based on a model that depends on the relative difference between the equilibrium Si and SiGe lattice constants and relative fraction of in-plane stress transverse to the SiGe fins. Spatially resolved, nanobeam X-ray diffraction measurements conducted near the SiGe fin edge indicate the presence of additional elastic relaxation from a uniaxial stress state to a fully relaxed state at the fin edge. Mapping of the lattice deformation within 500 nm of this fin edge by NBD revealed large gradients, particularly at the top corner of the fin. The values of the volume averaged lattice deformation obtained by nanoXRD and NBD are qualitatively consistent. Furthermore, the modulation of strain at the fin edge obtained by quantitative analysis of the nanoXRD results agrees with the lattice deformation profile obtained by NBD.

Thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement of silicon-germanium through nanocomposite concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dezhi

SiGe alloy has been the thermoelectric material element of RTGs (Radioisotope thermoelectric power generators) for more than 20 years because of its good performance at high temperature. It also has a very high potential application in converting exhaust heat into useful electricity, which currently attracts a lot of research interest in the automotive industry where 40% of the energy was rejected as exhaust heat. However, its low conversion efficiency (8%) is a major concern although it is the best in practice. A new concept, namely Si-Ge nanocomposite, was proposed to enhance thermoelectric figure-of-merit. Fast heating pressure sintering was found to be an appropriate synthesizing method and a lab-made direct current-induced hot press system was established. It can reach l200°C within several minutes and many parameters can be controlled. The uniquely designed graphite die assembly can stand l60MPa pressure which is better than the best commercial products (127MPa). Numerous Si-Ge nanocomposite samples were pressed using our DC hot press. Fully dense n-type Si-Ge nanocomposite samples of nanoSi80nanoGe20P were finally obtained. The nanocomposite structure was characterized via XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM. The proposed nanocomposite structure, dots in a matrix, was observed. Most importantly, the thermoelectric property measurements showed that the Si-Ge nanocomposite of n-type nanoSi80nanoGe20 possessed higher electrical conductivity but lower thermal conductivity, thus a higher ZT than that of n-type nanoSi80microGe20. This result proved that thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement through the nanocomposite concept was the right direction.

Characterization and optimization of polycrystalline Si70%Ge30% for surface micromachined thermopiles in human body applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziyang; Fiorini, Paolo; Leonov, Vladimir; Van Hoof, Chris

2009-09-01

This paper presents the material characterization methods, characterization results and the optimization scheme for polycrystalline Si70%Ge30% (poly-SiGe) from the perspective of its application in a surface micromachined thermopile. Due to its comparative advantages, such as lower thermal conductivity and ease of processing, over other materials, poly-SiGe is chosen to fabricate a surface micromachined thermopile and eventually a wearable thermoelectric generator (TEG) to be used on a human body. To enable optimal design of advanced thermocouple microstructures, poly-SiGe sample materials prepared by two different techniques, namely low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) with in situ doping and rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) with ion implantation, have been characterized. Relevant material properties, including electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity and specific contact resistance, have been reported. For the determination of thermal conductivity, a novel surface-micromachined test structure based on the Seebeck effect is designed, fabricated and measured. Compared to the traditional test structures, it is more advantageous for sample materials with a relatively large Seebeck coefficient, such as poly-SiGe. Based on the characterization results, a further optimization scheme is suggested to allow independent respective optimization of the figure of merit and the specific contact resistance.

Electronic structure of semiconducting alkali-metal silicides and germanides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tegze, M.; Hafner, J.

1989-11-01

We present self-consistent linearized-muffin-tin-orbital calculations of the electronic structure of three alkali-metal germanides and silicides (KGe, NaGe, and NaSi). Like the alkali-metal-lead compounds investigated in our earlier work [M. Tegze and J. Hafner, Phys. Rev. B 39, 8263 (1989)] the Ge and Si compounds of the alkali metals form complex structures based on the packing of tetrahedral Ge4 and Si4 clusters. Our calculations show that all three compounds are narrow-gap semiconductors. The width of the energy gap depends on two main factors: the ratio of the intracluster to the intercluster interactions between the group-IV elements (which increases from Pb to Si) and the strength of the interactions between the alkali-metal atoms (which varies with the size ratio).

Spectroscopic Studies of Semiconductor Materials for Aggressive-scaled Micro- and Opto-electronic Devices: nc-SiO2, GeO2; ng-Si, Ge and ng-Transition metal (TM) oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Cheng

Non-crystalline thin film materials are widely used in the semiconductor industry (micro- and optoelectronics) and in green energy, e.g., photovolatic applications. This dissertation under-pins these device application with studies of their electronic structures using derivative X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and derivative Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) for the first time to experimentally determine electronic and intrinsic defect structures. Differences between electron and hole mobilities in c- (and ng-Si) and c- (and ng- Ge), make Ge channels superior to Si channels in for aggressively scaled CMOS field effect transistors (FETs). Bonding between Si and Ge substrates and gate dielectric oxides is the focus this dissertation. The primary objective of this research is to measure and interpret by ab-initio theory the electronic and intrinsic electronic defect structures mirco-electronic thin film materials. This is accomplished for the first time by combining (i) derivative XAS TEY data obtained at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source (SSRL) with (ii) derivative Spectroscopic Ellipsometry results obtained at the J.A. Woollam Co. laboratory. All the oxides were deposited in RPECVD system with in-line AES and RHEED. Thins films and gate stacks were annealed in RTA system in Ar to determine temperature dependent changes. 2nd derivative analysis is applied on XAS and SE spectra emphasizing the conduction band (CB) and virtual bound state (VBS) regimes. 2nd derivative SE spectra for ng-Si and ng-Ge each have 3 distinct regimes: (i) 3 excitons, (ii) 2 features in the CB edge region, and (iii) 3 additional exciton features above the IP. Excitonic spectral width provides conductivity electron masses (em0*) and hence electron mobilities. The wider the energy range, the higher the electron mobility in that CB. Spectra of high-K dielectrics have an additional energy regime between the CB edge regime, and the higher eV excitons. This regime has 4 intra-d state transitions. Intra-d states are observed in all high-K dielectrics regardless of morphology, e.g. ng-TiO2, nc- Ti silicate , c-LaTiO3, nc-HfSiON334. This dissertation also discussed spectroscopic studies of: (i) nc-SiO 2, nc-GeO2 and (ii) nc-(SiO2)x(GeO2) 1-x pseudo-binary alloys. These studies, and the interpretation of these spectra and those in Chapter 3 in the This dissertation also discussed spectroscopic studies of: (i) nc-SiO2, nc-GeO2 and (ii) nc-(SiO 2)x(GeO2)1-x pseudo-binary alloys. These studies, and the interpretation of these spectra and those in Chapter 3 in the context of ab-initio theory provide a science base for the implementation of nc-oxides onto Germaniumsubstrates for aggressively scaled CMOS FETs, imaging devices as well as photovoltaics. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy(AES) were used to determine SiO2 and GeO2 concentration in (SiO2)x(GeO2)1-x alloys. A linear trend in chemical shifts with compositions is observed and explained with charge-potential model, which incorporates the results of calculated partial charge from an empirical model for ionicity. The compositional linear relationships between binding energies nc-SiO 2, nc-GeO2, and (SiO2)x(GeO2)1-x alloy concentration agrees with the calculated results in charge potential model. SE and XAS spectral results show relatively strong O-vacancy in nc-GeO 2. O-vacancy defects in c-SiO2 are weaker. This is due to differences between Ge-O and Si-O bond (657.5kJ/mol and 799.6kJ/mol respectively). SE data shows a strong defect feature in GeO2, while SiO2 has no significant and distinct defect signature. Percolation theory describes the interconnection of bonds, e.g. Si-O and Ge-O in an otherwise nc-material, a (SiO2)x(GeO2)1-x pseudo-binary alloy. Changes in the band-gap energy of binary Si-Ge alloys occur at 0%Si (or 100% Ge), and the band gap energy increases from ˜ 0.6 eV to ˜0.87 eV as the Si concentration increases. A inflection point is at the percolation threshold˜16 %. For larger %Si there are increases to Si CB gap threshold energy of 1.1eV discussed in Chapter 3. The pseudo-binary system, (GeO2)x(SiO2) 1-x has been designated as a confluent double percolation phenomenon. Distinct changes are at percolation thresholds concentrations of: 16% and 84% SiO2, or equivalently at 84% and 16% Ge.

Si/Ge elatform for lasers, amplifiers, and nonlinear optical devices based on the Raman Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claps, Ricardo; Dimitropoulos, Dimitrios; Raghunathan, Varun; Fathpour, Sasan; Jalali, Bahram; Jusserand, Bernard

2007-02-01

The use of a silicon-germanium platform for the development of optically active devices will be discussed in this paper, from the perspective of Raman and Brillouin scattering phenomena. Silicon-Germanium is becoming a prevalent technology for the development of high speed CMOS transistors, with advances in several key parameters as high carrier mobility, low cost, and reduced manufacturing logistics. Traditionally, Si-Ge structures have been used in the optoelectronics arena as photodetectors, due to the enhanced absorption of Ge in the telecommunications band. Recent developments in Raman-based nonlinearities for devices based on a silicon-on-insulator platform have shed light on the possibility of using these effects in Si-Ge architectures. Lasing and amplification have been demonstrated using a SiGe alloy structure, and Brillouin/Raman activity from acoustic phonon modes in SiGe superlattices has been predicted. Moreover, new Raman-active branches and inhomogeneously broadened spectra result from optical phonon modes, offering new perspectives for optical device applications. The possibilities for an electrically-pumped Raman laser will be outlined, and the potential for design and development of silicon-based, Tera-Hertz wave emitters and/or receivers.

Extreme IR absorption in group IV-SiGeSn core-shell nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attiaoui, Anis; Wirth, Stephan; Blanchard-Dionne, André-Pierre; Meunier, Michel; Hartmann, J. M.; Buca, Dan; Moutanabbir, Oussama

2018-06-01

Sn-containing Si and Ge (Ge1-y-xSixSny) alloys are an emerging family of semiconductors with the potential to impact group IV material-based devices. These semiconductors provide the ability to independently engineer both the lattice parameter and bandgap, which holds the premise to develop enhanced or novel photonic and electronic devices. With this perspective, we present detailed investigations of the influence of Ge1-y-xSixSny layers on the optical properties of Si and Ge based heterostructures and nanowires. We found that by adding a thin Ge1-y-xSixSny capping layer on Si or Ge greatly enhances light absorption especially in the near infrared range, leading to an increase in short-circuit current density. For the Ge1-y-xSixSny structure at thicknesses below 30 nm, a 14-fold increase in the short-circuit current is observed with respect to bare Si. This enhancement decreases by reducing the capping layer thickness. Conversely, decreasing the shell thickness was found to improve the short-circuit current in Si/Ge1-y-xSixSny and Ge/Ge1-y-xSixSny core/shell nanowires. The optical absorption becomes very important by increasing the Sn content. Moreover, by exploiting an optical antenna effect, these nanowires show extreme light absorption, reaching an enhancement factor, with respect to Si or Ge nanowires, on the order of 104 in Si/Ge0.84Si0.04Sn0.12 and 12 in Ge/Ge0.84Si0.04Sn0.12. Furthermore, we analyzed the optical response after the addition of a dielectric layer of Si3N4 to the Si/Ge1-y-xSixSny core-shell nanowire and found approximatively a 50% increase in the short-circuit current density for a dielectric layer of thickness equal to 45 nm and both a core radius and a shell thickness greater than 40 nm. The core-shell optical antenna benefits from a multiplication of enhancements contributed by leaky mode resonances in the semiconductor part and antireflection effects in the dielectric part.

Photo-sensitive Ge nanocrystal based films controlled by substrate deposition temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stavarache, Ionel; Maraloiu, Valentin Adrian; Negrila, Catalin; Prepelita, Petronela; Gruia, Ion; Iordache, Gheorghe

2017-10-01

Lowering the temperature of crystallization by deposition of thin films on a heated substrate represents the easiest way to find new means to develop and improve new working devices based on nanocrystals embedded in thin films. The improvements are strongly related with the increasing of operation speed, substantially decreasing the energy consumption and reducing unit fabrication costs of the respective semiconductor devices. This approach avoids major problems, such as those related to diffusion or difficulties in controlling nanocrystallites size, which appear during thermal treatments at high temperatures after deposition. This article reports on a significant progress given by structuring Ge nanocrystals (Ge-NCs) embedded in silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films by heating the substrate at 400 °C during co-deposition of Ge and SiO2 by magnetron sputtering. As a proof-of-concept, a Si/Ge-NCs:SiO2 photo-sensitive structure was fabricated thereof and characterized. The structure shows superior performance on broad operation bandwidth from visible to near-infrared, as strong rectification properties in dark, significant current rise in the inversion mode when illuminated, high responsivity, high photo-detectivity of 1014 Jones, quick response and significant conversion efficiency with peak value reaching 850% at -1 V and about 1000 nm. This simple preparation approach brings an important contribution to the effort of structuring Ge nanocrystallites in SiO2 thin films at a lower temperature for the purpose of using these materials for devices in optoelectronics, solar cells and electronics on flexible substrates.

Al-Si-Cu/TiN multilayer interconnection and Al-Ge reflow sputtering technologies for quarter-micron devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikkawa, Takamaro; Kikuta, Kuniko

1993-05-01

Issues of interconnection technologies for quarter-micron devices are the reliability of metal lines with quarter-micron feature sizes and the formation of contact-hole-plugs with high aspect ratios. This paper describes a TiN/Al-Si-Cu/TiN/Al-Si-Cu/TiN/Ti multilayer conductor structure as a quarter-micron interconnection technology and aluminum-germanium (Al-Ge) reflow sputtering as a contact-hole filling technology. The TiN/Al-Si-Cu/TiN/Al-Si-Cu/TiN/Ti multilayer conductor structure could suppress stress-induced voiding and improve the electromigration mean-time to failure. These improvements are attributed to the fact that the grain boundaries for the Al-Si-Cu film and the interfaces between the Al-Si-Cu and the TiN films are strengthened by the rigid intermetallic compound, TiAl3. The Al-Ge alloy reflow sputtering is a candidate for contact- and via-hole filling technologies in terms of reducing fabrication costs. The Al-Ge reflow sputtering achieved low temperature contact hole filling at 300 degree(s)C. Contact holes with a diameter of 0.25 micrometers and aspect ratio of 4 could be filled. This is attributed to the low eutectic temperature for Al-Ge (424 degree(s)C) and the effect of thin polysilicon underlayer on the enhancement of Al-Ge reflow.

Cobalt disilicide contacts to silicon-germanium alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goeller, Peter Thomas

This dissertation investigated the structure and stability of thin (18--45 nm) cobalt disilicide films, electron beam evaporated onto strained and relaxed Si1--xGex/Si(001) alloy layers. The aim of these investigations was to develop a means of growing smooth, continuous, epitaxial and thermally stable CoSi2 films suitable for use as contacts in SiGe device technology. Previous research on the reaction of Co metal with SiGe alloys has indicated a number of problems, such as film islanding, formation of polycrystalline silicide films, Ge segregation and poor thermal stability. In the present work, we studied the scientific issues underlying these phenomena with a variety of experimental techniques. Our initial studies comparing direct deposition of Co versus co-deposition of Co and Si indicated that co-deposition resulted in CoSi2 formation at much lower temperatures (500°C) than with the direct deposition method (700°C). Furthermore, the co-deposited films were epitaxial to the SiGe layer, whereas the direct deposited films were polycrystalline. Both methods resulting in increasing islanding of the films with increasing annealing temperature. The issues underlying the islanding of the co-deposited films were investigated with an in situ XAFS investigation of the Co/SiGe interface using monolayers of Co. It was determined that Co preferentially bonds with Si atoms as the annealing temperature is increased, leading to segregation of Ge at the interface and faceting of the silicide. A modified template method of silicide growth was devised, in which a sacrificial Si layer was deposited onto the SiGe surface before the CoSi2 template was grown. This growth method was shown to result in smooth, epitaxial and thermally stable films of CoSi2 on Si0.80Ge0.20 alloys. A thickness effect was observed for the direct deposition of Co on SiGe alloys, in which Co layers do not completely convert to CoSi2 until thicknesses greater than 35 nm are deposited. A thermodynamic model was developed, based on the Gibbs free energy change of the CoSi → CoSi2 transition, which indicated that the thickness effect was driven by the presence of Ge in the reaction zone. Finally, the Ge segregation phenomenon accompanying the direct reaction of Co on both strained and relaxed Si0.80Ge0.20 alloys was investigated. It was determined using XRD and EDS in the STEM microscope that Ge segregation on strained SiGe takes the form of Ge-enriched SiGe regions surrounding CoSi and CoSi2 grains at the surface of the film. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Flux Crystal Growth of the RE 2Ru 3Ge 5 ( RE = La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb) Series and Their Magnetic and Metamagnetic Transitions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bugaris, Daniel E.; Malliakas, Christos D.; Bud?ko, Sergey L.

Previously synthesized only as powders, single crystals of the RE 2Ru 3Ge 5 (RE = La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb) series of compounds have been now been obtained from molten In. We report that these materials crystallize with the U 2Co 3Si 5-type structure in orthorhombic space group Ibam with lattice parameters a ~ 10.00-9.77 Å (La-Tb), b ~ 12.51-12.35 Å, and c ~ 5.92-5.72 Å. The structure is a three-dimensional framework consisting of RuGe 5 and RuGe 6 units, as well as Ge-Ge zigzag chains. This structure type, along with the other five (Sc 2Fe 3Si 5, Lu 2Comore » 3Si 5, Y 2Rh 3Sn 5, Yb 2Ir 3Ge 5, and Yb 2Pt 3Sn 5) to compose the RE 2T 3X 5 phase space, are discussed in depth. For the three compounds with RE = Nd, Gd, and Tb, multiple magnetic transitions and metamagnetic behavior are observed. Lastly, electronic band structure calculations performed on La 2Ru 3Ge 5 indicate that these materials have a negative band gap and are semimetallic in nature.« less

Flux Crystal Growth of the RE 2Ru 3Ge 5 ( RE = La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb) Series and Their Magnetic and Metamagnetic Transitions

DOE PAGES

Bugaris, Daniel E.; Malliakas, Christos D.; Bud?ko, Sergey L.; ...

2017-11-21

Previously synthesized only as powders, single crystals of the RE 2Ru 3Ge 5 (RE = La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb) series of compounds have been now been obtained from molten In. We report that these materials crystallize with the U 2Co 3Si 5-type structure in orthorhombic space group Ibam with lattice parameters a ~ 10.00-9.77 Å (La-Tb), b ~ 12.51-12.35 Å, and c ~ 5.92-5.72 Å. The structure is a three-dimensional framework consisting of RuGe 5 and RuGe 6 units, as well as Ge-Ge zigzag chains. This structure type, along with the other five (Sc 2Fe 3Si 5, Lu 2Comore » 3Si 5, Y 2Rh 3Sn 5, Yb 2Ir 3Ge 5, and Yb 2Pt 3Sn 5) to compose the RE 2T 3X 5 phase space, are discussed in depth. For the three compounds with RE = Nd, Gd, and Tb, multiple magnetic transitions and metamagnetic behavior are observed. Lastly, electronic band structure calculations performed on La 2Ru 3Ge 5 indicate that these materials have a negative band gap and are semimetallic in nature.« less

Boosting the optical performance and commutation speed of phototransistor using SiGe/Si/Ge tunneling structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferhati, H.; Djeffal, F.

2018-06-01

In this paper, a new optically controlled tunneling field effect transistor (OC-TFET) based on SiGe/Si/Ge hetero-channel is proposed to improve optical commutation speed and reduce power consumption. An exhaustive study of the device switching behavior associated with different hetero-channel structures has been carried out using an accurate numerical simulation. Moreover, a new figure of Merit (FoM) parameter called optical swing factor that describes the phototransistor optical commutation speed is proposed. We demonstrate that the band-to-band tunneling effect can be beneficial for improving the device optical commutation speed. The impact of the Ge mole fraction of the SiGe source region on the device FoMs is investigated. It is found that the optimized design with 40% of Ge content offers the opportunity to overcome the trade-off between ultrafast and very sensitive photoreceiver performance, where it yields 48 mV/dec of optical swing factor and 155 dB of I ON /I OFF ratio. An overall performance comparison between the proposed OC-TFET device and the conventional designs is performed, where the proposed structure ensures high optical detectivity for very low optical powers (sub-1pW) as compared to that of the conventional counterparts. Therefore, the proposed OC-TFET provides the possibility for bridging the gap between improved optical commutation speed and reduced power consumption, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance inter-chip data communication applications.

Ultrafast photocarrier dynamics related to defect states of Si1-xGex nanowires measured by optical pump-THz probe spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bae, Jung Min; Lee, Woo-Jung; Jung, Seonghoon; Ma, Jin Won; Jeong, Kwang-Sik; Oh, Seung Hoon; Kim, Seongsin M; Suh, Dongchan; Song, Woobin; Kim, Sunjung; Park, Jaehun; Cho, Mann-Ho

2017-06-14

Slightly tapered Si 1-x Ge x nanowires (NWs) (x = 0.29-0.84) were synthesized via a vapor-liquid-solid procedure using Au as a catalyst. We measured the optically excited carrier dynamics of Si 1-x Ge x NWs as a function of Ge content using optical pump-THz probe spectroscopy. The measured -ΔT/T 0 signals of Si 1-x Ge x NWs were converted into conductivity in the THz region. We developed a fitting formula to apply to indirect semiconductors such as Si 1-x Ge x , which explains the temporal population of photo-excited carriers in the band structure and the relationship between the trapping time and the defect states on an ultrafast time scale. From the fitting results, we extracted intra- and inter-valley transition times and trapping times of electrons and holes of Si 1-x Ge x NWs as a function of Ge content. On the basis of theoretical reports, we suggest a physical model to interpret the trapping times related to the species of interface defect states located at the oxide/NW: substoichiometric oxide states of Si(Ge) 0+,1+,2+ , but not Si(Ge) 3+ , could function as defect states capturing photo-excited electrons or holes and could determine the different trapping times of electrons and holes depending on negatively or neutrally charged states.

Synchrotron x-ray thermal diffuse scattering probes for phonons in Si/SiGe/Si trilayer nanomembranes

DOE PAGES

McElhinny, Kyle M.; Gopalakrishnan, Gokul; Savage, Donald E.; ...

2016-05-17

Nanostructures offer the opportunity to control the vibrational properties of via the scattering of phonons due to boundaries and mass disorder as well as through changes in the phonon dispersion due to spatial confinement. Advances in understanding these effects have the potential to lead to thermoelectrics with an improved figure of merit by lowering the thermal conductivity and to provide insight into electron-phonon scattering rates in nanoelectronics. However, characterizing the phonon population in nanomaterials has been challenging because of their small volume and because optical techniques probe only a small fraction of reciprocal space. Recent developments in x-ray scattering nowmore » allow the phonon population to be evaluated across all of reciprocal space in samples with volumes as small as several cubic micrometers. We apply this approach, synchrotron x-ray thermal diffuse scattering (TDS), to probe the population of phonons within a Si/SiGe/Si trilayer nanomembrane. The distributions of scattered intensity from Si/SiGe/Si trilayer nanomembranes and Si nanomembranes with uniform composition are qualitatively similar, with features arising from the elastic anisotropy of the diamond structure. The TDS signal for the Si/SiGe/Si nanomembrane, however, has higher intensity than the Si membrane of the same total thickness by approximately 3.75%. Possible origins of the enhancement in scattering from SiGe in comparison with Si include the larger atomic scattering factor of Ge atoms within the SiGe layer or reduced phonon frequencies due to alloying.« less

DC heating induced shape transformation of Ge structures on ultraclean Si(5 5 12) surfaces.

PubMed

Dash, J K; Rath, A; Juluri, R R; Raman, P Santhana; Müller, K; Rosenauer, A; Satyam, P V

2011-04-06

We report the growth of Ge nanostructures and microstructures on ultraclean, high vicinal angle silicon surfaces and show that self-assembled growth at optimum thickness of the overlayer leads to interesting shape transformations, namely from nanoparticle to trapezoidal structures, at higher thickness values. Thin films of Ge of varying thickness from 3 to 12 ML were grown under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on a Si(5 5 12) substrate while keeping the substrate at a temperature of 600 °C. The substrate heating was achieved by two methods: (i) by heating a filament under the substrate (radiative heating, RH) and (ii) by passing direct current through the samples in three directions (perpendicular, parallel and at 45° to the (110) direction of the substrate). We find irregular, more spherical-like island structures under RH conditions. The shape transformations have been found under DC heating conditions and for Ge deposition more than 8 ML thick. The longer sides of the trapezoid structures are found to be along (110) irrespective of the DC current direction. We also show the absence of such a shape transformation in the case of Ge deposition on Si(111) substrates. Scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements suggested the mixing of Ge and Si. This has been confirmed with a quantitative estimation of the intermixing using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) measurements. The role of DC heating in the formation of aligned structures is discussed. Although the RBS simulations show the presence of a possible SiO(x) layer, under the experimental conditions of the present study, the oxide layer would not play a role in determining the formation of the various structures that were reported here.

Intersubband linear and nonlinear optical response of the delta-doped SiGe quantum well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duque, C. A.; Akimov, V.; Demediuk, R.; Belykh, V.; Tiutiunnyk, A.; Morales, A. L.; Restrepo, R. L.; Mora-Ramos, M. E.; Fomina, O.; Tulupenko, V.

2015-11-01

The degree of ionization, controlled by external fields, of delta-doped layers inside the quantum wells can affect their energy structure, therefore delta-doped QWs can be used to engineer different kinds of tunable THz optical devices on intersubband transitions. Here it is calculated and analyzed the linear and nonlinear (Kerr-type) optical response, including absorption coefficient and refractive index change of 20 nm-wide Si0.8Ge0.2/Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 QW structures n-delta-doped either at the center or at the edge of the well under different temperatures. The conduction subband energy structure was found self-consistently, including the calculation of the impurity binding energy. Our results show that the degree of ionization of the impurity layer as well as the heterostructure symmetry has a strong influence on optical properties of the structures in THz region.

Towards Resonant-State THz Laser Based on Strained p-Ge and SiGe QW Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

used. The relaxed compositionally graded Si1-xGex/Si(001) buffer layer with low threading dislocations density have been grown by chemical vapour ...observe in absorption experiments. 5. Intracenter optical transitions between hydrogenic levels in doped silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenid [P...34, b. Critical magnetic field Hc vs valence band splitting Δ. Lines show the calculated Hc(Δ) dependence. 14. The gallium -doped Ge crystals with

Promising features of low-temperature grown Ge nanostructures on Si(001) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ze; Wang, Shuguang; Yin, Yefei; Liu, Tao; Lin, Dongdong; Li, De-hui; Yang, Xinju; Jiang, Zuimin; Zhong, Zhenyang

2017-03-01

High-quality Ge nanostructures are obtained by molecular beam epitaxy of Ge on Si(001) substrates at 200 °C and ex situ annealing at 400 °C. Their structural properties are comprehensively characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is disclosed that they are almost defect free except for some defects at the Ge/Si interface and in the subsequent Si capping layer. The misfit strain in the nanostructure is substantially relaxed. Dramatically strong photoluminescence (PL) from the Ge nanostructures is observed. Detailed analyses on the power- and temperature-dependent PL spectra, together with a self-consistent calculation, indicate the confinement and the high quantum efficiency of excitons within the Ge nanostructures. Our results demonstrate that the Ge nanostructures obtained via the present feasible route may have great potential in optoelectronic devices for monolithic optical-electronic integration circuits.

Performance analysis of GeSn-alloy-based multiple quantum well transistor laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, Ravi; Pareek, Prakash; Anwer Askari, Syed Sadique; Das, Mukul K.

2018-02-01

The Group IV Photonics (GFP) which include an alloy of Si, Ge & Sn that gives a direct bandgap material (GeSn, SiGeSn) in near and mid-IR region used as an active material in photonics devices. The multiple quantum well SiGeSn/GeSn transistor laser structure is considered in this paper and performance parameters are evaluated for the same. The result shows that the threshold base current density (2.6 kA/cm2) for the proposed device initially decreases with increasing number of quantum well (QW) and later on it saturates. The current gain and output photon density of the device decreases and increases respectively, with increasing number of QW.

Silicon-germanium and platinum silicide nanostructures for silicon based photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storozhevykh, M. S.; Dubkov, V. P.; Arapkina, L. V.; Chizh, K. V.; Mironov, S. A.; Chapnin, V. A.; Yuryev, V. A.

2017-05-01

This paper reports a study of two types of silicon based nanostructures prospective for applications in photonics. The first ones are Ge/Si(001) structures forming at room temperature and reconstructing after annealing at 600°C. Germanium, being deposited from a molecular beam at room temperature on the Si(001) surface, forms a thin granular film composed of Ge particles with sizes of a few nanometers. A characteristic feature of these films is that they demonstrate signs of the 2 x 1 structure in their RHEED patterns. After short-term annealing at 600°C under the closed system conditions, the granular films reconstruct to heterostructures consisting of a Ge wetting layer and oval clusters of Ge. A mixed type c(4x2) + p(2x2) reconstruction typical to the low-temperature MBE (Tgr < 600°C) forms on the wetting layer. Long-term annealing of granular films at the same conditions results in formation of c(4x2)-reconstructed wetting layer typical to high-temperature MBE (Tgr < 600°C) and huge clusters of Ge. The other type of the studied nanostructures is based on Pt silicides. This class of materials is one of the friendliest to silicon technology. But as silicide film thickness reaches a few nanometers, low resistivity becomes of primary importance. Pt3Si has the lowest sheet resistance among the Pt silicides. However, the development of a process of thin Pt3Si films formation is a challenging task. This paper describes formation of a thin Pt3Si/Pt2Si structures at room temperature on poly-Si films. Special attention is paid upon formation of poly-Si and amorphous Si films on Si3N4 substrates at low temperatures.

Realisation of magnetically and atomically abrupt half-metal/semiconductor interface: Co2FeSi0.5Al0.5/Ge(111)

PubMed Central

Nedelkoski, Zlatko; Kuerbanjiang, Balati; Glover, Stephanie E.; Sanchez, Ana M.; Kepaptsoglou, Demie; Ghasemi, Arsham; Burrows, Christopher W.; Yamada, Shinya; Hamaya, Kohei; Ramasse, Quentin M.; Hasnip, Philip J.; Hase, Thomas; Bell, Gavin R.; Hirohata, Atsufumi; Lazarov, Vlado K.

2016-01-01

Halfmetal-semiconductor interfaces are crucial for hybrid spintronic devices. Atomically sharp interfaces with high spin polarisation are required for efficient spin injection. In this work we show that thin film of half-metallic full Heusler alloy Co2FeSi0.5Al0.5 with uniform thickness and B2 ordering can form structurally abrupt interface with Ge(111). Atomic resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy reveals that there is a small outdiffusion of Ge into specific atomic planes of the Co2FeSi0.5Al0.5 film, limited to a very narrow 1 nm interface region. First-principles calculations show that this selective outdiffusion along the Fe-Si/Al atomic planes does not change the magnetic moment of the film up to the very interface. Polarized neutron reflectivity, x-ray reflectivity and aberration-corrected electron microscopy confirm that this interface is both magnetically and structurally abrupt. Finally, using first-principles calculations we show that this experimentally realised interface structure, terminated by Co-Ge bonds, preserves the high spin polarization at the Co2FeSi0.5Al0.5/Ge interface, hence can be used as a model to study spin injection from half-metals into semiconductors. PMID:27869132

Temperature dependence of the interband critical points of bulk Ge and strained Ge on Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernando, Nalin S.; Nunley, T. Nathan; Ghosh, Ayana; Nelson, Cayla M.; Cooke, Jacqueline A.; Medina, Amber A.; Zollner, Stefan; Xu, Chi; Menendez, Jose; Kouvetakis, John

2017-11-01

Epitaxial Ge layers on a Si substrate experience a tensile biaxial stress due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the Ge epilayer and the Si substrate, which can be measured using asymmetric X-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps. This stress depends on temperature and affects the band structure, interband critical points, and optical spectra. This manuscripts reports careful measurements of the temperature dependence of the dielectric function and the interband critical point parameters of bulk Ge and Ge epilayers on Si using spectroscopic ellipsometry from 80 to 780 K and from 0.8 to 6.5 eV. The authors find a temperature-dependent redshift of the E1 and E1 + Δ1 critical points in Ge on Si (relative to bulk Ge). This redshift can be described well with a model based on thermal expansion coefficients, continuum elasticity theory, and the deformation potential theory for interband transitions. The interband transitions leading to E0‧ and E2 critical points have lower symmetry and therefore are not affected by the stress.

Selected AB4 2−/− (A = C, Si, Ge; B = Al, Ga, In) ions: a battle between covalency and aromaticity, and prediction of square planar Si in SiIn4 2−/−†

PubMed Central

Alexandrova, Anastassia N.; Nayhouse, Michael J.; Huynh, Mioy T.; Kuo, Jonathan L.; Melkonian, Arek V.; Chavez, Gerardo; Hernando, Nina M.; Kowal, Matthew D.; Liu, Chi-Ping

2012-01-01

CAl4 2−/− (D4h, 1A1g) is a cluster ion that has been established to be planar, aromatic, and contain a tetracoordinate planar C atom. Valence isoelectronic substitution of C with Si and Ge in this cluster leads to a radical change of structure toward distorted pentagonal species. We find that this structural change goes together with the cluster acquiring partial covalency of bonding between Si/Ge and Al4, facilitated by hybridization of the atomic orbitals (AOs). Counter intuitively, for the AAl4 2−/− (A = C, Si, Ge) clusters, hybridization in the dopant atom is strengthened from C, to Si, and to Ge, even though typically AOs are more likely to hybridize if they are closer in energy (i.e. in earlier elements in the Periodic Table). The trend is explained by the better overlap of the hybrids of the heavier dopants with the orbitals of Al4. From the thus understood trend, it is inferred that covalency in such clusters can be switched off, by varying the relative sizes of the AOs of the main element and the dopant. Using this mechanism, we then successfully killed covalency in Si, and predicted a new aromatic cluster ion containing a tetracoordinate square planar Si, SiIn4 2−/−. PMID:22868353

Laser-induced self-organization in silicon-germanium thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weizman, M.; Nickel, N. H.; Sieber, I.

We report on the formation of self-organized structures in thin films of silicon-germanium (Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x}) with 0.3

Nanoengineering of an Si/MnGe quantum dot superlattice for high Curie-temperature ferromagnetism.

PubMed

Nie, Tianxiao; Kou, Xufeng; Tang, Jianshi; Fan, Yabin; Lee, Shengwei; He, Qinglin; Chang, Li-Te; Murata, Koichi; Gen, Yin; Wang, Kang L

2017-03-02

The realization and application of spintronic devices would be dramatically advanced if room-temperature ferromagnetism could be integrated into semiconductor nanostructures, especially when compatible with mature silicon technology. Herein, we report the observation of such a system - an Si/MnGe superlattice with quantum dots well aligned in the vertical direction successfully grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Such a unique system could take full advantage of the type-II energy band structure of the Si/Ge heterostructure, which could trap the holes inside MnGe QDs, significantly enhancing the hole-mediated ferromagnetism. Magnetic measurements indeed found that the superlattice structure exhibited a Curie temperature of above 400 K. Furthermore, zero-field cooling and field cooling curves could confirm the absence of ferromagnetic compounds, such as Ge 8 Mn 11 (T c ∼ 270 K) and Ge 3 Mn 5 (T c ∼ 296 K) in our system. Magnetotransport measurement revealed a clear magnetoresistance transition from negative to positive and a pronounced anomalous Hall effect. Such a unique Si/MnGe superlattice sets a new stage for strengthening ferromagnetism due to the enhanced hole-mediation by quantum confinement, which can be exploited for realizing the room-temperature Ge-based spin field-effect transistors in the future.

A Versatile Low Temperature Synthetic Route to Zintl Phase Precursors: Na4Si4, Na4Ge4 and K4Ge4 as Examples

PubMed Central

Ma, Xuchu; Xu, Fen; Atkins, Tonya; Goforth, Andrea M.; Neiner, Doinita; Navrotsky, Alexandra; Kauzlarich, Susan M.

2010-01-01

Na4Si4 and Na4Ge4 are ideal chemical precursors for inorganic clathrate structures, clusters, and nanocrystals. The monoclinic Zintl phases, Na4Si4 and Na4Ge4, contain isolated homo-tetrahedranide [Si4]4− and [Ge4]4− clusters surrounded by alkali metal cations. In this study, a simple scalable route has been applied to prepare Zintl phases of composition Na4Si4 and Na4Ge4 using the reaction between NaH and Si or Ge at low temperature (420 °C for Na4Si4 and 270 °C for Na4Ge4). The method was also applied to K4Ge4, using KH and Ge as raw materials, to show the versatility of this approach. The influence of specific reaction conditions on the purity of these Zintl phases has been studied by controlling five factors: the method of reagent mixing (manual or ball milled), the stoichiometry between raw materials, the reaction temperature, the heating time and the gas flow rate. Moderate ball-milling and excess NaH or KH facilitate the formation of pure Na4Si4, Na4Ge4 or K4Ge4 at 420 °C (Na4Si4) or 270 °C (both M4Ge4 compounds, M = Na, K). TG/DSC analysis of the reaction of NaH and Ge indicates that ball milling reduces the temperature for reaction and confirms the formation temperature. This method provides large quantities of high quality Na4Si4 and Na4Ge4 without the need for specialized laboratory equipment, such as Schlenk lines, niobium/tantalum containers, or an arc welder, thereby expanding the accessibility and chemical utility of these phases by making them more convenient to prepare. This new synthetic method may also be extended to lithium-containing Zintl phases (LiH is commercially available) as well as to alkali metal-tetrel Zintl compounds of other compositions, e.g. K4Ge9. PMID:19921060

Investigating the Structural, Thermal, and Electronic Properties of the Zircon-Type ZrSiO4, ZrGeO4 and HfSiO4 Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiker, Fafa; Boukabrine, Fatiha; Khachai, H.; Khenata, R.; Mathieu, C.; Bin Omran, S.; Syrotyuk, S. V.; Ahmed, W. K.; Murtaza, G.

2016-11-01

In the present study, the structural, thermal, and electronic properties of some important orthosilicate dielectrics, such as the ZrSiO4, ZrGeO4, and HfSiO4 compounds, have been investigated theoretically with the use of first-principle calculations. We attribute the application of the modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential, which is basically an improvement over the local density approximation and the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof exchange-correlation functional, for a better description of the band gaps of the compounds. This resulted in a good agreement with our estimated values in comparison with the reported experimental data, specifically for the ZrSiO4, and HfSiO4 compounds. Conversely, for the ZrGeO4 compound, the calculated electronic band structure shows a direct band gap at the Γ point with the value of 5.79 eV. Furthermore, our evaluated thermal properties that are calculated by using the quasi-harmonic Debye model indicated that the volume variation with temperature is higher in the ZrGeO4 compound as compared to both the ZrSiO4 and HfSiO4 compounds, which is ascribed to the difference between the electron shells of the Si and Ge atoms. Therefore, these results also indicate that while the entropy ( S) and enthalpy ( U) parameters increase monotonically, the free energy ( G), in contrast, decreases monotonically with increasing temperature, respectively. Moreover, the pressure and temperature dependencies of the Debye temperature Θ, thermal expansion coefficient, and heat capacities C V were also predicted in our study.

Rational design of monocrystalline (InP)(y)Ge(5-2y)/Ge/Si(100) semiconductors: synthesis and optical properties.

PubMed

Sims, Patrick E; Chizmeshya, Andrew V G; Jiang, Liying; Beeler, Richard T; Poweleit, Christian D; Gallagher, James; Smith, David J; Menéndez, José; Kouvetakis, John

2013-08-21

In this work, we extend our strategy previously developed to synthesize functional, crystalline Si(5-2y)(AlX)y {X = N,P,As} semiconductors to a new class of Ge-III-V hybrid compounds, leading to the creation of (InP)(y)Ge(5-2y) analogues. The compounds are grown directly on Ge-buffered Si(100) substrates using gas source MBE by tuning the interaction between Ge-based P(GeH3)3 precursors and In atoms to yield nanoscale "In-P-Ge3" building blocks, which then confer their molecular structure and composition to form the target solids via complete elimination of H2. The collateral production of reactive germylene (GeH2), via partial decomposition of P(GeH3)3, is achieved by simple adjustment of the deposition conditions, leading to controlled Ge enrichment of the solid product relative to the stoichiometric InPGe3 composition. High resolution XRD, XTEM, EDX, and RBS indicate that the resultant monocrystalline (InP)(y)Ge(5-2y) alloys with y = 0.3-0.7 are tetragonally strained and fully coherent with the substrate and possess a cubic diamond-like structure. Molecular and solid-state ab initio density functional theory (DFT) simulations support the viability of "In-P-Ge3" building-block assembly of the proposed crystal structures, which consist of a Ge parent crystal in which the P atoms form a third-nearest-neighbor sublattice and "In-P" dimers are oriented to exclude energetically unfavorable In-In bonding. The observed InP concentration dependence of the lattice constant is closely reproduced by DFT simulation of these model structures. Raman spectroscopy and ellipsometry are also consistent with the "In-P-Ge3" building-block interpretation of the crystal structure, while the observation of photoluminescence suggests that (InP)(y)Ge(5-2y) may have important optoelectronic applications.

Growth and characterization of low composition Ge, x in epi-Si1‑x Gex (x  ⩽  10%) active layer for fabrication of hydrogenated bottom solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajmal Khan, M.; Sato, R.; Sawano, K.; Sichanugrist, P.; Lukianov, A.; Ishikawa, Y.

2018-05-01

Semiconducting epi-Si1‑x Ge x alloys have promising features as solar cell materials and may be equally important for some other semiconductor device applications. Variation of the germanium compositional, x in epi-Si1‑x Ge x , makes it possible to control the bandgap between 1.12 eV and 0.68 eV for application in bottom solar cells. A low proportion of Ge in SiGe alloy can be used for photovoltaic application in a bottom cell to complete the four-terminal tandem structure with wide bandgap materials. In this research, we aimed to use a low proportion of Ge—about 10%—in strained or relaxed c-Si1‑x Ge x /c-Si heterojunctions (HETs), with or without insertion of a Si buffer layer grown by molecular beam epitaxy, to investigate the influence of the relaxed or strained SiGe active layer on the performance of HET solar cells grown using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. Thanks to the c-Si buffer layer at the hetero-interface, the efficiency of these SiGe based HET solar cells was improved from 2.3% to 3.5% (fully strained and with buffer layer). The Jsc was improved, from 8 mA cm‑2 to 15.46 mA cm‑2, which might be supported by strained c-Si buffer layer at the hetero-interface, by improving the crystalline quality.

Nucleation-controlled low-temperature solid-phase crystallization for Sn-doped polycrystalline-Ge film on insulator with high carrier mobility (˜550 cm2/V s)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chang; Gao, Hongmiao; Sugino, Takayuki; Miyao, Masanobu; Sadoh, Taizoh

2018-06-01

High-speed thin-film transistors (TFTs) are required to develop the next generation of electronics, such as three-dimensional large-scale integrated circuits and advanced system-in-displays. For this purpose, high-carrier-mobility semiconductor films on insulator structures should be fabricated with low-temperature processing conditions (≤500 °C). To achieve this, we investigate solid-phase crystallization of amorphous-GeSn (a-GeSn) films (Sn concentration: 2% and thickness: 50-200 nm) on insulating substrates, where thin a-Si under-layers (thickness: 0-20 nm) are introduced between a-GeSn films and insulating substrates. The GeSn films are polycrystallized by annealing (450 °C, 20 h) for all samples irrespective of a-GeSn and a-Si thickness conditions, while the Si films remain amorphous. Analysis of crystal structures of GeSn films (thickness: 50 nm) reveals that grain sizes decrease from ˜10 μm to 2-3 μm by the introduction of a-Si under-layers (thickness: 3-20 nm). This phenomenon is attributed to the change in dominant nucleation sites from the interface to the bulk, which significantly decreases grain-boundary scattering of carriers through a decrease in the barrier heights at grain boundaries. Bulk-nucleation further becomes dominant by increasing the GeSn film thickness. As a result, a high carrier mobility of ˜550 cm2/V s is realized for GeSn films (thickness: 100 nm) grown with a-Si under-layers. This mobility is the largest among ever reported data for Ge and GeSn grown on an insulator. This technique will facilitate realization of high-speed TFTs for use in the next generation of electronics.

Delayed plastic relaxation limit in SiGe islands grown by Ge diffusion from a local source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanacore, G. M.; Zani, M.; Tagliaferri, A., E-mail: alberto.tagliaferri@polimi.it

2015-03-14

The hetero-epitaxial strain relaxation in nano-scale systems plays a fundamental role in shaping their properties. Here, the elastic and plastic relaxation of self-assembled SiGe islands grown by surface-thermal-diffusion from a local Ge solid source on Si(100) are studied by atomic force and transmission electron microscopies, enabling the simultaneous investigation of the strain relaxation in different dynamical regimes. Islands grown by this technique remain dislocation-free and preserve a structural coherence with the substrate for a base width as large as 350 nm. The results indicate that a delay of the plastic relaxation is promoted by an enhanced Si-Ge intermixing, induced by themore » surface-thermal-diffusion, which takes place already in the SiGe overlayer before the formation of a critical nucleus. The local entropy of mixing dominates, leading the system toward a thermodynamic equilibrium, where non-dislocated, shallow islands with a low residual stress are energetically stable. These findings elucidate the role of the interface dynamics in modulating the lattice distortion at the nano-scale, and highlight the potential use of our growth strategy to create composition and strain-controlled nano-structures for new-generation devices.« less

Structural Analyses of Phase Stability in Amorphous and Partially Crystallized Ge-Rich GeTe Films Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition.

PubMed

Gwon, Taehong; Mohamed, Ahmed Yousef; Yoo, Chanyoung; Park, Eui-Sang; Kim, Sanggyun; Yoo, Sijung; Lee, Han-Koo; Cho, Deok-Yong; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2017-11-29

The local bonding structures of Ge x Te 1-x (x = 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) films prepared through atomic layer deposition (ALD) with Ge(N(Si(CH 3 ) 3 ) 2 ) 2 and ((CH 3 ) 3 Si) 2 Te precursors were investigated using Ge K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The results of the X-ray absorption fine structure analyses show that for all of the compositions, the as-grown films were amorphous with a tetrahedral Ge coordination of a mixture of Ge-Te and Ge-Ge bonds but without any signature of Ge-GeTe decomposition. The compositional evolution in the valence band electronic structures probed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests a substantial chemical influence of additional Ge on the nonstoichiometric GeTe. This implies that the ALD process can stabilize Ge-abundant bonding networks like -Te-Ge-Ge-Te- in amorphous GeTe. Meanwhile, the XAS results on the Ge-rich films that had undergone post-deposition annealing at 350 °C show that the parts of the crystalline Ge-rich GeTe became separated into Ge crystallites and rhombohedral GeTe in accordance with the bulk phase diagram, whereas the disordered GeTe domains still remained, consistent with the observations of transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Therefore, amorphousness in GeTe may be essential for the nonsegregated Ge-rich phases and the low growth temperature of the ALD enables the achievement of the structurally metastable phases.

Photochemical process of divalent germanium responsible for photorefractive index change in GeO2-SiO2 glasses.

PubMed

Sakoh, Akifumi; Takahashi, Masahide; Yoko, Toshinobu; Nishii, Junji; Nishiyama, Hiroaki; Miyamoto, Isamu

2003-10-20

The photoluminescence spectra of the divalent Ge (Ge2+) center in GeO2-SiO2 glasses with different photosensitivities were investigated by means of excitation-emission energy mapping. The ultraviolet light induced photorefractivity has been correlated with the local structure around the Ge2+ centers. The glasses with a larger photorefractivity tended to exhibit a greater band broadening of the singlet-singlet transition on the higher excitation energy side accompanied by an increase in the Stokes shifts. This strongly suggests the existence of highly photosensitive Ge2+ centers with higher excitation energies. It is also found that the introduction of a hydroxyl group or boron species in GeO2-SiO2 glasses under appropriate conditions modifies the local environment of Ge2+ leading to an enhanced photorefractivity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexandrova, Anastassia N.; Nayhouse, Michael J.; Huynh, Mioy T.

CAl₄²-/- (D₄h, ¹A₁g) is is a cluster ion that has been established to be planar, aromatic, and contain a tetracoordinate planar C atom. Valence isoelectronic substitution of C with Si and Ge in this cluster leads to a radical change of structure toward distorted pentagonal species. We find that this structural change goes together with the cluster acquiring partial covalency of bonding between Si/Ge and Al₄, facilitated by hybridization of the atomic orbitals (AOs). Counter intuitively, for the AAl₄²-/- (A = C, Si, Ge) clusters, hybridization in the dopant atom is strengthened from C, to Si, and to Ge, evenmore » though typically AOs are more likely to hybridize if they are closer in energy (i.e. in earlier elements in the Periodic Table). The trend is explained by the better overlap of the hybrids of the heavier dopants with the orbitals of Al₄. From the thus understood trend, it is inferred that covalency in such clusters can be switched off, by varying the relative sizes of the AOs of the main element and the dopant. Using this mechanism, we then successfully killed covalency in Si, and predicted a new aromatic cluster ion containing a tetracoordinate square planar Si, SiIn₄²-/-.« less

Development of a high-voltage waveguide photodetector comprised of Schottky diodes and based on the Ge-Si structure with Ge quantum dots for portable thermophotovoltaic converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakhanov, N. A.; Pchelyakov, O. P.; Yakimov, A. I.; Voitsekhovskii, A. V.

2017-03-01

This paper demontstrates the possibility of developing a high-voltage waveguide photodetector comprised of Schottky diodes and based on a Au/Ge — Si structure with Ge quantum dots pseudomorphic to a silicon matrix, which ensures an increase in the external quantum yield and open-circuit voltage. It is shown on this photodetector that there is a great increase and broadening in sensitivity up to λ = 2.1 μm, which coincides with the main radiation range of a black (gray) body at the emitter temperatures from 1200 to 1700 °C, practically used in thermophotovoltaic converters. This state of the ensemble of Ge quantum dots by means of molecular beam epitaxy can be obtained only under the condition of low growth temperature (250-300 °C). It is established that, below the Si absorption edge, photoresponse on the photodetectors under consideration is determined by two main mechanisms: absorption on the ensemble of Ge quantum dots and Fowler emission. It is shown by the analysis of the Raman scattering spectra on the optical photons of Ge-Si structures that the quantum efficiency of photodetectors based on them in the first case is due to the degree of nonuniform stress relaxation in the array of Ge quantum dots. The photoresponse directly associated with the Ge quantum dots is manifested on Schottky diodes with a superthin intermediate oxide layer SiO2, which eliminates the second mechanism. In further development, the proposed photodetector architecture with pseudomorphic Ge quantum dots can be used both for portable thermophotovoltaic converters and fiber-optic data transmission systems at wavelengths corresponding to basic telecommunication standards (λ = 0.85, 1.3 and 1.55, 1.3, and 1.55 μm) on the basis of silicon technologies.

Low-temperature photoluminescence study of thin epitaxial GaAs films on Ge substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brammertz, Guy; Mols, Yves; Degroote, Stefan; Motsnyi, Vasyl; Leys, Maarten; Borghs, Gustaaf; Caymax, Matty

2006-05-01

Thin epitaxial GaAs films, with thickness varying from 140 to 1000 nm and different Si doping levels, were grown at 650 °C by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on Ge substrates and analyzed by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. All spectra of thin GaAs on Ge show two different structures, one narrow band-to-band (B2B) structure at an energy of ~1.5 eV and a broad inner-band-gap (IB) structure at an energy of ~1.1 eV. Small strain in the thin GaAs films causes the B2B structure to be separated into a light-hole and a heavy-hole peak. At 2.5 K the good structural quality of the thin GaAs films on Ge can be observed from the narrow excitonic peaks. Peak widths of less than 1 meV are measured. GaAs films with thickness smaller than 200 nm show B2B PL spectra with characteristics of an n-type doping level of approximately 1018 at./cm3. This is caused by heavy Ge diffusion from the substrate into the GaAs at the heterointerface between the two materials. The IB structure observed in all films consists of two Gaussian peaks with energies of 1.04 and 1.17 eV. These deep trapping states arise from Ge-based complexes formed within the GaAs at the Ge-GaAs heterointerface, due to strong diffusion of Ge atoms into the GaAs. Because of similarities with Si-based complexes, the peak at 1.04 eV was identified to be due to a GeGa-GeAs complex, whereas the peak at 1.17 eV was attributed to the GeGa-VGa complex. The intensity of the IB structure decreases strongly as the GaAs film thickness is increased. PL intensity of undoped GaAs films containing antiphase domains (APDs) is four orders of magnitude lower than for similar films without APDs. This reduction in intensity is due to the electrically active Ga-Ga and As-As bonds at the boundaries between the different APDs. When the Si doping level is increased, the PL intensity of the APD-containing films is increased again as well. A film containing APDs with a Si doping level of ~1018 at./cm3 has only a factor 10 reduced intensity. We tentatively explain this observation by Si or Ge clustering at antiphase boundaries, which eliminates the effects of the Ga-Ga and As-As bonds. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that, at 77 K, the ratio between the intensity of the IB peak at 1.17 eV to the intensity of the peak at 1.04 eV is smaller than 1.4 for all films containing APDs, whereas it is larger than 1.4 for all films without APDs. This shows stronger clustering of Si or Ge in the material with APDs. For future electronic applications, Ge diffusion into the GaAs will have to be reduced. PL analysis will be a rapid tool for studying the Ge diffusion into the GaAs thin films.

Ge/Si(001) heterostructures with dense arrays of Ge quantum dots: morphology, defects, photo-emf spectra and terahertz conductivity

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Issues of Ge hut cluster array formation and growth at low temperatures on the Ge/Si(001) wetting layer are discussed on the basis of explorations performed by high resolution STM and in-situ RHEED. Dynamics of the RHEED patterns in the process of Ge hut array formation is investigated at low and high temperatures of Ge deposition. Different dynamics of RHEED patterns during the deposition of Ge atoms in different growth modes is observed, which reflects the difference in adatom mobility and their ‘condensation’ fluxes from Ge 2D gas on the surface for different modes, which in turn control the nucleation rates and densities of Ge clusters. Data of HRTEM studies of multilayer Ge/Si heterostructures are presented with the focus on low-temperature formation of perfect films. Heteroepitaxial Si p–i–n-diodes with multilayer stacks of Ge/Si(001) quantum dot dense arrays built in intrinsic domains have been investigated and found to exhibit the photo-emf in a wide spectral range from 0.8 to 5 μm. An effect of wide-band irradiation by infrared light on the photo-emf spectra has been observed. Photo-emf in different spectral ranges has been found to be differently affected by the wide-band irradiation. A significant increase in photo-emf is observed in the fundamental absorption range under the wide-band irradiation. The observed phenomena are explained in terms of positive and neutral charge states of the quantum dot layers and the Coulomb potential of the quantum dot ensemble. A new design of quantum dot infrared photodetectors is proposed. By using a coherent source spectrometer, first measurements of terahertz dynamical conductivity (absorptivity) spectra of Ge/Si(001) heterostructures were performed at frequencies ranged from 0.3 to 1.2 THz in the temperature interval from 300 to 5 K. The effective dynamical conductivity of the heterostructures with Ge quantum dots has been discovered to be significantly higher than that of the structure with the same amount of bulk germanium (not organized in an array of quantum dots). The excess conductivity is not observed in the structures with the Ge coverage less than 8 Å. When a Ge/Si(001) sample is cooled down the conductivity of the heterostructure decreases. PMID:22824144

Ge/Si(001) heterostructures with dense arrays of Ge quantum dots: morphology, defects, photo-emf spectra and terahertz conductivity.

PubMed

Yuryev, Vladimir A; Arapkina, Larisa V; Storozhevykh, Mikhail S; Chapnin, Valery A; Chizh, Kirill V; Uvarov, Oleg V; Kalinushkin, Victor P; Zhukova, Elena S; Prokhorov, Anatoly S; Spektor, Igor E; Gorshunov, Boris P

2012-07-23

: Issues of Ge hut cluster array formation and growth at low temperatures on the Ge/Si(001) wetting layer are discussed on the basis of explorations performed by high resolution STM and in-situ RHEED. Dynamics of the RHEED patterns in the process of Ge hut array formation is investigated at low and high temperatures of Ge deposition. Different dynamics of RHEED patterns during the deposition of Ge atoms in different growth modes is observed, which reflects the difference in adatom mobility and their 'condensation' fluxes from Ge 2D gas on the surface for different modes, which in turn control the nucleation rates and densities of Ge clusters. Data of HRTEM studies of multilayer Ge/Si heterostructures are presented with the focus on low-temperature formation of perfect films.Heteroepitaxial Si p-i-n-diodes with multilayer stacks of Ge/Si(001) quantum dot dense arrays built in intrinsic domains have been investigated and found to exhibit the photo-emf in a wide spectral range from 0.8 to 5 μm. An effect of wide-band irradiation by infrared light on the photo-emf spectra has been observed. Photo-emf in different spectral ranges has been found to be differently affected by the wide-band irradiation. A significant increase in photo-emf is observed in the fundamental absorption range under the wide-band irradiation. The observed phenomena are explained in terms of positive and neutral charge states of the quantum dot layers and the Coulomb potential of the quantum dot ensemble. A new design of quantum dot infrared photodetectors is proposed.By using a coherent source spectrometer, first measurements of terahertz dynamical conductivity (absorptivity) spectra of Ge/Si(001) heterostructures were performed at frequencies ranged from 0.3 to 1.2 THz in the temperature interval from 300 to 5 K. The effective dynamical conductivity of the heterostructures with Ge quantum dots has been discovered to be significantly higher than that of the structure with the same amount of bulk germanium (not organized in an array of quantum dots). The excess conductivity is not observed in the structures with the Ge coverage less than 8 Å. When a Ge/Si(001) sample is cooled down the conductivity of the heterostructure decreases.

Sn - Induced decomposition of SiGeSn alloys grown on Si by molecular-beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talochkin, A. B.; Timofeev, V. A.; Gutakovskii, A. K.; Mashanov, V. I.

2017-11-01

Structural features of Si1-x-yGexSny alloy layers grown on Si by molecular-beam epitaxy are studied. These layers with the thickness of 2.0 nm, the nominal Ge composition of x0 ≈ 0.3, and the Sn-content of y ≈ 2-6 at.% have been grown at low temperatures (100-150 °C). We have used high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to analyze atomic structure of grown layers and Raman spectroscopy to evaluate the real Ge-content x from the observed optical phonon frequencies. It is found that the x value coincides with the nominal one at low Sn-content (2-3 at.%), and when it is increased (y ≥ 5 at.%), the decomposition of alloys into two fractions occurs. One of them is enriched by Ge with x up to 0.6 and the other fraction is Si-enriched. It is shown that the observed decomposition is Sn-induced and related to increase in Ge adatoms mobility in the growth process. This mechanism is similar to that theoretically predicted by Venezuela and Tersoff (Phys. Rev. 58, 10871 (1998)) for the case of high growth temperature.

Facet-selective nucleation and conformal epitaxy of Ge shells on Si nanowires

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Binh -Minh; Swartzentruber, Brian; Ro, Yun Goo; ...

2015-10-08

Knowledge of nanoscale heteroepitaxy is continually evolving as advances in material synthesis reveal new mechanisms that have not been theoretically predicted and are different than what is known about planar structures. In addition to a wide range of potential applications, core/shell nanowire structures offer a useful template to investigate heteroepitaxy at the atomistic scale. We show that the growth of a Ge shell on a Si core can be tuned from the theoretically predicted island growth mode to a conformal, crystalline, and smooth shell by careful adjustment of growth parameters in a narrow growth window that has not been exploredmore » before. In the latter growth mode, Ge adatoms preferentially nucleate islands on the {113} facets of the Si core, which outgrow over the {220} facets. Islands on the low-energy {111} facets appear to have a nucleation delay compared to the {113} islands; however, they eventually coalesce to form a crystalline conformal shell. As a result, synthesis of epitaxial and conformal Si/Ge/Si core/multishell structures enables us to fabricate unique cylindrical ring nanowire field-effect transistors, which we demonstrate to have steeper on/off characteristics than conventional core/shell nanowire transistors.« less

Enhancement-mode two-channel triple quantum dot from an undoped Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 quantum well hetero-structure.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Studenikin, S. A.; Gaudreau, L.; Kataoka, K.

We demonstrate coupled triple dot operation and charge sensing capability for the recently introduced quantum dot technology employing undoped Si/Si 0.8Ge 0.2 hetero-structures which also incorporate a single metal-gate layer to simplify fabrication [T. M. Lu et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109, 093102 (2016)]. Si/SiGe hetero-structures with a Ge concentration of 20% rather than the more usual 30% typically encountered offer higher electron mobility. The devices consist of two in-plane parallel electron channels that host a double dot in one channel and a single dot in the other channel. In a device where the channels are sufficiently close a triplemore » dot in a triangular configuration is induced leading to regions in the charge stability diagram where three addition lines of different slope approach each other and anti-cross. In a device where the channels are further apart the single dot charge-senses the double dot with relative change of ~2% in the sensor current. We also highlight temporal drifting and metastability of the Coulomb oscillations. These effects are induced if the temperature environment of the device is not kept constant and arise from non-equilibrium charge redistribution and subsequent slow recovery.« less

First principles study of crystal Si-doped Ge2Sb2Te5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Beibei; Yang, Fei; Chen, Tian; Wang, Minglei; Chang, Hong; Ke, Daoming; Dai, Yuehua

2017-02-01

Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) and Si-doped GST with hexagonal structure were investigated by means of First-principles calcucations. We performed many kinds of doping types and studied the electronic properties of Si-doped GST with various Si concentrations. The theoretical calculations show that the lowest formation energy appeared when Si atoms substitute the Sb atoms (SiSb). With the increasing of Si concentrations from 10% to 30%, the impurity states arise around the Fermi level and the band gap of the SiSb structure broadens. Meanwhile, the doping supercell has the most favorable structure when the doping concentration keeps in 20%. The Si-doped GST exhibits p-type metallic characteristics more distinctly owing to the Fermi level moves toward the valence band. The Te p, d-orbitals electrons have greater impact on electronic properties than that of Te s-orbitals.

Strain-induced structure transformations on Si(111) and Ge(111) surfaces: a combined density-functional and scanning tunneling microscopy study.

PubMed

Zhachuk, R; Teys, S; Coutinho, J

2013-06-14

Si(111) and Ge(111) surface formation energies were calculated using density functional theory for various biaxial strain states ranging from -0.04 to 0.04, and for a wide set of experimentally observed surface reconstructions: 3 × 3, 5 × 5, 7 × 7 dimer-adatom-stacking fault reconstructions and c(2 × 8), 2 × 2, and √3×√3 adatoms based surfaces. The calculations are compared with scanning tunneling microscopy data obtained on stepped Si(111) surfaces and on Ge islands grown on a Si(111) substrate. It is shown that the surface structure transformations observed in these strained systems are accounted for by a phase diagram that relates the equilibrium surface structure to the applied strain. The calculated formation energy of the unstrained Si(111)-9 × 9 dimer-adatom-stacking fault surface is reported for the first time and it is higher than corresponding energies of Si(111)-5 × 5 and Si(111)-7 × 7 dimer-adatom-stacking fault surfaces as expected. We predict that the Si(111) surface should adopt a c(2 × 8) reconstruction when tensile strain is above 0.03.

Why are SiX5(-) and GeX5(-) (X = F, Cl) stable but not CF5(-) and CCl5(-)?

PubMed

Marchaj, Marzena; Freza, Sylwia; Skurski, Piotr

2012-03-01

The possible existence of the CF(5)(-), CCl(5)(-), SiF(5)(-), SiCl(5)(-), GeF(5)(-), and GeCl(5)(-) anions has been investigated using ab initio methods. The species containing Si and Ge as central atoms were found to adopt the D(3h)-symmetry trigonal bipyramidal equilibrium structures whose thermodynamic stabilities were confirmed by examining the most probable fragmentation channels. The ab initio re-examination of the electronic stabilities of the SiF(5)(-), SiCl(5)(-), GeF(5)(-), and GeCl(5)(-) anions [using the OVGF(full) method with the 6-311+G(3df) basis set] led to the very large vertical electron detachment (VDE) energies of 9.316 eV (SiF(5)(-)) and 9.742 eV (GeF(5)(-)), whereas smaller VDEs of 6.196 and 6.452 eV were predicted for the SiCl(5)(-) and GeCl(5)(-) species, respectively. By contrast, the high-symmetry and structurally compact anionic CF(5)(-) and CCl(5)(-) systems cannot exist due to the strongly repulsive potential predicted for the X(-) (F(-) or Cl(-)) approaching the CX(4) (CF(4) or CCl(4)). The formation of weakly bound CX(4)···X(-) (CF(4)···F(-) and CCl(4)···Cl(-)) anionic complexes (consisting of pseudotetrahedral neutral CX(4) with the weakly tethered X(-)) might be expected at low temperatures (approaching 0 K), whereas neither CX(5)(-) (CF(5)(-), CCl(5)(-)) systems nor CX(4)···X(-) (CF(4)···F(-) and CCl(4)···Cl(-)) complexes can exist in the elevated temperatures (above 0K) due to their susceptibility to the fragmentation (leading to the X(-) loss). © 2012 American Chemical Society

Thin SiGe virtual substrates for Ge heterostructures integration on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cecchi, S.; Gatti, E.; Chrastina, D.; Frigerio, J.; Müller Gubler, E.; Paul, D. J.; Guzzi, M.; Isella, G.

2014-03-01

The possibility to reduce the thickness of the SiGe virtual substrate, required for the integration of Ge heterostructures on Si, without heavily affecting the crystal quality is becoming fundamental in several applications. In this work, we present 1 μm thick Si1-xGex buffers (with x > 0.7) having different designs which could be suitable for applications requiring a thin virtual substrate. The rationale is to reduce the lattice mismatch at the interface with the Si substrate by introducing composition steps and/or partial grading. The relatively low growth temperature (475 °C) makes this approach appealing for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration. For all the investigated designs, a reduction of the threading dislocation density compared to constant composition Si1-xGex layers was observed. The best buffer in terms of defects reduction was used as a virtual substrate for the deposition of a Ge/SiGe multiple quantum well structure. Room temperature optical absorption and photoluminescence analysis performed on nominally identical quantum wells grown on both a thick graded virtual substrate and the selected thin buffer demonstrates a comparable optical quality, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Electronic structure of ferromagnetic heavy fermion, YbPdSi, YbPdGe, and YbPtGe studied by photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray emission spectroscopy, and DFT + DMFT calculations

DOE PAGES

Yamaoka, Hitoshi; Thunstrom, Patrik; Tsujii, Naohito; ...

2017-11-02

Here, the electronic structures of ferromagnetic heavy fermion Yb compounds of YbPdSi, YbPdGe, and YbPtGe are studied by photoelectron spectroscopy around the Yb 4d–4f resonance, resonant x-ray emission spectroscopy at the Yb L 3 absorption edge, and density functional theory combined with dynamical mean field theory calculations. These compounds all have a temperature-independent intermediate Yb valence with largemore » $${\\rm Yb}^{3+}$$ and small $${\\rm Yb}^{2+}$$ components. The magnitude of the Yb valence is evaluated to be YbPtGe $<$ YbPdGe $$\\lesssim $$ YbPdSi, suggesting that YbPtGe is the closest to the quantum critical point among the three Yb compounds. Our results support the scenario of the coexistence of heavy fermion behavior and ferromagnetic ordering which is described by a magnetically-ordered Kondo lattice where the magnitude of the Kondo effect and the RKKY interaction are comparable.« less

Electronic structure of ferromagnetic heavy fermion, YbPdSi, YbPdGe, and YbPtGe studied by photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray emission spectroscopy, and DFT + DMFT calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamaoka, Hitoshi; Thunstrom, Patrik; Tsujii, Naohito

Here, the electronic structures of ferromagnetic heavy fermion Yb compounds of YbPdSi, YbPdGe, and YbPtGe are studied by photoelectron spectroscopy around the Yb 4d–4f resonance, resonant x-ray emission spectroscopy at the Yb L 3 absorption edge, and density functional theory combined with dynamical mean field theory calculations. These compounds all have a temperature-independent intermediate Yb valence with largemore » $${\\rm Yb}^{3+}$$ and small $${\\rm Yb}^{2+}$$ components. The magnitude of the Yb valence is evaluated to be YbPtGe $<$ YbPdGe $$\\lesssim $$ YbPdSi, suggesting that YbPtGe is the closest to the quantum critical point among the three Yb compounds. Our results support the scenario of the coexistence of heavy fermion behavior and ferromagnetic ordering which is described by a magnetically-ordered Kondo lattice where the magnitude of the Kondo effect and the RKKY interaction are comparable.« less

Bondonic effects in group-IV honeycomb nanoribbons with Stone-Wales topological defects.

PubMed

Putz, Mihai V; Ori, Ottorino

2014-04-03

This work advances the modeling of bondonic effects on graphenic and honeycomb structures, with an original two-fold generalization: (i) by employing the fourth order path integral bondonic formalism in considering the high order derivatives of the Wiener topological potential of those 1D systems; and (ii) by modeling a class of honeycomb defective structures starting from graphene, the carbon-based reference case, and then generalizing the treatment to Si (silicene), Ge (germanene), Sn (stannene) by using the fermionic two-degenerate statistical states function in terms of electronegativity. The honeycomb nanostructures present η-sized Stone-Wales topological defects, the isomeric dislocation dipoles originally called by authors Stone-Wales wave or SWw. For these defective nanoribbons the bondonic formalism foresees a specific phase-transition whose critical behavior shows typical bondonic fast critical time and bonding energies. The quantum transition of the ideal-to-defect structural transformations is fully described by computing the caloric capacities for nanostructures triggered by η-sized topological isomerisations. Present model may be easily applied to hetero-combinations of Group-IV elements like C-Si, C-Ge, C-Sn, Si-Ge, Si-Sn, Ge-Sn.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Makino, Nobuaki; Toshiba Corporation, 33 Shin-Isogo-Cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-0017; Shigeta, Yukichi

The stabilization of the amorphous structure in amorphous silicon film by adding Ge atoms was studied using Raman spectroscopy. Amorphous Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.14, and 0.27) films were deposited on glass substrates from electron beam evaporation sources and annealed in N{sub 2} atmosphere. The change in the amorphous states and the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline were characterized using the TO, LO, and LA phonons in the Raman spectra. The temperature of the transition from the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase was higher for the a-Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.03, 0.14) films, and the crystallization was hindered.more » The reason why the addition of a suitable quantity of Ge atoms into the three-dimensional amorphous silicon network stabilizes its amorphous structure is discussed based on the changes in the Raman signals of the TO, LO, and LA phonons during annealing. The characteristic bond length of the Ge atoms allows them to stabilize the random network of the amorphous Si composed of quasi-tetrahedral Si units, and obstruct its rearrangement.« less

Modal Contributions to Heat Conduction across Crystalline and Amorphous Si/Ge Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordiz, Kiarash; Henry, Asegun

Until now, our entire understanding of interfacial heat transfer has been based on the phonon gas model and Landauer formalism. Based on this framework, it is difficult to offer any intuition on heat transfer between two solid materials if one side of the interface is an amorphous structure. Here, using the interface conductance modal analysis (ICMA) method, we investigate the modal contributions to thermal interface conductance (TIC) through crystalline (c) and amorphous (a) Si/Ge interfaces. It is revealed that around 15% of the conductance through the cSi/cGe interface arises from less than 0.1% of the modes of vibration in the structure that exist between 12-13THz and because of their large eigenvectors around the interface are classified as interfacial modes. Correlation maps show that these interfacial modes exhibit strong correlations with all the other modes. The physics behind this strong coupling ability is studied by calculating the mode-level harmonic and anharmonic energy distribution among all the atoms in the system. It is found that these interfacial modes are enabled by the large degree of anharmonicity near the interface, which is higher than the bulk and ultimately allows this small group of modes to couple to other modes of vibration. In addition, unlike the cSi/cGe, correlation maps for aSi/cGe, cSi/aGe, and aSi/aGe interfaces show that the majority of contributions to TIC arise from auto-correlations instead of cross-correlations. The provided analysis sheds light on the nature of localized vibrations at interfaces and can be enlightening for other investigations of localization.

Valence-band offsets in strained SiGeSn/Si layers with different tin contents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bloshkin, A. A., E-mail: bloshkin@isp.nsc.ru; Yakimov, A. I.; Timofeev, V. A.

Admittance spectroscopy is used to study hole states in Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y}/Si quantum wells in the tin content range y = 0.04–0.1. It is found that the hole binding energy increases with tin content. The hole size-quantization energies in structures containing a pseudomorphic Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y} layer in the Si matrix are determined using the 6-band kp method. The valence-band offset at the Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{sub y} heterointerface is determined by combining the numerical calculation results and experimental data. It is found that the dependence of the experimental values of the valence-band offsets between pseudomorphic Si{sub 0.7–y}Ge{sub 0.3}Sn{submore » y} layers and Si on the tin content is described by the expression ΔE{sub V}{sup exp} = (0.21 ± 0.01) + (3.35 ± 7.8 × 10{sup –4})y eV.« less

Characterization of SiGe/Ge heterostructures and graded layers using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croke, E. T.; Wang, K. L.; Heyd, A. R.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Lee, C. H.

1996-01-01

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) has been used to characterize Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Ge superlattices (SLs) grown on Ge substrates and thick Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Ge heterostructures grown on Si substrates. Our VASE analysis yielded the thicknesses and alloy compositions of all layers within the optical penetration depth of the surface. In addition, strain effects were observed in the VASE results for layers under both compressive and tensile strain. Results for the SL structures were found to be in close agreement with high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements made on the same samples. The VASE analysis has been upgraded to characterize linearly graded Si(x)Ge(1-x) buffer layers. The algorithm has been used to determine the total thickness of the buffer layer along with the start and end alloy composition by breaking the total thickness into many (typically more than 20) equal layers. Our ellipsometric results for 1 (mu)m buffer layers graded in the ranges 0.7 less than or = x less than or = 1.0, and 0.5 less than or = x less than or = 1.0 are presented, and compare favorably with the nominal values.

Metal-Free CVD Graphene Synthesis on 200 mm Ge/Si(001) Substrates.

PubMed

Lukosius, M; Dabrowski, J; Kitzmann, J; Fursenko, O; Akhtar, F; Lisker, M; Lippert, G; Schulze, S; Yamamoto, Y; Schubert, M A; Krause, H M; Wolff, A; Mai, A; Schroeder, T; Lupina, G

2016-12-14

Good quality, complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology compatible, 200 mm graphene was obtained on Ge(001)/Si(001) wafers in this work. Chemical vapor depositions were carried out at the deposition temperatures of 885 °C using CH 4 as carbon source on epitaxial Ge(100) layers, which were grown on Si(100), prior to the graphene synthesis. Graphene layer with the 2D/G ratio ∼3 and low D mode (i.e., low concentration of defects) was measured over the entire 200 mm wafer by Raman spectroscopy. A typical full-width-at-half-maximum value of 39 cm -1 was extracted for the 2D mode, further indicating that graphene of good structural quality was produced. The study also revealed that the lack of interfacial oxide correlates with superior properties of graphene. In order to evaluate electrical properties of graphene, its 2 × 2 cm 2 pieces were transferred onto SiO 2 /Si substrates from Ge/Si wafers. The extracted sheet resistance and mobility values of transferred graphene layers were ∼1500 ± 100 Ω/sq and μ ≈ 400 ± 20 cm 2 /V s, respectively. The transferred graphene was free of metallic contaminations or mechanical damage. On the basis of results of DFT calculations, we attribute the high structural quality of graphene grown by CVD on Ge to hydrogen-induced reduction of nucleation probability, explain the appearance of graphene-induced facets on Ge(001) as a kinetic effect caused by surface step pinning at linear graphene nuclei, and clarify the orientation of graphene domains on Ge(001) as resulting from good lattice matching between Ge(001) and graphene nucleated on such nuclei.

Practical routes to (SiH₃)₃P: applications in group IV semiconductor activation and in group III-V molecular synthesis.

PubMed

Tice, Jesse B; Chizmeshya, A V G; Tolle, J; D' Costa, V R; Menendez, J; Kouvetakis, J

2010-05-21

The (SiH₃)₃P hydride is introduced as a practical source for n-doping of group IV semiconductors and as a highly-reactive delivery agent of -(SiH₃)₂P functionalities in exploratory synthesis. In contrast to earlier methods, the compound is produced here in high purity quantitative yields via a new single-step method based on reactions of SiH₃Br and (Me₃Sn)₃P, circumventing the need for toxic and unstable starting materials. As an initial demonstration of its utility we synthesized monosubstituted Me₂M-P(SiH₃)₂ (M = Al, Ga, In) derivatives of Me₃M containing the (SiH₃)₂P ligand for the first time, in analogy to the known Me₂M-P(SiMe₃)₂ counterparts. A dimeric structure of Me₂M-P(SiH₃)₂ is proposed on the basis of spectroscopic characterizations and quantum chemical simulations. Next, in the context of materials synthesis, the (SiH₃)₃P compound was used to dope germanium for the first time by building a prototype p(++)Si(100)/i-Ge/n-Ge photodiode structure. The resultant n-type Ge layers contained active carrier concentrations of 3-4 × 10¹⁹ atoms cm⁻³ as determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry and confirmed by SIMS. Strain analysis using high resolution XRD yielded a Si content of 4 × 10²⁰ atoms cm⁻³ in agreement with SIMS and within the range expected for incorporating Si₃P type units into the diamond cubic Ge matrix. Extensive characterizations for structure, morphology and crystallinity indicate that the Si co-dopant plays essentially a passive role and does not compromise the device quality of the host material nor does it fundamentally alter its optical properties.

Novel mid-infrared silicon/germanium detector concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presting, Hartmut; Konle, Johannes; Hepp, Markus; Kibbel, Horst; Thonke, Klaus; Sauer, Rolf; Corbin, Elizabeth A.; Jaros, Milan

2000-10-01

Highly p-doped silicon/silicon-germanium (Si/SiGe) quantum well (QW) structures are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on double-sided polished (100)Si substrates for mid-IR (3 to 5 micrometers and 8 to 12 micrometers ) detection. The samples are characterized by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and absorption measurements. Single mesa detectors are fabricated as well as large-area focal plane arrays with 256 X 256 pixels using standard Si integrated processing techniques. The detectors, based on heterointernal photo-emission (HIP) of photogenerated holes from a heavily p-doped (p++ approximately 5 X 1020 cm-3) SiGe QW into an undoped silicon layer, operate at 77 K. Various novel designs of the SiGe HIP's such as Ge- and B-grading, double- and multi-wells, are realized; in addition, thin doping setback layers between the highly doped well and the undoped Si layer are introduced. The temperature dependence of dark currents and photocurrents are measured up to 225 K. In general, we observe broad photoresponse curves with peak external quantum efficiencies, up to (eta) ext approximately 0.5% at 77 K and 4(mu) , detectivities up to 8 X 1011 cm(root)Hz/W are obtained. We demonstrate that by varying the thickness, Ge content, and doping level of the single- and the multi-QWs of SiGe HIP detectors, the photoresponse peak and the cutoff of the spectrum can be tuned over a wide wavelength range. The epitaxial versatility of the Si/SiGe system enables a tailoring of the photoresponse spectrum which demonstrates the advantages of the SiGe system in comparison over commercially used silicide detectors.

Enhanced red fluorescence in Sr2Si1-xGexO4:Eu3+ phosphors by the substitution of Si by Ge for white light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Lihui; Xu, Shiqing; Guo, Meiquan; Wang, Chenyue; Hua, Youjie; Zhao, Shilong; Deng, Degang; Wang, Huanping; Jia, Guohua

2012-07-01

Eu3+-doped Sr2Si1-xGexO4 (x=0-1) phosphors have been prepared by the high temperature solid-state reaction method. The luminescent properties of these phosphors were investigated. Red fluorescence of Eu3+ is enhanced gradually in the samples with increasing substitution of Si by Ge upon the excitation of 393 nm light. The intensity is increased by 50% with full substitution of Si by Ge. These results are originated from the structural changes and the phonon energy reduction in the samples due to the substitution of Si by Ge. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of the phosphors vary slightly around (0.62, 0.37) and all are in the red color region. The results indicate that these phosphors could be promising red phosphors for white light emitting diodes.

Density functional theory study of dopant effect on formation energy of intrinsic point defects in germanium crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaoka, S.; Kobayashi, K.; Sueoka, K.; Vanhellemont, J.

2017-09-01

During the last decade the use of single crystal germanium (Ge) layers and structures in combination with silicon (Si) substrates has led to a revival of defect research on Ge. Ge is used because of the much higher carrier mobility compared to Si, allowing to design devices operating at much higher frequencies. A major issue for the use of Ge single crystal wafers is the fact that all Czochralski-grown Ge (CZ-Ge) crystals are vacancy-rich and contain vacancy clusters that are much larger than the ones in Si. In contrast to Si, control of intrinsic point defect concentrations has not yet been realized at the same level in Ge crystals due to the lack of experimental data especially on dopant effects. In this study, we have evaluated with density functional theory (DFT) calculations the dopant effect on the formation energy (Ef) of the uncharged vacancy (V) and self-interstitial (I) in Ge and compared the results with those for Si. The dependence of the total thermal equilibrium concentrations of point defects (sum of free V or I and V or I paired with dopant atoms) at melting temperature on the type and concentration of various dopants is obtained. It was found that (1) Ge crystals will be more V-rich by Tl, In, Sb, Sn, As and P doping, (2) Ge crystals will be more I-rich by Ga, C and B doping, (3) Si doping has negligible impact. The dopant impact on Ef of V and I in Ge has a narrower range and is smaller than that in Si. The obtained results are useful to control grown-in V and I concentrations, and will perhaps also allow to develop defect-free ;perfect; Ge crystals.

Anisotropic selective etching between SiGe and Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Yohei; Scott-McCabe, Ritchie; Yu, Alex; Okuma, Kazumasa; Maeda, Kenji; Sebastian, Joseph; Manos, Jim

2018-06-01

In Si/SiGe dual-channel FinFETs, it is necessary to simultaneously control the etched amounts of SiGe and Si. However, the SiGe etch rate is higher than the Si etch rate in not only halogen plasmas but also physical sputtering. In this study, we found that hydrogen plasma selectively etches Si over SiGe. The result shows that the selectivity of Si over SiGe can be up to 38 with increasing Ge concentration in SiGe. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) results indicate that hydrogen selectively bonds with Si rather than with Ge in SiGe. During the etching, hydrogen-induced Si surface segregation is also observed. It is also observed that the difference in etched amount between SiGe and Si can be controlled from positive to negative values even in Si/SiGe dual-channel fin patterning while maintaining the vertical profiles. Furthermore, no plasma-induced lattice damage was observed by transmission electron microscopy for both Si and SiGe fin sidewalls.

Pressure-induced Ge coordination change in SiO2-GeO2 glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majérus, O.; Cormier, L.; Itié, J.-P.; Calas, G.

2003-04-01

Among the parameters controlling igneous processes in Earth, the density and transport properties of silicate melts are playing a major role. These properties are strongly dependent upon pressure, in a way that can significantly differ from the crystalline phases. The study of the pressure-induced structural changes can give a further understanding of the peculiar microscopic origins of these properties in molten phases. As in silicate minerals, the coordination change IVSi towards VISi is expected to be the major transformation occurring in melts at mantle conditions, yielding amorphous phases with properties distinct to those corresponding to a tetrahedral framework. This change is predicted by molecular dynamics simulations, but experimental evidences are scarce because of difficult technical constraints. The binary SiO_2-GeO_2 system allows a further insight into the compression mechanism of a tetrahedral framework glass structure. The Ge coordination change and its composition dependence can be assessed by using XAS spectroscopy at Ge K-edge with a diamond anvil cell. In this study, we report an in situ investigation carried out on well characterized glasses of the SiO_2-GeO_2 system. Experiments were preformed on the D11 beamline which is a unique dispersive experimental setup developed at the Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation du Rayonnement Magnétique (LURE, Orsay, France). Pressures up to 25 GPa have been obtained. With increasing SiO_2 content, both Ge-O distances extracted from EXAFS data and XANES features indicate the regular increase of the pressure threshold for the Ge coordination change (from 4 in pure GeO_2 to 12 Gpa in 80 mol% SiO_2-bearing glass), which corresponds to the end of the elastic compression regime, and the achievement of the transformation on a broader pressure range as predicted in pure SiO_2. These data are compared to results on slightly depolymerised glasses of Na_2O-GeO_2 composition, where a greater variety of compression mechanisms takes place.

On the difference between the pyroxenes LiFeSi2O6 and LiFeGe2O6 in their magnetic structures and spin orientations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Changhoon; Hong, Jisook; Shim, Ji Hoon; Whangbo, Myung-Hwan

2014-03-01

The clinopyroxenes LiFeSi2O6 and LiFeGe2O6, crystallizing in a monoclinic space group P21/c, are isostructural and isoelectronic Their crystal structures are made up of zigzag chains of edge-sharing FeO6 octahedra containing high-spin Fe3 + ions, which run along the c direction. Despite this structural similarity, the two have quite different magnetic structures and spin orientations. In LiFeSi2O6 the Fe spins have a ferromagnetic coupling within the zigzag chains along c and such FM chains have an antiferromagnetic coupling along a. In contrast, in LiFeGe2O6, the spins have an AFM coupling within the zigzag chains along c and such FM chains have an ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ coupling along a. In addition, the spin orientation is parallel to c in LiFeSi2O6, but is perpendicular to c in LiFeGe2O6. To explain these differences in the magnetic structure and spin orientation, we evaluated the spin exchange parameters by performing energy mapping analysis based on LDA +U and GGA +U calculations and also by evaluating the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies in terms of GGA +U +SOC and LDA +U +SOC calculations. Our study show that the magnetic structures and spin orientations of LiFeSi2O6 and LiFeGe2O6 are better described by LDA +U and LDA +U +SOC calculations. This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(2013R1A1A2060341).

Electronic structure and optical properties of Si, Ge and diamond in the lonsdaleite phase.

PubMed

De, Amrit; Pryor, Craig E

2014-01-29

Crystalline semiconductors may exist in different polytypic phases with significantly different electronic and optical properties. In this paper, we calculate the electronic structure and optical properties of diamond, Si and Ge in the lonsdaleite (hexagonal diamond) phase using a transferable model empirical pseudopotential method with spin–orbit interactions. We calculate their band structures and extract various relevant parameters. Differences between the cubic and hexagonal phases are highlighted by comparing their densities of states. While diamond and Si remain indirect gap semiconductors in the lonsdaleite phase, Ge transforms into a direct gap semiconductor with a much smaller bandgap. We also calculate complex dielectric functions for different optical polarizations and find strong optical anisotropy. We further provide expansion parameters for the dielectric functions in terms of Lorentz oscillators.

Silane and Germane Molecular Electronics.

PubMed

Su, Timothy A; Li, Haixing; Klausen, Rebekka S; Kim, Nathaniel T; Neupane, Madhav; Leighton, James L; Steigerwald, Michael L; Venkataraman, Latha; Nuckolls, Colin

2017-04-18

This Account provides an overview of our recent efforts to uncover the fundamental charge transport properties of Si-Si and Ge-Ge single bonds and introduce useful functions into group 14 molecular wires. We utilize the tools of chemical synthesis and a scanning tunneling microscopy-based break-junction technique to study the mechanism of charge transport in these molecular systems. We evaluated the fundamental ability of silicon, germanium, and carbon molecular wires to transport charge by comparing conductances within families of well-defined structures, the members of which differ only in the number of Si (or Ge or C) atoms in the wire. For each family, this procedure yielded a length-dependent conductance decay parameter, β. Comparison of the different β values demonstrates that Si-Si and Ge-Ge σ bonds are more conductive than the analogous C-C σ bonds. These molecular trends mirror what is seen in the bulk. The conductance decay of Si and Ge-based wires is similar in magnitude to those from π-based molecular wires such as paraphenylenes However, the chemistry of the linkers that attach the molecular wires to the electrodes has a large influence on the resulting β value. For example, Si- and Ge-based wires of many different lengths connected with a methyl-thiomethyl linker give β values of 0.36-0.39 Å -1 , whereas Si- and Ge-based wires connected with aryl-thiomethyl groups give drastically different β values for short and long wires. This observation inspired us to study molecular wires that are composed of both π- and σ-orbitals. The sequence and composition of group 14 atoms in the σ chain modulates the electronic coupling between the π end-groups and dictates the molecular conductance. The conductance behavior originates from the coupling between the subunits, which can be understood by considering periodic trends such as bond length, polarizability, and bond polarity. We found that the same periodic trends determine the electric field-induced breakdown properties of individual Si-Si, Ge-Ge, Si-O, Si-C, and C-C bonds. Building from these studies, we have prepared a system that has two different, alternative conductance pathways. In this wire, we can intentionally break a labile, strained silicon-silicon bond and thereby shunt the current through the secondary conduction pathway. This type of in situ bond-rupture provides a new tool to study single molecule reactions that are induced by electric fields. Moreover, these studies provide guidance for designing dielectric materials as well as molecular devices that require stability under high voltage bias. The fundamental studies on the structure/function relationships of the molecular wires have guided the design of new functional systems based on the Si- and Ge-based wires. For example, we exploited the principle of strain-induced Lewis acidity from reaction chemistry to design a single molecule switch that can be controllably switched between two conductive states by varying the distance between the tip and substrate electrodes. We found that the strain intrinsic to the disilaacenaphthene scaffold also creates two state conductance switching. Finally, we demonstrate the first example of a stereoelectronic conductance switch, and we demonstrate that the switching relies crucially on the electronic delocalization in Si-Si and Ge-Ge wire backbones. These studies illustrate the untapped potential in using Si- and Ge-based wires to design and control charge transport at the nanoscale and to allow quantum mechanics to be used as a tool to design ultraminiaturized switches.

New adatom model for Si(11) 7X7 and Si(111)Ge 5X5 reconstructed surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chadi, D. J.

1985-01-01

A new adatom model differing from the conventional model by a reconstruction of the substrate is proposed. The new adatom structure provides an explanation for the 7x7 and 5x5 size of the unit cells seen on annealed Si(111) and Si(111)-Ge surfaces, respectively. The model is consistent with structural information from vacuum-tunneling microscopy. It also provides simple explanations for stacking-fault-type features expected from Rutherford backscattering experiments and for similarities in the LEED and photoemission spectra of 2x1 and 7x7 surfaces.

Localization of vibrational modes leads to reduced thermal conductivity of amorphous heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giri, Ashutosh; Donovan, Brian F.; Hopkins, Patrick E.

2018-05-01

We investigate the vibrational heat transfer mechanisms in amorphous Stillinger-Weber silicon and germanium-based alloys and heterostructures via equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations along with lattice dynamics calculations. We find that similar to crystalline alloys, amorphous alloys demonstrate large size effects in thermal conductivity, while layering the constituent materials into superlattice structures leads to length-independent thermal conductivities. The thermal conductivity of an amorphous SixGe1 -x alloy reduces by as much as ˜53 % compared to the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon; compared to the larger reduction in crystalline phases due to alloying, we show that compositional disorder rather than structural disorder has a larger impact on the thermal conductivity reduction. Our thermal conductivity predictions for a-Si/a-Ge superlattices suggest that the alloy limit in amorphous SiGe-based structures can be surpassed with interface densities above ˜0.35 nm-1 . We attribute the larger reduction in thermal conductivity of layered Si/Ge heterostructures to greater localization of modes at and around the cutoff frequency of the softer layer as demonstrated via lattice dynamics calculations and diffusivities of individual eigenmodes calculated according to the Allen-Feldman theory [P. B. Allen and J. L. Feldman, Phys. Rev. B 48, 12581 (1993), 10.1103/PhysRevB.48.12581] for our amorphous SiGe-based alloys and superlattice structures.

SiGe nano-heteroepitaxy on Si and SiGe nano-pillars.

PubMed

Mastari, M; Charles, M; Bogumilowicz, Y; Thai, Q M; Pimenta-Barros, P; Argoud, M; Papon, A M; Gergaud, P; Landru, D; Kim, Y; Hartmann, J M

2018-07-06

In this paper, SiGe nano-heteroepitaxy on Si and SiGe nano-pillars was investigated in a 300 mm industrial reduced pressure-chemical vapour deposition tool. An integration scheme based on diblock copolymer patterning was used to fabricate nanometre-sized templates for the epitaxy of Si and SiGe nano-pillars. Results showed highly selective and uniform processes for the epitaxial growth of Si and SiGe nano-pillars. 200 nm thick SiGe layers were grown on Si and SiGe nano-pillars and characterised by atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Smooth SiGe surfaces and full strain relaxation were obtained in the 650 °C-700 °C range for 2D SiGe layers grown either on Si or SiGe nano-pillars.

Wafer-scale high-throughput ordered arrays of Si and coaxial Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x) wires: fabrication, characterization, and photovoltaic application.

PubMed

Pan, Caofeng; Luo, Zhixiang; Xu, Chen; Luo, Jun; Liang, Renrong; Zhu, Guang; Wu, Wenzhuo; Guo, Wenxi; Yan, Xingxu; Xu, Jun; Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhu, Jing

2011-08-23

We have developed a method combining lithography and catalytic etching to fabricate large-area (uniform coverage over an entire 5-in. wafer) arrays of vertically aligned single-crystal Si nanowires with high throughput. Coaxial n-Si/p-SiGe wire arrays are also fabricated by further coating single-crystal epitaxial SiGe layers on the Si wires using ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD). This method allows precise control over the diameter, length, density, spacing, orientation, shape, pattern and location of the Si and Si/SiGe nanowire arrays, making it possible to fabricate an array of devices based on rationally designed nanowire arrays. A proposed fabrication mechanism of the etching process is presented. Inspired by the excellent antireflection properties of the Si/SiGe wire arrays, we built solar cells based on the arrays of these wires containing radial junctions, an example of which exhibits an open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 650 mV, a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 8.38 mA/cm(2), a fill factor of 0.60, and an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 3.26%. Such a p-n radial structure will have a great potential application for cost-efficient photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion. © 2011 American Chemical Society

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oliynyk, Anton O.; Stoyko, Stanislav S.; Mar, Arthur, E-mail: arthur.mar@ualberta.ca

Through arc-melting reactions of the elements and annealing at 800 °C, the ternary rare-earth germanides RE{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} and RE{sub 3}Ir{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} have been prepared for most of the smaller RE components (RE=Y, Gd–Tm, Lu). In the iridium-containing reactions, the new phases RE{sub 2}IrGe{sub 2} were also generally formed as by-products. Powder X-ray diffraction revealed orthorhombic Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type structures (space group Cmcm, Z=4) for RE{sub 3}M{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (M=Ru, Ir) and monoclinic Sc{sub 2}CoSi{sub 2}-type structures (space group C2/m, Z=4) for RE{sub 2}IrGe{sub 2}. Full crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for all membersmore » of RE{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (a=4.2477(6) Å, b=10.7672(16) Å, c=13.894(2) Å for RE=Y; a=4.2610(3)–4.2045(8) Å, b=10.9103(8)–10.561(2) Å, c=14.0263(10)–13.639(3) Å in the progression of RE from Gd to Lu) and for Tb{sub 3}Ir{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (a=4.2937(3) Å, b=10.4868(7) Å, c=14.2373(10) Å). Both structures can be described in terms of CrB- and ThCr{sub 2}Si{sub 2}-type slabs built from Ge-centred trigonal prisms. However, band structure calculations on Y{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} support an alternative description for RE{sub 3}M{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} based on [M{sub 2}Ge{sub 3}] layers built from linked MGe{sub 4} tetrahedra, which emphasizes the strong M–Ge covalent bonds present. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of RE{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} generally indicates metallic behaviour but with low-temperature transitions visible for some members (RE=Gd, Tb, Dy) that are probably associated with magnetic ordering of the RE atoms. Anomalously, Y{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} exhibits semiconductor-like behaviour of uncertain origin. Magnetic measurements on Dy{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} reveal antiferromagnetic ordering at 3 K and several unusual field-dependent transitions suggestive of complex spin reorientation processes. - Graphical abstract: RE{sub 3}M{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (M=Ru, Ir) adopts the Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type structure containing slabs built up from Ge-centred trigonal prisms. - Highlights: • Crystal structures of RE{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (RE=Y, Gd–Tm, Lu) and Tb{sub 3}Ir{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} were determined. • Strong M–Ge covalent bonds were confirmed by band structure calculations. • Most RE{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} members except Y{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} exhibit metallic behaviour. • Dy{sub 3}Ru{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} displays unusual field-dependent magnetic transitions.« less

Versatile buffer layer architectures based on Ge1-xSnx alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roucka, R.; Tolle, J.; Cook, C.; Chizmeshya, A. V. G.; Kouvetakis, J.; D'Costa, V.; Menendez, J.; Chen, Zhihao D.; Zollner, S.

2005-05-01

We describe methodologies for integration of compound semiconductors with Si via buffer layers and templates based on the GeSn system. These layers exhibit atomically flat surface morphologies, low defect densities, tunable thermal expansion coefficients, and unique ductile properties, which enable them to readily absorb differential stresses produced by mismatched overlayers. They also provide a continuous selection of lattice parameters higher than that of Ge, which allows lattice matching with technologically useful III-V compounds. Using this approach we have demonstrated growth of GaAs, GeSiSn, and pure Ge layers at low temperatures on Si(100). These materials display extremely high-quality structural, morphological, and optical properties opening the possibility of versatile integration schemes directly on silicon.

Nanowire Heterostructures Comprising Germanium Stems and Silicon Branches as High-Capacity Li-Ion Anodes with Tunable Rate Capability.

PubMed

Kennedy, Tadhg; Bezuidenhout, Michael; Palaniappan, Kumaranand; Stokes, Killian; Brandon, Michael; Ryan, Kevin M

2015-07-28

Here we report the rational design of a high-capacity Li-ion anode material comprising Ge nanowires with Si branches. The unique structure provides an electrode material with tunable properties, allowing the performance to be tailored for either high capacity or high rate capability by controlling the mass ratio of Si to Ge. The binder free Si-Ge branched nanowire heterostructures are grown directly from the current collector and exhibit high capacities of up to ∼1800 mAh/g. Rate capability testing revealed that increasing the Ge content within the material boosted the performance of the anode at fast cycling rates, whereas a higher Si content was optimal at slower rates of charge and discharge. Using ex-situ electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping, the composition of the material is shown to be transient in nature, transforming from a heterostructure to a Si-Ge alloy as a consequence of repeated lithiation and delithiation.

Infrared and Terahertz Lasers on SI Using Novel Group-IV Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-30

gain at 2,883 nm is comparable with those of many conventional III-V semiconductor lasers. On the other hand, a waveguide design was also presented ...other conduction-band valleys (", X) are above the L-valley band edge of the Ge0.76Si0.19Sn0.05 barrier. This band alignment presents a desirable...the QCL structure based upon Ge/ Ge0.76Si0.19Sn0.05 QWs. Only L-valley conduction- band lineups are shown in the potential diagram under an applied

Growth and relaxation processes in Ge nanocrystals on free-standing Si(001) nanopillars.

PubMed

Kozlowski, G; Zaumseil, P; Schubert, M A; Yamamoto, Y; Bauer, J; Schülli, T U; Tillack, B; Schroeder, T

2012-03-23

We study the growth and relaxation processes of Ge crystals selectively grown by chemical vapour deposition on free-standing 90 nm wide Si(001) nanopillars. Epi-Ge with thickness ranging from 4 to 80 nm was characterized by synchrotron based x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. We found that the strain in Ge nanostructures is plastically released by nucleation of misfit dislocations, leading to degrees of relaxation ranging from 50 to 100%. The growth of Ge nanocrystals follows the equilibrium crystal shape terminated by low surface energy (001) and {113} facets. Although the volumes of Ge nanocrystals are homogeneous, their shape is not uniform and the crystal quality is limited by volume defects on {111} planes. This is not the case for the Ge/Si nanostructures subjected to thermal treatment. Here, improved structure quality together with high levels of uniformity of the size and shape is observed.

Thermal conductivity of hexagonal Si, Ge, and Si1-xGex alloys from first-principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xiaokun; Zhao, C. Y.

2018-05-01

Hexagonal Si and Ge with a lonsdaleite crystal structure are allotropes of silicon and germanium that have recently been synthesized. These materials as well as their alloys are promising candidates for novel applications in optoelectronics. In this paper, we systematically study the phonon transport and thermal conductivity of hexagonal Si, Ge, and their alloys by using the first-principle-based Peierls-Boltzmann transport equation approach. Both three-phonon and four-phonon scatterings are taken into account in the calculations as the phonon scattering mechanisms. The thermal conductivity anisotropy of these materials is identified. While the thermal conductivity parallel to the hexagonal plane for hexagonal Si and Ge is found to be larger than that perpendicular to the hexagonal plane, alloying effectively tunes the thermal conductivity anisotropy by suppressing the thermal conductivity contributions from the middle-frequency phonons. The importance of four-phonon scatterings is assessed by comparing the results with the calculations without including four-phonon scatterings. We find that four-phonon scatterings cannot be ignored in hexagonal Si and Ge as the thermal conductivity would be overestimated by around 10% (40%) at 300 K (900) K. In addition, the phonon mean free path distribution of hexagonal Si, Ge, and their alloys is also discussed.

Kinetics of Si and Ge nanowires growth through electron beam evaporation

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Si and Ge have the same crystalline structure, and although Si-Au and Ge-Au binary alloys are thermodynamically similar (same phase diagram, with the eutectic temperature of about 360°C), in this study, it is proved that Si and Ge nanowires (NWs) growth by electron beam evaporation occurs in very different temperature ranges and fluence regimes. In particular, it is demonstrated that Ge growth occurs just above the eutectic temperature, while Si NWs growth occurs at temperature higher than the eutectic temperature, at about 450°C. Moreover, Si NWs growth requires a higher evaporated fluence before the NWs become to be visible. These differences arise in the different kinetics behaviors of these systems. The authors investigate the microscopic growth mechanisms elucidating the contribution of the adatoms diffusion as a function of the evaporated atoms direct impingement, demonstrating that adatoms play a key role in physical vapor deposition (PVD) NWs growth. The concept of incubation fluence, which is necessary for an interpretation of NWs growth in PVD growth conditions, is highlighted. PMID:21711696

Kinetics of Si and Ge nanowires growth through electron beam evaporation.

PubMed

Artoni, Pietro; Pecora, Emanuele Francesco; Irrera, Alessia; Priolo, Francesco

2011-02-21

Si and Ge have the same crystalline structure, and although Si-Au and Ge-Au binary alloys are thermodynamically similar (same phase diagram, with the eutectic temperature of about 360°C), in this study, it is proved that Si and Ge nanowires (NWs) growth by electron beam evaporation occurs in very different temperature ranges and fluence regimes. In particular, it is demonstrated that Ge growth occurs just above the eutectic temperature, while Si NWs growth occurs at temperature higher than the eutectic temperature, at about 450°C. Moreover, Si NWs growth requires a higher evaporated fluence before the NWs become to be visible. These differences arise in the different kinetics behaviors of these systems. The authors investigate the microscopic growth mechanisms elucidating the contribution of the adatoms diffusion as a function of the evaporated atoms direct impingement, demonstrating that adatoms play a key role in physical vapor deposition (PVD) NWs growth. The concept of incubation fluence, which is necessary for an interpretation of NWs growth in PVD growth conditions, is highlighted.

Newly synthesized MgAl2Ge2: A first-principles comparison with its silicide and carbide counterparts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanveer Karim, A. M. M.; Hadi, M. A.; Alam, M. A.; Parvin, F.; Naqib, S. H.; Islam, A. K. M. A.

2018-06-01

Using plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT), the first-principle calculations are performed to investigate the structural aspects, mechanical behaviors and electronic features of the newly synthesized CaAl2Si2-prototype intermetallic compound, MgAl2Ge2 for the first time and the results are compared with those calculated for its silicide and carbide counterparts MgAl2Si2 and MgAl2C2. The calculated lattice constants agree fairly well with their corresponding experimental values. The estimated elastic tensors satisfy the mechanical stability conditions for MgAl2Ge2 along with MgAl2Si2 and MgAl2C2. The level of elastic anisotropy increases following the sequence of X-elements Ge → Si → C. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 are expected to be ductile and damage tolerant, while MgAl2C2 is a brittle one. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 should exhibit better thermal shock resistance and low thermal conductivity and accordingly these can be used as thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials. The Debye temperature of MgAl2Ge2 is lowest among three intermetallic compounds. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 should exhibit metallic conductivity; while the dual characters of weak-metals and semiconductors are expected for MgAl2C2. The values of theoretical Vickers hardness for MgAl2Ge2, MgAl2Si2, and MgAl2C2 are 3.3, 2.7, and 7.7 GPa, respectively, indicating that these three intermetallics are soft and easily machinable.

The Ho–Ni–Ge system: Isothermal section and new rare-earth nickel germanides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morozkin, A.V., E-mail: morozkin@tech.chem.msu.ru; Knotko, A.V.; Yapaskurt, V.O.

2015-05-15

The Ho–Ni–Ge system has been investigated at 1070 K and up to ~60 at% Ho by X-ray diffraction and microprobe analyses. Besides the eight known compounds, HoNi{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} (YNi{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-type), HoNi{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} (CeAl{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 2}NiGe{sub 6} (Ce{sub 2}CuGe{sub 6}-type), HoNiGe{sub 3} (SmNiGe{sub 3}-type), HoNi{sub 0.2÷0.6}Ge{sub 2} (CeNiSi{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 37÷34}Ni{sub 6÷24}Ge{sub 57÷42} (AlB{sub 2}-type), HoNiGe (TiNiSi-type), Ho{sub 3}NiGe{sub 2} (La{sub 3}NiGe{sub 2}-type), the ternary system contains four new compounds: Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (Sc{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}-type), HoNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} (ErNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type) and ~Ho{sub 5}Ni{sub 2}Ge{submore » 3} (unknown structure). Quasi-binary solid solutions were observed at 1070 K for Ho{sub 2}Ni{sub 17}, HoNi{sub 5}, HoNi{sub 7}, HoNi{sub 3}, HoNi{sub 2}, HoNi and Ho{sub 2}Ge{sub 3}, but no detectable solubility was found for the other binary compounds in the Ho–Ni–Ge system. Based on the magnetization measurements, the HoNi{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, HoNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} and Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (and isostructural (Tb, Dy){sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}) compounds have been found to show paramagnetic behavior down to 5 K, whereas Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} exhibits an antiferromagnetic transition at ~7 K. Additionally, the crystal structure of the new isostructural phases (Y, Yb)Ni{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} (ErNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2}-type), Er{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (Sc{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}-type) and (Y, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm){sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type) has been also investigated. - Graphical abstract: The Ho–Ni–Ge system has been investigated at 1070 K and up to ~60 at.% Ho by X-ray and microprobe analyses. Besides the eight known compounds, i.e. HoNi{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} (YNi{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-type), HoNi{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} (CeAl{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 2}NiGe{sub 6} (Ce{sub 2}CuGe{sub 6}-type), HoNiGe{sub 3} (SmNiGe{sub 3}-type), HoNi{sub 0.2÷0.6}Ge{sub 2} (CeNiSi{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 37÷34}Ni{sub 6÷24}Ge{sub 57÷42} (AlB{sub 2}-type), HoNiGe (TiNiSi-type), Ho{sub 3}NiGe{sub 2} (La{sub 3}NiGe{sub 2}-type), the ternary system contains four new compounds: Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (Sc{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}-type), HoNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} (ErNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2}-type), Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type) and ~Ho{sub 5}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (unknown structure). Quasi-binary solid solutions were found to form at 1070 K from the binary Ho{sub 2}Ni{sub 17}, HoNi{sub 5}, HoNi{sub 7}, HoNi{sub 3}, HoNi{sub 2}, HoNi and Ho{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} compounds, while no detectable solubility was observed for the other binary compounds in the Ho–Ni–Ge system. Based on the magnetization measurements, the HoNi{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, HoNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} and Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (and isostructural (Tb, Dy){sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}) compounds have been found to show paramagnetic behavior down to 5 K, whereas Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} exhibits an antiferromagnetic transition at ~7 K. Additionally, the crystal structure of the new isostructural phases (Y, Yb)Ni{sub 3}Ge{sub 2} (ErNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2}-type), Er{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} (Sc{sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4}-type) and (Y, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm){sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} (Hf{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Si{sub 3}-type) has been also investigated. - Highlights: • Ho–Ni–Ge system has been investigated at 1070 K and up to ~60 at% Ho. • Eight known ternary holmium nickel germanides were confirmed in Ho–Ni–Ge. • Four new holmium nickel germanides were detected in Ho–Ni–Ge. • Eight new rare earth nickel germanides were detected in (Y, Tb, Dy, Er–Yb)–Ni–Ge. • HoNi{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, HoNi{sub 3}Ge{sub 2},(Tb, Dy, Ho){sub 3}Ni{sub 11}Ge{sub 4} and Ho{sub 3}Ni{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} are paramagnet down to 5–7 K.« less

Interfacial sharpness and intermixing in a Ge-SiGe multiple quantum well structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, A.; Gallacher, K.; Millar, R. W.; Paul, D. J.; Ballabio, A.; Frigerio, J.; Isella, G.; Kriegner, D.; Ortolani, M.; Barthel, J.; MacLaren, I.

2018-01-01

A Ge-SiGe multiple quantum well structure created by low energy plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, with nominal well thickness of 5.4 nm separated by 3.6 nm SiGe spacers, is analysed quantitatively using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Both high angle annular dark field imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy show that the interfaces are not completely sharp, suggesting that there is some intermixing of Si and Ge at each interface. Two methods are compared for the quantification of the spectroscopy datasets: a self-consistent approach that calculates binary substitutional trends without requiring experimental or computational k-factors from elsewhere and a standards-based cross sectional calculation. Whilst the cross section approach is shown to be ultimately more reliable, the self-consistent approach provides surprisingly good results. It is found that the Ge quantum wells are actually about 95% Ge and that the spacers, whilst apparently peaking at about 35% Si, contain significant interdiffused Ge at each side. This result is shown to be not just an artefact of electron beam spreading in the sample, but mostly arising from a real chemical interdiffusion resulting from the growth. Similar results are found by use of X-ray diffraction from a similar area of the sample. Putting the results together suggests a real interdiffusion with a standard deviation of about 0.87 nm, or put another way—a true width defined from 10%-90% of the compositional gradient of about 2.9 nm. This suggests an intrinsic limit on how sharp such interfaces can be grown by this method and, whilst 95% Ge quantum wells (QWs) still behave well enough to have good properties, any attempt to grow thinner QWs would require modifications to the growth procedure to reduce this interdiffusion, in order to maintain a composition of ≥95% Ge.

Nanogrids and Beehive-Like Nanostructures Formed by Plasma Etching the Self-Organized SiGe Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yuan-Ming; Jian, Sheng-Rui; Juang, Jenh-Yih

2010-09-01

A lithography-free method for fabricating the nanogrids and quasi-beehive nanostructures on Si substrates is developed. It combines sequential treatments of thermal annealing with reactive ion etching (RIE) on SiGe thin films grown on (100)-Si substrates. The SiGe thin films deposited by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition form self-assembled nanoislands via the strain-induced surface roughening (Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability) during thermal annealing, which, in turn, serve as patterned sacrifice regions for subsequent RIE process carried out for fabricating nanogrids and beehive-like nanostructures on Si substrates. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations confirmed that the resultant pattern of the obtained structures can be manipulated by tuning the treatment conditions, suggesting an interesting alternative route of producing self-organized nanostructures.

Coupling of semiconductor nanowires with neurons and their interfacial structure.

PubMed

Lee, Ki-Young; Shim, Sojung; Kim, Il-Soo; Oh, Hwangyou; Kim, Sunoh; Ahn, Jae-Pyeong; Park, Seung-Han; Rhim, Hyewhon; Choi, Heon-Jin

2009-12-04

We report on the compatibility of various nanowires with hippocampal neurons and the structural study of the neuron-nanowire interface. Si, Ge, SiGe, and GaN nanowires are compatible with hippocampal neurons due to their native oxide, but ZnO nanowires are toxic to neuron due to a release of Zn ion. The interfaces of fixed Si nanowire and hippocampal neuron, cross-sectional samples, were prepared by focused ion beam and observed by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the processes of neuron were adhered well on the nanowire without cleft.

Electronic structures of GeSi nanoislands grown on pit-patterned Si(001) substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ye, Han, E-mail: Dabombyh@aliyun.com; Yu, Zhongyuan

2014-11-15

Patterning pit on Si(001) substrate prior to Ge deposition is an important approach to achieve GeSi nanoislands with high ordering and size uniformity. In present work, the electronic structures of realistic uncapped pyramid, dome, barn and cupola nanoislands grown in (105) pits are systematically investigated by solving Schrödinger equation for heavy-hole, which resorts to inhomogeneous strain distribution and nonlinear composition-dependent band parameters. Uniform, partitioned and equilibrium composition profile (CP) in nanoisland and inverted pyramid structure are simulated separately. We demonstrate the huge impact of composition profile on localization of heavy-hole: wave function of ground state is confined near pit facetsmore » for uniform CP, at bottom of nanoisland for partitioned CP and at top of nanoisland for equilibrium CP. Moreover, such localization is gradually compromised by the size effect as pit filling ratio or pit size decreases. The results pave the fundamental guideline of designing nanoislands on pit-patterned substrates for desired applications.« less

High Electron Mobility in SiGe/Si n-MODFET Structures on Sapphire Substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Carl H.; Croke, Edward T.; Alterovitz, Samuel A.

2003-01-01

For the first time, SiGe/Si n-Modulation Doped Field Effect Transistors (n-MODFET) structures have been grown on sapphire substrates. Room temperature electron mobility value of 1271 square centimeters N-sec at an electron carrier density (n(sub e) = 1.33x10(exp 12) per square centimeter)) of 1.6 x 10(exp 12) per square centimeter was obtained. At 250 mK, the mobility increases to 13,313 square centimeters/V-sec (n(sub e)=1.33x10(exp 12) per square centimeter)) and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations appear, showing excellent confinement of the two-dimensional electron gas.

Strain-Engineered Nanomembrane Substrates for Si/SiGe Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sookchoo, Pornsatit

For Group IV materials, including silicon, germanium, and their alloys, although they are most widely used in the electronics industry, the development of photonic devices is hindered by indirect band gaps and large lattice mismatches. Thus, any heterostructures involving Si and Ge (4.17% lattice mismatch) are subject to plastic relaxation by dislocation formation in the heterolayers. These defects make many devices impossible and at minimum degrade the performance of those that are possible. Fabrication using elastic strain engineering in Si/SiGe nanomembranes (NMs) is an approach that is showing promise to overcome this limitation. A key advantage of such NM substrates over conventional bulk substrates is that they are relaxed elastically and therefore free of dislocations that occur in the conventional fabrication of SiGe substrates, which are transferred to the epilayers and roughen film interfaces. In this thesis, I use the strain engineering of NMs or NM stacks to fabricate substrates for the epitaxial growth of many repeating units of Si/SiGe heterostructure, known as a 'superlattice', by the elastic strain sharing of a few periods of the repeating unit of Si/SiGe heterolayers or a Si/SiGe/Si tri-layer structure. In both cases, the process begins with the epitaxial growth of Si/SiGe heterolayers on silicon-on-insulator (SOI), where each layer thickness is designed to stay below its kinetic critical thickness for the formation of dislocations. The heterostructure NMs are then released by etching of the SiO2 sacrificial layer in hydrofluoric acid. The resulting freestanding NMs are elastically relaxed by the sharing of strain between the heterolayers. The NMs can be bonded in-place to their host substrate or transferred to another host substrate for the subsequent growth of many periods of superlattice film. The magnitude of strain sharing in these freestanding NMs is influenced by their layer thicknesses and layer compositions. As illustrated in this dissertation, strain-engineering of such NMs can provide the enabling basis for improved Group IV optoelectronic devices.

Low-temperature reduction of Ge oxide by Si and SiH4 in low-pressure H2 and Ar environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minami, Kaichiro; Moriya, Atsushi; Yuasa, Kazuhiro; Maeda, Kiyohiko; Yamada, Masayuki; Kunii, Yasuo; Niwano, Michio; Murota, Junichi

2015-08-01

Introduction of Ge into ULSIs has become increasingly attractive because of the higher carrier mobility of Ge. Since Ge native oxide is formed easily in cleanroom air, the control of formation and reduction of the Ge oxide is requested for the introduction of Ge layers into Si process. Here, the reactions between gas phase Ge oxide and Si substrate and between the Ge oxide on Ge epitaxial layer and SiH4 are investigated. The native-oxidized Ge amount is obtained by calculating from chemically shifted peak intensity of Ge 3d measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. By the adsorption of the Ge oxide on Si(1 0 0) surface, pure Ge and Si oxide are formed on the Si surface even at 350 °C and the formed Ge amount tends to correspond to the oxidized Si amount, independently of the heat-treatment environment of H2 and Ar under the condition that Si oxide is not reduced by H2. By SiH4 treatment, the amount of the oxidized Ge on the Ge layer decreases drastically even at 350 °C and Si oxide is formed on the Ge layer. From these results, it is suggested that the Ge oxide is reduced even at 350 °C by Si or SiH4, and the Si oxide and the pure Ge are formed.

Wet cleaning and surface characterization of Si 1- xGe x virtual substrates after a CMP step

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbadie, A.; Hartmann, J. M.; Besson, P.; Rouchon, D.; Martinez, E.; Holliger, P.; Di Nardo, C.; Campidelli, Y.; Billon, T.

2008-08-01

New reactants such as ozone dissolved in ultra-pure water have been widely used the last few years instead of the original Radio Corporation of America (RCA) cleaning (which is a combination of the Standard Cleaning 1 (SC1) and the Standard Cleaning 2 (SC2)). In a first part of the study (Microelectron. Eng. 83 (2006) 1986), we had quantified the efficiency of a new cleaning sequence (that calls upon HF and H 2O/O 3 solutions) on polished Si 1- xGe x virtual substrates ( x = 0.2-0.5). We are discussing here the surface morphology and wetability together with the oxide thickness and structure typically obtained after this so-called "DDC-SiGe" wet cleaning. Flat surface morphologies are found after cleaning whatever the Ge content (from 20 to 50%). Typical root mean square roughness is around 0.4 nm. We have used X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to determine the characteristics of the surface termination after this "DDC-SiGe" cleaning. An oxide mainly composed of SiO 2 is formed, with a low fraction of Ge sub-oxide and GeO 2. The distribution of chemical species is not that different from the one obtained after the use of a SC1 cleaning. However, the chemical oxide formed is slightly thicker. Such a HF/O 3 cleaning leads, when used on thick Ge layers grown on Si, to the formation of a really thin Ge sub-oxide. Our oxidation model assumes a competition in O 3 solutions between the oxidation rates of Si and Ge atoms (faster for Si) and the dissolution of the Ge oxide formed in solution. This mechanism, which implies the formation of a slightly porous oxide, is different from the one seeming to occur in SC1-based solutions. Indeed, the addition of surfactant in a SC1 solution modifies the oxidation rate compared to standard SC1 or O 3-based solutions, suggesting a diffusion of reactants towards the interface between the SiGe and the oxide in formation, assisted by the reactions of species within the cleaning solutions.

Heterogeneous Integration of Epitaxial Ge on Si using AlAs/GaAs Buffer Architecture: Suitability for Low-power Fin Field-Effect Transistors

PubMed Central

Hudait, Mantu K.; Clavel, Michael; Goley, Patrick; Jain, Nikhil; Zhu, Yan

2014-01-01

Germanium-based materials and device architectures have recently appeared as exciting material systems for future low-power nanoscale transistors and photonic devices. Heterogeneous integration of germanium (Ge)-based materials on silicon (Si) using large bandgap buffer architectures could enable the monolithic integration of electronics and photonics. In this paper, we report on the heterogeneous integration of device-quality epitaxial Ge on Si using composite AlAs/GaAs large bandgap buffer, grown by molecular beam epitaxy that is suitable for fabricating low-power fin field-effect transistors required for continuing transistor miniaturization. The superior structural quality of the integrated Ge on Si using AlAs/GaAs was demonstrated using high-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed relaxed Ge with high crystalline quality and a sharp Ge/AlAs heterointerface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated a large valence band offset at the Ge/AlAs interface, as compared to Ge/GaAs heterostructure, which is a prerequisite for superior carrier confinement. The temperature-dependent electrical transport properties of the n-type Ge layer demonstrated a Hall mobility of 370 cm2/Vs at 290 K and 457 cm2/Vs at 90 K, which suggests epitaxial Ge grown on Si using an AlAs/GaAs buffer architecture would be a promising candidate for next-generation high-performance and energy-efficient fin field-effect transistor applications. PMID:25376723

Properties of nanocones formed on a surface of semiconductors by laser radiation: quantum confinement effect of electrons, phonons, and excitons

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

On the basis of the analysis of experimental results, a two-stage mechanism of nanocones formation on the irradiated surface of semiconductors by Nd:YAG laser is proposed for elementary semiconductors and solid solutions, such as Si, Ge, SiGe, and CdZnTe. Properties observed are explained in the frame of quantum confinement effect. The first stage of the mechanism is characterized by the formation of a thin strained top layer, due to redistribution of point defects in temperature-gradient field induced by laser radiation. The second stage is characterized by mechanical plastic deformation of the stained top layer leading to arising of nanocones, due to selective laser absorption of the top layer. The nanocones formed on the irradiated surface of semiconductors by Nd:YAG laser possessing the properties of 1D graded bandgap have been found for Si, Ge, and SiGe as well, however QD structure in CdTe was observed. The model is confirmed by "blue shift" of bands in photoluminescence spectrum, "red shift" of longitudinal optical line in Raman back scattering spectrum of Ge crystal, appearance of Ge phase in SiGe solid solution after irradiation by the laser at intensity 20 MW/cm2, and non-monotonous dependence of Si crystal micro-hardness as function of the laser intensity. PMID:22060172

Ge quantum dot arrays grown by ultrahigh vacuum molecular-beam epitaxy on the Si(001) surface: nucleation, morphology, and CMOS compatibility.

PubMed

Yuryev, Vladimir A; Arapkina, Larisa V

2011-09-05

Issues of morphology, nucleation, and growth of Ge cluster arrays deposited by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy on the Si(001) surface are considered. Difference in nucleation of quantum dots during Ge deposition at low (≲600°C) and high (≳600°C) temperatures is studied by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic models of growth of both species of Ge huts--pyramids and wedges-- are proposed. The growth cycle of Ge QD arrays at low temperatures is explored. A problem of lowering of the array formation temperature is discussed with the focus on CMOS compatibility of the entire process; a special attention is paid upon approaches to reduction of treatment temperature during the Si(001) surface pre-growth cleaning, which is at once a key and the highest-temperature phase of the Ge/Si(001) quantum dot dense array formation process. The temperature of the Si clean surface preparation, the final high-temperature step of which is, as a rule, carried out directly in the MBE chamber just before the structure deposition, determines the compatibility of formation process of Ge-QD-array based devices with the CMOS manufacturing cycle. Silicon surface hydrogenation at the final stage of its wet chemical etching during the preliminary cleaning is proposed as a possible way of efficient reduction of the Si wafer pre-growth annealing temperature.

Atomistic simulation of the thermal conductivity in amorphous SiO2 matrix/Ge nanocrystal composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuryliuk, Vasyl V.; Korotchenkov, Oleg A.

2017-04-01

We use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics computer simulations with the Tersoff potential aiming to provide a comprehensive picture of the thermal conductivity of amorphous SiO2 (a-SiO2) matrix with embedded Ge nanocrystals (nc-Ge). The modelling predicts the a-SiO2 matrix thermal conductivity in a temperature range of 50 < T < 500 K yielding a fair agreement with experiment at around room temperature. It is worth noticing that the predicted room-temperature thermal conductivity in a-SiO2 is in very good agreement with the experimental result, which is in marked contrast with the thermal conductivity calculated employing the widely used van Beest-Kramer-van Santen (BKS) potential. We show that the thermal conductivity of composite nc-Ge/a-SiO2 systems decreases steadily with increasing the volume fraction of Ge inclusions, indicative of enhanced interface scattering of phonons imposed by embedded Ge nanocrystals. We also observe that increasing the volume fractions above a certain threshold value results in a progressively increased thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite, which can be explained by increasing volume fraction of a better thermally conducting Ge. Finally, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations with the Tersoff potential are promising for computing the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites based on amorphous SiO2 and can be readily scaled to more complex composite structures with embedded nanoparticles, which thus help design nanocomposites with desired thermal properties.

Modified Stranski-Krastanov growth in Ge/Si heterostructures via nanostenciled pulsed laser deposition.

PubMed

MacLeod, J M; Cojocaru, C V; Ratto, F; Harnagea, C; Bernardi, A; Alonso, M I; Rosei, F

2012-02-17

The combination of nanostenciling with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) provides a flexible, fast approach for patterning the growth of Ge on Si. Within each stencilled site, the morphological evolution of the Ge structures with deposition follows a modified Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode. By systematically varying the PLD parameters (laser repetition rate and number of pulses) on two different substrate orientations (111 and 100), we have observed corresponding changes in growth morphology, strain and elemental composition using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and μ-Raman spectroscopy. The growth behaviour is well predicted within a classical SK scheme, although the Si(100) growth exhibits significant relaxation and ripening with increasing coverage. Other novel aspects of the growth include the increased thickness of the wetting layer and the kinetic control of Si/Ge intermixing via the PLD repetition rate.

One-dimensional Si/Ge nanowires and their heterostructures for multifunctional applications—a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, Samit K.; Katiyar, Ajit K.; Raychaudhuri, Arup K.

2017-03-01

Remarkable progress has been made in the field of one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures for electronic and photonic devices. Group-IV semiconductors and their heterostructures have dominated the years of success in microelectronic industry. However their use in photonic devices is limited since they exhibit poor optical activity due to indirect band gap nature of Si and Ge. Reducing their dimensions below a characteristic length scale of various fundamental parameters like exciton Bohr radius, phonon mean free path, critical size of magnetic domains, exciton diffusion length etc result in the significant modification of bulk properties. In particular, light emission from Si/Ge nanowires due to quantum confinement, strain induced band structure modification and impurity doping may lead to the integration of photonic components with mature silicon CMOS technology in near future. Several promising applications based on Si and Ge nanowires have already been well established and studied, while others are now at the early demonstration stage. The control over various forms of energy and carrier transport through the unconstrained dimension makes Si and Ge nanowires a promising platform to manufacture advanced solid-state devices. This review presents the progress of the research with emphasis on their potential application of Si/Ge nanowires and their heterostructures for electronic, photonic, sensing and energy devices.

Ge{sub 1-y}Sn{sub y} (y = 0.01-0.10) alloys on Ge-buffered Si: Synthesis, microstructure, and optical properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senaratne, C. L.; Kouvetakis, J.; Gallagher, J. D.

Novel hydride chemistries are employed to deposit light-emitting Ge{sub 1-y}Sn{sub y} alloys with y ≤ 0.1 by Ultra-High Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition (UHV-CVD) on Ge-buffered Si wafers. The properties of the resultant materials are systematically compared with similar alloys grown directly on Si wafers. The fundamental difference between the two systems is a fivefold (and higher) decrease in lattice mismatch between film and virtual substrate, allowing direct integration of bulk-like crystals with planar surfaces and relatively low dislocation densities. For y ≤ 0.06, the CVD precursors used were digermane Ge₂H₆ and deuterated stannane SnD₄. For y ≥ 0.06, the Gemore » precursor was changed to trigermane Ge₃H₈, whose higher reactivity enabled the fabrication of supersaturated samples with the target film parameters. In all cases, the Ge wafers were produced using tetragermane Ge₄H₁₀ as the Ge source. The photoluminescence intensity from Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Ge films is expected to increase relative to Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Si due to the less defected interface with the virtual substrate. However, while Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Si films are largely relaxed, a significant amount of compressive strain may be present in the Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Ge case. This compressive strain can reduce the emission intensity by increasing the separation between the direct and indirect edges. In this context, it is shown here that the proposed CVD approach to Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Ge makes it possible to approach film thicknesses of about 1 μm, for which the strain is mostly relaxed and the photoluminescence intensity increases by one order of magnitude relative to Ge{sub 1–y}Sn{sub y}/Si films. The observed strain relaxation is shown to be consistent with predictions from strain-relaxation models first developed for the Si{sub 1–x}Ge{sub x}/Si system. The defect structure and atomic distributions in the films are studied in detail using advanced electron-microscopy techniques, including aberration corrected STEM imaging and EELS mapping of the average diamond–cubic lattice.« less

Temperature effect on the structural stabilities and electronic properties of X22H28 (X=C, Si and Ge) nanocrystals: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiao-Lin; Zhao, Yu-Jun; Wang, Ya-Ting; Liao, Ji-Hai; Yang, Xiao-Bao

2016-12-01

Based on ab initio molecular dynamic simulations, we have theoretically investigated the structural stabilities and electronic properties of X22H28 (X=C, Si, and Ge) nanocrystals, as a function of temperature with consideration of vibrational entropy effects. To compare the relative stabilities of X22H28 isomers, the vibration free energies are obtained according to the calculated phonon spectrum, where the typical modes are shown to be dominant to the structural stabilities. In addition, there is a significant gap reduction as the temperature increases from 0 K to 300 K, where the decrements are 0.2 /0.5 /0.6eV for C/Si/Ge nanocrystals, respectively. The dependence of energy gap on the variance of bond length is also analyzed according to the corresponding atomic attributions to the HOMO and LUMO levels.

Formation of atomically ordered and chemically selective Si-O-Ti monolayer on Si0.5Ge0.5(110) for a MIS structure via H2O2(g) functionalization.

PubMed

Park, Sang Wook; Choi, Jong Youn; Siddiqui, Shariq; Sahu, Bhagawan; Galatage, Rohit; Yoshida, Naomi; Kachian, Jessica; Kummel, Andrew C

2017-02-07

Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 (110) surfaces were passivated and functionalized using atomic H, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and either tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT) or titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ) and studied in situ with multiple spectroscopic techniques. To passivate the dangling bonds, atomic H and H 2 O 2 (g) were utilized and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) demonstrated unpinning of the surface Fermi level. The H 2 O 2 (g) could also be used to functionalize the surface for metal atomic layer deposition. After subsequent TDMAT or TiCl 4 dosing followed by a post-deposition annealing, scanning tunneling microscopy demonstrated that a thermally stable and well-ordered monolayer of TiO x was deposited on Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 (110), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verified that the interfaces only contained Si-O-Ti bonds and a complete absence of GeO x . STS measurements confirmed a TiO x monolayer without mid-gap and conduction band edge states, which should be an ideal ultrathin insulating layer in a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure. Regardless of the Ti precursors, the final Ti density and electronic structure were identical since the Ti bonding is limited by the high coordination of Ti to O.

Low Thermal Conductivity of Bulk Amorphous Si1- x Ge x Containing Nano-Sized Crystalline Particles Synthesized by Ball-Milling Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthusamy, Omprakash; Nishino, Shunsuke; Ghodke, Swapnil; Inukai, Manabu; Sobota, Robert; Adachi, Masahiro; Kiyama, Makato; Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki; Takeuchi, Tsunehiro; Santhanakrishnan, Harish; Ikeda, Hiroya; Hayakawa, Yasuhiro

2018-06-01

Amorphous Si0.65Ge0.35 powder containing a small amount of nano-sized crystalline particles was synthesized by means of the mechanical alloying process. Hot pressing for 24 h under the pressure of 400 MPa at 823 K, which is below the crystallization temperature, allowed us to obtain bulk amorphous Si-Ge alloy containing a small amount of nanocrystals. The thermal conductivity of the prepared bulk amorphous Si-Ge alloy was extremely low, showing a magnitude of less than 1.35 Wm-1 K-1 over the entire temperature range from 300 K to 700 K. The sound velocity of longitudinal and transverse waves for the bulk amorphous Si0.65Ge0.35 were measured, and the resulting values were 5841 m/s and 2840 m/s, respectively. The estimated mean free path of phonons was kept at the very small value of ˜ 4.2 nm, which was mainly due to the strong scattering limit of phonons in association with the amorphous structure.

Electronic and optical properties of Si and Ge nanocrystals: An ab initio study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulci, Olivia; Degoli, Elena; Iori, Federico; Marsili, Margherita; Palummo, Maurizia; Del Sole, Rodolfo; Ossicini, Stefano

2010-01-01

First-principles calculations within density functional theory and many-body perturbation theory have been carried out in order to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of undoped and doped silicon nanostructures. We consider Si nanoclusters co-doped with B and P. We find that the electronic band gap is reduced with respect to that of the undoped crystals, suggesting the possibility of impurity based engineering of electronic and optical properties of Si nanocrystals. Finally, motivated by recent suggestions concerning the chance of exploiting Ge dots for photovoltaic nanodevices, we present calculations of the electronic and optical properties of a Ge 35H 36 nanocrystal, and compare the results with those for the corresponding Si 35H 36 nanocrystals and the co-doped Si 33BPH 36.

Empirical molecular-dynamics study of diffusion in liquid semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, W.; Wang, Z. Q.; Stroud, D.

1996-11-01

We report the results of an extensive molecular-dynamics study of diffusion in liquid Si and Ge (l-Si and l-Ge) and of impurities in l-Ge, using empirical Stillinger-Weber (SW) potentials with several choices of parameters. We use a numerical algorithm in which the three-body part of the SW potential is decomposed into products of two-body potentials, thereby permitting the study of large systems. One choice of SW parameters agrees very well with the observed l-Ge structure factors. The diffusion coefficients D(T) at melting are found to be approximately 6.4×10-5 cm2/s for l-Si, in good agreement with previous calculations, and about 4.2×10-5 and 4.6×10-5 cm2/s for two models of l-Ge. In all cases, D(T) can be fitted to an activated temperature dependence, with activation energies Ed of about 0.42 eV for l-Si, and 0.32 or 0.26 eV for two models of l-Ge, as calculated from either the Einstein relation or from a Green-Kubo-type integration of the velocity autocorrelation function. D(T) for Si impurities in l-Ge is found to be very similar to the self-diffusion coefficient of l-Ge. We briefly discuss possible reasons why the SW potentials give D(T)'s substantially lower than ab initio predictions.

Molecular dynamics simulations of damage production by thermal spikes in Ge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lopez, Pedro; Pelaz, Lourdes; Santos, Ivan

2012-02-01

Molecular dynamics simulation techniques are used to analyze damage production in Ge by the thermal spike process and to compare the results to those obtained for Si. As simulation results are sensitive to the choice of the inter-atomic potential, several potentials are compared in terms of material properties relevant for damage generation, and the most suitable potentials for this kind of analysis are identified. A simplified simulation scheme is used to characterize, in a controlled way, the damage generation through the local melting of regions in which energy is deposited. Our results show the outstanding role of thermal spikes inmore » Ge, since the lower melting temperature and thermal conductivity of Ge make this process much more efficient in terms of damage generation than in Si. The study is extended to the modeling of full implant cascades, in which both collision events and thermal spikes coexist. Our simulations reveal the existence of bigger damaged or amorphous regions in Ge than in Si, which may be formed by the melting and successive quenching induced by thermal spikes. In the particular case of heavy ion implantation, defect structures in Ge are not only bigger, but they also present a larger net content in vacancies than in Si, which may act as precursors for the growth of voids and the subsequent formation of honeycomb-like structures.« less

Magnetostructural phase transitions and magnetocaloric effect in (Gd 5-xSc x)Si 1.8Ge 2.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rudolph, Kirk; Pathak, Arjun K.; Mudryk, Yaroslav

Future advancements in magnetocaloric refrigeration/heat pumping technologies depend on the discovery of new materials that demonstrate large, tunable magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) in the vicinity of coupled magnetic and structural phase transitions that occur reversibly with minimum hysteresis. Here, with this in mind, we investigate phase transitions, microstructure, magnetic, thermal, magnetocaloric, and transport properties of (Gd 5-xSc x)Si 1.8Ge 2.2 compounds. Replacement of magnetic Gd with non-magnetic Sc in Gd 5-xSc xSi 1.8Ge 2.2 increases the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic first order phase transition temperature, T C, with only a minor reduction in MCE when x ≤ 0.2. We also demonstrate thatmore » hydrostatic pressure further increases T C and reduces the hysteresis of the first order phase transition in Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 from 7 to 4 K. Temperature-dependent x-ray powder diffraction study of Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 confirms the monoclinic ↔ orthorhombic structural transformation at T C, in agreement with magnetic, calorimetric, and electrical transport measurements. In addition to the substantial magnetocaloric effect, a large magnetoresistance of ~20% is also observed in Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 for ΔH = 50 kOe in the vicinity of the magnetostructural transition. Finally, in a drastic reversal of the initial doping behavior further additions of Sc (x > 0.2) suppress formation of the monoclinic phase, change the nature of the transition from first-to second-order, and reduce both the transition temperature and magnetocaloric effect.« less

Magnetostructural phase transitions and magnetocaloric effect in (Gd 5-xSc x)Si 1.8Ge 2.2

DOE PAGES

Rudolph, Kirk; Pathak, Arjun K.; Mudryk, Yaroslav; ...

2017-12-21

Future advancements in magnetocaloric refrigeration/heat pumping technologies depend on the discovery of new materials that demonstrate large, tunable magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) in the vicinity of coupled magnetic and structural phase transitions that occur reversibly with minimum hysteresis. Here, with this in mind, we investigate phase transitions, microstructure, magnetic, thermal, magnetocaloric, and transport properties of (Gd 5-xSc x)Si 1.8Ge 2.2 compounds. Replacement of magnetic Gd with non-magnetic Sc in Gd 5-xSc xSi 1.8Ge 2.2 increases the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic first order phase transition temperature, T C, with only a minor reduction in MCE when x ≤ 0.2. We also demonstrate thatmore » hydrostatic pressure further increases T C and reduces the hysteresis of the first order phase transition in Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 from 7 to 4 K. Temperature-dependent x-ray powder diffraction study of Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 confirms the monoclinic ↔ orthorhombic structural transformation at T C, in agreement with magnetic, calorimetric, and electrical transport measurements. In addition to the substantial magnetocaloric effect, a large magnetoresistance of ~20% is also observed in Gd 4.8Sc 0.2Si 1.8Ge 2.2 for ΔH = 50 kOe in the vicinity of the magnetostructural transition. Finally, in a drastic reversal of the initial doping behavior further additions of Sc (x > 0.2) suppress formation of the monoclinic phase, change the nature of the transition from first-to second-order, and reduce both the transition temperature and magnetocaloric effect.« less

Photoconductivity of ultra-thin Ge(GeSn) layers grown in Si by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talochkin, A. B., E-mail: tal@isp.nsc.ru; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090; Chistokhin, I. B.

2016-04-07

Photoconductivity (PC) spectra of Si/Ge(GeSn)/Si structures with the ultra-thin (1.0–2.3 nm) Ge and GeSn alloy layers grown by the low-temperature (T = 100 °C) molecular beam epitaxy are studied. Photoresponse in the range of 1.2–0.4 eV related to light absorption in the buried Ge(GeSn) layer is observed. It is shown that in case of lateral PC, a simple diffusion model can be used to determine the absorption coefficient of this layer α ∼ 10{sup 5 }cm{sup −1}. This value is 100 times larger than that of a single Ge quantum dot layer and is reached significantly above the band gap of most bulk semiconductors. The observedmore » absorption is caused by optical transitions between electron and hole states localized at the interfaces. The anomalous high value of α can be explained by the unusual state of Ge(GeSn) layer with high concentration of dangling bonds, the optical properties of which have been predicted theoretically by Knief and von Niessen (Phys. Rev. B 59, 12940 (1999)).« less

Low temperature growth of heavy boron-doped hydrogenated Ge epilayers and its application in Ge/Si photodetectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Wei-Cheng; Lee, Ming Jay; Wu, Mount-Learn; Lee, Chien-Chieh; Tsao, I.-Yu; Chang, Jenq-Yang

2017-04-01

In this study, heavily boron-doped hydrogenated Ge epilayers are grown on Si substrates at a low growth temperature (220 °C). The quality of the boron-doped epilayers is dependent on the hydrogen flow rate. The optical emission spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction and Hall measurement results demonstrate that better quality boron-doped Ge epilayers can be obtained at low hydrogen flow rates (0 sccm). This reduction in quality is due to an excess of hydrogen in the source gas, which breaks one of the Ge-Ge bonds on the Ge surface, leading to the formation of unnecessary dangling bonds. The structure of the boron doped Ge epilayers is analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In addition, the performance, based on the I-V characteristics, of Ge/Si photodetectors fabricated with boron doped Ge epilayers produced under different hydrogen flow rates was examined. The photodetectors with boron doped Ge epilayers produced with a low hydrogen flow rate (0 sccm) exhibited a higher responsivity of 0.144 A/W and a lower dark current of 5.33 × 10-7 A at a reverse bias of 1 V.

Density functional study of the decomposition pathways of SiH₃ and GeH₃ at the Si(100) and Ge(100) surfaces.

PubMed

Ceriotti, M; Montalenti, F; Bernasconi, M

2012-03-14

By means of first-principles calculations we studied the decomposition pathways of SiH₃ on Ge(100) and of GeH₃ on Si(100), of interest for the growth of crystalline SiGe alloys and Si/Ge heterostructures by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We also investigated H desorption via reaction of two adsorbed SiH₂/GeH₂ species (β₂ reaction) or via Eley-Rideal abstraction of surface H atoms from the impinging SiH₃ and GeH₃ species. The calculated activation energies for the different processes suggest that the rate-limiting step for the growth of Si/Ge systems is still the β₂ reaction of two SiH₂ as in the growth of crystalline Si.

Crystal structure and physical properties of quaternary clathrates Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub x}Ge{sub 46-x-y}Si{sub y}, Ba{sub 8}(Zn,Cu){sub x}Ge{sub 46-x} and Ba{sub 8}(Zn,Pd){sub x}Ge{sub 46-x}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasir, Navida; Grytsiv, Andriy; Melnychenko-Koblyuk, Nataliya

2010-10-15

Three series of vacancy-free quaternary clathrates of type I, Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub x}Ge{sub 46-x-y}Si{sub y}, Ba{sub 8}(Zn,Cu){sub x}Ge{sub 46-x}, and Ba{sub 8}(Zn,Pd){sub x}Ge{sub 46-x}, have been prepared by reactions of elemental ingots in vacuum sealed quartz at 800 {sup o}C. In all cases cubic primitive symmetry (space group Pm3n, a{approx}1.1 nm) was confirmed for the clathrate phase by X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray single crystal analyses. The lattice parameters show a linear increase with increase in Ge for Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub x}Ge{sub 46-x-y}Si{sub y}. M atoms (Zn, Pd, Cu) preferably occupy the 6d site in random mixtures. No defects were observed formore » the 6d site. Site preference of Ge and Si in Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub x}Ge{sub 46-x-y}Si{sub y} has been elucidated from X-ray refinement: Ge atoms linearly substitute Si in the 24k site whilst a significant deviation from linearity is observed for occupation of the 16i site. A connectivity scheme for the phase equilibria in the 'Ba{sub 8}Ge{sub 46}' corner at 800 {sup o}C has been derived and a three-dimensional isothermal section at 800 {sup o}C is presented for the Ba-Pd-Zn-Ge system. Studies of transport properties carried out for Ba{sub 8{l_brace}}Cu,Pd,Zn{r_brace}{sub x}Ge{sub 46-x} and Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub x}Si{sub y}Ge{sub 46-x-y} evidenced predominantly electrons as charge carriers and the closeness of the systems to a metal-to-insulator transition, fine-tuned by substitution and mechanical processing of starting material Ba{sub 8}Ge{sub 43}. A promising figure of merit, ZT {approx}0.45 at 750 K, has been derived for Ba{sub 8}Zn{sub 7.4}Ge{sub 19.8}Si{sub 18.8}, where pricey germanium is exchanged by reasonably cheap silicon. - Graphical abstract: Quaternary phase diagram of Ba-Pd-Zn-Ge system at 800 {sup o}C.« less

Structural and electrical properties of Ge-on-Si(0 0 1) layers with ultra heavy n-type doping grown by MBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yurasov, D. V.; Antonov, A. V.; Drozdov, M. N.; Yunin, P. A.; Andreev, B. A.; Bushuykin, P. A.; Baydakova, N. A.; Novikov, A. V.

2018-06-01

In this paper we report about the formation of ultra heavy doped n-Ge layers on Si(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and their characterization by different independent techniques. Combined study of structural and electrical properties of fabricated layers using secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hall effect and reflection measurements was carried out and it has revealed the achievable charge carrier densities exceeding 1020 cm-3 without deterioration of crystalline quality of such doped layers. It was also shown that X-ray analysis can be used as a fast, reliable and non-destructive method for evaluation of the electrically active Sb concentration in heavy doped Ge layers. The appropriate set of doping density allowed to adjust the plasmonic resonance position in Ge:Sb layers in a rather wide range reaching the wavelength of 3.6 μm for the highest doping concentration. Room temperature photoluminescence confirmed the high crystalline quality of such doped layers. Our results indicated the attainability of high electron concentration in Ge:Sb layers grown on Si substrates without crystalline quality deterioration which may find potential applications in the fields of Si-based photonics and mid-IR plasmonics.

Zintl Clusters as Wet-Chemical Precursors for Germanium Nanomorphologies with Tunable Composition.

PubMed

Bentlohner, Manuel M; Waibel, Markus; Zeller, Patrick; Sarkar, Kuhu; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter; Fattakhova-Rohlfing, Dina; Fässler, Thomas F

2016-02-12

[Ge9](4-) Zintl clusters are used as soluble germanium source for a bottom-up fabrication of Ge nanomorphologies such as inverse opal structures with tunable composition. The method is based on the assembly and oxidation of [Ge9 ](4-) clusters in a template mold using SiCl4 , GeCl4 , and PCl3 leading to Si and P-containing Ge phases as shown by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. [Ge9](4-) clusters are retained using ethylenediamine (en) as a transfer medium to a mold after removal of the solvent if water is thoroughly excluded, but are oxidized to amorphous Ge in presence of water traces. (1)H NMR spectroscopy reveals the oxidative deprotonation of en by [Ge9](4-). Subsequent annealing leads to crystalline Ge. As an example for wet-chemical synthesis of complex Ge nanomorphologies, we describe the fabrication of undoped and P-doped inverse opal-structured Ge films with a rather low oxygen contents. The morphology of the films with regular volume porosity is characterized by SEM, TEM, and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural and optical characteristics of GaAs films grown on Si/Ge substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rykov, A. V.; Dorokhin, M. V.; Vergeles, P. S.; Baidus, N. V.; Kovalskiy, V. A.; Yakimov, E. B.; Soltanovich, O. A.

2018-03-01

A GaAs/AlAs heterostructure and a GaAs film grown on Si/Ge substrates have been fabricated and studied. A Ge buffer on a silicon substrate was fabricated using the MBE process. A3B5 films were grown by MOCVD at low pressures. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was used to define the optical quality of A3B5 films. Structural properties were investigated using the electron beam induced current method. It was established that despite a rather high density of dislocations on the epitaxial layers, the detected photoluminescence radiation of layers indicates the acceptable crystalline quality of the top GaAs layer.

Understanding the role played by Fe on the tuning of magnetocaloric effect in Tb5Si2Ge2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pereira, Andre; Moreira Dos Santos, Antonio F; Magen Dominguez, Cesar

2011-01-01

In this work, it is shown that when replacing Ge by Fe in Tb5Si2Ge2 the structural transition still occurs and enhances the Magnetocaloric effect (up to 66%) with maximum of MCE at a critical Fe amount where the magnetic and structural transitions become fully coupled. It is observed that Fe concentration is able to mimic the e?ect of external pressure as it induces a complex microstructure, that tunes long range strain ?elds. This knowledge is crucial for the development of strategies towards materials with improved performance for e?cient magnetic refrigeration applications.

Improving the opto-microwave performance of SiGe/Si phototransistor through edge-illuminated structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tegegne, Z. G.; Viana, C.; Polleux, J. L.; Grzeskowiak, M.; Richalot, E.

2016-03-01

This paper demonstrates the experimental study of edge and top illuminated SiGe phototransistors (HPT) implemented using the existing industrial SiGe2RF Telefunken GmbH BiCMOS technology for opto-microwave (OM) applications using 850nm Multi-Mode Fibers (MMF). Its technology and structure are described. Two different optical window size HPTs with top illumination (5x5μm2, 10x10μm2) and an edge illuminated HPTs having 5μm x5μm size are presented and compared. A two-step post fabrication process was used to create an optical access on the edge of the HPT for lateral illumination with a lensed MMF through simple polishing and dicing techniques. We perform Opto-microwave Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (OM-SNOM) analysis on edge and top illuminated HPTs in order to observe the fastest and the highest sensitive regions of the HPTs. This analysis also allows understanding the parasitic effect from the substrate, and thus draws a conclusion on the design aspect of SiGe/Si HPT. A low frequency OM responsivity of 0.45A/W and a cutoff frequency, f-3dB, of 890MHz were measured for edge illuminated HPT. Compared to the top illuminated HPT of the same size, the edge illuminated HPT improves the f-3dB by a factor of more than two and also improves the low frequency responsivity by a factor of more than four. These results demonstrate that a simple etched HPT is still enough to achieve performance improvements compared to the top illuminated HPT without requiring a complex coupling structure. Indeed, it also proves the potential of edge coupled SiGe HPT in the ultra-low-cost silicon based optoelectronics circuits with a new approach of the optical packaging and system integration to 850nm MMF.

Independent control of electrical and heat conduction by nanostructure designing for Si-based thermoelectric materials

PubMed Central

Yamasaka, Shuto; Watanabe, Kentaro; Sakane, Shunya; Takeuchi, Shotaro; Sakai, Akira; Sawano, Kentarou; Nakamura, Yoshiaki

2016-01-01

The high electrical and drastically-low thermal conductivities, a vital goal for high performance thermoelectric (TE) materials, are achieved in Si-based nanoarchitecture composed of Si channel layers and epitaxial Ge nanodots (NDs) with ultrahigh areal density (~1012 cm−2). In this nanoarchitecture, the ultrasmall NDs and Si channel layers play roles of phonon scattering sources and electrical conduction channels, respectively. Electron conductivity in n-type nanoacrhitecture shows high values comparable to those of epitaxial Si films despite the existence of epitaxial NDs. This is because Ge NDs mainly scattered not electrons but phonons selectively, which could be attributed to the small conduction band offset at the epitaxially-grown Si/Ge interface and high transmission probability through stacking faults. These results demonstrate an independent control of thermal and electrical conduction for phonon-glass electron-crystal TE materials by nanostructure designing and the energetic and structural interface control. PMID:26973092

Single-shot readout of accumulation mode Si/SiGe spin qubits using RF reflectometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volk, Christian; Martins, Frederico; Malinowski, Filip; Marcus, Charles M.; Kuemmeth, Ferdinand

Spin qubits based on gate-defined quantum dots are promising systems for realizing quantum computation. Due to their low concentration of nuclear-spin-carrying isotopes, Si/SiGe heterostructures are of particular interest. While high fidelities have been reported for single-qubit and two-qubit gate operations, qubit initialization and measurement times are relatively slow. In order to develop fast read-out techniques compatible with the operation of spin qubits, we characterize double and triple quantum dots confined in undoped Si/Si0.7Ge0.3 heterostructures using accumulation and depletion gates and a nearby RF charge sensor dot. We implement a RF reflectometry technique that allows single-shot charge read-out at integration times on the order of a few μs. We show our recent advancement towards implementing spin qubits in these structures, including spin-selective single-shot read-out.

Genetic design of enhanced valley splitting towards a spin qubit in silicon

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lijun; Luo, Jun-Wei; Saraiva, Andre; Koiller, Belita; Zunger, Alex

2013-01-01

The long spin coherence time and microelectronics compatibility of Si makes it an attractive material for realizing solid-state qubits. Unfortunately, the orbital (valley) degeneracy of the conduction band of bulk Si makes it difficult to isolate individual two-level spin-1/2 states, limiting their development. This degeneracy is lifted within Si quantum wells clad between Ge-Si alloy barrier layers, but the magnitude of the valley splittings achieved so far is small—of the order of 1 meV or less—degrading the fidelity of information stored within such a qubit. Here we combine an atomistic pseudopotential theory with a genetic search algorithm to optimize the structure of layered-Ge/Si-clad Si quantum wells to improve this splitting. We identify an optimal sequence of multiple Ge/Si barrier layers that more effectively isolates the electron ground state of a Si quantum well and increases the valley splitting by an order of magnitude, to ∼9 meV. PMID:24013452

Anomalous junctions characterized by Raman spectroscopy in Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1−x} nanowires with axially degraded components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xia, Minggang, E-mail: xiamg@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Department of Optical Information Science and Technology, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049; Han, Jinyun

2014-09-08

The characterization of junctions in nanowires by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with spherical aberration correction is tricky and tedious. Many disadvantages also exist, including rigorous sample preparation and structural damage inflicted by high-energy electrons. In this work, we present a simple, low-cost, and non-destructive Raman spectroscopy method of characterizing anomalous junctions in nanowires with axially degraded components. The Raman spectra of Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1−x} nanowires with axially degraded components are studied in detail using a confocal micro-Raman spectrometer. Three Raman peaks (ν{sub Si–Si} = 490 cm{sup −1}, ν{sub Si–Ge} = 400 cm{sup −1}, and ν{sub Ge–Ge} = 284 cm{sup −1}) up-shift with increased Si content. This up-shift originates inmore » the bond compression induced by a confined effect on the radial direction of nanowire. The anomalous junctions in Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1−x} nanowires with axially degraded components are then observed by Raman spectroscopy and verified by transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The anomalous junctions of Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1−x} nanowires with axially degraded components are due to the vortex flow of inlet SiH{sub 4} and GeH{sub 4} gas in their synthesis. The anomalous junctions can be used as raw materials for fabricating devices with special functions.« less

High quality Ge epilayer on Si (1 0 0) with an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si buffer layer by RPCVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Da; Guo, Qinglei; Zhang, Nan; Xu, Anli; Wang, Bei; Li, Ya; Wang, Gang

2017-07-01

The authors report a method to grow high quality strain-relaxed Ge epilayer on a combination of low temperature Ge seed layer and Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system without any subsequent annealing treatment. Prior to the growth of high quality Ge epilayer, an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer with the thickness of 50 nm and a 460 nm Ge seed layer were deposited successively at low temperature. Then an 840 nm Ge epilayer was grown at high deposition rate with the surface root-mean-square roughness of 0.707 nm and threading dislocation density of 2.5  ×  106 cm-2, respectively. Detailed investigations of the influence of ultrathin low-temperature Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer on the quality of Ge epilayer were performed, which indicates that the crystalline quality of Ge epilayer can be significantly improved by enhancing the Ge concentration of Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer.

A first-principles study of group IV and VI atoms doped blue phosphorene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Ruimin; Chen, Zheng; Gou, Manman; Zhang, Yixin

2018-02-01

Using first-principles calculations, we have systematically investigated the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of blue phosphorene doped by group IV and VI atoms, including C, Si, Ge, Sn, O, S, Se and Te. All the doped systems are energetically stable. Only C, Si, Ge and O-substituted systems show the characteristics of spin polarization and the magnetic moments are all 1.0 μB. Moreover, we found that C, Si, Ge and O doped systems are indirect bandgap semiconductors, while Sn, S, Se and Te doped systems present metallic property. These results show that blue phosphorene can be used prospectively in optoelectronic and spintronic devices.

Formation of Si and Ge films and micropatterns by wet process using laser direct writing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Akira

2011-03-01

The studies toward the formation of Si and Ge films and micropatterns by wet process using laser direct writing method are reported. First is the the formation of Si film by laser scanning irradiation to Si nano- or micro-particle dispersed films. By using organogermanium nanocluster (OrGe) as a dispersion medium of Si particles, a homogeneous Si film was formed by laser scanning irradiation on a Si particle/OrGe composite film. The micro-Raman spectra showed the formation of the polycrystalline Ge and SiGe alloy during the fusion of the Si particles by laser irradiation. The second is the formation of the Si and Ge micropatterns by LLDW (liquid phase laser direct writing) method. Micro-Raman spectra showed the formation of polycrystalline Si and Ge micropatterns by laser irradiation on the interfaces of SiCl4/substrate and GeCl4/substrate, respectively.

Ge quantum dot arrays grown by ultrahigh vacuum molecular-beam epitaxy on the Si(001) surface: nucleation, morphology, and CMOS compatibility

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Issues of morphology, nucleation, and growth of Ge cluster arrays deposited by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy on the Si(001) surface are considered. Difference in nucleation of quantum dots during Ge deposition at low (≲600°C) and high (≳600°C) temperatures is studied by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic models of growth of both species of Ge huts--pyramids and wedges-- are proposed. The growth cycle of Ge QD arrays at low temperatures is explored. A problem of lowering of the array formation temperature is discussed with the focus on CMOS compatibility of the entire process; a special attention is paid upon approaches to reduction of treatment temperature during the Si(001) surface pre-growth cleaning, which is at once a key and the highest-temperature phase of the Ge/Si(001) quantum dot dense array formation process. The temperature of the Si clean surface preparation, the final high-temperature step of which is, as a rule, carried out directly in the MBE chamber just before the structure deposition, determines the compatibility of formation process of Ge-QD-array based devices with the CMOS manufacturing cycle. Silicon surface hydrogenation at the final stage of its wet chemical etching during the preliminary cleaning is proposed as a possible way of efficient reduction of the Si wafer pre-growth annealing temperature. PMID:21892938

Core level line shapes and surface band structures of Sn/Ge(111) and Sn/Si(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhrberg, Roger

2001-03-01

We have performed a comparative study of Sn/Ge(111) and the closely related Sn/Si(111) system, using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). In similarity with the results from the Sn/Ge(111) surface, the Sn 4d spectra from Sn/Si(111) exhibit two major components and the valence band spectra show two surface state bands at both room temperature (RT) and 70 K. These features, which have been associated with the low temperature 3x3 phase in the case of Sn/Ge(111), are not expected for the rt3xrt3 RT surfaces. In contrast to Sn/Ge(111), we do not observe any transition to a 3x3 phase in LEED for Sn/Si(111) at temperatures down to 70 K (the lowest temperature in this study). Despite the absence of a 3x3 phase for Sn/Si(111) the core-level and the valence band data are very similar to those of Sn/Ge(111). The Sn 4d spectra show, however, one interesting difference. The intensity ratio of the two Sn 4d components is reversed for the Sn/Si(111) surface compared the Ge counterpart. This and the other PES results will be discussed in terms of the two different types of 3x3 periodicities that have been reported to be induced by substitutional defects on the Sn/Ge(111) surface [1]. [1] A.V. Melechko et al., Phys. Rev. B61, 2235 (2000)

Magnetic properties of the UNiGe2 at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohashi, Kohei; Ohashi, Masashi; Sawabu, Masaki; Miyagawa, Masahiro; Maeta, Kae; Yamamura, Tomoo

2018-03-01

We report on the magnetic characterization of a novel ternary uranium intermetallic UNiGe2. When we assume that UNiGe2 has the orthorhombic structure of CeNiGe2-type which is same as that of UNiSi2, the lattice constants were obtained to be a = 3.97 Å, b = 16.48 Å, and c = 4.08 Å. The unit cell volume of UNiGe2 is larger than that of UNiSi2. It comes from the fact that the atomic radius of Ge is larger than that of Si. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility shows two peaks at T N=45 K and T N‧=65 K. Taking an account that UNi2Ge2 secondary phase exists in the compound, UNiGe2 is an antiferromagnet below T N while T N‧ may come from the antiferromagnetic order of UNi2Ge2. At 5 K, the slope of the magnetization curve increases as increasing the magnetic field up to 5 T, indicating the presence of a metamagnetic transition. The residual magnetization remains on the magnetization curve at 5 K, which may come from a week ferromagnetism of UNi2Ge2 at low temperature.

Thermoelectric Properties of Silicon Germanium: An In-depth Study to the Reduction of Lattice Thermal Conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Daniel Ross

The goal of this dissertation will be to demonstrate a new synthesis technique for the current state of the art thermoelectric material for high temperature power generation, silicon germanium (SiGe). This technique is referred to as the single element (SE) spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique because the single elements of silicon, germanium, and their n and p type dopants are alloyed together during the SPS consolidation process. This novel synthesis technique is two orders of magnitude faster than the original technique for alloying this material and one order of magnitude faster than the current technique used for alloying this material. In order to fully demonstrate that the SE SPS technique alloys SiGe several scientific studies and investigations are performed. First, SiGe is alloyed using the current state of the art method, mechanical alloying (MA). Powders of MA SiGe are traditionally consolidated by a conventional hot press (HP). These materials are employed by NASA for deep space power generation on radio-isotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Hence, there is readily available published data for MA+HP SiGe used in RTGs. The SiGe powder that is MA by the author is consolidated using the SPS process, MA+SPS. Therefore, an initial study was conducted to ensure that the SPS consolidation process was not having any adverse effects SiGe as compared to the HP technique. Essentially it will be shown that SiGe produced by the MA+HP method and the MA+SPS method are equivalent. This guarantees that the synthesis and characterization techniques used at the complex and advanced materials laboratory (CAML) by the author agree with published standards. Second, once the first study has demonstrated that no adverse effects occur by using the SPS to consolidate SiGe, a study was conducted to show that undoped single elements of silicon and germanium can be alloyed in the SPS. To confirm that undoped SiGe is truly alloyed using the SE SPS technique, the structural properties of the resulting materials were investigated. Based on the densities, x-ray diffraction patterns, derived lattice constants, and Vegard's law it will be shown that the SE SPS method does successfully alloy multiple compositions of undoped SiGe. The third and most important study demonstrated that SiGe alloyed using the SE SPS synthesis technique can be successfully doped to a n and p type thermoelectric (TE) material. This required an investigation of all of the TE transport properties of these materials. A significant investigation and commentary will be provided for the lattice thermal conductivity of SiGe. The need for this investigation arises from the difference in synthesis processes between the traditional MA and the novel SE SPS techniques. The MA powder is already alloyed into micron sized powders that are consolidated by the HP for an extended time (>1 hour), which allows for grain growth. The SE SPS method relies on diffusion being promoted by the electric field assisted sintering technique and occurs over a very short period of time (<30 minutes). Therefore it can not be assumed that grain growth is not affected by the time dependent processes of sintering and diffusion with the SE SPS process. As will be discussed grain size plays a role in the lattice thermal conductivity of SiGe. It is surprising and physically interesting that the MA+HP standards and the SE SPS samples have lattice thermal conductivities that indicate the dominant scattering mechanism is the same. The physical insight provided by the fourth study is made possible by the existence of the new SE SPS synthesis method for SiGe. The MA method is optimized by the addition of GaP to the n-type SiGe materials during processing. The explanation for this optimization is a subject of debate within the community. Although, a staunch conclusion can not be made due to the need for more samples and carrier concentration data, this initial study does indicate that one physical explanation within the debate for the improvement of n-type SiGe with GaP additions is more coherent with scientific experimentation. The fifth study is aimed to provide suggestions for future studies for improving this material. This includes brief investigations on the effects of various nano-structure inclusions on lattice thermal conductivity of SiGe alloys. The study is meant to be used as a tool for future students who wish to investigate the interesting physical properties of this system. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Single-fabrication-step Ge nanosphere/SiO2/SiGe heterostructures: a key enabler for realizing Ge MOS devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, P. H.; Peng, K. P.; Lin, H. C.; George, T.; Li, P. W.

2018-05-01

We report channel and strain engineering of self-organized, gate-stacking heterostructures comprising Ge-nanosphere gate/SiO2/SiGe-channels. An exquisitely-controlled dynamic balance between the concentrations of oxygen, Si, and Ge interstitials was effectively exploited to simultaneously create these heterostructures in a single oxidation step. Process-controlled tunability of the channel length (5–95 nm diameters for the Ge-nanospheres), gate oxide thickness (2.5–4.8 nm), as well as crystal orientation, chemical composition and strain engineering of the SiGe-channel was achieved. Single-crystalline (100) Si1‑x Ge x shells with Ge content as high as x = 0.85 and with a compressive strain of 3%, as well as (110) Si1‑x Ge x shells with Ge content of x = 0.35 and corresponding compressive strain of 1.5% were achieved. For each crystal orientation, our high Ge-content, highly-stressed SiGe shells feature a high degree of crystallinity and thus, provide a core ‘building block’ required for the fabrication of Ge-based MOS devices.

Single-fabrication-step Ge nanosphere/SiO2/SiGe heterostructures: a key enabler for realizing Ge MOS devices.

PubMed

Liao, P H; Peng, K P; Lin, H C; George, T; Li, P W

2018-05-18

We report channel and strain engineering of self-organized, gate-stacking heterostructures comprising Ge-nanosphere gate/SiO 2 /SiGe-channels. An exquisitely-controlled dynamic balance between the concentrations of oxygen, Si, and Ge interstitials was effectively exploited to simultaneously create these heterostructures in a single oxidation step. Process-controlled tunability of the channel length (5-95 nm diameters for the Ge-nanospheres), gate oxide thickness (2.5-4.8 nm), as well as crystal orientation, chemical composition and strain engineering of the SiGe-channel was achieved. Single-crystalline (100) Si 1-x Ge x shells with Ge content as high as x = 0.85 and with a compressive strain of 3%, as well as (110) Si 1-x Ge x shells with Ge content of x = 0.35 and corresponding compressive strain of 1.5% were achieved. For each crystal orientation, our high Ge-content, highly-stressed SiGe shells feature a high degree of crystallinity and thus, provide a core 'building block' required for the fabrication of Ge-based MOS devices.

Local structure of Ge2Sb2Te5 during crystallization under pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roscioni, O. M.; Branicio, P. S.; Kalikka, J.; Zhou, X.; Simpson, R. E.

2018-04-01

The role of stress on the crystallization process of the phase change data storage material, Ge2Sb2Te5, is studied. When thin Ge2Sb2Te5 films are capped with Si3N4, stress is generated in the Ge2Sb2Te5 layer which causes the crystallization temperature to increase. Si3N4 films of 25 nm thickness increase the crystallization temperature from 446 K to 464 K. We show that stress predominantly destabilizes voids and increases the number of Ge-Sb and homopolar bonds in the vicinity of Ge atoms, and this makes the crystallization less probable, thus resulting in the increase in the measured temperature.

Controlled formation of GeSi nanostructures on pillar-patterned Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tong; Zeng, Ceng; Fan, Yongliang; Jiang, Zuimin; Xia, Jinsong; Zhong, Zhenyang; Fudan University Team; Huazhong University of Science; Technology Collaboration

2015-03-01

GeSi quantum nanostructures (QNs) have potential applications in optoelectronic devices due to their unique properties and compatibility with the sophisticated Si technology. However, the disadvantages of poor quantum efficiency of the GeSi QNs on flat Si (001) substrates hinder their optoelectronic applications. Today, numerous growth strategies have been proposed to control the formation of GeSi QNs in hope of improving the optoelectronic performances. One of the ways is to fabricate GeSi QNs on patterned substrates, where the GeSi QNs can be greatly manipulated in aspects of size, shape, composition, orientation and arrangement. Here, self-assembled GeSi QNs on periodic Si (001) sub-micro pillars (SPMs) are systematically studied. By controlling the growth conditions and the diameters of the SPMs, different GeSi QNs, including circularly arranged quantum dots (QDs), quantum rings (QRs), and quantum dot molecules (QDMs), are realized at the top edge of SMPs. Meanwhile, fourfold symmetric GeSi QDMs can be also obtained at the base edges of the SPMs. The promising features of self-assembled GeSi QNs are explained in terms of the surface chemical potential, which disclose the critical effect of surface morphology on the diffusion and the aggregation of Ge adatoms.

Growth of high quality germanium films on patterned silicon substrates and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanamu, Ganesh

The principal objective of this work is to determine optimal pattern structures for highest quality (defect free) heteroepitaxial growth. High quality films of Ge on Si are of significant importance and can be used in high electron mobility devices, photodetectors for optical communications (1.3mum or 1.55mum) and integrating III-V optoelectronic devices. However, a 4% lattice mismatch and ˜ 50% thermal expansion mismatch between Ge and Si create three major challenges in growing high quality Ge films on Si, (a) high surface roughness due to a pronounced <110> crosshatch pattern, (b) high dislocation densities in Ge films and (c) high density of microcracks and wafer bending. A common way of reducing lattice and thermal expansion mismatch is to form a "virtual substrate (VS)" by growing a graded composition followed by a uniform layer of the desired epitaxial film on a defect-free Si substrate. Virtual graded layers could not decrease the dislocation densities to the numbers acceptable for most of the devices. Mathews et al. first proposed that limiting the lateral dimensions of the sample prior to growth could reduce the dislocation density. Later On Fitzgerald proposed that patterning decreases the dislocation density in the films. In this work we show high quality crosshatch-free Ge films with dislocation density ˜ 105 cm-2 on the nano-patterned Si and also high quality GaAs films on the Ge/Si virtual substrate. The first step in this research was to perform a systematic study to identify the role of pattern width on the quality of Ge growth. We investigated micrometer and submicrometer scale patterns. We demonstrated that the quality of the heteroepitaxial layers improves as the pattern width decreases. Then we have decreased the pattern width to nanometer-scale dimensions. Significant improvement of the Ge film quality was observed. We used novel interferometric lithography techniques combined with reactive ion and wet chemical etching to fabricate Si structures. The patterning was done using standard photomask based lithography. We analyzed the quality of the Ge films using high resolution x-ray diffraction, TEM and SEM. We performed etch pit density (EPD) measurements by counting the pits formed using a Nomarski optical microscope. In order to correlate characterization with device performance, we designed an inter-digitated pattern to form Ge based metal semiconductor metal photodetector and measured the photoresponse of the Ge films. Preliminary results were very promising. We then grew 4 mum GaAs on the Ge/Si using MBE (0.5 mum/hr and 570°C) and analyzed the GaAs film quality. We also performed modeling to calculate strain energy density and wafer bending in multi-layer films grown epitaxially on planar Si substrates. We have also compared the models with experiments. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Relativistic quasiparticle band structures of Mg2Si, Mg2Ge, and Mg2Sn: Consistent parameterization and prediction of Seebeck coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Guangsha; Kioupakis, Emmanouil

2018-02-01

We apply density functional and many-body perturbation theory calculations to consistently determine and parameterize the relativistic quasiparticle band structures of Mg2Si, Mg2Ge, and Mg2Sn, and predict the Seebeck coefficient as a function of doping and temperature. The quasiparticle band gaps, including spin-orbit coupling effects, are determined to be 0.728 eV, 0.555 eV, and 0.142 eV for Mg2Si, Mg2Ge, and Mg2Sn, respectively. The inclusion of the semicore electrons of Mg, Ge, and Sn in the valence is found to be important for the accurate determination of the band gaps of Mg2Ge and Mg2Sn. We also developed a Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian and determined a set of band parameters to model the near-edge relativistic quasiparticle band structure consistently for all three compounds that can be applied for thermoelectric device simulations. Our calculated values for the Seebeck coefficient of all three compounds are in good agreement with the available experimental data for a broad range of temperatures and carrier concentrations. Our results indicate that quasiparticle corrections are necessary for the accurate determination of Seebeck coefficients at high temperatures at which bipolar transport becomes important.

Tunable electronic structures of germanium monochalcogenide nanosheets via light non-metallic atom functionalization: a first-principles study.

PubMed

Ding, Yi; Wang, Yanli

2016-08-17

Germanium monochalcogenides, i.e. GeS and GeSe sheets, are isoelectronic analogues of phosphorene, which have been synthesized in recent experiments (P. Ramasamy et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 479). Utilizing first-principles calculations, we have investigated their tunable electronic and magnetic properties via light non-metallic atom (B, C, N, O, Si, P, S) functionalization. We find that on these GeS and GeSe sheets O and S adatoms prefer to locate at the top site above the Ge atom, while the other ones like to occupy the anion site, which push the original S/Se atom to the hollow site instead. O and S adatoms slightly affect the semiconducting behaviour of the doped systems, while B, C, N, Si, P ones will drastically modify their band structures and induce versatile spintronic properties. Through the supercell calculations, B and C adatoms are found to induce a bipolar semiconducting behaviour in the decorated systems, while the N/P adatom will cause a spin-gapless-semiconducting/nearly-half-metallic feature in them. The B/C/N/Si/P-substituted GeS/GeSe sheet can be formed by removing the hollow-site S/Se atom from the adatom-decorated structures, which exhibit an opposite semiconducting/metallic behaviour to their phosphorene counterparts. A general odd-even rule is proposed for this phenomenon, which shows that an odd (even) number of valence electron difference between the substitution and host atoms would cause a metallic (semiconducting) feature in the substituted systems. Our study demonstrates that atom functionalization is an efficient way to tailor the properties of GeS and GeSe nanosheets, which have adaptable electronic properties for potential applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics.

Characterization of High Ge Content SiGe Heterostructures and Graded Alloy Layers Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heyd, A. R.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Croke, E. T.

1995-01-01

Si(x)Ge(1-x)heterostructures on Si substrates have been widely studied due to the maturity of Si technology. However, work on Si(x)Ge)1-x) heterostructures on Ge substrates has not received much attention. A Si(x)Ge(1-x) layer on a Si substrate is under compressive strain while Si(x)Ge(1-x) on Ge is under tensile strain; thus the critical points will behave differently. In order to accurately characterize high Ge content Si(x)Ge(1-x) layers the energy shift algorithm used to calculate alloy compositions, has been modified. These results have been used along with variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) measurements to characterize Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Ge superlattices grown on Ge substrates. The results agree closely with high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements made on the same samples. The modified energy shift algorithm also allows the VASE analysis to be upgraded in order to characterize linearly graded layers. In this work VASE has been used to characterize graded Si(x)Ge(1-x) layers in terms of the total thickness, and the start and end alloy composition. Results are presented for a 1 micrometer Si(x)Ge(1-x) layer linearly graded in the range 0.5 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1.0.

Miniband-related 1.4–1.8 μm luminescence of Ge/Si quantum dot superlattices

PubMed Central

Cirlin, GE; Tonkikh, AA; Zakharov, ND; Werner, P; Gösele, U; Tomm, JW; Elsaesser, T

2006-01-01

The luminescence properties of highly strained, Sb-doped Ge/Si multi-layer heterostructures with incorporated Ge quantum dots (QDs) are studied. Calculations of the electronic band structure and luminescence measurements prove the existence of an electron miniband within the columns of the QDs. Miniband formation results in a conversion of the indirect to a quasi-direct excitons takes place. The optical transitions between electron states within the miniband and hole states within QDs are responsible for an intense luminescence in the 1.4–1.8 µm range, which is maintained up to room temperature. At 300 K, a light emitting diode based on such Ge/Si QD superlattices demonstrates an external quantum efficiency of 0.04% at a wavelength of 1.55 µm.

D3h [A-CE3-A]- (E = Al and Ga, A = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb): A new class of hexatomic mono-anionic species with trigonal bipyramidal carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yan-Bo; Li, Yan-Qin; Bai, Hui; Lu, Hai-Gang; Li, Si-Dian; Zhai, Hua-Jin; Wang, Zhi-Xiang

2014-03-01

The non-classical trigonal bipyramidal carbon (TBPC) arrangement generally exists as transition states (TSs) in nucleophilic bimolecular substitution (SN2) reactions. Nevertheless, chemists have been curious about whether such a carbon bonding could be stable in equilibrium structures for decades. As the TBPC arrangement was normally realized as cationic species theoretically and experimentally, only one anionic example ([At-C(CN)3-At]-) was computationally devised. Herein, we report the design of a new class of anionic TBPC species by using the strategy similar to that for stabilizing the non-classical planar hypercoordinate carbon. When electron deficient Al and Ga were used as the equatorial ligands, eight D3h [A-CE3-A]- (E = Al and Ga, A = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb) TBPC structures were found to be the energy minima rather than TSs at both the B3LYP and MP2 levels. Remarkably, the energetic results at the CCSD(T) optimization level further identify [Ge-CAl3-Ge]- and [Sn-CGa3-Sn]- even to be the global minima and [Si-CAl3-Si]- and [Ge-CGa3-Ge]- to be the local minima, only slightly higher than their global minima. The electronic structure analyses reveal that the substantial ionic C-E bonding, the peripheral E-A covalent bonding, and the axial mc-2e (multi center-two electrons) bonding play roles in stabilizing these TBPC structures. The structural simplicity and the high thermodynamic stability suggest that some of these species may be generated and captured in the gas phase. Furthermore, as mono-anionic species, their first vertical detachment energies are differentiable from those of their nearest isomers, which would facilitate their characterization via experiments such as the negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy.

The reduction of critical H implantation dose for ion cut by incorporating B-doped SiGe/Si superlattice into Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Zhongying; Chen, Da; Jia, Pengfei; Wei, Xing; Di, Zengfeng; Zhang, Miao

2016-11-01

An approach to achieve Si or SiGe film exfoliation with as low as 3 × 1016/cm2 H implantation dose was investigated. Two intrinsic Si0.75Ge0.25/Si samples, merged with B-doped Si0.75Ge0.25 layer and B-doped Si0.75Ge0.25/Si superlattice (SL) layer respectively, were used to study the formation of crack after 3 × 1016/cm2 H implantation and annealing. For the sample into which B doped Si0.75Ge0.25 layer is incorporated, only few discrete cracks are observed along both sides of the B doped Si0.75Ge0.25 layer; on the contrary, a continuous (100) oriented crack is formed in the B-doped Si0.75Ge0.25/Si SL layer, which means ion cut can be achieved using this material with 3 × 1016/cm2 H implantation. As the SIMS profiles confirm that hydrogen tends to be trapped at B-doped SiGe/Si interface, the formation of continuous crack in SL layer can be ascribed to the more efficient hydrogen trapping by the multiple B-doped SiGe/Si interfaces.

Fabrication of multilayered Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO xGeN y films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Fei; Green, Martin A.; Conibeer, Gavin; Cho, Eun-Chel; Huang, Yidan; Perez-Wurfl, Ivan; Flynn, Chris

2008-09-01

Multilayered Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO xGeN y films have been fabricated on Si substrate by a (Ge + SiO 2)/SiO xGeN y superlattice approach, using a rf magnetron sputtering technique with a Ge + SiO 2 composite target and subsequent thermal annealing in N 2 ambient at 750 °C for 30 min. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement indicated the formation of Ge nanocrystals with an average size estimated to be 5.4 nm. Raman scattering spectra showed a peak of the Ge-Ge vibrational mode downward shifted to 299.4 cm -1, which was caused by quantum confinement of phonons in the Ge nanocrystals. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that Ge nanocrystals were confined in (Ge + SiO 2) layers. This superlattice approach significantly improved both the size uniformity of Ge nanocrystals and their uniformity of spacing on the 'Z' growth direction.

Silver photo-diffusion and photo-induced macroscopic surface deformation of Ge{sub 33}S{sub 67}/Ag/Si substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakaguchi, Y., E-mail: y-sakaguchi@cross.or.jp; Asaoka, H.; Uozumi, Y.

2016-08-07

Ge-chalcogenide films show various photo-induced changes, and silver photo-diffusion is one of them which attracts lots of interest. In this paper, we report how silver and Ge-chalcogenide layers in Ge{sub 33}S{sub 67}/Ag/Si substrate stacks change under light exposure in the depth by measuring time-resolved neutron reflectivity. It was found from the measurement that Ag ions diffuse all over the matrix Ge{sub 33}S{sub 67} layer once Ag dissolves into the layer. We also found that the surface was macroscopically deformed by the extended light exposure. Its structural origin was investigated by a scanning electron microscopy.

Finite Element Analysis of Eutectic Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-12

Reported are the details of processing conditions, microstructure development, and temperature dependent thermoelectric properties . The material system...Sootsman et al ., Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of Mechanically Robust PbTe-Si Eutectic Composites, Chem. Mater. 22 (2010) 869. 7. J...Professor) CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSTY Thermoelectric Properties of WSi2-SixGe1-x Composites Thermoelectric properties of the W/Si/Ge alloy

High Mobility SiGe/Si n-Type Structures and Field Effect Transistors on Sapphire Substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Ponchak, George E.; Mueller, Carl H.; Croke, Edward T.

2004-01-01

SiGe/Si n-type modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFETs) fabricated on sapphire substrates have been characterized at microwave frequencies for the first time. The highest measured room temperature electron mobility is 1380 sq cm/V-sec at a carrier density of 1.8 x 10(exp 12)/sq cm for a MODFET structure, and 900 sq cm/V-sec at a carrier density of 1.3 x 10/sq cm for a phosphorus ion implanted sample. A two finger, 2 x 200 micron gate n-MODFET has a peak transconductance of 37 mS/mm at a drain to source voltage of 2.5 V and a transducer gain of 6.4 dB at 1 GHz.

Coherently Strained Si-SixGe1-x Core-Shell Nanowire Heterostructures.

PubMed

Dillen, David C; Wen, Feng; Kim, Kyounghwan; Tutuc, Emanuel

2016-01-13

Coherently strained Si-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowire heterostructures are expected to possess a positive shell-to-core conduction band offset, allowing for quantum confinement of electrons in the Si core. We report the growth of epitaxial, coherently strained Si-SixGe1-x core-shell heterostructures through the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism for the Si core, followed in situ by the epitaxial SixGe1-x shell growth using ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition. The Raman spectra of individual nanowires reveal peaks associated with the Si-Si optical phonon mode in the Si core and the Si-Si, Si-Ge, and Ge-Ge vibrational modes of the SixGe1-x shell. The core Si-Si mode displays a clear red-shift compared to unstrained, bare Si nanowires thanks to the lattice mismatch-induced tensile strain, in agreement with calculated values using a finite-element continuum elasticity model combined with lattice dynamic theory. N-type field-effect transistors using Si-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowires as channel are demonstrated.

Surface roughening of undoped and in situ B-doped SiGe epitaxial layers deposited by using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youngmo; Park, Jiwoo; Sohn, Hyunchul

2018-01-01

Si1- x Ge x (:B) epitaxial layers were deposited by using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition with SiH4, GeH4, and B2H6 source gases, and the dependences of the surface roughness of undoped Si1- x Ge x on the GeH4 flow rate and of Si1- x Ge x :B on the B2H6 flow rate were investigated. The root-mean-square (RMS) roughness value of the undoped Si1- x Ge x at constant thickness increased gradually with increasing Ge composition, resulting from an increase in the amplitude of the wavy surface before defect formation. At higher Ge compositions, the residual strain in Si1- x Ge x significantly decreased through the formation of defects along with an abrupt increase in the RMS roughness. The variation of the surface roughness of Si1- x Ge x :B depended on the boron (B) concentration. At low B concentrations, the RMS roughness of Si1- x Ge x remained constant regardless of Ge composition, which is similar to that of undoped Si1- x Ge x . However, at high B concentrations, the RMS roughness of Si1- x Ge x :B increased greatly due to B islanding. In addition, at very high B concentrations ( 9.9 at%), the RMS roughness of Si1- x Ge x :B decreased due to non-epitaxial growth.

Quaternary rare-earth sulfides RE{sub 3}M{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} (RE=La–Nd, Sm; M=Co, Ni) and Y{sub 3}Pd{sub 0.5}SiS{sub 7}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iyer, Abishek K.; Yin, Wenlong; Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900

The two metal-deficient series of quaternary Ge-containing sulfides RE{sub 3}M{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} (RE = La–Nd, Sm; M = Co, Ni), as well as the related Si-containing sulfide Y{sub 3}Pd{sub 0.5}SiS{sub 7}, were prepared by reactions of the elements at 1050 °C. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis performed on all compounds confirmed noncentrosymmetric hexagonal structures (space group P6{sub 3}, Z =2) with cell parameters in the ranges of a =10.0–10.3 Å and c =5.7–5.8 Å for RE{sub 3}Co{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} and RE{sub 3}Ni{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7}, or a =9.7891(3) Å and c =5.6840(4) Å for Y{sub 3}Pd{sub 0.5}SiS{sub 7}. They are classified asmore » La{sub 3}Mn{sub 0.5}SiS{sub 7}-type structures, with M atoms centred within octahedra (in contrast to La{sub 3}CuSiS{sub 7}-type structures in which M atoms occupy trigonal planar sites) and Ge atoms centred within tetrahedra, both types of polyhedra being arranged in one-dimensional stacks aligned along the c-direction. Charge balance requirements dictate half-occupancy of the M sites. However, bond valence sum arguments indicated that the M atoms are somewhat underbonded within these octahedral sites, so that there is evidence that in some compounds, they can also enter the trigonal planar site at low occupancy (~5%). Magnetic measurements on RE{sub 3}Co{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} (RE = Ce, Pr, Sm) revealed paramagnetic behaviour for the Ce and Pr members and apparent antiferromagnetic ordering (T{sub N} =14 K) for the Sm member; fitting to the Curie-Weiss law gave effective magnetic moments consistent with the presence of RE{sup 3+} and Co{sup 2+} species. Band structure calculations on ordered models of La{sub 3}M{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} (M = Co, Ni) showed that the Fermi level cuts through M 3d states in the DOS curve and supported the presence of strong M–S and Ge–S bonding interactions. - Graphical abstract: RE{sub 3}M{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} (M = Co, Ni) and Y{sub 3}Pd{sub 0.5}SiS{sub 7} contain M atoms partially occupying octahedral and, in some cases, trigonal planar sites within noncentrosymmetric hexagonal structures. - Highlights: • The missing M = Co and Ni series in hexagonal RE{sub 3}M{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} have been prepared. • Charge balance is ensured through half occupancy of octahedral M sites. • In some cases, a secondary trigonal planar M site is occupied at very low levels. • Magnetic measurements on RE{sub 3}Co{sub 0.5}GeS{sub 7} support presence of RE{sup 3+} and Co{sup 2+}.« less

Copper-Based OHMIC Contracts for the Si/SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, Kalyan; Hall, Harvey

1999-01-01

Silicon based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) with SiGe base are potentially important devices for high-speed and high-frequency microelectronics. These devices are particularly attractive as they can be fabricated using standard Si processing technology. However, in order to realize the full potential of devices fabricated in this material system, it is essential to be able to form low resistance ohmic contacts using low thermal budget process steps and have full compatibility with VLSI/ULSI processing. Therefore, a study was conducted in order to better understand the contact formation and to develop optimized low resistance contacts to layers with doping densities corresponding to the p-type SiGe base and n-type Si emitter regions of the HBTS. These as-grown doped layers were implanted with BF(sub 2) up to 1 X 10(exp 16)/CM(exp 2) and As up to 5 x 10(exp 15)/CM2, both at 30 keV for the p-type SiGe base and n-type Si emitter layers, respectively, in order to produce a low sheet resistance surface layer. Standard transfer length method (TLM) contact pads on both p and n type layers were deposited using an e-beam evaporated trilayer structure of Ti/CufTi/Al (25)A/1500A/250A/1000A). The TLM pads were delineated by a photoresist lift-off procedure. These contacts in the as-deposited state were ohmic, with specific contact resistances for the highest implant doses of the order of 10(exp -7) ohm-CM2 and lower.

Study of p-type and intrinsic materials for amorphous silicon based solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Wenhui

This dissertation summarizes the research work on the investigation and optimization of high efficiency hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) based thin film n-i-p single-junction and multi-junction solar cells, deposited using radio frequency (RF) and very high frequency (VHF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) techniques. The fabrication and characterization of high quality p-type and intrinsic materials for a-Si:H based solar cells have been systematically and intensively studied. Hydrogen dilution, substrate temperature, gas flow rate, RF- or VHF-power density, and films deposition time have been optimized to obtain "on-the-edge" materials. To understand the material structure of the silicon p-layer providing a high Voc a-Si:H solar cell, hydrogenated amorphous, protocrystalline, and nanocrystalline silicon p-layers have been prepared using RF-PECVD and characterized by Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electronic microscopy (HRTEM). It was found that the optimum Si:H p-layer for n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells is composed of fine-grained nanocrystals with crystallite sizes in the range of 3-5 nm embedded in an amorphous network. Using the optimized p-layer, an a-Si:H single-junction solar cell with a very high Voc value of 1.042 V and a FF value of 0.74 has been obtained. a-Si:H, a-SiGe:H and nc-Si:H i-layers have been prepared using RF- and VHF-PECVD techniques and monitored by different optical and electrical characterizations. Single-junction a-Si:H, a-SiGe and nc-Si:H cells have been developed and optimized. Intermediate bandgap a-SiGe:H solar cells achieved efficiencies over 12.5%. On the basis of optimized component cells, we achieved a-Si:Hla-SiGe:H tandem solar cells with efficiencies of ˜12.9% and a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H/a-SiGe:H triple-junction cells with efficiencies of ˜12.03%. VHF-PECVD technique was used to increase the deposition rates of the narrow bandgap materials. The deposition rate for a-SiGe:H i-layer attained 9 A/sec and the solar cell had a V oc of 0.588 V, Jsc of 20.4 mA/cm2, FF of 0.63, and efficiency of 7.6%. Preliminary research on the preparation of a-Si:Hlnc-Si:H tandem solar cells and a-Si:Hla-SiGe:Hlnc-Si:H triple-junction cells has also been undertaken using VHF nc-Si:H bottom cells with deposition rates of 6 A/sec. All I-V measurements were carried out under AM1.5G (100 MW/cm2) and the cell area was 0.25 cm2.

Effect of doping on the intersubband absorption in Si- and Ge-doped GaN/AlN heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajay, A.; Lim, C. B.; Browne, D. A.; Polaczyński, J.; Bellet-Amalric, E.; Bleuse, J.; den Hertog, M. I.; Monroy, E.

2017-10-01

In this paper, we study band-to-band and intersubband (ISB) characteristics of Si- and Ge-doped GaN/AlN heterostructures (planar and nanowires) structurally designed to absorb in the short-wavelength infrared region, particularly at 1.55 μm. Regarding the band-to-band properties, we discuss the variation of the screening of the internal electric field by free carriers, as a function of the doping density and well/nanodisk size. We observe that nanowire heterostructures consistently present longer photoluminescence decay times than their planar counterparts, which supports the existence of an in-plane piezoelectric field associated to the shear component of the strain tensor in the nanowire geometry. Regarding the ISB characteristics, we report absorption covering 1.45-1.75 μm using Ge-doped quantum wells, with comparable performance to Si-doped planar heterostructures. We also report similar ISB absorption in Si- and Ge-doped nanowire heterostructures indicating that the choice of dopant is not an intrinsic barrier for observing ISB phenomena. The spectral shift of the ISB absorption as a function of the doping concentration due to many body effects confirms that Si and Ge efficiently dope GaN/AlN nanowire heterostructures.

Experimental observation of motion of edge dislocations in Ge/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x}/Si(001) (x = 0.2–0.6) heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolkhovityanov, Yu. B., E-mail: bolkhov@isp.nsc.ru; Gutakovskii, A. K.; Deryabin, A. S.

2016-11-15

The Ge/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x}/Si(001) (x = 0.2–0.6) heterostructures grown by the molecular epitaxy method are analyzed using high-resolution electron microscopy with atomic resolution. The thickness of the Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x} buffer layer is 7–35 nm. It is shown that such heterostructures relax in two stages: an ordered network of edge dislocations is formed during their growth (500°C) at the Ge/GeSi interface and then, contrary to the generally accepted opinion concerning their immobility, some of the edge dislocations move through the buffer GeSi layer to the GeSi/Si(001) interface during annealing at higher temperatures and x > 0.3. It is found thatmore » plastic relaxation of the GeSi buffer layer occurs due to motion of dislocation complexes of the edge type, consisting of a pair of complementary 60° dislocations with the ends of (111) extra planes located approximately at a distance from 2 to 12 interplanar spacings. It is shown that the penetration of dislocation complexes into the GeSi buffer layer and further to the GeSi/Si interface is intensified with increasing annealing temperature (600–800°C) and the fraction of Ge in the buffer layer.« less

Strain relaxation of thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} grown with low-temperature buffers by molecular beam epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, M.; Hansson, G. V.; Ni, W.-X.

A double-low-temperature-buffer variable-temperature growth scheme was studied for fabrication of strain-relaxed thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer on Si(001) by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), with particular focuses on the influence of growth temperature of individual low-temperature-buffer layers on the relaxation process and final structural qualities. The low-temperature buffers consisted of a 40 nm Si layer grown at an optimized temperature of {approx}400 deg. C, followed by a 20 nm Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer grown at temperatures ranging from 50 to 550 deg. C. A significant relaxation increase together with a surface roughness decrease both by a factor of {approx}2, accompaniedmore » with the cross-hatch/cross-hatch-free surface morphology transition, took place for the sample containing a low-temperature Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer that was grown at {approx}200 deg. C. This dramatic change was explained by the association with a certain onset stage of the ordered/disordered growth transition during the low-temperature MBE, where the high density of misfit dislocation segments generated near surface cusps largely facilitated the strain relaxation of the top Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer.« less

Germanium/silicon ratios as a tracer of silica sources in Hawaiian streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, A.; Derry, L.; Chadwick, O.

2003-04-01

Ge/Si ratios show great promise as a tracer of terrestrial silica cycling, weathering, and hydrologic flowpaths in catchment studies. Germanium is a trace element whose behavior mimics silicon in most environments. Silicate weathering fractionates Ge/Si though preferential incorporation of Ge in secondary clays. Dissolved Ge/Si ratios of most streams 1) are lower than those in the rocks they drain, 2) vary with discharge, and 3) fall on a two-component mixing curve when plotted against [Si]. These observations have led to the suggestion that streamwater Ge/Si ratios trace watershed-integrated weathering intensity, via mixing between a high [Si], low Ge/Si component derived from incongruent weathering of primary silicates, and a low [Si], high Ge/Si component derived from dissolution of secondary minerals. We tested this model by measuring depth profiles of soil and soil-water [Si] and Ge/Si ratios from six sites along a soil chronosequence in Hawaii. Soils range from incipiently weathered at the young (300 year-old substrate) end of the chronosequence to intensely weathered in soils older than 20,000 years. All sites have essentially identical parent material, climate (250 cm rain/year), and vegetation (Ohia and tree-ferns). Solid-phase Ge/Si in these soils increase with silica depletion from basalt-like values of 2.5 µmol/mol in young soils to values > 20 µmol/mol as Ge is preferentially retained by secondary phases in older soils. Soil-water compositions depend primarily on depth. Deep soil-waters (>20 cm) have low [Si] and high Ge/Si (1.5 to 5 µmol/mol), consistent with dissolution of Ge-enriched secondary minerals. Surface horizon soil-waters (<15cm) from all profiles have high [Si], in some cases approaching opal saturation, and low Ge/Si (0.3 to 1 µmol/mol). This component is consistent with dissolution of low Ge/Si terrestrial plant phytolith opal. We find no evidence that incongruent weathering contributes a high [Si], low Ge/Si soil-water component, even in young soils that still contain volcanic glass. Instead, Hawaiian streamwater Ge/Si ratios appear to trace mixing between phytolith-derived Si sourced in surface soils, and secondary mineral-derived Si sourced in deep soils. A compilation of published Ge/Si data from USGS-gauged Hawaiian streams indicates that all are dominated by this low Ge/Si, apparently phytolith-derived source of Si. Only watersheds draining well-developed soils ever show high Ge/Si ratios, and only during periods of high discharge. Mass balance calculations suggest that ~80% of the silica flux carried by studied Hawaiian streams is delivered to streams via the soil phytolith silica pool.

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen, E-mail: zhangyu@missouri.edu; Yang, Mo

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heatmore » transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.« less

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2013-12-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.

III-V/Ge MOS device technologies for low power integrated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, S.; Noguchi, M.; Kim, M.; Kim, S.-H.; Chang, C.-Y.; Yokoyama, M.; Nishi, K.; Zhang, R.; Ke, M.; Takenaka, M.

2016-11-01

CMOS utilizing high mobility III-V/Ge channels on Si substrates is expected to be one of the promising devices for high performance and low power integrated systems in the future technology nodes, because of the enhanced carrier transport properties. In addition, Tunneling-FETs (TFETs) using Ge/III-V materials are regarded as one of the most important steep slope devices for the ultra-low power applications. In this paper, we address the device and process technologies of Ge/III-V MOSFETs and TFETs on the Si CMOS platform. The channel formation, source/drain (S/D) formation and gate stack engineering are introduced for satisfying the device requirements. The plasma post oxidation to form GeOx interfacial layers is a key gate stack technology for Ge CMOS. Also, direct wafer bonding of ultrathin body quantum well III-V-OI channels, combined with Tri-gate structures, realizes high performance III-V n-MOSFETs on Si. We also demonstrate planar-type InGaAs and Ge/strained SOI TFETs. The defect-less p+-n source junction formation with steep impurity profiles is a key for high performance TFET operation.

Isoelectronic bound-exciton photoluminescence in strained beryllium-doped Si0.92Ge0.08 epilayers and Si0.92Ge0.08/Si superlattices at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sangsig; Chang, Ganlin; Herman, Irving P.; Bevk, Joze; Moore, Karen L.; Hall, Dennis G.

1997-03-01

Photoluminescence (PL) from a beryllium-doped Si0.92Ge0.08 epilayer and three different beryllium-doped Si0.92Ge0.08/Si superlattices (SL's) commensurately grown on Si(100) substrates is examined at 9 K at ambient pressure and, for the epilayer and one SL, as a function of hydrostatic pressure. In each structure, excitons bind to the isoelectronic Be pairs in the strained Si0.92Ge0.08 layers. The zero-phonon PL peaks of the epilayer and the in situ doped 50-Å Si0.92Ge0.08/100-Å Si SL shift linearly with pressure toward lower energy at the rate of 0.68+/-0.03 and 0.97+/-0.03 meV/kbar, respectively, which are near the 0.77-meV/kbar value for Si:Be. The PL energies at ambient and elevated pressure are analyzed by accounting for strain, quantum confinement, and exciton binding. A modified Hopfield-Thomas-Lynch model is used to model exciton binding to the Be pairs. This model, in which potential wells bind electrons to a site (that then trap holes), predicts a distribution of electron binding energies when an inhomogeneous distribution of potential-well depths is used. This accounts for the large PL linewidth and the decrease of linewidth with increasing pressure, among other observations. In SL's, the exciton binding energy is shown to depend on the width of the wells as well as the spatial distribution of Be dopants in the superlattice. Also, at and above 58 kbar a very unusual peak is observed in one of the SL's, which is associated with a free-exciton peak in Si, that shifts very fast with pressure (-6.02+/-0.03 meV/kbar).

Composition and conductance distributions of single GeSi quantum rings studied by conductive atomic force microscopy combined with selective chemical etching.

PubMed

Lv, Y; Cui, J; Jiang, Z M; Yang, X J

2013-02-15

Atomic force microscopy imaging combined with selective chemical etching is employed to quantitatively investigate three-dimensional (3D) composition distributions of single GeSi quantum rings (QRs). In addition, the 3D quantitative composition distributions and the corresponding conductance distributions are simultaneously obtained on the same single GeSi QRs by conductive atomic force microscopy combined with selective chemical etching, allowing us to investigate the correlations between the conductance and composition distributions of single QRs. The results show that the QRs' central holes have higher Ge content, but exhibit lower conductance, indicating that the QRs' conductance distribution is not consistent with their composition distribution. By comparing the topography, composition and conductance profiles of the same single QRs before and after different etching processes, it is found that the conductance distributions of GeSi QRs do not vary with the change of composition distribution. Instead, the QRs' conductance distributions are found to be consistent with their topographic shapes, which can be supposed to be due to the shape determined electronic structures.

Water-vapor-enhanced growth of Ge GeOx core shell nanowires and Si1-xGexOy nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Ting-Jui; Ko, Chih-Yuan; Lin, Wen-Tai

2007-09-01

The effects of moist Ar on the growth of Ge-GeOx core-shell nanowires (Ge-GeOx NWs) and Si1-xGexOy nanowires (SiGeONWs) on Si substrates without adding a metal catalyst via the carbothermal reduction of GeO2 powders at 1100 °C were studied. No significant nanowires were grown in dry Ar at a flow rate of 100-300 sccm until a bit of water in the range of 0.5-2 ml was loaded into the furnace. More water suppressed the growth of nanowires because of the exhaustion of more graphite powder. The growth of Ge-GeOx NWs and SiGeONWs follows the vapor-solid and vapor-liquid-solid processes, respectively. The present study showed that the water vapor serves as an oxidizer as well as a reducer at 1100 °C in enhancing the growth of SiGeONWs and Ge-GeOx NWs, respectively. The growth mechanisms of Ge-GeOx NWs and SiGeONWs are also discussed.

Enhanced Electron Mobility in Nonplanar Tensile Strained Si Epitaxially Grown on SixGe1-x Nanowires.

PubMed

Wen, Feng; Tutuc, Emanuel

2018-01-10

We report the growth and characterization of epitaxial, coherently strained Si x Ge 1-x -Si core-shell nanowire heterostructure through vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism for the Si x Ge 1-x core, followed by an in situ ultrahigh-vacuum chemical vapor deposition for the Si shell. Raman spectra acquired from individual nanowire reveal the Si-Si, Si-Ge, and Ge-Ge modes of the Si x Ge 1-x core and the Si-Si mode of the shell. Because of the compressive (tensile) strain induced by lattice mismatch, the core (shell) Raman modes are blue (red) shifted compared to those of unstrained bare Si x Ge 1-x (Si) nanowires, in good agreement with values calculated using continuum elasticity model coupled with lattice dynamic theory. A large tensile strain of up to 2.3% is achieved in the Si shell, which is expected to provide quantum confinement for electrons due to a positive core-to-shell conduction band offset. We demonstrate n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors using Si x Ge 1-x -Si core-shell nanowires as channel and observe a 40% enhancement of the average electron mobility compared to control devices using Si nanowires due to an increased electron mobility in the tensile-strained Si shell.

Ab initio structure prediction of silicon and germanium sulfides for lithium-ion battery materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsueh, Connie; Mayo, Martin; Morris, Andrew J.

Conventional experimental-based approaches to materials discovery, which can rely heavily on trial and error, are time-intensive and costly. We discuss approaches to coupling experimental and computational techniques in order to systematize, automate, and accelerate the process of materials discovery, which is of particular relevance to developing new battery materials. We use the ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS) method to conduct a systematic investigation of Si-S and Ge-S binary compounds in order to search for novel materials for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes. AIRSS is a high-throughput, density functional theory-based approach to structure prediction which has been successful at predicting the structures of LIBs containing sulfur and silicon and germanium. We propose a lithiation mechanism for Li-GeS2 anodes as well as report new, theoretically stable, layered and porous structures in the Si-S and Ge-S systems that pique experimental interest.

Si(111) strained layers on Ge(111): Evidence for c (2 ×4 ) domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhachuk, R.; Coutinho, J.; Dolbak, A.; Cherepanov, V.; Voigtländer, B.

2017-08-01

The tensile-strained Si (111 ) layers grown on top of Ge (111 ) substrates are studied by combining scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and first-principles calculations. It is shown that the layers exhibit c (2 ×4 ) domains, which are separated by domain walls along <1 ¯10 > directions. A model structure for the c (2 ×4 ) domains is proposed, which shows low formation energy and good agreement with the experimental data. The results of our calculations suggest that Ge atoms are likely to replace Si atoms with dangling bonds on the surface (rest-atoms and adatoms), thus significantly lowering the surface energy and inducing the formation of domain walls. The experiments and calculations demonstrate that when surface strain changes from compressive to tensile, the (111) reconstruction converts from dimer-adatom-stacking fault-based to adatom-based structures.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suen, Nian-Tzu; Broda, Matthew; Bobev, Svilen, E-mail: bobev@udel.edu

Reported are the synthesis and the structural characterization of an extended family of rare-earth metal–germanides with a general formula RE{sub 5–x}Ca{sub x}Ge{sub 3} (RE=Y, Ce–Nd, Sm, Gd–Tm and Lu; x<2). All twelve phases are isotypic, crystallizing with the Mn{sub 5}Si{sub 3} structure type (Pearson index hP16, hexagonal space group P6{sub 3}/mcm); they are the Ca-substituted variants of the corresponding RE{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} binaries. Across the series, despite some small variations in the Ca-uptake, the unit cell volumes decrease monotonically, following the lanthanide contraction. Temperature dependent DC magnetization measurements reveal paramagnetic behavior in the high temperature range, and the obtained effectivemore » moments are consistent with free-ion RE{sup 3+} ground state, as expected from prior studies of the binary RE{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} phases. The onset of magnetic ordering is observed in the low temperature range, and complex magnetic interactions (ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic) can be inferred, different from the binary phases RE{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}, which are known as antiferromagnetic. In order to understand the role of Ca in the bonding, the electronic structures of the La{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} and the hypothetical compounds La{sub 2}Ca{sub 3}Ge{sub 3} and La{sub 3}Ca{sub 2}Ge{sub 3} with ordered metal atoms are compared and discussed. - Graphical abstract: The family of rare-earth metal–calcium–germanides with the general formula RE{sub 5–x}Ca{sub x}Ge{sub 3} (RE=Y, Ce–Nd, Sm, Gd–Tm and Lu) crystallize in the hexagonal space group P6{sub 3}/mcm (No. 193, Pearson symbol hP16) with a structure that is a variant of the Mn{sub 5}Si{sub 3} structure type. - Highlights: • The newly synthesized RE{sub 5–x}Ca{sub x}Ge{sub 3} (RE=Y, Ce–Nd, Sm, Gd–Tm and Lu) constitute an extended family. • The structure is a substitution variant of the hexagonal Mn{sub 5}Si{sub 3} structure type. • Ca-uptake is the highest in the early members, and decreases for the late rare-earth metal analogs. • Experimental and theoretical work suggest limiting solubility range RE{sub ≈3}Ca{sub ≈2}Ge{sub 3}.« less

Thermal transport through Ge-rich Ge/Si superlattices grown on Ge(0 0 1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thumfart, L.; Carrete, J.; Vermeersch, B.; Ye, N.; Truglas, T.; Feser, J.; Groiss, H.; Mingo, N.; Rastelli, A.

2018-01-01

The cross-plane thermal conductivities of Ge-rich Si/Ge superlattices have been measured using both time-domain thermoreflectance and the differential 3ω method. The superlattices were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Ge(0 0 1) substrates. Crystal quality and structural information were investigated by x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The influence of segregation during growth on the composition profiles was modeled using the experimental growth temperatures and deposition rates. Those profiles were then employed to obtain parameter-free theoretical estimates of the thermal conductivity by combining first-principles calculations, Boltzmann transport theory and phonon Green’s functions. Good agreement between theory and experiment is observed. The thermal conductivity shows a strong dependence on the composition and the thickness of the samples. Moreover, the importance of the composition profile is reflected in the fact that the thermal conductivity of the superlattices is considerably lower than predicted values for alloys with the same average composition and thickness. Measurement on different samples with the same Si layer thickness and number of periods, but different Ge layer thickness, show that the thermal resistance is only weakly dependent on the Ge layers. We analyze this phenomenon based on the first-principles mode, and build an approximate parametrization showing that, in this regime, the resistivity of a SL is roughly linear on the amount of Si.

First-principle calculations of structural, electronic, optical, elastic and thermal properties of MgXAs2 (X=Si, Ge) compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheddadi, S.; Boubendira, K.; Meradji, H.; Ghemid, S.; Hassan, F. El Haj; Lakel, S.; Khenata, R.

2017-12-01

First-principle calculations on the structural, electronic, optical, elastic and thermal properties of the chalcopyrite MgXAs2 (X=Si, Ge) have been performed within the density functional theory (DFT) using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The obtained equilibrium structural parameters are in good agreement with the available experimental data and theoretical results. The calculated band structures reveal a direct energy band gap for the interested compounds. The predicted band gaps using the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) exchange approximation are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data. The optical constants such as the dielectric function, refractive index, and the extinction coefficient are calculated and analysed. The independent elastic parameters namely, C_{11}, C_{12}, C_{13}, C_{33}, C_{44} and C_{66 } are evaluated. The effects of temperature and pressure on some macroscopic properties of MgSiAs2 and MgGeAs2 are predicted using the quasiharmonic Debye model in which the lattice vibrations are taken into account.

Directed self-assembly of Ge nanostructures on very high index, highly anisotropic Si(hkl) surfaces.

PubMed

Ohmori, Kenji; Foo, Y L; Hong, Sukwon; Wen, J G; Greene, J E; Petrov, I

2005-02-01

Families of very high-index planes, such as those which bifurcate spontaneously to form a hill-and-valley structure composed of opposing facets, provide natural templates for the directed growth of position-controlled self-organized nanostructures with shapes determined by the facet width ratio R. For example, deposition of a few ML of Ge on Si(173 100 373), corresponding to R(113/517) = 1.7, results in a field of 40-nm-wide Ge nanowires along [72 187] with a uniform period of 60 nm.

Strain-induced formation of fourfold symmetric SiGe quantum dot molecules.

PubMed

Zinovyev, V A; Dvurechenskii, A V; Kuchinskaya, P A; Armbrister, V A

2013-12-27

The strain field distribution at the surface of a multilayer structure with disklike SiGe nanomounds formed by heteroepitaxy is exploited to arrange the symmetric quantum dot molecules typically consisting of four elongated quantum dots ordered along the [010] and [100] directions. The morphological transition from fourfold quantum dot molecules to continuous fortresslike quantum rings with an increasing amount of deposited Ge is revealed. We examine key mechanisms underlying the formation of lateral quantum dot molecules by using scanning tunneling microscopy and numerical calculations of the strain energy distribution on the top of disklike SiGe nanomounds. Experimental data are well described by a simple thermodynamic model based on the accurate evaluation of the strain dependent part of the surface chemical potential. The spatial arrangement of quantum dots inside molecules is attributed to the effect of elastic property anisotropy.

Computational assessment of promising mid-infrared nonlinear optical materials Mg–IV–V2 (IV = Si, Ge, Sn; V = P, As): a first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Jianping; Zhu, Shifu; Zhao, Beijun; Chen, Baojun; Liu, Hui; He, Zhiyu

2018-03-01

The mid-infrared (mid-IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) capabilities of Mg–IV–V2 (IV = Si, Ge, Sn; V = P, As) are systematically assessed by the first-principles calculation. The results show that the compounds in this group except MgSiP2 and MgSnP2 have moderate birefringence values to fulfill the phase-matching conditions. In particular, MgGeP2 and MgSiAs2 possess relatively large band gaps and almost three to four times larger static SHG coefficients than the benchmark material AgGaSe2, exhibiting good potential for mid-IR NLO application. According to the detailed analysis of the electronic structures, it is found that the dominant SHG contributions are from the orbitals of the asymmetry anionic unit [IV–V2]2‑. Moreover, the further evaluation reveals that MgSiAs2, MgGeAs2, MgSnP2 and MgSnAs2 are not thermodynamically stable and the new synthesis strategy (i.e. synthesis under non-equilibrium conditions) should be considered.

Band-to-band tunneling in Γ valley for Ge source lateral tunnel field effect transistor: Thickness scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Prateek; Rastogi, Priyank; Yadav, Chandan; Agarwal, Amit; Chauhan, Yogesh Singh

2017-07-01

The direct and indirect valleys in Germanium (Ge) are separated by a very small offset, which opens up the prospect of direct tunneling in the Γ valley of an extended Ge source tunnel field effect transistor (TFET). We explore the impact of thickness scaling of extended Ge source lateral TFET on the band to band tunneling (BTBT) current. The Ge source is extended inside the gate by 2 nm to confine the tunneling in Ge only. We observe that as the thickness is scaled, the band alignment at the Si/Ge heterojunction changes significantly, which results in an increase in Ge to Si BTBT current. Based on density functional calculations, we first obtain the band structure parameters (bandgap, effective masses, etc.) for the Ge and Si slabs of varying thickness, and these are then used to obtain the thickness dependent Kane's BTBT tunneling parameters. We find that electrostatics improves as the thickness is reduced in the ultra-thin Ge film ( ≤ 10 nm). The ON current degrades as we scale down in thickness; however, the subthreshold slope ( S S AVG ) improves remarkably with thickness scaling due to subsurface BTBT. We predict that 8 nm thin devices offer the best option for optimized ON current and S S AVG .

Photoluminescence of phosphorus atomic layer doped Ge grown on Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Nien, Li-Wei; Capellini, Giovanni; Virgilio, Michele; Costina, Ioan; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Seifert, Winfried; Srinivasan, Ashwyn; Loo, Roger; Scappucci, Giordano; Sabbagh, Diego; Hesse, Anne; Murota, Junichi; Schroeder, Thomas; Tillack, Bernd

2017-10-01

Improvement of the photoluminescence (PL) of Phosphorus (P) doped Ge by P atomic layer doping (ALD) is investigated. Fifty P delta layers of 8 × 1013 cm-2 separated by 4 nm Ge spacer are selectively deposited at 300 °C on a 700 nm thick P-doped Ge buffer layer of 1.4 × 1019 cm-3 on SiO2 structured Si (100) substrate. A high P concentration region of 1.6 × 1020 cm-3 with abrupt P delta profiles is formed by the P-ALD process. Compared to the P-doped Ge buffer layer, a reduced PL intensity is observed, which might be caused by a higher density of point defects in the P delta doped Ge layer. The peak position is shifted by ˜0.1 eV towards lower energy, indicating an increased active carrier concentration in the P-delta doped Ge layer. By introducing annealing at 400 °C to 500 °C after each Ge spacer deposition, P desorption and diffusion is observed resulting in relatively uniform P profiles of ˜2 × 1019 cm-3. Increased PL intensity and red shift of the PL peak are observed due to improved crystallinity and higher active P concentration.

SiGe quantum wells for uncooled long wavelength infra-red radiation (LWIR) sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wissmar, S. G. E.; Radamsson, H. H.; Yamamoto, Y.; Tillack, B.; Vieider, C.; Andersson, J. Y.

2008-03-01

We demonstrate a novel single-crystalline high-performance thermistor material based on SiGe quantum well heterostructures. The SiGe/Si quantum wells are grown epitaxially on standard Si [001] substrates. Holes are used as charge carriers utilizing the discontinuities in the valence band structure. By optimizing design parameters such as the barrier height (by variation of the germanium content) and the fermi level Ef (by variation of the quantum well width and doping level) of the material, the layer structure can be tailored. Then a very high temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) can be obtained which is superior to the previous reported conventional thin film materials such as vanadium oxide and amorphous silicon. In addition, the high quality crystalline material promises very low 1/f-noise characteristics promoting an outstanding signal to noise ratio as well as well defined and uniform material properties. High-resolution X-ray diffraction was applied to characterize the thickness and Ge content of QWs. The results show sharp oscillations indicating an almost ideal super lattice with negligible relaxation and low defect density. The impact of growth temperature on the thermistor material properties was characterized by analyzing how the resulting strain primarily affects the performance of the TCR and 1/f noise. Results illustrate a value of 3.3 %/K for TCR with a low 1/f noise.

The evolution from long-range magnetic order to spin-glass behaviour in PrAu2(Si1- xGex)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krimmel, A.; Hemberger, J.; Kegler, C.; Nicklas, M.; Engelmayer, A.; Knebel, G.; Fritsch, V.; Reehuis, M.; Brando, M.; Loidl, A.

1999-09-01

We have studied the magnetic behaviour of PrAu2(Si1-xGex)2 by means of magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, and heat capacity measurements, and x-ray and neutron powder diffraction. All compounds are isostructural and crystallize in the well known ThCr2Si2-type structure. PrAu2Si2 shows the characteristic features of a canonical spin glass with a freezing temperature of TF = 3 K. Completely unexpectedly, on introducing/increasing the atomic disorder by alloying with Ge, the spin-glass transition is suppressed as is first evident from a slight decrease of the freezing temperature TF up to x = 0.10. Long-range magnetic order sets in for xicons/Journals/Common/ge" ALT="ge" ALIGN="TOP"/>0.12. Within the range 0.15icons/Journals/Common/le" ALT="le" ALIGN="TOP"/> xicons/Journals/Common/le" ALT="le" ALIGN="TOP"/>1, all compounds show the same simple AF-I-type antiferromagnetic structure with a monotonic increase of both the Néel temperature and the ordered magnetic moment for increasing Ge concentration. The magnetic phase diagram of PrAu2(Si1-xGex)2 is explained by the presence of weak disorder at a constant level at the Au sites. Clear indications of crystal-field effects have been observed.

Effect of the tetrahedral groups on the optical properties of LaBRO{sub 5} (R = Si and Ge): A first-principles study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Linping; School of Physics Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046; Jing, Qun

2015-09-21

As potential candidates for deep-UV nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, borosilicates and borogermanates, which contain NLO-active groups such as B-O, Si-O, and Ge-O groups, have fascinated many material scientists' research enthusiasm. In this paper, the electronic structures and optical properties of two isostructural noncentrosymmetric crystals LaBRO{sub 5} (R = Si and Ge) have been studied by the first-principles method. Combined with the analyses of the SHG-density and the localized electron-density difference, contributions of the constituent tetrahedra to the total NLO responses are investigated. Eventually, BO{sub 4} and GeO{sub 4} groups give nearly equal contributions to the SHG effect of LaBGeO{sub 5}, but formore » LaBSiO{sub 5}, SiO{sub 4} groups express stronger SHG response than that of BO{sub 4}. Such interesting conclusion is consistent with the distortion index analyses and dipole moment.« less

Magneto-transport Properties Using Top-Gated Hall Bars of Epitaxial Heterostructures on Single-Crystal SiGe Nanomembranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, R. B.; Li, Yize; Foote, Ryan; Cui, Xiaorui; Savage, Donald; Sookchoo, Pornsatit; Eriksson, Mark; Lagally, Max

2014-03-01

A high-quality 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is crucial for quantum electronics and spintronics. Grown heterostructures on SiGe nanomembranes (NMs) show promise to create these 2DEG structures because they have reduced strain inhomogeneities and mosaic tilt. We investigate charge transport properties of these SiGe NMs/heterostructures over a range of temperatures and compare them with results from heterostructures grown on compositionally graded SiGe substrates. Measurements are done by creating Hall bars with top gates on the samples. From the magneto-transport data, low-carrier-density mobility values are calculated. Initial results on the grown heterostructures give a typical curve for mobility versus carrier density, but extraction of the zero-carrier-density mobility is dependent on the curve-fitting technique. Sponsored by United States Department of Defense. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressly or implied, of the U.S. Government.

Stability of half-metallic behavior with lattice variation for Fe2MnZ (Z = Si, Ge, Sn) Heusler alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Vivek Kumar; Lakshmi, N.; Jain, Rakesh

2018-05-01

The electronic structure and magnetic properties with variation of lattice constant for Fe2MnZ (Z = Si, Ge, Sn) Heusler alloys have been studied. Optimized lattice constant are found to be 5.59, 5.69, 6.00 Å for Z= Si, Ge and Sn respectively. Total magnetic moments of the alloys are ˜3 µB as predicted by the Slater Pauling rule and is maintained over a wide range of lattice variation for all three alloys. Half metallic ferromagnetic nature with 100% spin polarization is observed for Fe2MnSi for a lattice range from 5.40-5.70 Å. Fe2MnGe and Fe2MnSn show ferromagnetic and metallic natures with more than 90% spin polarization over a wide range of lattice constant. Due to the stability of half metallic character of these alloys with respect to variation in the lattice parameters, they are promising robust materials suitable for spintronics device applications.

Reduction in the formation temperature of Poly-SiGe alloy thin film in Si/Ge system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tah, Twisha; Singh, Ch. Kishan; Madapu, K. K.; Sarguna, R. M.; Magudapathy, P.; Ilango, S.

2018-04-01

The role of deposition temperature in the formation of poly-SiGe alloy thin film in Si/Ge system is reported. For the set ofsamples deposited without any intentional heating, initiation of alloying starts upon post annealingat ˜ 500 °C leading to the formation of a-SiGe. Subsequently, poly-SiGe alloy phase could formonly at temperature ≥ 800 °C. Whereas, for the set of samples deposited at 500 °C, in-situ formation of poly-SiGe alloy thin film could be observed. The energetics of the incoming evaporated atoms and theirsubsequent diffusionsin the presence of the supplied thermal energy is discussed to understand possible reasons for lowering of formation temperature/energyof the poly-SiGe phase.

Surface Dangling-Bond States and Band Lineups in Hydrogen-Terminated Si, Ge, and Ge/Si Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagimura, R.; Nunes, R. W.; Chacham, H.

2007-01-01

We report an ab initio study of the electronic properties of surface dangling-bond (SDB) states in hydrogen-terminated Si and Ge nanowires with diameters between 1 and 2 nm, Ge/Si nanowire heterostructures, and Si and Ge (111) surfaces. We find that the charge transition levels ɛ(+/-) of SDB states behave as a common energy reference among Si and Ge wires and Si/Ge heterostructures, at 4.3±0.1eV below the vacuum level. Calculations of ɛ(+/-) for isolated atoms indicate that this nearly constant value is a periodic-table atomic property.

Influence of the deposition and annealing temperatures on the luminescence of germanium nanocrystals formed in GeO x films and multilayer Ge/SiO2 structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grachev, D. A.; Ershov, A. V.; Karabanova, I. A.; Pirogov, A. V.; Nezhdanov, A. V.; Mashin, A. I.; Pavlov, D. A.

2017-05-01

The GeO x films and multilayer nanoperiodic Ge/SiO2 structures containing germanium nanocrystals were prepared by physical vapor deposition in vacuum. The properties of the films and multilayer structures were controlled by varying the deposition temperature in the range of 35-590°C and the annealing temperature in the range of 400-1000°C. A comparative study of the optical and structural characteristics of the nanosystems was performed using the methods of Raman scattering spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and electron microscopy, which demonstrated a qualitative similarity of the nanosystems. It was found that annealing at temperatures in the range of 600-800°C leads to the formation of germanium nanocrystals with a high density ( 1012 cm-2), whereas in the materials not subjected to annealing, their density did not exceed 1010 cm-2. The average size of the nanocrystals was found to be 5 ± 2 nm. For both nanosystems, three luminescence bands were observed at 1.2, 1.5-1.7, and 1.7-2.0 eV. It was assumed that the origin of these bands is associated with germanium nanocrystals, oxygen-deficient centers in GeOx, and defects at the Ge/dielectric interface, respectively.

Electron-Hole Condensation in Semiconductors: Electrons and holes condense into freely moving liquid metallic droplets, a plasma phase with novel properties.

PubMed

Jeffries, C D

1975-09-19

In Ge and Si, and also in Ge-Si alloys (74), there is extensive evidence for the stable binding of electrons and holes into a cold plasma of constant density, which undergoes a phase separation. Liquid metallic drops 1 to 300 microm in size are formed, with lifetimes ranging from 0.1 to 600 microsec. For Ge a surprising amount is known: the phase diagram, the surface energy, the work function, the decay kinetics. Much less is known for Si. There is good agreement between theoretical and experimental values of the liquid density, the critical density, the critical temperature, and the binding energy. The stability of the liquid phase is strikingly dependent on band structure. The multivalley structure and mass anisotropy of Si, Ge, and Ge-Si, together with their indirect band gap, are no doubt responsible for the observed stability in these crystals. In the similar semiconductor gallium phosphide, drops have not yet been observed, most likely because the high impurity content traps the excitons. In gallium arsenide the existence of drops is controversial (75). Undoubtedly drops will be found to exist in other semiconductors, perhaps at even higher temperatures. This is an exciting field for the experimentalist; new phenomena are being rapidly discovered, usually before they are predicted. For the theorist, the electron-hole drop is of high intrinsic interest. It represents the first example of a quantum liquid of constant density in a periodic crystal lattice. A number of challenging experimental and theoretical problems remain.

Selective Etching of Silicon in Preference to Germanium and Si0.5Ge0.5.

PubMed

Ahles, Christopher F; Choi, Jong Youn; Wolf, Steven; Kummel, Andrew C

2017-06-21

The selective etching characteristics of silicon, germanium, and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 subjected to a downstream H 2 /CF 4 /Ar plasma have been studied using a pair of in situ quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At 50 °C and 760 mTorr, Si can be etched in preference to Ge and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 , with an essentially infinite Si/Ge etch-rate ratio (ERR), whereas for Si/Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 , the ERR is infinite at 22 °C and 760 mTorr. XPS data showed that the selectivity is due to the differential suppression of etching by a ∼2 ML thick C x H y F z layer formed by the H 2 /CF 4 /Ar plasma on Si, Ge, and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 . The data are consistent with the less exothermic reaction of fluorine radicals with Ge or Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 being strongly suppressed by the C x H y F z layer, whereas, on Si, the C x H y F z layer is not sufficient to completely suppress etching. Replacing H 2 with D 2 in the feed gas resulted in an inverse kinetic isotope effect (IKIE) where the Si and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 etch rates were increased by ∼30 times with retention of significant etch selectivity. The use of D 2 /CF 4 /Ar instead of H 2 /CF 4 /Ar resulted in less total carbon deposition on Si and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 and gave less Ge enrichment of Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 . These results are consistent with the selectivity being due to the differential suppression of etching by an angstrom-scale carbon layer.

Method of Fabricating Double Sided Si(Ge)/Sapphire/III-Nitride Hybrid Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sang Hyouk (Inventor); Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor)

2017-01-01

One aspect of the present invention is a double sided hybrid crystal structure including a trigonal Sapphire wafer containing a (0001) C-plane and having front and rear sides. The Sapphire wafer is substantially transparent to light in the visible and infrared spectra, and also provides insulation with respect to electromagnetic radio frequency noise. A layer of crystalline Si material having a cubic diamond structure aligned with the cubic <111> direction on the (0001) C-plane and strained as rhombohedron to thereby enable continuous integration of a selected (SiGe) device onto the rear side of the Sapphire wafer. The double sided hybrid crystal structure further includes an integrated III-Nitride crystalline layer on the front side of the Sapphire wafer that enables continuous integration of a selected III-Nitride device on the front side of the Sapphire wafer.

Double Sided Si(Ge)/Sapphire/III-Nitride Hybrid Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor); Choi, Sang Hyouk (Inventor)

2016-01-01

One aspect of the present invention is a double sided hybrid crystal structure including a trigonal Sapphire wafer containing a (0001) C-plane and having front and rear sides. The Sapphire wafer is substantially transparent to light in the visible and infrared spectra, and also provides insulation with respect to electromagnetic radio frequency noise. A layer of crystalline Si material having a cubic diamond structure aligned with the cubic <111> direction on the (0001) C-plane and strained as rhombohedron to thereby enable continuous integration of a selected (SiGe) device onto the rear side of the Sapphire wafer. The double sided hybrid crystal structure further includes an integrated III-Nitride crystalline layer on the front side of the Sapphire wafer that enables continuous integration of a selected III-Nitride device on the front side of the Sapphire wafer.

Electronic Structure of Alpha-Quartz and the Influence of Some Local Disorder: A Tight Binding Study,

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

An s extended summary of the theoretical and ex- perimental work on Si02 is to be found in that paper. The tight-binding basis con- sists of the four... theoretical and experimental works contained therein. 4. B. Fischer, R. A. Pollak, T. H. Distefano and W. D. Grobman, "Electronic Structure of SiO 2, SixGe 1 x...and GeO 2 from Photoemission Spectroscopy," Phys. Rev. BI5, 3193 (1977), and references to earlier works therein. 5. J. H. Scofield , "Hartree-Slater

First principles study on Fe based ferromagnetic quaternary Heusler alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amudhavalli, A.; Rajeswarapalanichamy, R.; Iyakutti, K.

2017-11-01

The study of stable half-metallic ferromagnetic materials is important from various fundamental and application points of view in condensed matter Physics. Structural phase stability, electronic structure, mechanical and magnetic properties of Fe-based quaternary Heusler alloys XX‧YZ (X = Co, Ni; X‧ = Fe; Y = Ti; Z = Si, Ge, As) for three different phases namely α, β and γ phases of LiMgPdSn crystal structure have been studied by density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation formulated by Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof (GGA-PBE) and the Hubbard formalism (GGA-PBE + U). This work aims to identify the ferromagnetic and half-metallic properties of XX‧YZ (X = Co, Ni, X‧ = Fe; Y = Ti; Z = Si, Ge, As) quaternary Heusler alloys. The predicted phase stability shows that α-phase is found to be the lowest energy phase at ambient pressure. A pressure-induced structural phase transition is observed in CoFeTiSi, CoFeTiGe, CoFeTiAs, NiFeTiSi, NiFeTiGe and NiFeTiAs at the pressures of 151.6 GPa, 33.7 GPa, 76.4 GPa, 85.3 GPa, 87.7 GPa and 96.5 GPa respectively. The electronic structure reveals that these materials are half metals at normal pressure whereas metals at high pressure. The investigation of electronic structure and magnetic properties are performed to reveal the underlying mechanism of half metallicity. The spin polarized calculations concede that these quaternary Heusler compounds may exhibit the potential candidate in spintronics application. The magnetic moments for these quaternary Heusler alloys in all the three different phases (α, β and γ) are estimated.

Effect of Boron Doping on High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction Metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faheem, M.; Zhang, Y.; Dai, X.

2018-03-01

The effect of boron (B) doping on high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HXRD) metrology has been investigated. Twelve samples of Si1-xGex films were epitaxially grown on Si (100) substrates with different thicknesses, germanium (Ge) concentrations and with/without B dopants. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and HXRD were employed for measurements of B doping, Ge concentration, strain, and thickness of the layers. The SIMS results show the absence of B in two samples while the rest of the samples have B doping in the range of 8.40 × 1018-8.7 × 1020 atoms/cm3 with Ge concentration of 13.3-55.2 at.%. The HXRD measurements indicate the layers thickness of 7.07-108.13 nm along with Ge concentration of 12.82-49.09 at.%. The difference in the Ge concentration measured by SIMS and HXRD was found to deend on B doping. For the undoped samples, the difference is 0.5 at.% and increases with B doping but with no linear proportionality. The difference in the Ge concentration was 7.11 at.% for the highly B-doped (8.7 × 1020 atoms/cm3) sample. The B doping influences the Si1-xGex structure, causing a change in the lattice parameter and producing tensile strains shifting Si1-xGex peaks towards Si (100) substrate peaks in the HXRD diffraction patterns. As a result, Vegard's law is no longer effective and makes a high impact on the HXRD measurement. The comparison between symmetric (004) and asymmetric (+113, +224) reciprocal space mappings (RSM) showed a slight difference in Ge concentration between the undoped and lower B-doped samples. However, there is a change of 0.21 at.% observed for the highly doped Si1-xGex samples. RSM's (+113) demonstrate the small SiGe peak broadening as B doping increases, which indicates a minor crystal distortion.

Theoretical investigation of the breakdown electric field of SiC polymorphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Kikou; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Yamamoto, Tomoyuki; Hirose, Kazuyuki

2018-03-01

The breakdown electric field of several SiC polymorphs has been investigated theoretically using a concept of "recovery rate," which is obtained by first principles calculations. A good relationship between the experimental breakdown electric fields and the calculated recovery rate of 4H-, 6H-, and 3C-SiC was obtained. In order to examine the stability of SiC polymorphs, the total electronic energies of various types of SiC crystal structures were calculated. Here, two candidates of polymorphs-GeS-type- and 2H-SiC-with energies comparable to those of experimentally well-established structures, have been obtained. The breakdown electric fields of these two polymorphs were estimated using a relationship obtained from the results of 4H-, 6H-, and 3C-SiC. This indicates that one of these polymorphs, GeS-type-SiC, has higher breakdown electric field than any other SiC polymorphs. In addition to the investigation with the recovery rate, relationship between experimental breakdown electric field and calculated band gap with recently developed accurate electron-correlation potential has been also discussed.

Fabrication of Coaxial Si1- x Ge x Heterostructure Nanowires by O2 Flow-Induced Bifurcate Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ilsoo; Lee, Ki-Young; Kim, Ungkil; Park, Yong-Hee; Park, Tae-Eon; Choi, Heon-Jin

2010-10-01

We report on bifurcate reactions on the surface of well-aligned Si1- x Ge x nanowires that enable fabrication of two different coaxial heterostructure nanowires. The Si1- x Ge x nanowires were grown in a chemical vapor transport process using SiCl4 gas and Ge powder as a source. After the growth of nanowires, SiCl4 flow was terminated while O2 gas flow was introduced under vacuum. On the surface of nanowires was deposited Ge by the vapor from the Ge powder or oxidized into SiO2 by the O2 gas. The transition from deposition to oxidation occurred abruptly at 2 torr of O2 pressure without any intermediate region and enables selectively fabricated Ge/Si1- x Ge x or SiO2/Si1- x Ge x coaxial heterostructure nanowires. The rate of deposition and oxidation was dominated by interfacial reaction and diffusion of oxygen through the oxide layer, respectively.

Fabrication of Coaxial Si(1-x)Ge(x) Heterostructure Nanowires by O(2) Flow-Induced Bifurcate Reactions.

PubMed

Kim, Ilsoo; Lee, Ki-Young; Kim, Ungkil; Park, Yong-Hee; Park, Tae-Eon; Choi, Heon-Jin

2010-06-17

We report on bifurcate reactions on the surface of well-aligned Si(1-x)Ge(x) nanowires that enable fabrication of two different coaxial heterostructure nanowires. The Si(1-x)Ge(x) nanowires were grown in a chemical vapor transport process using SiCl(4) gas and Ge powder as a source. After the growth of nanowires, SiCl(4) flow was terminated while O(2) gas flow was introduced under vacuum. On the surface of nanowires was deposited Ge by the vapor from the Ge powder or oxidized into SiO(2) by the O(2) gas. The transition from deposition to oxidation occurred abruptly at 2 torr of O(2) pressure without any intermediate region and enables selectively fabricated Ge/Si(1-x)Ge(x) or SiO(2)/Si(1-x)Ge(x) coaxial heterostructure nanowires. The rate of deposition and oxidation was dominated by interfacial reaction and diffusion of oxygen through the oxide layer, respectively.

Effects of patterning induced stress relaxation in strained SOI/SiGe layers and substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermann, P.; Hecker, M.; Renn, F.; Rölke, M.; Kolanek, K.; Rinderknecht, J.; Eng, L. M.

2011-06-01

Local stress fields in strained silicon structures important for CMOS technology are essentially related to size effects and properties of involved materials. In the present investigation, Raman spectroscopy was utilized to analyze the stress distribution within strained silicon (sSi) and silicon-germanium (SiGe) island structures. As a result of the structuring of initially unpatterned strained films, a size-dependent relaxation of the intrinsic film stresses was obtained in agreement with model calculations. This changed stress state in the features also results in the appearance of opposing stresses in the substrate underneath the islands. Even for strained island structures on top of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, corresponding stresses in the silicon substrate underneath the oxide were detected. Within structures, the stress relaxation is more pronounced for islands on SOI substrates as compared to those on bulk silicon substrates.

Analysis of composition and microstructures of Ge grown on porous silicon using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aouassa, Mansour; Jadli, Imen; Hassayoun, Latifa Slimen; Maaref, Hassen; Panczer, Gerard; Favre, Luc; Ronda, Antoine; Berbezier, Isabelle

2017-12-01

Composition and microstructure of Ge grown on porous silicon (PSi) by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) at different temperatures are examined using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Ge grown at 400 °C on PSi buffer produces a planar Ge film with high crystalline quality compared to Ge grown on bulk Si. This result is attributed to the compliant nature of PSi. Increasing growth temperature >600 °C, changes the PSi morphology, increase the Ge/Si intermixing in the pores during Ge growth and lead to obtain a composite SiGe/Si substrate. Ge content in the composite SiGe substrate can controlled via growth temperature. These substrates serve as low cost virtual substrate for high efficiency III-V/Si solar cells.

Structural and thermochemical Aspects of (III-V)IV3 Material Assembly from First Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chizmeshya, Andrew; Kouvetakis, John

2014-03-01

Alloys with (III-V)-(IV) compositions, including Si3(AlP), Si5-2y(AlP)y, Si3Al(As1-xNx), Si5-2yAl(P1-xNx)y and Ge5-2y(InP)y and have recently been synthesized as mono-crystalline films on Si substrates, using a synthesis route specifically designed to avoid phase separation between the III-V and IV constituents. Molecular ``building blocks'' containing group-V-centered III-V-IV3 cores, formed via interactions of group-III atoms and reactive silyly/germyl hydride precursors of desired composition (e.g, P(SiH3)3 , P(GeH3)3 , etc), assemble to form stable, covalent, diamond-like materials with the inherent tetrahedral symmetry and composition of the III-V-IV3 units. The resulting systems may provide access to a broad range of new semiconductor systems with extended optoelectronic properties, provided that the required molecular sources are available, the thermodynamic processes are viable, and the resulting alloy composition can be tuned to lattice-match the growth substrate. Molecular/solid-state simulations are used to identify promising synthetic pathways and guide the epitaxial creation of new (III-V)-(IV) materials. The thermodynamics of gas phase synthesis reactions, energetic stability of the alloys, and their epitaxial/chemical compatibility with the substrate are combined to form a global figure of merit. The latter corroborates the synthesis of known systems and predicts that formation of GaPSi3/Si(100), GaAsSi3/SiGe(100), AlPGe3/Ge(100) and InAsSi3/Ge(100) may also be favorable. Supported by NSF-DMR under SusChEM award #1309090.

Broad Beam and Ion Microprobe Studies of Single-Event Upsets in High Speed 0.18micron Silicon Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors and Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Robert A.; Marshall, Paul W.; Pickel, Jim; Carts, Martin A.; Irwin, TIm; Niu, Guofu; Cressler, John; Krithivasan, Ramkumar; Fritz, Karl; Riggs, Pam

2003-01-01

SiGe based technology is widely recognized for its tremendous potential to impact the high speed microelectronic industry, and therefore the space industry, by monolithic incorporation of low power complementary logic with extremely high speed SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) logic. A variety of studies have examined the ionizing dose, displacement damage and single event characteristics, and are reported. Accessibility to SiGe through an increasing number of manufacturers adds to the importance of understanding its intrinsic radiation characteristics, and in particular the single event effect (SEE) characteristics of the high bandwidth HBT based circuits. IBM is now manufacturing in its 3rd generation of their commercial SiGe processes, and access is currently available to the first two generations (known as and 6HP) through the MOSIS shared mask services with anticipated future release of the latest (7HP) process. The 5 HP process is described and is characterized by a emitter spacing of 0.5 micron and a cutoff frequency ff of 50 GHz, whereas the fully scaled 7HP HBT employs a 0.18 micron emitter and has an fT of 120 GHz. Previous investigations have the examined SEE response of 5 HP HBT circuits through both circuit testing and modeling. Charge collection modeling studies in the 5 H P process have also been conducted, but to date no measurements have been reported of charge collection in any SiGe HBT structures. Nor have circuit models for charge collection been developed in any version other than the 5 HP HBT structure. Our investigation reports the first indications of both charge collection and circuit response in IBM s 7HP-based SiGe process. We compare broad beam heavy ion SEU test results in a fully function Pseudo-Random Number (PRN) sequence generator up to frequencies of 12 Gbps versus effective LET, and also report proton test results in the same circuit. In addition, we examine the charge collection characteristics of individual 7HP HBT structures and map out the spatial sensitivities using the Sandia Focused Heavy Ion Microprobe Facility s Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) technique. Combining the two data sets offers insights into the charge collection mechanisms responsible for circuit level response and provides the first insights into the SEE characteristics of this latest version of IBM s commercial SiGe process.

Design of Si0.5Ge0.5 based tunnel field effect transistor and its performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Gurmeet; Amin, S. Intekhab; Anand, Sunny; Sarin, R. K.

2016-04-01

In this work, the performance comparison of two heterojunction PIN TFETs having Si channel and Si0.5Ge0.5 source with high-k (SiGe DGTFET HK) and hetero-gate dielectric (SiGe DGTFET HG) respectively with those of two homojunction Si based PIN (DGTFET HK and DGTFET HG) TFETs is performed. Similarly, by employing the technique of pocketing at source junction in above four PIN TFETs, the performances of resultant four PNPN TFETs (SiGe PNPN DGTFET HK, SiGe PNPN DGTFET HG, PNPN DGTFET HK and PNPN DGTFET HG) are also compared with each other. Due to lower tunnel resistance of SiGe based heterojunction PIN and PNPN TFETs, the DC parameters such as ON current, ON-OFF current ratio, average subthreshold slope are improved significantly as compared to Si based PIN and PNPN TFETs respectively. The output characteristics of HG architectures in Si based homojunction PIN and PNPN TFETs is observed to be identical to with respective Si based HK PIN and PNPN TFET architectures. However, the output characteristics of HG architectures in SiGe based heterojunction PIN and PNPN TFETs degrade as compared to their respective SiGe based HK PIN and PNPN TFET architectures. In ON state, SiGe based HK and HG PIN and PNPN TFETs have lower gate capacitance (Cgg) as compared to their respective Si based HK and HG PIN and PNPN TFETs. Moreover, HG architecture suppresses gate to drain capacitance (Cgd) and ambipolar conduction. Transconductance (gm) and cut off frequency (fT) is also observed to be higher for SiGe based PIN and PNPN TFETs.

In situ control of synchronous germanide/silicide reactions with Ge/Si core/shell nanowires to monitor formation and strain evolution in abrupt 2.7 nm channel length

DOE PAGES

Chen, Renjie; Nguyen, Binh-Minh; Tang, Wei; ...

2017-05-22

The metal-semiconductor interface in self-aligned contact formation can determine the overall performance of nanoscale devices. This interfacial morphology is predicted and well researched in homogenous semiconductor nanowires (NWs) but was not pursued in heterostructured core/shell nanowires. Here, we found here that the solid-state reactions between Ni and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires resulted in a protruded and a leading NiSiy segment into the channel. A single Ni 2Ge/NiSi y to Ge/Si core/shell interface was achieved by the selective shell removal near the Ni source/drain contact areas. In using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we measured the growth rate and anisotropic strain evolutionmore » in ultra-short channels. We also found elevated compressive strains near the interface between the compound contact and the NW and relatively lower strains near the center of the channel which increased exponentially below the 10 nm channel length to exceed 10% strain at ~3 nm lengths. These compressive strains are expected to result in a non-homogeneous energy band structure in Ge/Si core/shell NWs below 10 nm and potentially benefit their transistor performance.« less

In situ control of synchronous germanide/silicide reactions with Ge/Si core/shell nanowires to monitor formation and strain evolution in abrupt 2.7 nm channel length

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Renjie; Nguyen, Binh-Minh; Tang, Wei

The metal-semiconductor interface in self-aligned contact formation can determine the overall performance of nanoscale devices. This interfacial morphology is predicted and well researched in homogenous semiconductor nanowires (NWs) but was not pursued in heterostructured core/shell nanowires. Here, we found here that the solid-state reactions between Ni and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires resulted in a protruded and a leading NiSiy segment into the channel. A single Ni 2Ge/NiSi y to Ge/Si core/shell interface was achieved by the selective shell removal near the Ni source/drain contact areas. In using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we measured the growth rate and anisotropic strain evolutionmore » in ultra-short channels. We also found elevated compressive strains near the interface between the compound contact and the NW and relatively lower strains near the center of the channel which increased exponentially below the 10 nm channel length to exceed 10% strain at ~3 nm lengths. These compressive strains are expected to result in a non-homogeneous energy band structure in Ge/Si core/shell NWs below 10 nm and potentially benefit their transistor performance.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duan, Guo Xing; Hatchtel, Jordan; Shen, Xiao

Here, we investigate negative-bias temperature instabilities in SiGe pMOSFETs with SiO 2/HfO 2 gate dielectrics. The activation energies we measured for interface-trap charge buildup during negative-bias temperature stress were lower for SiGe channel pMOSFETs with SiO 2/HfO 2 gate dielectrics and Si capping layers than for conventional Si channel pMOSFETs with SiO 2 gate dielectrics. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy images demonstrate that Ge atoms can diffuse from the SiGe layer into the Si capping layer, which is adjacent to the SiO 2/HfO 2 gate dielectric. Density functional calculations show that these Ge atoms reduce themore » strength of nearby Si-H bonds and that Ge-H bond energies are still lower, thereby reducing the activation energy for interface-trap generation for the SiGe devices. Moreover, activation energies for oxide-trap charge buildup during negative-bias temperature stress are similarly small for SiGe pMOSFETs with SiO 2/HfO 2 gate dielectrics and Si pMOSFETs with SiO 2 gate dielectrics, suggesting that, in both cases, the oxide-trap charge buildup likely is rate-limited by hole tunneling into the near-interfacial SiO 2.« less

High Electron Mobility SiGe/Si Transistor Structures on Sapphire Substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Mueller, Carl H.; Croke, Edward T.; Ponchak, George E.

2004-01-01

SiGe/Si n-type modulation doped field effect structures and transistors (n-MODFETs) have been fabricated on r-plane sapphire substrates. The structures were deposited using molecular beam epitaxy, and antimony dopants were incorporated via a delta doping process. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) indicates that the peak antimony concentration was approximately 4 x 10(exp 19) per cubic centimeter. At these two temperatures, the electron carrier densities were 1.6 and 1.33 x 10(exp 12) per square centimeter, thus demonstrating that carrier confinement was excellent. Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations were observed at 0.25 K, thus confirming the two-dimensional nature of the carriers. Transistors, with gate lengths varying from 1 micron to 5 microns, were fabricated using these structures and dc characterization was performed at room temperature. The saturated drain current region extended over a wide source-to-drain voltage (V (sub DS)) range, with V (sub DS) knee voltages of approximately 0.5 V and increased leakage starting at voltages slightly higher than 4 V.

Theory for n-type doped, tensile-strained Ge-Si(x)Ge(y)Sn1-x-y quantum-well lasers at telecom wavelength.

PubMed

Chang, Guo-En; Chang, Shu-Wei; Chuang, Shun Lien

2009-07-06

We propose and develop a theoretical gain model for an n-doped, tensile-strained Ge-Si(x)Ge(y)Sn(1-x-y) quantum-well laser. Tensile strain and n doping in Ge active layers can help achieve population inversion in the direct conduction band and provide optical gain. We show our theoretical model for the bandgap structure, the polarization-dependent optical gain spectrum, and the free-carrier absorption of the n-type doped, tensile-strained Ge quantum-well laser. Despite the free-carrier absorption due to the n-type doping, a significant net gain can be obtained from the direct transition. We also present our waveguide design and calculate the optical confinement factors to estimate the modal gain and predict the threshold carrier density.

Effects of annealing temperature on shape transformation and optical properties of germanium quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alireza, Samavati; Othaman, Z.; K. Ghoshal, S.; K. Mustafa, M.

2015-02-01

The influences of thermal annealing on the structural and optical features of radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtered self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) on Si (100) are investigated. Preferentially oriented structures of Ge along the (220) and (111) directions together with peak shift and reduced strain (4.9% to 2.7%) due to post-annealing at 650 °C are discerned from x-ray differaction (XRD) measurement. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images for both pre-annealed and post-annealed (650 °C) samples reveal pyramidal-shaped QDs (density ˜ 0.26× 1011 cm-2) and dome-shape morphologies with relatively high density ˜ 0.92 × 1011 cm-2, respectively. This shape transformation is attributed to the mechanism of inter-diffusion of Si in Ge interfacial intermixing and strain non-uniformity. The annealing temperature assisted QDs structural evolution is explained using the theory of nucleation and growth kinetics where free energy minimization plays a pivotal role. The observed red-shift ˜ 0.05 eV in addition to the narrowing of the photoluminescence peaks results from thermal annealing, and is related to the effect of quantum confinement. Furthermore, the appearance of a blue-violet emission peak is ascribed to the recombination of the localized electrons in the Ge-QDs/SiO2 or GeOx and holes in the ground state of Ge dots. Raman spectra of both samples exhibit an intense Ge-Ge optical phonon mode which shifts towards higher frequency compared with those of the bulk counterpart. An experimental Raman profile is fitted to the models of phonon confinement and size distribution combined with phonon confinement to estimate the mean dot sizes. A correlation between thermal annealing and modifications of the structural and optical behavior of Ge QDs is established. Tunable growth of Ge QDs with superior properties suitable for optoelectronic applications is demonstrated. Project supported by Ibnu Sina Institute for Fundamental Science Study, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia through Vote Q.J130000.2526.02H94, O5 and Postdoctoral Research Grant.

Plasmonic properties of Ag nanoparticles embedded in GeO2-SiO2 matrix by atom beam sputtering.

PubMed

Mohapatra, Satyabrata

2016-02-07

Nanocomposite thin films containing Ag nanoparticles embedded in the GeO2-SiO2 matrix were synthesized by the atom beam co-sputtering technique. The structural, optical and plasmonic properties and the chemical composition of the nanocomposite thin films were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). UV-visible absorption studies on Ag-SiO2 nanocomposites revealed the presence of a strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak characteristic of Ag nanoparticles at 413 nm, which showed a blue shift of 26 nm (413 to 387 nm) along with a significant broadening and drastic decrease in intensity with the incorporation of 16 at% of Ge into the SiO2 matrix. TEM studies on Ag-GeO2-SiO2 nanocomposite thin films confirmed the presence of Ag nanoparticles with an average size of 3.8 nm in addition to their aggregates with an average size of 16.2 nm. Thermal annealing in air resulted in strong enhancement in the intensity of the LSPR peak, which showed a regular red shift of 51 nm (from 387 to 438 nm) with the increase in annealing temperature up to 500 °C. XPS studies showed that annealing in air resulted in oxidation of excess Ge atoms in the nanocomposite into GeO2. Our work demonstrates the possibility of controllably tuning the LSPR of Ag nanoparticles embedded in the GeO2-SiO2 matrix by single-step thermal annealing, which is interesting for optical applications.

Syntheses and structural characterization of non-centrosymmetric Na{sub 2}M{sub 2}M'S{sub 6} (M, M′=Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Zn, Cd) sulfides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yohannan, Jinu P.; Vidyasagar, Kanamaluru, E-mail: kvsagar@iitm.ac.in

Seven new non-centrosymmetric Na{sub 2}M{sub 2}M’S{sub 6} sulfides, namely, Na{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6}(1){sub ,} Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}(2), Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}SnS{sub 6}(3-α), Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}SnS{sub 6}(3-β){sub ,} Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6}(4){sub ,} Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}CdS{sub 6}(5){sub ,} Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}SiS{sub 6}(6) and Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}(7), were synthesized by high temperature solid state reactions and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. They crystallize in non-centrosymmetric Fdd2 and Cc space groups and their three-dimensional [M{sub 2}M′S{sub 6}]{sup 2-}framework structures consist of MS{sub 4} and M′S{sub 4} tetrahedra corner-connected to one another in either orderly or disordered fashion. Sodium ions residemore » in the tunnels of the anionic framework. Compounds 1, 2 and 3-α have the structure of known Li{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}, whereas compounds 6 and 7 are isostructural with known Li{sub 2}In{sub 2}GeS{sub 6} compound. Isostructural compounds 4 and 5 represent a new structural variant. Compounds 3-α and its new monoclinic structural variant 3-β have disordered structural framework. All of them are wide band gap semiconductors. Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}(2), Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}SnS{sub 6}(3), Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6}(4) and Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}(7) compounds are found to be second-harmonic generation (SHG) active. Compounds 1, 2 and 3-α melt congruently. - Graphical abstract: Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}SnS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}CdS{sub 6} and Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}SiS{sub 6} have non-centrosymmetric structures and the first four compounds are SHG active. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Seven new Na{sub 2}M{sub 2}M′S{sub 6} compounds with non-centrosymmetric structures were synthesized. • They are wide band gap semiconductors. • Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}GeS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Ga{sub 2}SnS{sub 6}, Na{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}ZnS{sub 6} and Na{sub 2}In{sub 2}GeS{sub 6} are SHG active.« less

Production and evolution of A-centers in n-type Si1-xGex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sgourou, E. N.; Andrianakis, A.; Londos, C. A.; Chroneos, A.

2013-03-01

The vacancy-oxygen pair (VO or A-center) in n-type Si1-xGex crystals (x = 0, 0.025, 0.055) has been studied using infrared (IR) spectroscopy. It is determined that the VO production is suppressed in the case of n-type Si1-xGex as compared to Si. It is observed that the annealing temperature of the VO defect in Si1-xGex is substantially lower as compared to Si. The decay of the VO (830 cm-1) band, in the course of 20 min isochronal anneals, shows two stages: The onset of the first stage is at ˜180 °C and the decrease of the VO signal is accompanied in the spectra by the increase of the intensity of two bands at ˜834 and 839 cm-1. These bands appear in the spectra immediately after irradiation and were previously correlated with (VO-Ge) structures. The onset of the second stage occurs at ˜250 °C were the 830 cm-1 band of VO and the above two bands of (VO-Ge) decrease together in the spectra accompanied by the simultaneous growth of the 885 cm-1 band of the VO2 defect. Interestingly, the percentage of the VO pairs that are converted to VO2 defects is larger in the Si1-xGex samples with intermediate Ge content (x = 0.025) as compared with Si (x = 0) and with the high Ge content samples (x = 0.055). The results are discussed in view of the association of VO pairs with Ge.

sp3-hybridized framework structure of group-14 elements discovered by genetic algorithm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Manh Cuong; Zhao, Xin; Wang, Cai-Zhuang

2014-05-01

Group-14 elements, including C, Si, Ge, and Sn, can form various stable and metastable structures. Finding new metastable structures of group-14 elements with desirable physical properties for new technological applications has attracted a lot of interest. Using a genetic algorithm, we discovered a new low-energy metastable distorted sp3-hybridized framework structure of the group-14 elements. It has P42/mnm symmetry with 12 atoms per unit cell. The void volume of this structure is as large as 139.7Å3 for Si P42/mnm, and it can be used for gas or metal-atom encapsulation. Band-structure calculations show that P42/mnm structures of Si and Ge are semiconductingmore » with energy band gaps close to the optimal values for optoelectronic or photovoltaic applications. With metal-atom encapsulation, the P42/mnm structure would also be a candidate for rattling-mediated superconducting or used as thermoelectric materials.« less

The synthesis, single-crystal structure, optical absorption, and resistivity of Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koscielski, Lukasz A.; Malliakas, Christos D.; Sarjeant, Amy A.

2013-09-15

The compound Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} has been synthesized by the reaction of the elements at 1273 K. From a single-crystal study Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} crystallizes in the Ba{sub 5}Si{sub 3} structure type with four formula units in the space group D{sup 8}{sub 4h}−P4/ncc of the tetragonal system in a cell with dimensions a=7.4968(4) Å and c=13.6302(9) Å at 100(2) K. From optical absorption measurements Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} is found to have an optical band gap of 1.92 eV (indirect) or 1.98 eV (direct), consistent with its red color. Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} is a wide gap semiconductor, as indicated by itsmore » electrical resistivity at 298 K of 4.37(2)×10{sup 9} Ω cm measured on a single crystal. - Graphical abstract: The structure of Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5}. Display Omitted - Highlights: • The new compound Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} was synthesized from the elements and recrystallized from Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3}. • Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} crystallizes in the Ba{sub 5}Si{sub 3} structure type. • The band gap of Th{sub 2}GeSe{sub 5} is1.92 eV and its resistivity shows it to be a wide gap semiconductor.« less

Universal behavior of surface-dangling bonds in hydrogen-terminated Si, Ge, and Si/Ge nanowires.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunes, Ricardo; Kagimura, Ricardo; Chacham, Hélio

2007-03-01

We report an ab initio study of the electronic properties of surface dangling bond (SDB) states in hydrogen-terminated Si, Ge, and Si/Ge nanowires with diameters between 1 and 2 nm. We find that the charge transition levels ɛ(+/-) of SDB states are deep in the bandgap for Si wires, and shallow (near the valence band edge) for Ge wires. In both Si and Ge wires, the SDB states are localized. We also find that the SDB ɛ(+/-) levels behave as a ``universal" energy reference level among Si, Ge, and Si/Ge wires within a precision of 0.1 eV. By computing the average bewteen the electron affinity and ionization energy in the atomi limit of several atoms from the III, IV and V columns, we conjecture that the universality is a periodic-table atomic property.

Improved Si0.5Ge0.5/Si interface quality achieved by the process of low energy hydrogen plasma cleaning and investigation of interface quality with positron annihilation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, M.-H.; Chen, C.-H.

2013-04-01

The Positron Annihilation Spectra (PAS), Raman, and Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveal that Si0.5Ge0.5/Si interface quality can be significantly improved by the low energy plasma cleaning process using hydrogen. In the PAS, the particularly small value of lifetime and intensity near the Si0.5Ge0.5/Si interface in the sample with the treatment indicate that the defect concentration is successfully reduced 2.25 times, respectively. Fewer defects existed in the Si0.5Ge0.5/Si interface result in the high compressive strain about 0.36% in the top epi-Si0.5Ge0.5 layer, which can be observed in Raman spectra and stronger radiative recombination rate about 1.39 times for the infrared emission, which can be observed in the photoluminescence spectra. With better Si0.5Ge0.5/Si interface quality, the SiGe-based devices can have better optical and electrical characteristics for more applications in the industry. The PAS is also demonstrated that it is the useful methodology tool to quantify the defect information in the SiGe-based material.

Hydrogen interaction kinetics of Ge dangling bonds at the Si0.25Ge0.75/SiO2 interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stesmans, A.; Nguyen Hoang, T.; Afanas'ev, V. V.

2014-07-01

The hydrogen interaction kinetics of the GePb1 defect, previously identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) as an interfacial Ge dangling bond (DB) defect occurring in densities ˜7 × 1012 cm-2 at the SiGe/SiO2 interfaces of condensation grown (100)Si/a-SiO2/Ge0.75Si0.25/a-SiO2 structures, has been studied as function of temperature. This has been carried out, both in the isothermal and isochronal mode, through defect monitoring by capacitance-voltage measurements in conjunction with ESR probing, where it has previously been demonstrated the defects to operate as negative charge traps. The work entails a full interaction cycle study, comprised of analysis of both defect passivation (pictured as GePb1-H formation) in molecular hydrogen (˜1 atm) and reactivation (GePb1-H dissociation) in vacuum. It is found that both processes can be suitably described separately by the generalized simple thermal (GST) model, embodying a first order interaction kinetics description based on the basic chemical reactions GePb1 + H2 → GePb1H + H and GePb1H → GePb1 + H, which are found to be characterized by the average activation energies Ef = 1.44 ± 0.04 eV and Ed = 2.23 ± 0.04 eV, and attendant, assumedly Gaussian, spreads σEf = 0.20 ± 0.02 eV and σEd = 0.15 ± 0.02 eV, respectively. The substantial spreads refer to enhanced interfacial disorder. Combination of the separately inferred kinetic parameters for passivation and dissociation results in the unified realistic GST description that incorporates the simultaneous competing action of passivation and dissociation, and which is found to excellently account for the full cycle data. For process times ta ˜ 35 min, it is found that even for the optimum treatment temperature ˜380 °C, only ˜60% of the GePb1 system can be electrically silenced, still far remote from device grade level. This ineffectiveness is concluded, for the major part, to be a direct consequence of the excessive spreads in the activation energies, ˜2-3 times larger than for the Si DB Pb defects at the standard thermal (111)Si/SiO2 interface which may be easily passivated to device grade levels, strengthened by the reduced difference between the average Ef and Ed values. Exploring the guidelines of the GST model indicates that passivation can be improved by decreasing Tan and attendant enlarging of ta, however, at best still leaving ˜2% defects unpassivated even for unrealistically extended anneal times. The average dissociation energy Ed ˜ 2.23 eV, concluded as representing the GePb1-H bond strength, is found to be smaller than the SiPb-H one, characterized by Ed ˜ 2.83 eV. An energy deficiency is encountered regarding the energy sum rule inherent to the GST-model, the origin of which is substantiated to lie with a more complex nature of the forward passivation process than basically depicted in the GST model. The results are discussed within the context of theoretical considerations on the passivation of interfacial Ge DBs by hydrogen.

Surface Morphology Transformation Under High-Temperature Annealing of Ge Layers Deposited on Si(100).

PubMed

Shklyaev, A A; Latyshev, A V

2016-12-01

We study the surface morphology and chemical composition of SiGe layers after their formation under high-temperature annealing at 800-1100 °C of 30-150 nm Ge layers deposited on Si(100) at 400-500 °C. It is found that the annealing leads to the appearance of the SiGe layers of two types, i.e., porous and continuous. The continuous layers have a smoothened surface morphology and a high concentration of threading dislocations. The porous and continuous layers can coexist. Their formation conditions and the ratio between their areas on the surface depend on the thickness of deposited Ge layers, as well as on the temperature and the annealing time. The data obtained suggest that the porous SiGe layers are formed due to melting of the strained Ge layers and their solidification in the conditions of SiGe dewetting on Si. The porous and dislocation-rich SiGe layers may have properties interesting for applications.

LWIR HgCdTe Detectors Grown on Ge Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilela, M. F.; Lofgreen, D. D.; Smith, E. P. G.; Newton, M. D.; Venzor, G. M.; Peterson, J. M.; Franklin, J. J.; Reddy, M.; Thai, Y.; Patten, E. A.; Johnson, S. M.; Tidrow, M. Z.

2008-09-01

Long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe p-on- n double-layer heterojunctions (DLHJs) for infrared detector applications have been grown on 100 mm Ge (112) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The objective of this current work was to grow our baseline p-on- n DLHJ detector structure (used earlier on Si substrates) on 100 mm Ge substrates in the 10 μm to 11 μm LWIR spectral region, evaluate the material properties, and obtain some preliminary detector performance data. Material characterization techniques included are X-ray rocking curves, etch pit density (EPD) measurements, compositional uniformity determined from Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) transmission, and doping concentrations determined from secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Detector properties include resistance-area product (RoA), spectral response, and quantum efficiency. Results of LWIR HgCdTe detectors and test structure arrays (TSA) fabricated on both Ge and silicon (Si) substrates are presented and compared. Material properties demonstrated include X-ray full-width of half-maximum (FWHM) as low as 77 arcsec, typical etch pit densities in mid 106 cm-2 and wavelength cutoff maximum/minimum variation <2% across the full wafer. Detector characteristics were found to be nearly identical for HgCdTe grown on either Ge or Si substrates.

On the interplay between phonon-boundary scattering and phonon-point-defect scattering in SiGe thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iskandar, A.; Abou-Khalil, A.; Kazan, M.; Kassem, W.; Volz, S.

2015-03-01

This paper provides theoretical understanding of the interplay between the scattering of phonons by the boundaries and point-defects in SiGe thin films. It also provides a tool for the design of SiGe-based high-efficiency thermoelectric devices. The contributions of the alloy composition, grain size, and film thickness to the phonon scattering rate are described by a model for the thermal conductivity based on the single-mode relaxation time approximation. The exact Boltzmann equation including spatial dependence of phonon distribution function is solved to yield an expression for the rate at which phonons scatter by the thin film boundaries in the presence of the other phonon scattering mechanisms. The rates at which phonons scatter via normal and resistive three-phonon processes are calculated by using perturbation theories with taking into account dispersion of confined acoustic phonons in a two dimensional structure. The vibrational parameters of the model are deduced from the dispersion of confined acoustic phonons as functions of temperature and crystallographic direction. The accuracy of the model is demonstrated with reference to recent experimental investigations regarding the thermal conductivity of single-crystal and polycrystalline SiGe films. The paper describes the strength of each of the phonon scattering mechanisms in the full temperature range. Furthermore, it predicts the alloy composition and film thickness that lead to minimum thermal conductivity in a single-crystal SiGe film, and the alloy composition and grain size that lead to minimum thermal conductivity in a polycrystalline SiGe film.

Red/near-infrared luminescence tuning of group-14 element complexes of dipyrrins based on a central atom.

PubMed

Yamamura, Masaki; Albrecht, Marcel; Albrecht, Markus; Nishimura, Yoshinobu; Arai, Tatsuo; Nabeshima, Tatsuya

2014-02-03

A dipyrrin complex has been one of the most utilized fluorescent dyes, and a variety of dipyrrin complexes show intriguing functions based on the various coordination structures of the central element. We now report the synthesis, structure, and photophysical properties of germanium and stannane complexes of the N2O2-type tetradentate dipyrrin, L·Ge and L·Sn, which are heavier analogues of the previously reported dipyrrin silicon complex, L·Si. The central group-14 atoms of the monomeric complexes have geometries close to trigonal bipyramidal (TBP), in which the contribution of the square-pyramidal (SP) character becomes higher as the central atom is heavier. Interestingly, L·Sn formed a dimeric structure in the crystal. All complexes L·Si, L·Ge, and L·Sn showed a fluorescence in the red/NIR region. Fluorescence quantum yields of L·Ge and L·Sn are higher than that of L·Si. These results indicated that the central atom on the dipyrrin complexes contributes not only to the geometry difference but also to tuning the fluorescence properties.

Development of GaAs/Si and GaAs/Si monolithic structures for future space solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spitzer, M. B.; Vernon, S. M.; Wolfson, R. G.; Tobin, S. P.

1984-01-01

The results of heteroepitaxial growth of GaAs and GaAlAs directly on Si are presented, and applications to new cell structures are suggested. The novel feature is the elimination of a Ge lattice transition region. This feature not only reduces the cost of substrate preparation, but also makes possible the fabrication of high efficiency monolithic cascade structures. All films to be discussed were grown by organometallic chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. This process yielded reproducible, large-area films of GaAs, grown directly on Si, that are tightly adherent and smooth, and are characterized by a defect density of 5 x 10(6) power/sq cm. Preliminary studies indicate that GaAlAs can also be grown in this way. A number of promising applications are suggested. Certainly these substrates are ideal for low-weight GaAs space solar ells. For very high efficiency, the absence of Ge makes the technology attractive for GaAlAs/Si monolithic cascades, in which the Si substrates would first be provided with a suitable p/n junction. An evaluation of a three bandgap cascade consisting of appropriately designed GaAlAs/GaAs/Si layers is also presented.

Control of Ge1-x-ySixSny layer lattice constant for energy band alignment in Ge1-xSnx/Ge1-x-ySixSny heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Masahiro; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Sakashita, Mitsuo; Kurosawa, Masashi; Nakatsuka, Osamu; Zaima, Shigeaki

2017-10-01

The energy band alignment of Ge1-xSnx/Ge1-x-ySixSny heterostructures was investigated, and control of the valence band offset at the Ge1-xSnx/Ge1-x-ySixSny heterointerface was achieved by controlling the Si and Sn contents in the Ge1-x-ySixSny layer. The valence band offset in the Ge0.902Sn0.098/Ge0.41Si0.50Sn0.09 heterostructure was evaluated to be as high as 330 meV, and its conduction band offset was estimated to be 150 meV by considering the energy bandgap calculated from the theoretical prediction. In addition, the formation of the strain-relaxed Ge1-x-ySixSny layer was examined and the crystalline structure was characterized. The epitaxial growth of a strain-relaxed Ge0.64Si0.21Sn0.15 layer with the degree of strain relaxation of 55% was examined using a virtual Ge substrate. Moreover, enhancement of the strain relaxation was demonstrated by post-deposition annealing, where a degree of strain relaxation of 70% was achieved after annealing at 400 °C. These results indicate the possibility for enhancing the indirect-direct crossover with a strained and high-Sn-content Ge1-xSnx layer on a strain-relaxed Ge1-x-ySixSny layer, realizing preferable carrier confinement by type-I energy band alignment with high conduction and valence band offsets.

Silicon and Ge in the deep sea deduced from Si isotope and Ge measurements in giant glass sponges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jochum, K. P.; Schuessler, J. A.; Haug, G. H.; Andreae, M. O.; Froelich, P. N.

2016-12-01

Biogenic silica, such as giant glass spicules of the deep-sea sponge Monorhaphis chuni, is an archive to monitor paleo-Si and -Ge in past seawater. Here we report on Si isotopes and Ge/Si ratios in up to 2.7 m long spicules using LA-(MC)-ICP-MS. Isotope ratios of Si are suitable proxies for Si concentrations in seawater, because Si isotope fractionation into biogenic silica is a function of seawater dissolved Si concentration. The δ30Si values for our specimens range from about - 0.5 ‰ to - 3.6 ‰ and are much lower than modern (>1000 m) seawater δ30Si of about 1.3 ‰. Interestingly, there is a systematic Si isotopic and Ge variation from the rim to the center of the cross sections, which we interpret as seawater paleo-Si and -Ge changes. The lifetime of the giant sponges appears to be between about 6 and 14 ka. These age estimates were obtained by comparing our analytical data with various paleo-markers of the glacial-interglacial termination. Thus, the entire Holocene and the end of the last glacial period are contained in the oldest giant spicules. The derived Si and Ge seawater concentrations are ca. 12 % higher and 20 % lower, respectively, during the late glacial than at present. Possible explanations for changing Si, Ge and Ge/Si during the deglaciation could be changes in riverine, glacial, and/or eolian deliveries of silica to the oceans and changes in marine sedimentary reverse weathering, which removes Ge into marine sediments during opal dissolution and diagenesis.

Segregation of Sb in Ge epitaxial layers and its usage for the selective doping of Ge-based structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Antonov, A. V.; Drozdov, M. N.; Novikov, A. V., E-mail: anov@ipmras.ru

2015-11-15

The segregation of Sb in Ge epitaxial layers grown by the method of molecular beam epitaxy on Ge (001) substrates is investigated. For a growth temperature range of 180–325°C, the temperature dependence is determined for the segregation ratio of Sb in Ge, which shows a sharp increase (by more than three orders of magnitude) with increasing temperature. The strong dependence of the segregation properties of Sb on the growth temperature makes it possible to adapt a method based on the controlled use of segregation developed previously for the doping of Si structures for the selective doping of Ge structures withmore » a donor impurity. Using this method selectively doped Ge:Sb structures, in which the bulk impurity concentration varies by an order of magnitude at distances of 3–5 nm, are obtained.« less

One-step Ge/Si epitaxial growth.

PubMed

Wu, Hung-Chi; Lin, Bi-Hsuan; Chen, Huang-Chin; Chen, Po-Chin; Sheu, Hwo-Shuenn; Lin, I-Nan; Chiu, Hsin-Tien; Lee, Chi-Young

2011-07-01

Fabricating a low-cost virtual germanium (Ge) template by epitaxial growth of Ge films on silicon wafer with a Ge(x)Si(1-x) (0 < x < 1) graded buffer layer was demonstrated through a facile chemical vapor deposition method in one step by decomposing a hazardousless GeO(2) powder under hydrogen atmosphere without ultra-high vacuum condition and then depositing in a low-temperature region. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the Ge film with an epitaxial relationship is along the in-plane direction of Si. The successful growth of epitaxial Ge films on Si substrate demonstrates the feasibility of integrating various functional devices on the Ge/Si substrates.

Alleviation of Fermi level pinning at metal/n-Ge interface with lattice-matched Si x Ge1‑ x ‑ y Sn y ternary alloy interlayer on Ge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Akihiro; Nakatsuka, Osamu; Sakashita, Mitsuo; Zaima, Shigeaki

2018-06-01

The impact of a silicon germanium tin (Si x Ge1‑ x ‑ y Sn y ) ternary alloy interlayer on the Schottky barrier height (SBH) of metal/Ge contacts with various metal work functions has been investigated. Lattice matching at the Si x Ge1‑ x ‑ y Sn y /Ge heterointerface is a key factor for controlling Fermi level pinning (FLP) at the metal/Ge interface. The Si x Ge1‑ x ‑ y Sn y ternary alloy interlayer having a small lattice mismatch with the Ge substrate can alleviate FLP at the metal/Ge interface significantly. A Si0.11Ge0.86Sn0.03 interlayer increases the slope parameter for the work function dependence of the SBH to 0.4. An ohmic behavior with an SBH below 0.15 eV can be obtained with Zr and Al/Si0.11Ge0.86Sn0.03/n-Ge contacts at room temperature.

Crystallization of Electrodeposited Germanium Thin Film on Silicon (100).

PubMed

Abidin, Mastura Shafinaz Zainal; Matsumura, Ryo; Anisuzzaman, Mohammad; Park, Jong-Hyeok; Muta, Shunpei; Mahmood, Mohamad Rusop; Sadoh, Taizoh; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2013-11-06

We report the crystallization of electrodeposited germanium (Ge) thin films on n-silicon (Si) (100) by rapid melting process. The electrodeposition was carried out in germanium (IV) chloride: propylene glycol (GeCl₄:C₃H₈O₂) electrolyte with constant current of 50 mA for 30 min. The measured Raman spectra and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) images show that the as-deposited Ge thin film was amorphous. The crystallization of deposited Ge was achieved by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 980 °C for 1 s. The EBSD images confirm that the orientations of the annealed Ge are similar to that of the Si substrate. The highly intense peak of Raman spectra at 300 cm -1 corresponding to Ge-Ge vibration mode was observed, indicating good crystal quality of Ge. An additional sub peak near to 390 cm -1 corresponding to the Si-Ge vibration mode was also observed, indicating the Ge-Si mixing at Ge/Si interface. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) reveals that the intermixing depth was around 60 nm. The calculated Si fraction from Raman spectra was found to be in good agreement with the value estimated from Ge-Si equilibrium phase diagram. The proposed technique is expected to be an effective way to crystallize Ge films for various device applications as well as to create strain at the Ge-Si interface for enhancement of mobility.

Light harvesting with Ge quantum dots embedded in SiO{sub 2} or Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cosentino, Salvatore, E-mail: Salvatore.cosentino@ct.infn.it; Raciti, Rosario; Simone, Francesca

2014-01-28

Germanium quantum dots (QDs) embedded in SiO{sub 2} or in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} have been studied for light harvesting purposes. SiGeO or SiGeN thin films, produced by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, have been annealed up to 850 °C to induce Ge QD precipitation in Si based matrices. By varying the Ge content, the QD diameter can be tuned in the 3–9 nm range in the SiO{sub 2} matrix, or in the 1–2 nm range in the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix, as measured by transmission electron microscopy. Thus, Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix hosts Ge QDs at higher density and more closely spaced thanmore » SiO{sub 2} matrix. Raman spectroscopy revealed a higher threshold for amorphous-to-crystalline transition for Ge QDs embedded in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix in comparison with those in the SiO{sub 2} host. Light absorption by Ge QDs is shown to be more effective in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix, due to the optical bandgap (0.9–1.6 eV) being lower than in SiO{sub 2} matrix (1.2–2.2 eV). Significant photoresponse with a large measured internal quantum efficiency has been observed for Ge QDs in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix when they are used as a sensitive layer in a photodetector device. These data will be presented and discussed, opening new routes for application of Ge QDs in light harvesting devices.« less

Nanopatterning of Si(001) for bottom-up fabrication of nanostructures.

PubMed

Hu, Yanfang; Kalachahi, Hedieh Hosseinzadeh; Das, Amal K; Koch, Reinhold

2012-04-27

The epitaxial growth of Si on Si(001) under conditions at which the (2 × n) superstructure is forming has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and Monte Carlo simulations. Our experiments reveal a periodic change of the surface morphology with the surface coverage of Si. A regular (2 × n) stripe pattern is observed at coverages of 0.7-0.9 monolayers that periodically alternates with less dense surface structures at lower Si surface coverages. The MC simulations show that the growth of Si is affected by step-edge barriers, which favors the formation of a rather uniform two-dimensional framework-like configuration. Subsequent deposition of Ge onto the (2 × n) stripe pattern yields a dense array of small Ge nanostructures.

Surface modes and reconstruction of diamond structure crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldammer, W.; Ludwig, W.; Zierau, W.

1986-08-01

Applying our recently proposed Green function method we calculate the surface phonon spectra for the (111) surfaces of the diamond structure crystals C, Si, Ge and α-Sn on the basis of a phenomenological force constant model. Allowing for changes in the surface force constants we investigate the possibility of a surface phonon softening. Relating these soft modes to surface reconstructions we find evidence for a Si (7 × 7), Ge (8 × 8) and α-Sn (3 × 3) reconstruction, while diamond does not exhibit a soft mode behavior at all. We can thus explain the occurrence of different surface structures in these geometrically identical crystals as being determined to a great extent already by bulk properties. Finally, we derive models of the reconstructed surfaces and discuss our model for the Si (7 × 7) surface with respect to experimental TED patterns.

Room temperature direct band gap emission characteristics of surfactant mediated grown compressively strained Ge films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katiyar, Ajit K.; Grimm, Andreas; Bar, R.; Schmidt, Jan; Wietler, Tobias; Joerg Osten, H.; Ray, Samit K.

2016-10-01

Compressively strained Ge films have been grown on relaxed Si0.45Ge0.55 virtual substrates using molecular beam epitaxy in the presence of Sb as a surfactant. Structural characterization has shown that films grown in the presence of surfactant exhibit very smooth surfaces with a relatively higher strain value in comparison to those grown without any surfactant. The variation of strain with increasing Ge layer thickness was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy. The strain is found to be reduced with increasing film thickness due to the onset of island nucleation following Stranski-Krastanov growth mechanism. No phonon assisted direct band gap photoluminescence from compressively strained Ge films grown on relaxed Si0.45Ge0.55 has been achieved up to room temperature. Excitation power and temperature dependent photoluminescence have been studied in details to investigate the origin of different emission sub-bands.

The reliability studies of nano-engineered SiGe HBTs using Pelletron accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, A. P. Gnana; Praveen, K. C.; Pushpa, N.; Cressler, John D.

2015-05-01

The effects of high energy ions on the electrical characteristics of silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) were studied in the total dose of ranging from 600 krad to 100 Mrad (Si). The two generations (50 GHz and 200 GHz) of SiGe HBTs were exposed to 50 MeV lithium, 75 MeV boron and 100 MeV oxygen ions. The electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs were studied before and after irradiation. The SiGe HBTs were exposed to 60Co gamma radiation in the same total dose. The results are systematically compared in order to understand the interaction of ions and ionizing radiation with SiGe HBTs.

Towards III-V solar cells on Si: Improvement in the crystalline quality of Ge-on-Si virtual substrates through low porosity porous silicon buffer layer and annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calabrese, Gabriele; Baricordi, Stefano; Bernardoni, Paolo

2014-09-26

A comparison between the crystalline quality of Ge grown on bulk Si and on a low porosity porous Si (pSi) buffer layer using low energy plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is reported. Omega/2Theta coupled scans around the Ge and Si (004) diffraction peaks show a reduction of the Ge full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 22.4% in presence of the pSi buffer layer, indicating it is effective in improving the epilayer crystalline quality. At the same time atomic force microscopy analysis shows an increase in root means square roughness for Ge grown on pSi from 38.5 nm to 48.0 nm,more » as a consequence of the larger surface roughness of pSi compared to bulk Si. The effect of 20 minutes vacuum annealing at 580°C is also investigated. The annealing leads to a FWHM reduction of 23% for Ge grown on Si and of 36.5% for Ge on pSi, resulting in a FWHM of 101 arcsec in the latter case. At the same time, the RMS roughness is reduced of 8.8% and of 46.5% for Ge grown on bulk Si and on pSi, respectively. The biggest improvement in the crystalline quality of Ge grown on pSi with respect to Ge grown on bulk Si observed after annealing is a consequence of the simultaneous reorganization of the Ge epilayer and the buffer layer driven by energy minimization. A low porosity buffer layer can thus be used for the growth of low defect density Ge on Si virtual substrates for the successive integration of III-V multijunction solar cells on Si. The suggested approach is simple and fast –thus allowing for high throughput-, moreover is cost effective and fully compatible with subsequent wafer processing. Finally it does not introduce new chemicals in the solar cell fabrication process and can be scaled to large area silicon wafers.« less

Thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit of Nanostructured Silicon with a Low Concentration of Germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Gaohua; Lee, Hohyun; Lan, Yucheng; Wang, Xiaowei; Joshi, Giri; Wang, Dezhi; Yang, Jian; Dresselhaus, Mildred; Chen, Gang; Ren, Zhifeng

2009-03-01

The thermoelectric properties of nanostructured silicon (Si) with a low concentration of germanium (Ge) are investigated. A low concentration of Ge leads to a significant cost reduction of the final product since Ge is at least 100 times more expensive than Si. By using only 5 atomic % Ge (Si95Ge5), we have achieved a thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) of 0.95, similar to the ZT in the large grained Si80Ge20 alloy that is three times more expensive, and is almost four times that of the large grained bulk Si. The enhancement in the thermoelectric ZT for the nanostructured Si95Ge5 is mostly due to the reduced thermal conductivity caused by phonon scattering at the increased grain boundaries and the Ge alloying effect.

Infrared absorption and admittance spectroscopy of Ge quantum dots on a strained SiGe layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakimov, A. I.; Nikiforov, A. I.; Timofeev, V. A.; Dvurechenskii, A. V.

2011-12-01

A combined infrared absorption and admittance spectroscopy is carried out in examining the energy level structure and the hole emission process in self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) placed on a strained Si0.65Ge0.35 quantum well (QW), which, in turn, is incorporated in a Si matrix. In the midinfrared spectral range, the dots exhibit three dominant absorption bands peaked at 130, 250 and 390 meV. By a comparison between absorption measurements and six-band {\\bf k}\\;{\\bm \\cdot}\\;{\\bf p} calculations, the long-wave (~130 meV) resonance is attributed to a transition from the QD hole ground state to the two-dimensional heavy-hole states confined in the Si0.65Ge0.35 layer. The mid-wave absorption band around 390 meV is ascribed to a transition from the QD hole ground state to the three-dimensional continuum states of the Si matrix. An equivalent absorption cross section for these two types of transitions is determined to be 1.2 × 10-15 cm2 and 1.2 × 10-16 cm2, respectively. The origin of the transmission minimum around 250 meV is more ambiguous. We tentatively propose that it can be due to transition either from the highest heavy-hole subband of the Si0.65Ge0.35 QW to continuum states above the Si barrier or from the dot states to the light-hole and split-off subbands of the Si0.65Ge0.35 layer. The photoinduced bleaching of the near-infrared absorption is detected under interband optical excitation of undoped samples. This finding is explained by blocking the interband transitions inside the dots due to the state filling effect. By using the admittance spectroscopy, the mechanism of hole escape from QDs in the presence of an ac vertical electric field is identified. A thermally activated emission from the QD ground state into the two-dimensional states of the Si0.65Ge0.35 well is observed. From the temperature- and frequency-dependent measurements the QD hole ground state is determined to be located ~160 meV below the heavy-hole subband of the Si0.65Ge0.35 layer in good agreement with the results obtained by infrared absorption spectroscopy and six-band {\\bf k}\\;{\\bm \\cdot}\\;{\\bf p} theory. The information acquired from our experimental observations is valuable for feasible device applications.

Optoelectronic and transport properties of LiBZ (B = Al, In, Ga and Z = Si, Ge, Sn) semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Syed Hatim; Khan, Shah Haider; Laref, A.; Murtaza, G.

2018-02-01

Half-Heusler compounds LiBZ (B = Al, In, Ga and Z = Si, Ge, Sn) are comprehensively investigated using state of the art full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. Stable geometry of the compounds obtained through energy minimization procedure. Lattice constant increased while bulk modulus decreased in replacing the ions of size increasing from top to bottom of the periodic table. Band structure calculations show LiInGe and LiInSn as direct bandgap while LiAlSi, LiInGe and LiGaSn indirect bandgap semiconductors. Density of states demonstrates mixed s, p, d states of cations and anions in the valence and conduction bands. These compounds have mixed ionic and covalent bonding. Compounds show dominant optical response in the visible and low frequency ultraviolet energy region. The transport properties of the compounds are described in terms of Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivities. The calculated figure of merit of LiAlSi is in good agreement with the recent experimental results.

Design of Strain-Engineered GeSn/GeSiSn Quantum Dots for Mid-IR Direct Bandgap Emission on Si Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Saigh, Reem; Baira, Mourad; Salem, Bassem; Ilahi, Bouraoui

2018-06-01

Strain-engineered self-assembled GeSn/GeSiSn quantum dots in Ge matrix have been numerically investigated aiming to study their potentiality towards direct bandgap emission in the mid-IR range. The use of GeSiSn alloy as surrounding media for GeSn quantum dots (QD) allows adjusting the strain around the QD through the variation of Si and/or Sn composition. Accordingly, the lattice mismatch between the GeSn quantum dots and the GeSiSn surrounding layer has been tuned between - 2.3 and - 4.5% through the variation of the Sn barrier composition for different dome-shaped QD sizes. The obtained results show that the emission wavelength, fulfilling the specific QD directness criteria, can be successively tuned over a broad mid-IR range from 3 up to7 μm opening new perspectives for group IV laser sources fully integrated in Si photonic systems for sensing applications.

Powder metallurgy of Ge, Si, and Ge-Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilz, Jürgen; Langenbach, Marion

1993-03-01

id="ab1"Planetary ball-milling and pressing behaviour of Ge, Si and Ge-Si powder mixtures are investigated. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations revealed the different microstructure of the two elements after milling: Ge remains in a microcrystalline state, whereas Si can be comminuted into grains consisting of nanocrystalline regions. Planetary milling of the two elements together, using agate balls and vial, did not reveal any compound formation. By hot-isostatic pressing, pure Ge and Ge-Si mixtures were densified to a higher value than pure Si. This denotes a plastic flow of the Ge component at a process temperature of 800°C. The microhardness of hot-pressed Ge reaches the bulk value; hot-pressed Si is very soft. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction did not detect any impurity contamination from vial and milling media wear. Moreover, by electrical transport measurements it turned out that the net carrier concentration density resulting from electrical active impurities introduced by the milling and pressing process is below 2 x 1016 cm 3 at room temperature.

Direct observation of the magnetic domain evolution stimulated by temperature and magnetic field in PrMnGeSi alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, S. L.; Zhang, B.; Qiao, K. M.; Peng, L. C.; Li, R.; Xiong, J. F.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, X.; Liu, D.; Zhao, T. Y.; Sun, J. R.; Hu, F. X.; Zhang, Y.; Shen, B. G.

2018-05-01

The magnetic domain evolution behavior under external field stimuli of temperature and magnetic field in PrMn2Ge0.4Si1.6 compound is investigated using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. A spontaneous 180° magnetic domain is observed at room temperature and it changes with temperature. Dynamic magnetization process is related to the rotation of magnetic moments, resulting in the transforming of magnetic domains from 180° type to a uniform ferromagnetic state with almost no pinning effects under the in-plane magnetic field at room temperature. X-ray powder diffraction is performed on PrMn2Ge0.4Si1.6 at different temperatures to study the temperature dependence of crystal structure and lattice parameter.

Isotropic plasma etching of Ge Si and SiN x films

DOE PAGES

Henry, Michael David; Douglas, Erica Ann

2016-08-31

This study reports on selective isotropic dry etching of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) Ge thin film, release layers using a Shibaura chemical downstream etcher (CDE) with NF 3 and Ar based plasma chemistry. Relative etch rates between Ge, Si and SiN x are described with etch rate reductions achieved by adjusting plasma chemistry with O 2. Formation of oxides reducing etch rates were measured for both Ge and Si, but nitrides or oxy-nitrides created using direct injection of NO into the process chamber were measured to increase Si and SiN x etch rates while retarding Ge etching.

Strain and Ge concentration determinations in SiGe/Si multiple quantum wells by transmission electron microscopy methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedetti, A.; Norris, D. J.; Hetherington, C. J. D.; Cullis, A. G.; Robbins, D. J.; Wallis, D. J.

2003-04-01

SiGe/Si multiple quantum wells, nominally 4 nm thick, were grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition and the Ge distribution within the wells was studied using a variety of transmission electron microscope-based techniques. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss imaging were used to directly measure the Ge compositional profile across the SiGe wells. In addition, the average Ge concentration was deduced indirectly from measurement of the strain-induced lattice displacements in high resolution images, obtained from the relative phase shift of the Si lattice planes on either side of a SiGe well. The results from both the direct and indirect measurement techniques were compared and found to be in good agreement with one another. The Ge profiles exhibited an asymmetric shape consistent with the occurrence of Ge segregation during growth. However, the amplitude of the asymmetry indicated that an additional factor, in particular gas dwell times within the reactor, also needed to be taken into account. Based upon this approach, a successful theoretical model of the growth process was derived.

Theoretical calculation of performance enhancement in lattice-matched SiGeSn/GeSn p-channel tunneling field-effect transistor with type-II staggered tunneling junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongjuan; Han, Genquan; Wang, Yibo; Peng, Yue; Liu, Yan; Zhang, Chunfu; Zhang, Jincheng; Hu, Shengdong; Hao, Yue

2016-04-01

In this work, a lattice-matched SiGeSn/GeSn heterostructure p-channel tunneling field-effect transistor (hetero-PTFET) with a type-II staggered tunneling junction (TJ) is investigated theoretically. Lattice matching and type-II band alignment at the Γ-point is obtained at the SiGeSn/GeSn interface by tuning Sn and Si compositions. A steeper subthreshold swing (SS) and a higher on state current (I ON) are demonstrated in SiGeSn/GeSn hetero-PTFET than in GeSn homo-PTFET. Si0.31Ge0.49Sn0.20/Ge0.88Sn0.12 hetero-PTFET achieves a 2.3-fold higher I ON than Ge0.88Sn0.12 homo-PTFET at V DD of 0.3 V. Hetero-PTFET achieves a more abrupt hole profile and a higher carrier density near TJ than the homo-PTFET, which contributes to the significantly enhanced band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) rate and tunneling current in hetero-PTFET.

Crystal Lattice Controlled SiGe Thermoelectric Materials with High Figure of Merit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon; King, Glen C.; Lee, Kunik; Choi, Sang H.

2010-01-01

Direct energy conversion between thermal and electrical energy, based on thermoelectric (TE) effect, has the potential to recover waste heat and convert it to provide clean electric power. The energy conversion efficiency is related to the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT expressed as ZT=S(exp 2)(sigma)T/Kappa, T is temperature, S is the Seebeck coefficient, sigma is conductance and Kappa is thermal conductivity. For a lower thermal conductivity Kappa and high power factor (S(exp 2)(sigma)), our current strategy is the development of rhombohedrally strained single crystalline SiGe materials that are highly [111]-oriented twinned. The development of a SiGe "twin lattice structure (TLS)" plays a key role in phonon scattering. The TLS increases the electrical conductivity and decreases thermal conductivity due to phonon scattering at stacking faults generated from the 60 X rotated primary twin structure. To develop high performance materials, the substrate temperature, chamber working pressure, and DC sputtering power are controlled for the aligned growth production of SiGe layer and TLS on a c-plane sapphire. Additionally, a new elevated temperature thermoelectric characterization system, that measures the thermal diffusivity and Seebeck effect nondestructively, was developed. The material properties were characterized at various temperatures and optimized process conditions were experimentally determined. The present paper encompasses the technical discussions toward the development of thermoelectric materials and the measurement techniques.

Geochemical Evidence Against Pyroxenites in the Sources of Hawaiian Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humayun, M.; Yang, S.; Clague, D. A.

2017-12-01

Hawaiian lavas exhibit high Fe/Mn ratios, and other elemental and isotopic characteristics, that have been argued to be evidence for chemical interactions at the core-mantle boundary. Alternatively, the enrichment in silica relative to 3 GPa melts of garnet peridotite, and the high Fe/Mn, has been argued to represent the contributions of garnet pyroxenite melts generated beneath a thick lithosphere. Here, we present a set of new elemental ratios designed to effectively discriminate partial melts of peridotite from pyroxenite in mantle sources. A set of 200 Hawaiian volcanic glasses from 7 volcanoes were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS for the abundances of 63 elements, with an emphasis on obtaining precise Ge/Si ratios. From experimental partitioning, silica-rich partial melts of MORB-like garnet pyroxenite are expected to have low Ge/Si ratios relative to their sources due to the retention of Ge in the residue by both garnet and pyroxene. In contrast, partial melts of peridotite are expected to have high Ge/Si ratios relative to mantle peridotites due to the incompatibility of Ge in olivine. We observed that Ge abundances in subaerial Hawaiian volcanoes are correlated with indicators of volcanic degassing, including S, Re and As. Subaerial and submarine lavas exhibit a correlation between Ge/Si ratio and S content that indicates that all Hawaiian lavas share the same pre-eruptive Ge/Si ratio. Submarine glasses with the least evidence of degassing exhibit a constant Ge/Si ratio over the range of SiO2 (44-52 %) observed in Hawaiian volcanics. Surprisingly, MORB glasses exhibit more variation in Ge/Si ratio than the pre-eruptive Ge/Si of Hawaiian glasses, implying the presence of 0-12% recycled crust in the MORB source. The constant Ge/Si ratio of Hawaiian glasses implies that pyroxenite melting did not enrich Hawaiian lavas in silica. Processes that could yield Si-rich melts without changing the Ge/Si ratio may involve melt-lithosphere interaction or bridgmanite/ferropericlase fractionation in the deep mantle.

Modeling and experimental study on the growth of silicon germanium film by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Lai

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon germanium µc-SiGe:H deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is of great interest to photovoltaic (PV) applications due to its low process temperature and good uniformity over large area. The nature of high optical absorption and low optical bandgap makes it promising as the bottom cell absorbing layer for tandem junction solar cells. However, the addition of germane (GeH4) gas changes deposited film properties and makes it rather complicated for the established silane (SiH4) based discharge process with hydrogen (H2) dilution. Despite existing experimental studies for SiH 4/GeH4/H2 3-gas mixture discharge and comprehensive numerical simulations for SiH4/H2 or SiH4/Ar plasma, to the author's best knowledge, a numerical model for both SiH 4 and GeH4 in a high pressure regime is yet to be developed. The plasma discharge, the film growth and their effects on film properties and the solar device performance need deep understanding. In this dissertation, the growth of the µc-SiGe:H film by radio frequency (RF) PECVD is studied through modeling simulation as well as experiments. The first numerical model for the glow discharge of SiH4/GeH 4/H2 3-gas mixture in a high pressure regime is developed based on one dimensional fluid model. Transports of electrons, molecules, radicals and ions in the RF excitation are described by diffusion equations that are coupled with the Poisson's equation. The deposition is integrated as the boundary conditions for discharge equations through the sticking coefficient model. Neutral ionizations, radical dissociations and chemical reactions in the gas phase and surface kinetics such as the diffusive motion, chemical reactions and the hydrogen etching are included with interaction rate constants. Solved with an explicit central-difference discretization scheme, the model simulates mathematical features that reflect the plasma physics such as the plasma sheath and gas species distributions. The model predicts effects of process conditions on the deposition rate and the Ge chemical content which agree well with experimental results. Tandem junction solar devices are fabricated with the developed µc-SiGe:H film as the bottom cell absorbing layer. Film properties are characterized by determining the Ge content with the Raman peak shift and estimating the optical bandgap with the spectral response measurement. The deposition process is investigated following the fractional factorial experiment design in the 5% Ge content window and then in the amorphous-to-microcrystalline phase transition regime. Gradient Ge content structure is also applied to improve the interface. The conversion efficiency is obtained at 10.62% for the device with 1.2µm thick µc-SiGe:H bottom cell, which is higher than that of the reference device with 1.95µm µc-Si:H. This dissertation has demonstrated a powerful modeling tool to study the multi-gas discharge and deposition in the PECVD environment. The physics behind experimental trends is understood by analyzing temporal and spatial distributions of individual gas species and their interactions. It presents the comprehensive understanding of the growth of the µc-SiGe:H film which leads to the realization of high efficiency and high throughput solar cell devices.

Germanium growth on electron beam lithography patterned Si3N4/Si(001) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Subhendu Sinha; Katiyar, Ajit K.; Sarkar, Arijit; Dhar, Achintya; Rudra, Arun; Khatri, Ravinder K.; Ray, Samit Kumar

2018-04-01

It is important to investigate the growth dynamics of Ge adatoms under different surface stress regimes of the patterned dielectric to control the selective growth of self-assembled Ge nanostructures on silicon. In the present work, we have studied the growth of Ge by molecular beam epitaxy on nanometer scale patterned Si3N4/Si(001) substrates generated using electron beam lithography. The pitch of the patterns has been varied to investigate its effect on the growth of Ge in comparison to un-patterned Si3N4. For the patterned Si3N4 film, Ge did not desorbed completely from the Si3N4 film and hence no site selective growth pattern is observed. Instead, depending upon the pitch, Ge growth has occurred in different growth modes around the openings in the Si3N4. For the un-patterned substrate, the morphology exhibits the occurrence of uniform 3D clustering of Ge adatoms on Si3N4 film. This variation in the growth modes of Ge is attributed to the variation of residual stress in the Si3N4 film for different pitch of holes, which has been confirmed theoretically through Comsol Multiphysics simulation. The variation in stress for different pitches resulted in modulation of surface energy of the Si3N4 film leading to the different growth modes of Ge.

Design and development of wafer-level near-infrared micro-camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeller, John W.; Rouse, Caitlin; Efstathiadis, Harry; Haldar, Pradeep; Dhar, Nibir K.; Lewis, Jay S.; Wijewarnasuriya, Priyalal; Puri, Yash R.; Sood, Ashok K.

2015-08-01

SiGe offers a low-cost alternative to conventional infrared sensor material systems such as InGaAs, InSb, and HgCdTe for developing near-infrared (NIR) photodetector devices that do not require cooling and can offer high bandwidths and responsivities. As a result of the significant difference in thermal expansion coefficients between germanium and silicon, tensile strain incorporated into Ge epitaxial layers deposited on Si utilizing specialized growth processes can extend the operational range of detection to 1600 nm and longer wavelengths. We have fabricated SiGe based PIN detector devices on 300 mm diameter Si wafers in order to take advantage of high throughput, large-area complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. This device fabrication process involves low temperature epitaxial deposition of Ge to form a thin p+ seed/buffer layer, followed by higher temperature deposition of a thicker Ge intrinsic layer. An n+-Ge layer formed by ion implantation of phosphorus, passivating oxide cap, and then top copper contacts complete the PIN photodetector design. Various techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) have been employed to characterize the material and structural properties of the epitaxial growth and fabricated detector devices. In addition, electrical characterization was performed to compare the I-V dark current vs. photocurrent response as well as the time and wavelength varying photoresponse properties of the fabricated devices, results of which are likewise presented.

Electron Transport Properties of Ge nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanrath, Tobias; Khondaker, Saiful I.; Yao, Zhen; Korgel, Brian A.

2003-03-01

Electron Transport Properties of Ge nanowires Tobias Hanrath*, Saiful I. Khondaker, Zhen Yao, Brian A. Korgel* *Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Dept. of Physics, Texas Materials Institute, and Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1062 e-mail: korgel@mail.che.utexas.edu Germanium (Ge) nanowires with diameters ranging from 6 to 50 nm and several micrometer in length were grown via a supercritical fluid-liquid-solid synthesis. Parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS) was employed to study the band structure and electron density in the Ge nanowires. The observed increase in plasmon peak energy and peak width with decreasing nanowire diameter is attributed to quantum confinement effects. For electrical characterization, Ge nanowires were deposited onto a patterned Si/SiO2 substrate. E-beam lithography was then used to form electrode contacts to individual nanowires. The influence of nanowire diameter, surface chemistry and crystallographic defects on electron transport properties were investigated and the comparison of Ge nanowire conductivity with respect to bulk, intrinsic Ge will be presented.

X-ray photoelectron-diffraction study of intermixing and morphology at the Ge/Si(001) and Ge/Sb/Si(001) interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunnella, R.; Castrucci, P.; Pinto, N.; Davoli, I.; Sébilleau, D.; de Crescenzi, M.

1996-09-01

We used the XPD (x-ray photoelectron diffraction) and AED (Auger electron diffraction) from Ge core levels to probe the crystalline structure of 3 and 6 ML of Ge epitaxially grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on the Si(001) surface. In order to check the film tetragonal distortion and the pseudomorphic growth morphology, we used two different temperatures of the substrate during the deposition: room temperature and 400 °C. Evidence for an interfacial intermixing has been found by means of the observation of the angular behavior of the intensity of the emitted electrons. We also investigated the effects of Sb as a surfactant on such an interface. In this case indications of a laminar growth of strained Ge overlayer with reduced intermixing is obtained when 1 ML of Sb is predeposited on the substrate. Furthermore making use of a multiple-scattering approach to reproduce the experimental XPD patterns, a higher amount of accessible information on the morphology of the interface, beyond the determination of the strain content, is obtained.

The interface quality of Ge nanoparticles grown in thick silica matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasović, J.; Dubček, P.; Pucić, I.; Bernstorff, S.; Radić, N.; Pivac, B.

2017-08-01

Germanium nanoparticles, or Ge quantum dots (QDs), embedded in different transparent dielectric matrix exhibit properties significantly different from the same bulk semiconductor and therefore exhibit a considerable potential for applications in advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices. It is expected that the quantum confinement effect will tune the optical bandgap simply by varying the QDs size. Nevertheless, the question remains whether and how the defects often present in the matrix or at interfaces affect their properties. A thick (SiO2 + Ge) layer was deposited by magnetron sputtering and after suitable thermal treatment spherical Ge QDs were formed in SiO2 matrix with rather narrow size distribution, as confirmed by GIWAXS and GISAXS analysis. It is shown that the formed surface/interface of the QDs with the matrix was rough with fractal nature. Annealing in N2 atmosphere produced photoluminescence (PL) in the visible part of the spectrum which consists of three contributions. All are attributed to structural defects at or close to the Ge/SiOx interface. Time-resolved PL results support the assumption that the three components are dominant in the observed luminescence.

(113) Facets of Si-Ge/Si Islands; Atomic Scale Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassem, Hassan

We have studied, by computer simulation, some static and vibrationnal proprieties of SiGe/Si islands. We have used a Valence Force Field combined to Monte Carlo technique to study the growth of Ge and SiGe on (001)Si substrates. We have focalised on the case of large pyramidal islands presenting (113) facets on the free (001)Si surface with various non uniform composition inside the islands. The deformation inside the islands and Raman spectroscopy are discussed.

Low thermal conductivity and improved thermoelectric performance of nanocrystalline silicon germanium films by sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez Taborda, J. A.; Romero, J. J.; Abad, B.; Muñoz-Rojo, M.; Mello, A.; Briones, F.; Gonzalez, M. S. Martin

2016-04-01

Si x Ge1-x alloys are well-known thermoelectric materials with a high figure of merit at high temperatures. In this work, metal-induced crystallization (MIC) has been used to grow Si0.8Ge0.2 films that present improved thermoelectric performance (zT = 5.6 × 10-4 at room temperature)—according to previously reported values on films—with a relatively large power factor (σ · S 2 = 16 μW · m-1 · K-2). More importantly, a reduction in the thermal conductivity at room temperature (κ = 1.13 ± 0.12 W · m-1 · K-1) compared to other Si-Ge films (˜3 W · m-1 · K-1) has been found. Whereas the usual crystallization of amorphous SiGe (a-SiGe) is achieved at high temperatures and for long times, which triggers dopant loss, MIC reduces the crystallization temperature and the heating time. The associated dopant loss is thus avoided, resulting in a nanostructuration of the film. Using this method, we obtained Si0.8Ge0.2 films (grown by DC plasma sputtering) with appropriate compositional and structural properties. Different thermal treatments were tested in situ (by heating the sample inside the deposition chamber) and ex situ (annealed in an external furnace with controlled conditions). From the studies of the films by: x-ray diffraction (XRD), synchrotron radiation grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (SR-GIXRD), micro Raman, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), Hall effect, Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity measurements, we observed that the in situ films at 500 °C presented the best zT values with no gold contamination.

Thermal conductivity engineering of bulk and one-dimensional Si-Ge nanoarchitectures.

PubMed

Kandemir, Ali; Ozden, Ayberk; Cagin, Tahir; Sevik, Cem

2017-01-01

Various theoretical and experimental methods are utilized to investigate the thermal conductivity of nanostructured materials; this is a critical parameter to increase performance of thermoelectric devices. Among these methods, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) is an accurate technique to predict lattice thermal conductivity. In this study, by means of systematic EMD simulations, thermal conductivity of bulk Si-Ge structures (pristine, alloy and superlattice) and their nanostructured one dimensional forms with square and circular cross-section geometries (asymmetric and symmetric) are calculated for different crystallographic directions. A comprehensive temperature analysis is evaluated for selected structures as well. The results show that one-dimensional structures are superior candidates in terms of their low lattice thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity tunability by nanostructuring, such as by diameter modulation, interface roughness, periodicity and number of interfaces. We find that thermal conductivity decreases with smaller diameters or cross section areas. Furthermore, interface roughness decreases thermal conductivity with a profound impact. Moreover, we predicted that there is a specific periodicity that gives minimum thermal conductivity in symmetric superlattice structures. The decreasing thermal conductivity is due to the reducing phonon movement in the system due to the effect of the number of interfaces that determine regimes of ballistic and wave transport phenomena. In some nanostructures, such as nanowire superlattices, thermal conductivity of the Si/Ge system can be reduced to nearly twice that of an amorphous silicon thermal conductivity. Additionally, it is found that one crystal orientation, [Formula: see text]100[Formula: see text], is better than the [Formula: see text]111[Formula: see text] crystal orientation in one-dimensional and bulk SiGe systems. Our results clearly point out the importance of lattice thermal conductivity engineering in bulk and nanostructures to produce high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Thermal conductivity engineering of bulk and one-dimensional Si-Ge nanoarchitectures

PubMed Central

Kandemir, Ali; Ozden, Ayberk; Cagin, Tahir; Sevik, Cem

2017-01-01

Various theoretical and experimental methods are utilized to investigate the thermal conductivity of nanostructured materials; this is a critical parameter to increase performance of thermoelectric devices. Among these methods, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) is an accurate technique to predict lattice thermal conductivity. In this study, by means of systematic EMD simulations, thermal conductivity of bulk Si-Ge structures (pristine, alloy and superlattice) and their nanostructured one dimensional forms with square and circular cross-section geometries (asymmetric and symmetric) are calculated for different crystallographic directions. A comprehensive temperature analysis is evaluated for selected structures as well. The results show that one-dimensional structures are superior candidates in terms of their low lattice thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity tunability by nanostructuring, such as by diameter modulation, interface roughness, periodicity and number of interfaces. We find that thermal conductivity decreases with smaller diameters or cross section areas. Furthermore, interface roughness decreases thermal conductivity with a profound impact. Moreover, we predicted that there is a specific periodicity that gives minimum thermal conductivity in symmetric superlattice structures. The decreasing thermal conductivity is due to the reducing phonon movement in the system due to the effect of the number of interfaces that determine regimes of ballistic and wave transport phenomena. In some nanostructures, such as nanowire superlattices, thermal conductivity of the Si/Ge system can be reduced to nearly twice that of an amorphous silicon thermal conductivity. Additionally, it is found that one crystal orientation, <100>, is better than the <111> crystal orientation in one-dimensional and bulk SiGe systems. Our results clearly point out the importance of lattice thermal conductivity engineering in bulk and nanostructures to produce high-performance thermoelectric materials. PMID:28469733

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study on E2 peak splitting of Si-Ge short period superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. D.; Klein, M. V.; Baribeau, J.-M.; Hwang, S. H.; Whang, K. W.; Yoon, E.

1997-06-01

We report spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) studies on (Si)2(Ge)12, (Si)6(Ge)2, and (Si)12(Ge)2 short period superlattices (SLs) whose optical response has not been reported yet. Multilayer calculations enabled us to determine the dielectric response of the superlattice layers. We report the clear observation of splitting of the E2 peak in (Si)m(Ge)n superlattices contrary to the previous SE report that the separation was observed only in larger period SLs.

Electronic structures and superconductivity in LuTE2Si2 phases (TE = d-electron transition metal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samsel-Czekała, M.; Chajewski, G.; Wiśniewski, P.; Romanova, T.; Hackemer, A.; Gorzelniak, R.; Pikul, A. P.; Kaczorowski, D.

2018-05-01

In the course of our search for unconventional superconductors amidst the 1:2:2 phases, we have re-investigated the LuTE2Si2 compounds with TE = Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd and Pt. In this paper, we present the results of our fully relativistic ab initio calculations of the band structures, performed using the full-potential local-orbital code. The theoretical data are supplemented by the results of low-temperature electrical transport and specific heat measurements performed down to 0.35 K. All the materials studied but LuPt2Si2 crystallize with the body-centered tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure (space group I4/mmm). Their Fermi surfaces exhibit a three-dimensional multi-band character. In turn, the Pt-bearing compound adopts the primitive tetragonal CaBe2Ge2-type structure (space group P4/nmm), and its Fermi surface consists of predominantly quasi-two-dimensional sheets. Bulk superconductivity was found only in LuPd2Si2 and LuPt2Si2 (independent of the structure type and dimensionality of the Fermi surface). The key superconducting characteristics indicate a fully-gapped BCS type character. Though the electronic structure of LuFe2Si2 closely resembles that of the unconventional superconductor YFe2Ge2, this Lu-based silicide exhibits neither superconductivity nor spin fluctuations at least down to 0.35 K.

Structural, optical, and magnetic properties of Na{sub 8}Eu{sub 2}(Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2} and Na{sub 8}Eu{sub 2}(Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}: Europium(II) quaternary chalcogenides that contain an ethane-like (Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sup 6−} or (Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sup 6−} moiety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choudhury, Amitava, E-mail: choudhurya@mst.edu; Ghosh, Kartik; Grandjean, Fernande

2015-03-15

Two isostructural europium(II) quaternary chalcogenides, Na{sub 8}Eu{sub 2}(Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}, 1, and Na{sub 8}Eu{sub 2}(Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}, 2, containing an ethane-like (Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sup 6−} or (Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sup 6−} moiety have been synthesized by employing the polychalcogenide molten flux method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that both compounds crystallize in the C2/m space group, and their structures contain layers of ([Na{sub 2}Eu{sub 2}(Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}]{sup 6−}){sub ∞} or ([Na{sub 2}Eu{sub 2}(Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}]{sup 6−}){sub ∞} anions held together by six interlayer sodium cations to yield (Na{sub 6}[Na{sub 2}Eu{sub 2}(Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}]){sub ∞} and (Na{sub 6}[Na{submore » 2}Eu{sub 2}(Ge{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2}]){sub ∞}. Compound 2 is a semiconductor with an optical band gap of 2.15(2) eV. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility indicates that compounds 1 and 2 are paramagnetic with μ{sub eff}=7.794(1) μ{sub B} per Eu and g=1.964(1) for 1 and μ{sub eff}=8.016(1) μ{sub B} per Eu and g=2.020(1) for 2, moments that are in good agreement with the europium(II) spin-only moment of 7.94 μ{sub B}. The europium-151 Mössbauer isomer shift of 2 confirms the presence of europium(II) cations with an electronic configuration between [Xe]4f{sup 6.81} and 4f{sup 7}6s{sup 0.32}. - Graphical abstract: TOC figure caption: structure of Na{sub 8}Eu{sub 2}(Si{sub 2}S{sub 6}){sub 2} viewed along the a-axis showing the filling of A–B and B–A types of anion layers with two different types of cations. - Highlights: • Synthesis of quaternary europium chalcogenides containing ethane-like dimer. • Structural characterization employing single-crystal X-ray diffraction. • Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements confirm presence of Eu(II)« less

Silicon Based Mid Infrared SiGeSn Heterostructure Emitters and Detectors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-16

have investigated the surface plasmon enhancement of the GeSn p-i-n photodiode using gold metal nanostructures. We have conducted numerical...simulation of the plasmonic structure of 2D nano-hole array to tune the surface plasmon resonance into the absorption range of the GeSn active layer. Such a...diode can indeed be enhanced with the plasmonic structure on top. Within the time span of this project, we have completed one iteration of the process

Growth of BaSi2 continuous films on Ge(111) by molecular beam epitaxy and fabrication of p-BaSi2/n-Ge heterojunction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takabe, Ryota; Yachi, Suguru; Tsukahara, Daichi; Toko, Kaoru; Suemasu, Takashi

2017-05-01

We grew BaSi2 films on Ge(111) substrates by various growth methods based on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). First, we attempted to form BaSi2 films directly on Ge(111) by MBE without templates. We next formed BaSi2 films using BaGe2 templates as commonly used for MBE growth of BaSi2 on Si substrates. Contrary to our prediction, the lateral growth of BaSi2 was not promoted by these two methods; BaSi2 formed not into a continuous film but into islands. Although streaky patterns of reflection high-energy electron diffraction were observed inside the growth chamber, no X-ray diffraction lines of BaSi2 were observed in samples taken out from the growth chamber. Such BaSi2 islands were easily to get oxidized. We finally attempted to form a continuous BaSi2 template layer on Ge(111) by solid phase epitaxy, that is, the deposition of amorphous Ba-Si layers onto MBE-grown BaSi2 epitaxial islands, followed by post annealing. We achieved the formation of an approximately 5-nm-thick BaSi2 continuous layer by this method. Using this BaSi2 layer as a template, we succeeded in forming a-axis-oriented 520-nm-thick BaSi2 epitaxial films on Ge substrates, although (111)-oriented Si grains were included in the grown layer. We next formed a B-doped p-BaSi2(20 nm)/n-Ge(111) heterojunction solar cell. A wide-spectrum response from 400 to 2000 nm was achieved. At an external bias voltage of 1 V, the external quantum efficiency reached as high as 60%, demonstrating the great potential of BaSi2/Ge combination. However, the efficiency of a solar cell under AM1.5 illumination was quite low (0.1%). The origin of such a low efficiency was examined.

Structure and stability of M6N8 clusters (M = Si, Ge, Sn, Ti).

PubMed

Davydova, Elena I; Timoshkin, Alexey Y; Frenking, Gernot

2010-06-10

The structures and stabilities of the M(6)N(8) clusters (M = Si, Ge, Sn, Ti) have been theoretically studied at DFT and ab initio levels of theory. Two new isomers have been considered: cage-like molecules and propeller-like molecules. It is shown that only for M = Si are both isomers true minima on the potential energy surface. The thermodynamics of the dissociation process (1/6)M(6)N(8) --> (1/3)M(3)N(4) is discussed. For each M(3)N(4) molecule, four structures with different multiplicity are considered. The thermodynamic analysis shows that independently of the multiplicity of M(3)N(4) nitrides all M(6)N(8) clusters are stable in the gas phase in a wide temperature range and could be potential intermediates in chemical vapor deposition of the nitride materials.

Growth energetics of germanium quantum dots by atomistic simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Richard Joseph

Strained epitaxial growth of Ge on Si(001) produces self-assembled, nanometer scale islands, or quantum dots. We study this growth by atomistic simulation, computing the energy of island structures to determine when and how islanding occurs. We also describe experimental methods of island growth and characterization in order to understand the relevant physical processes and to interpret experimental observations for comparison with simulation. We show that pyramidal Ge islands with rebonded step {105} facets are energetically favorable compared to growth of planar Ge (2 x 8) on Si(001). We determine how the chemical potential of these islands varies with size, lateral spacing, and wetting layer thickness. We also illustrate the atomic-level structure of these islands with favorable formation energy. Intermixing can occur between the growing Ge film and the Si substrate. We show that although Ge prefers to wet the surface, entropy drives some fraction into the underlying layers. We present a simple model of intermixing by equilibration of the top crystal layers. The equilibration is performed with a flexible lattice Monte Carlo simulation. Ultimately, intermixing produces a temperature-dependent graded Ge concentration. The resulting chemical potential leads to the onset of islanding after 3-4 monolayers of deposition, consistent with experimental observations. The distribution of island sizes on a surface is determined by the relation of island energy to size. We find that there exists a minimum-energy island size due to the interaction of surface energy and bulk relaxation. Applying the calculated chemical potential to the Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution, we predict size distributions as functions of coverage and temperature. The distributions, with peak populations around 86 000 atoms, compare favorably with experiment. This work explores the driving force in growth of Ge on Si(001). The knowledge derived here explains why islanding occurs and provides guidance for the control of island self-assembly to construct useful microelectronic devices from quantum dots.

Simultaneous ultra-long data retention and low power based on Ge10Sb90/SiO2 multilayer thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Haipeng; Hu, Yifeng; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Zou, Hua; Song, Sannian; Song, Zhitang

2018-02-01

In this article, Ge10Sb90/SiO2 multilayer thin films were prepared to improve thermal stability and data retention for phase change memory. Compared with Ge10Sb90 monolayer thin film, Ge10Sb90 (1 nm)/SiO2 (9 nm) multilayer thin film had higher crystallization temperature and resistance contrast between amorphous and crystalline states. Annealed Ge10Sb90 (1 nm)/SiO2 (9 nm) had uniform grain with the size of 15.71 nm. After annealing, the root-mean-square surface roughness for Ge10Sb90 (1 nm)/SiO2 (9 nm) thin film increased slightly from 0.45 to 0.53 nm. The amorphization time for Ge10Sb90 (1 nm)/SiO2 (9 nm) thin film (2.29 ns) is shorter than Ge2Sb2Te5 (3.56 ns). The threshold voltage of a cell based on Ge10Sb90 (1 nm)/SiO2 (9 nm) (3.57 V) was smaller than GST (4.18 V). The results indicated that Ge10Sb90/SiO2 was a promising phase change thin film with high thermal ability and low power consumption for phase change memory application.

Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby

DOEpatents

Atwater, Jr., Harry A.; Zahler, James M.

2006-11-28

Ge/Si and other nonsilicon film heterostructures are formed by hydrogen-induced exfoliation of the Ge film which is wafer bonded to a cheaper substrate, such as Si. A thin, single-crystal layer of Ge is transferred to Si substrate. The bond at the interface of the Ge/Si heterostructures is covalent to ensure good thermal contact, mechanical strength, and to enable the formation of an ohmic contact between the Si substrate and Ge layers. To accomplish this type of bond, hydrophobic wafer bonding is used, because as the invention demonstrates the hydrogen-surface-terminating species that facilitate van der Waals bonding evolves at temperatures above 600.degree. C. into covalent bonding in hydrophobically bound Ge/Si layer transferred systems.

Shell morphology and Raman spectra of epitaxial Ge-SixGe1-x and Si-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Feng; Dillen, David C.; Kim, Kyounghwan; Tutuc, Emanuel

2017-06-01

We investigate the shell morphology and Raman spectra of epitaxial Ge-SixGe1-x and Si-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowire heterostructures grown using a combination of a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism for the core, followed by in-situ epitaxial shell growth using ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals that the VLS growth yields cylindrical Ge, and Si nanowire cores grown along the ⟨111⟩, and ⟨110⟩ or ⟨112⟩ directions, respectively. A hexagonal cross-sectional morphology is observed for Ge-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowires terminated by six {112} facets. Two distinct morphologies are observed for Si-SixGe1-x core-shell nanowires that are either terminated by four {111} and two {100} planes associated with the ⟨110⟩ growth direction or four {113} and two {111} planes associated with the ⟨112⟩ growth direction. We show that the Raman spectra of Si- SixGe1-x are correlated with the shell morphology thanks to epitaxial growth-induced strain, with the core Si-Si mode showing a larger red shift in ⟨112⟩ core-shell nanowires compared to their ⟨110⟩ counterparts. We compare the Si-Si Raman mode value with calculations based on a continuum elasticity model coupled with the lattice dynamic theory.

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy of SiGe layer evolution on Si(100) induced by dewetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shklyaev, A. A.; Volodin, V. A.; Stoffel, M.; Rinnert, H.; Vergnat, M.

2018-01-01

High temperature annealing of thick (40-100 nm) Ge layers deposited on Si(100) at ˜400 °C leads to the formation of continuous films prior to their transformation into porous-like films due to dewetting. The evolution of Si-Ge composition, lattice strain, and surface morphology caused by dewetting is analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The Raman data reveal that the transformation from the continuous to porous film proceeds through strong Si-Ge interdiffusion, reducing the Ge content from 60% to about 20%, and changing the stress from compressive to tensile. We expect that Ge atoms migrate into the Si substrate occupying interstitial sites and providing thereby the compensation of the lattice mismatch. Annealing generates only one type of radiative recombination centers in SiGe resulting in a PL peak located at about 0.7 and 0.8 eV for continuous and porous film areas, respectively. Since annealing leads to the propagation of threading dislocations through the SiGe/Si interface, we can tentatively associate the observed PL peak to the well-known dislocation-related D1 band.

Device simulation of GeSn/GeSiSn pocket n-type tunnel field-effect transistor for analog and RF applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Suyuan; Zheng, Jun; Xue, Chunlai; Li, Chuanbo; Zuo, Yuhua; Cheng, Buwen; Wang, Qiming

2017-11-01

We present the device simulations of analog and radio frequency (RF) performances of four double-gate pocket n-type tunneling field-effect transistors (NTFETs). The direct current (DC), analog and RF performances of the Ge-homo, GeSn-homo, GeSn/Ge and GeSn/GeSiSn NTFETs, are compared. The GeSn NTFETs greatly improve the on-state current (ION) and average subthreshold slope (SS), when compared with the Ge NTFET. Moreover, the GeSn/GeSiSn NTFET has the largest intrinsic gain (Av), and exhibits a suppressed ambipolar behavior, improved cut-off frequency (fT), and gain bandwidth product (GBW), according to the analyzed analog and RF figures of merit (FOM). Therefore, it can be concluded that the GeSn/GeSiSn NTFET has great potential as a promising candidate for the realization of future generation low-power analog/RF applications.

4-d magnetism: Electronic structure and magnetism of some Mo-based alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yong; Bose, S. K.; Kudrnovský, J.

2017-02-01

We report results of a first-principles density-functional study of alloys of the 4 d -element Mo with group IV elements Si, Ge and Sn in zinc blende (ZB) and rock salt (RS) structures. The study was motivated by a similar study of ours based on the 4 d -element Tc, which showed the presence of half-metallic states with integer magnetic moment (1μB) per formula unit in TcX (X=C, Si, Ge) alloys. The calculated Curie temperatures for the ferromagnetic (FM) phases were low, around or less than 300 K. Searching for the possibility of 4 d -based alloys with higher Curie temperatures we have carried out the study involving the elements Mo, Ru and Rh. Among these the most promising case appears to be that involving the element Mo. Among the MoX (X=Si, Ge, Sn) alloys in ZB and RS structures, both MoGe and MoSn in ZB structures are found to possess an integer magnetic moment of 2μB per formula unit. ZB MoSn can be classified as a marginal/weak half-metal or a spin gapless semiconductor, while ZB MoGe would be best described as a gapless magnetic semiconductor. The calculated Curie temperatures are in the range 300-700 K. Considering the theoretical uncertainty in the band gaps due not only to the treatment of exchange and correlation effects, but density functional theory itself, these classifications may change somewhat, but both merit investigation from the viewpoint of potential spintronic application. Based on their higher Curie temperatures, Mo-based alloys would serve such purpose better than the previously reported Tc-based ones.

Selective growth of Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer on patterned SiO2/Si substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Wakana; Washizu, Tomoya; Ike, Shinichi; Nakatsuka, Osamu; Zaima, Shigeaki

2018-01-01

We have investigated the selective growth of a Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer on a line/space-patterned SiO2/Si substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. We examined the behavior of a Sn precursor of tributyl(vinyl)tin (TBVSn) during the growth on Si and SiO2 substrates and investigated the effect of the Sn precursor on the selective growth. The selective growth of the Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer was performed under various total pressures and growth temperatures of 300 and 350 °C. The selective growth of the Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer on the patterned Si region is achieved at a low total pressure without Ge1- x Sn x growth on the SiO2 region. In addition, we found that the Sn content in the Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer increases with width of the SiO2 region for a fixed Si width even with low total pressure. To control the Sn content in the selective growth of the Ge1- x Sn x epitaxial layer, it is important to suppress the decomposition and migration of Sn and Ge precursors.

A promising routine to fabricate GeSi nanowires via self-assembly on miscut Si (001) substrates.

PubMed

Zhong, Zhenyang; Gong, Hua; Ma, Yingjie; Fan, Yongliang; Jiang, Zuimin

2011-04-11

: Very small and compactly arranged GeSi nanowires could self-assembled on vicinal Si (001) substrates with ~8° off toward ⟨110⟩ during Ge deposition. The nanowires were all oriented along the miscut direction. The small ration of height over width of the nanowire indicated that the nanowires were bordered partly with {1 0 5} facets. These self-assembled small nanowires were remarkably influenced by the growth conditions and the miscut angle of substrates in comparison with large dome-like islands obtained after sufficient Ge deposition. These results proposed that the formation of the nanowire was energetically driven under growth kinetic assistance. Three-dimensionally self-assembled GeSi nanowires were first realized via multilayer Ge growth separated with Si spacers. These GeSi nanowires were readily embedded in Si matrix and compatible with the sophisticated Si technology, which suggested a feasible strategy to fabricate nanowires for fundamental studies and a wide variety of applications.PACS: 81.07.Gf, 81.16.Dn, 68.65.-k, 68.37.Ps.

Electronic Structure of GdCuGe Intermetallic Compound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukoyanov, A. V.; Knyazev, Yu. V.; Kuz'min, Yu. I.

2018-04-01

The electronic structure of GdCuGe intermetallic compound has been studied. Spin-polarized energy spectrum calculations have been performed by the band method with allowance for strong electron correlations in the 4 f-shell of gadolinium ions. Antiferromagnetic ordering of GdCuGe at low temperatures has been obtained in a theoretical calculation, with the value of the effective magnetic moment of gadolinium ions reproduced in fair agreement with experimental data. The electronic density of states has been analyzed. An optical conductivity spectrum has been calculated for GdCuGe; it reveals specific features that are analogous to the ones discovered previously in the GdCuSi compound with a similar hexagonal structure.

Self-limited growth of Si on B atomic-layer formed Ge(1 0 0) by ultraclean low-pressure CVD system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokogawa, Takashi; Ishibashi, Kiyohisa; Sakuraba, Masao; Murota, Junichi; Inokuchi, Yasuhiro; Kunii, Yasuo; Kurokawa, Harushige

2008-07-01

Utilizing BCl 3 reaction on Ge(1 0 0) and subsequent Si epitaxial growth by SiH 4 reaction at 300 °C, B atomic-layer doping in Si/Ge(1 0 0) heterostructure was investigated. Cl atoms on the B atomic-layer formed Ge(1 0 0) scarcely affect upon the SiH 4 reaction. It is also found that Si atom amount deposited by SiH 4 reaction on Ge(1 0 0) is effectively enhanced by the existence of B atomic layer and the deposition rate tends to decrease at around 2-3 atomic layers which is three times larger than that in the case without B. The results of angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that most B atoms are incorporated at the heterointerface between the Si and Ge.

Growth of strained Si/relaxed SiGe heterostructures on Si(110) substrates using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimoto, Keisuke; Nakazawa, Hiroki; Mitsui, Shohei; Utsuyama, Naoto; Yamanaka, Junji; Hara, Kosuke O.; Usami, Noritaka; Nakagawa, Kiyokazu

2017-11-01

A strained Si/relaxed SiGe heterostructure grown on Si(110) substrate is attractive as a platform for high-hole-mobility Si-based electronic devices. To improve the electrical property, a smoother surface is desirable. In this study, we investigated surface morphology and microstructural aspects of strained Si/relaxed SiGe/Si(110) heterostructures grown by solid-source (SS) molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). It was revealed that SSMBE provides a way to grow strained Si/relaxed SiGe heterostructures with smooth surfaces. In addition, it was found that the strain in the SiGe layer of the SSMBE-grown sample is highly anisotropic whereas that of the GSMBE-grown sample is almost biaxially relaxed. Along with the surface morphology, the symmetry in degree of strain relaxation has implications for the electrical property. Results of a calculation shows that anisotropic strain is preferable for device application since it confines holes solely in the strained Si layer where hole mobility is enhanced.

L2₁ and XA Ordering Competition in Hafnium-Based Full-Heusler Alloys Hf₂VZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb).

PubMed

Wang, Xiaotian; Cheng, Zhenxiang; Wang, Wenhong

2017-10-20

For theoretical designing of full-Heusler based spintroinc materials, people have long believed in the so-called Site Preference Rule (SPR). Very recently, according to the SPR, there are several studies on XA-type Hafnium-based Heusler alloys X₂YZ, i.e., Hf₂VAl, Hf₂CoZ (Z = Ga, In) and Hf₂CrZ (Z = Al, Ga, In). In this work, a series of Hf₂-based Heusler alloys, Hf₂VZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb), were selected as targets to study the site preferences of their atoms by first-principle calculations. It has been found that all of them are likely to exhibit the L2₁-type structure instead of the XA one. Furthermore, we reveal that the high values of spin-polarization of XA-type Hf₂VZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) alloys have dropped dramatically when they form the L2₁-type structure. Also, we prove that the electronic, magnetic, and physics nature of these alloys are quite different, depending on the L2₁-type or XA-type structures.

Bending and buckling of rolled-up SiGe /Si microtubes using nanorobotic manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Dong, Lixin; Nelson, Bradley J.

2008-06-01

Mechanical properties of individual rolled-up SiGe /Si microtubes are investigated experimentally using nanorobotic manipulation. By applying bending loads, individual SiGe /Si microtubes demonstrate various deformation modes with increasing bending angle. Remarkably, the tested microtubes resist fracture even when bent back onto themselves (180° bending angle). Axial compression tests of microtubes with different turns are also performed. Among those tubes, 1.6-turn rolled-up SiGe /Si microtubes show typical Euler buckling behavior when the load is larger than a critical load, which can be estimated by the Euler formula for columns.

The source of dissolved silicon in soil surface solutions of a temperate forest ecosystem: Ge/Si and Si isotope ratios as biogeochemical tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornelis, J.; Delvaux, B.; Cardinal, D.; André, L.; Ranger, J.; Opfergelt, S.

2010-12-01

Understand the biogeochemical cycle of silicon (Si) in the Earth’s critical zone and the dissolved Si transfer from the litho-pedosphere into the hydrosphere is of great interest for the global balance of biogeochemical processes, including the global C cycle. Indeed, the interaction between Si and C cycles regulates the atmospheric CO2 through the chemical weathering of silicate minerals, the C sequestration in stable organo-mineral compounds and the Si nutrition of phytoplankton CO2-consumers in oceans. H4SiO4 released by mineral dissolution contributes to the critical zone evolution through neoformation of secondary minerals, adsorption onto hydroxyl-bearing phases and recycling by vegetation and return of phytoliths on topsoil. The neoformation of secondary precipitates (clay minerals and phytoliths polymerized in plants) and adsorption of Si onto Fe and Al (hydr)oxides are processes favoring the light Si isotope incorporation, generating rivers enriched in heavy Si isotopes. On the other hand, clay minerals and phytoliths display contrasting Ge/Si ratios since clay-sized weathering products are enriched in Ge and phytoliths are depleted in Ge. Thus stable Si isotope and Ge/Si ratios constitute very interesting proxies to trace transfer of Si in the critical zone. Here we report Si isotopic and Ge/Si ratios of the different Si pools in a temperate soil-tree system (Breuil experimental forest, France) involving various tree species grown on Alumnic Cambisol derived from granitic bedrock. Relative to granitic bedrock (δ30Si = -0.07 ‰; Ge/Si = 2.5 µmol/mol), clay-sized minerals are enriched in 28Si (-1.07 ‰) and Ge (6.2 µmol/mol) while phytoliths are enriched in 28Si (-0.28 to -0.64 ‰) and depleted in Ge (0.1 to 0.3 µmol/mol). This contrast allows us to infer the relative contribution of litho/pedogenic and biogenic mineral dissolution on the release of H4SiO4 in soil surface solutions. The Si-isotope signatures and Ge/Si ratios of forest floor solutions evolve towards lighter values (-1.38 and -2.05 ‰) and higher Ge/Si ratios (2.7 µmol/mol) relative to granite bedrock. This suggests a partial dissolution of 28Si and Ge-enriched secondary clays minerals incorporated by bioturbation in organic-rich horizons, with a fractionation releasing preferentially light Si isotopes. Without considering that organic acids promote dissolution of minerals, clay minerals detected in the organic layer (vermiculite, chlorite, illite and Ca-montmorillonite) are not stable and could have been partially dissolved and transformed in the chemical environment of forest floor. Sources of H4SiO4 in forest floor solutions are influenced by tree species which control the extent of clay-sized minerals mixed in organic horizons by bioturbation and, to a lesser extent, the Si recycling by forest vegetation.

Structure and optical properties of Ge/Si quantum dots formed by driving the evolution of Ge thin films via thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Qijiang; Yang, Jie; Chi, Qingbin; Sun, Tao; Wang, Chong; Yang, Yu

2018-04-01

Ge/Si quantum dots (QDs) are fabricated by driving the transformation of a Ge thin film-deposited using the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique by controlling the subsequent in situ annealing processes. The experimental results indicate that, with the increase in annealing temperature, the volume of Ge QDs increases monotonically, while the QD density initially increases then decreases. The maximal QD density can reach 1.1 × 1011 cm‑2 after a 10 min annealing at 650 °C. The Ge–Ge peak of Ge QDs obtained by Raman spectroscopy initially undergoes a blue shift and then a red shift with increasing annealing temperature. This behavior results from the competition between the dislocation and the strain relaxation in QDs. Concurrently, a series of photoelectric detectors are fabricated to evaluate the photoelectric performance of these annealed Ge QD samples. A high-photoelectricity response is demonstrated in the QD sample annealed at 650 °C. Our results pave a promising way for whole-silicon-material optical-electronic integration based on a simple and practicable fabrication method.

Memory properties of a Ge nanoring MOS device fabricated by pulsed laser deposition.

PubMed

Ma, Xiying

2008-07-09

The non-volatile charge-storage properties of memory devices with MOS structure based on Ge nanorings have been studied. The two-dimensional Ge nanorings were prepared on a p-Si(100) matrix by means of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using the droplet technique combined with rapid annealing. Complete planar nanorings with well-defined sharp inner and outer edges were formed via an elastic self-transformation droplet process, which is probably driven by the lateral strain of the Ge/Si layers and the surface tension in the presence of Ar gas. The low leakage current was attributed to the small roughness and the few interface states in the planar Ge nanorings, and also to the effect of Coulomb blockade preventing injection. A significant threshold-voltage shift of 2.5 V was observed when an operating voltage of 8 V was implemented on the device.

Hydrogen interaction kinetics of Ge dangling bonds at the Si{sub 0.25}Ge{sub 0.75}/SiO{sub 2} interface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stesmans, A., E-mail: andre.stesmans@fys.kuleuven.be; Nguyen Hoang, T.; Afanas'ev, V. V.

2014-07-28

The hydrogen interaction kinetics of the GeP{sub b1} defect, previously identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) as an interfacial Ge dangling bond (DB) defect occurring in densities ∼7 × 10{sup 12} cm{sup −2} at the SiGe/SiO{sub 2} interfaces of condensation grown (100)Si/a-SiO{sub 2}/Ge{sub 0.75}Si{sub 0.25}/a-SiO{sub 2} structures, has been studied as function of temperature. This has been carried out, both in the isothermal and isochronal mode, through defect monitoring by capacitance-voltage measurements in conjunction with ESR probing, where it has previously been demonstrated the defects to operate as negative charge traps. The work entails a full interaction cycle study, comprised of analysis ofmore » both defect passivation (pictured as GeP{sub b1}-H formation) in molecular hydrogen (∼1 atm) and reactivation (GeP{sub b1}-H dissociation) in vacuum. It is found that both processes can be suitably described separately by the generalized simple thermal (GST) model, embodying a first order interaction kinetics description based on the basic chemical reactions GeP{sub b1} + H{sub 2} → GeP{sub b1}H + H and GeP{sub b1}H → GeP{sub b1} + H, which are found to be characterized by the average activation energies E{sub f} = 1.44 ± 0.04 eV and E{sub d} = 2.23 ± 0.04 eV, and attendant, assumedly Gaussian, spreads σE{sub f} = 0.20 ± 0.02 eV and σE{sub d} = 0.15 ± 0.02 eV, respectively. The substantial spreads refer to enhanced interfacial disorder. Combination of the separately inferred kinetic parameters for passivation and dissociation results in the unified realistic GST description that incorporates the simultaneous competing action of passivation and dissociation, and which is found to excellently account for the full cycle data. For process times t{sub a} ∼ 35 min, it is found that even for the optimum treatment temperature ∼380 °C, only ∼60% of the GeP{sub b1} system can be electrically silenced, still far remote from device grade level. This ineffectiveness is concluded, for the major part, to be a direct consequence of the excessive spreads in the activation energies, ∼2–3 times larger than for the Si DB P{sub b} defects at the standard thermal (111)Si/SiO{sub 2} interface which may be easily passivated to device grade levels, strengthened by the reduced difference between the average E{sub f} and E{sub d} values. Exploring the guidelines of the GST model indicates that passivation can be improved by decreasing T{sub an} and attendant enlarging of t{sub a}, however, at best still leaving ∼2% defects unpassivated even for unrealistically extended anneal times. The average dissociation energy E{sub d} ∼ 2.23 eV, concluded as representing the GeP{sub b1}-H bond strength, is found to be smaller than the SiP{sub b}-H one, characterized by E{sub d} ∼ 2.83 eV. An energy deficiency is encountered regarding the energy sum rule inherent to the GST-model, the origin of which is substantiated to lie with a more complex nature of the forward passivation process than basically depicted in the GST model. The results are discussed within the context of theoretical considerations on the passivation of interfacial Ge DBs by hydrogen.« less

Atomic-order thermal nitridation of group IV semiconductors for ultra-large-scale integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murota, Junichi; Le Thanh, Vinh

2015-03-01

One of the main requirements for ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) is atomic-order control of process technology. Our concept of atomically controlled processing for group IV semiconductors is based on atomic-order surface reaction control in Si-based CVD epitaxial growth. On the atomic-order surface nitridation of a few nm-thick Ge/about 4 nm-thick Si0.5Ge0.5/Si(100) by NH3, it is found that N atoms diffuse through nm-order thick Ge layer into Si0.5Ge0.5/Si(100) substrate and form Si nitride, even at 500 °C. By subsequent H2 heat treatment, although N atomic amount in Ge layer is reduced drastically, the reduction of the Si nitride is slight. It is suggested that N diffusion in Ge layer is suppressed by the formation of Si nitride and that Ge/atomic-order N layer/Si1-xGex/Si (100) heterostructure is formed. These results demonstrate the capability of CVD technology for atomically controlled nitridation of group IV semiconductors for ultra-large-scale integration. Invited talk at the 7th International Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology IWAMSN2014, 2-6 November, 2014, Ha Long, Vietnam.

Fabrication of core-shell nanostructures via silicon on insulator dewetting and germanium condensation: towards a strain tuning method for SiGe-based heterostructures in a three-dimensional geometry.

PubMed

Naffouti, Meher; David, Thomas; Benkouider, Abdelmalek; Favre, Luc; Cabie, Martiane; Ronda, Antoine; Berbezier, Isabelle; Abbarchi, Marco

2016-07-29

We report on a novel method for the implementation of core-shell SiGe-based nanocrystals combining silicon on insulator dewetting in a molecular beam epitaxy reactor with an ex situ Ge condensation process. With an in situ two-step process (annealing and Ge deposition) we produce two families of islands on the same sample: Si-rich, formed during the first step and, all around them, Ge-rich formed after Ge deposition. By increasing the amount of Ge deposited on the annealed samples from 0 to 18 monolayers, the islands' shape in the Si-rich zones can be tuned from elongated and flat to more symmetric and with a larger vertical aspect ratio. At the same time, the spatial extension of the Ge-rich zones is progressively increased as well as the Ge content in the islands. Further processing by ex situ rapid thermal oxidation results in the formation of a core-shell composition profile in both Si and Ge-rich zones with atomically sharp heterointerfaces. The Ge condensation induces a Ge enrichment of the islands' shell of up to 50% while keeping a pure Si core in the Si-rich zones and a ∼25% SiGe alloy in the Ge-rich ones. The large lattice mismatch between core and shell, the absence of dislocations and the islands' monocrystalline nature render this novel class of nanostructures a promising device platform for strain-based band-gap engineering. Finally, this method can be used for the implementation of ultralarge scale meta-surfaces with dielectric Mie resonators for light manipulation at the nanoscale.

Mobility and Device Applications of Heavily Doped Silicon and Strained SILICON(1-X) Germanium(x) Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carns, Timothy Keith

With the advent of Si molecular beam epitaxy (Si -MBE), a significant amount of research has occurred to seek alternative high conductivity Si-based materials such as rm Si_{1-x}Ge_ {x} and delta-doped Si. These materials have brought improvements in device speeds and current drives with the added advantage of monolithic integration into Si VLSI circuits. The bulk of research in Si-based materials has been devoted to the implementation of strained rm Si_{1-x}Ge_{x} as the base layer of a rm Si_ {1-x}Ge_{x}/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). Because of the valence band offset, the rm Si_{1-x}Ge _{x} layer can be heavily doped, leading to lower base sheet resistances and hence, improved speed performances. The Ge content in the base can also be graded to increase the drift field in the base. However, very few hole mobility measurements have been done in these strained layers, leading to limitations in device modeling and in understanding the transport behavior in this important material. In addition to rm Si_{1 -x}Ge_{x}, much potential also exists in using delta-doping in Si for improved conductivities over those of bulk Si. However, as of yet, delta-doped Si has received little attention. Therefore, this dissertation is dedicated to the investigation of both of these Si-based materials (strained rm Si_{1-x}Ge_{x } and delta-doped Si and rm Si_{1-x}Ge_ {x}) for the purpose of obtaining higher conductivities than comparably doped bulk Si. This work is divided into three parts to accomplish this objective. The first part is contained in Chapter 3 and is comprised of a comprehensive characterization of the hole mobility in compressively strained rm Si_{1 -x}Ge_{x}. Few results have been obtained prior to this research which has led to many inaccuracies in device modeling. The second part of this dissertation in Chapters 4 and 5 is devoted to the study of the mobility behavior in both boron and antimony delta-doped Si and rm Si_ {1-x}Ge_{x}. The important discovery of mobility and conductivity enhancement in coupled delta-doped layers is highlighted in Chapter 5. Finally, the third part of this work discusses the implementation of boron delta -doped layers in Si homojunction bipolar transistors and FETs. Chapter 6 includes the fabrication of the first coupled delta-doped base layer Si BJT, the first p-type Si delta-doped layer MESFET, the first coupled delta -doped layer FET, and the first SiGe delta -FET.

The investigation of optimal Silicon/Silicon(1-x)Germanium(x) thin-film solar cells with quantitative analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehsan, Md Amimul

Thin-film solar cells are emerging from the research laboratory to become commercially available devices for low cost electrical power generation applications. Silicon which is a cheap, abundant and non-toxic elemental semiconductor is an attractive candidate for these solar cells. Advanced modeling and simulation of Si thin-film solar cells has been performed to make this technology more cost effective without compromising the performance and efficiency. In this study, we focus on the design and optimization of Si/Si1-xGex heterostructures, and microcrystalline and nanocrystalline Si thin-film solar cells. Layer by layer optimization of these structures was performed by using advanced bandgap engineering followed by numerical analysis for their structural, electrical and optical characterizations. Special care has been introduced for the selection of material layers which can help to improve the light absorption properties of these structures for harvesting the solar spectrum. Various strategies such as the optimization of the doping concentrations, Ge contents in Si1-xGex buffer layer, incorporation of the absorber layers and surface texturing have been in used to improve overall conversion efficiencies of the solar cells. To be more specific, the observed improvement in the conversion efficiency of these solar cells has been calculated by tailoring the thickness of the buffer, absorber, and emitter layers. In brief, an approach relying on the phenomena of improved absorption of the buffer and absorber layer which leads to a corresponding gain in the open circuit voltage and short circuit current is explored. For numerical analysis, a PC1D simulator is employed that uses finite element analysis technique for solving semiconductor transport equations. A comparative study of the Si/Si1-xGex and Ge/Si1-xGex is also performed. We found that due to the higher lattice mismatch of Ge to Si, thin-film solar cells based on Si/Si1-xGex heterostructures performed much better. It has been found that microc-Si and nc-Si pin structures have strong dependence on their grain sizes and crystallinity to enhance the light absorption capability of these solar cells. Our results show that silicon based thin-film solar cells exhibit high level of performance making them very competitive for the next generation of low cost photovoltaic technology.

Dislocation reduction in heteroepitaxial Ge on Si using SiO{sub 2} lined etch pits and epitaxial lateral overgrowth

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leonhardt, Darin; Han, Sang M.

2011-09-12

We report a technique that significantly reduces threading dislocations in Ge on Si heteroepitaxy. Germanium is first grown on Si and etched to produce pits in the surface where threading dislocations terminate. Further processing leaves a layer of SiO{sub 2} only within etch pits. Subsequent selective epitaxial Ge growth results in coalescence above the SiO{sub 2}. The SiO{sub 2} blocks the threading dislocations from propagating into the upper Ge epilayer. With annealed Ge films grown on Si, the said method reduces the defect density from 2.6 x 10{sup 8} to 1.7 x 10{sup 6} cm{sup -2}, potentially making the layermore » suitable for electronic and photovoltaic devices.« less

High-aspect-ratio and high-flatness Cu3(SiGe) nanoplatelets prepared by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Klementová, Mariana; Palatinus, Lukás; Novotný, Filip; Fajgar, Radek; Subrt, Jan; Drínek, Vladislav

2013-06-01

Cu3(SiGe) nanoplatelets were synthesized by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of a SiH3C2H5/Ge2(CH3)6 mixture on a Cu-substrate at 500 degrees C, total pressure of 110-115 Pa, and Ge/Si molar ratio of 22. The nanoplatelets with composition Cu76Si15Ge12 are formed by the 4'-phase, and they are flattened perpendicular to the [001] direction. Their lateral dimensions reach several tens of micrometers in size, but they are only about 50 nm thick. Their surface is extremely flat, with measured root mean square roughness R(q) below 0.2 nm. The nanoplatelets grow via the non-catalytic vapor-solid mechanism and surface growth. In addition, nanowires and nanorods of various Cu-Si-Ge alloys were also obtained depending on the experimental conditions. Morphology of the resulting Cu-Si-Ge nanoobjects is very sensitive to the experimental parameters. The formation of nanoplatelets is associated with increased amount of Ge in the alloy.

SiGe derivatization by spontaneous reduction of aryl diazonium salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, A.; Geneste, F.; Coulon, N.; Cardinaud, C.; Mohammed-Brahim, T.

2013-10-01

Germanium semiconductors have interesting properties for FET-based biosensor applications since they possess high surface roughness allowing the immobilization of a high amount of receptors on a small surface area. Since SiGe combined low cost of Si and intrinsic properties of Ge with high mobility carriers, we focused the study on this particularly interesting material. The comparison of the efficiency of a functionalization process involving the spontaneous reduction of diazonium salts is studied on Si(1 0 0), SiGe and Ge semiconductors. XPS analysis of the functionalized surfaces reveals the presence of a covalent grafted layer on all the substrates that was confirmed by AFM. Interestingly, the modified Ge derivatives have still higher surface roughness after derivatization. To support the estimated thickness by XPS, a step measurement of the organic layers is done by AFM or by profilometer technique after a O2 plasma etching of the functionalized layer. This original method is well-adapted to measure the thickness of thin organic films on rough substrates such as germanium. The analyses show a higher chemical grafting on SiGe substrates compared with Si and Ge semiconductors.

Development of interatomic potential of Ge(1- x - y )Si x Sn y ternary alloy semiconductors for classical lattice dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Motohiro; Ogasawara, Masataka; Terada, Takuya; Watanabe, Takanobu

2018-04-01

We provide the parameters of Stillinger-Weber potentials for GeSiSn ternary mixed systems. These parameters can be used in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reproduce phonon properties and thermal conductivities. The phonon dispersion relation is derived from the dynamical structure factor, which is calculated by the space-time Fourier transform of atomic trajectories in an MD simulation. The phonon properties and thermal conductivities of GeSiSn ternary crystals calculated using these parameters mostly reproduced both the findings of previous experiments and earlier calculations made using MD simulations. The atomic composition dependence of these properties in GeSiSn ternary crystals obtained by previous studies (both experimental and theoretical) and the calculated data were almost exactly reproduced by our proposed parameters. Moreover, the results of the MD simulation agree with the previous calculations made using a time-independent phonon Boltzmann transport equation with complicated scattering mechanisms. These scattering mechanisms are very important in complicated nanostructures, as they allow the heat-transfer properties to be more accurately calculated by MD simulations. This work enables us to predict the phonon- and heat-related properties of bulk group IV alloys, especially ternary alloys.

Assessing the potential roles of silicon and germanium phthalocyanines in planar heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices and how pentafluoro phenoxylation can enhance π-π interactions and device performance.

PubMed

Lessard, Benoît H; White, Robin T; Al-Amar, Mohammad; Plint, Trevor; Castrucci, Jeffrey S; Josey, David S; Lu, Zheng-Hong; Bender, Timothy P

2015-03-11

In this study, we have assessed the potential application of dichloro silicon phthalocyanine (Cl2-SiPc) and dichloro germanium phthalocyanine (Cl2-GePc) in modern planar heterojunction organic photovoltaic (PHJ OPV) devices. We have determined that Cl2-SiPc can act as an electron donating material when paired with C60 and that Cl2-SiPc or Cl2-GePc can also act as an electron acceptor material when paired with pentacene. These two materials enabled the harvesting of triplet energy resulting from the singlet fission process in pentacene. However, contributions to the generation of photocurrent were observed for Cl2-SiPc with no evidence of photocurrent contribution from Cl2-GePc. The result of our initial assessment established the potential for the application of SiPc and GePc in PHJ OPV devices. Thereafter, bis(pentafluoro phenoxy) silicon phthalocyanine (F10-SiPc) and bis(pentafluoro phenoxy) germanium phthalocyanine (F10-GePc) were synthesized and characterized. During thermal processing, it was discovered that F10-SiPc and F10-GePc underwent a reaction forming small amounts of difluoro SiPc (F2-SiPc) and difluoro GePc (F2-GePc). This undesirable reaction could be circumvented for F10-SiPc but not for F10-GePc. Using single crystal X-ray diffraction, it was determined that F10-SiPc has significantly enhanced π-π interactions compared with that of Cl2-SiPc, which had little to none. Unoptimized PHJ OPV devices based on F10-SiPc were fabricated and directly compared to those constructed from Cl2-SiPc, and in all cases, PHJ OPV devices based on F10-SiPc had significantly improved device characteristics compared to Cl2-SiPc.

Structural, Electronic and Elastic Properties of Half-Heusler Alloys CrNiZ (Z = Al, Si, Ge and As)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zitouni, A.; Benstaali, W.; Abbad, A.; Lantri, T.; Bouadjemi, B.; Aziz, Z.

2018-06-01

In the present work, a self-consistent ab-initio calculation using the full- potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of the spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the structural, electronic, magnetic and elastic properties of the half Heusler alloys CrNiZ (Z = Al, Si, Ge and As) in three phases ( α, β and γ phases). The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) described by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) was used. The results obtained for the spin-polarized band structure and the density of states show a halfmetallic behavior for the four compounds. The elastic constants ( C ij ) show that our compounds are ductile, stiff and anisotropic.

Strain-induced phase variation and dielectric constant enhancement of epitaxial Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shekhter, P., E-mail: Pini@tx.technion.ac.il; Amouyal, Y.; Eizenberg, M.

2016-07-07

One of the approaches for realizing advanced high k insulators for metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors based devices is the use of rare earth oxides. When these oxides are deposited as epitaxial thin films, they demonstrate dielectric properties that differ greatly from those that are known for bulk oxides. Using structural and spectroscopic techniques, as well as first-principles calculations, Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} films deposited on Si (111) and Ge (111) were characterized. It was seen that the same 4 nm thick film, grown simultaneously on Ge and Si, presents an unstrained lattice on Ge while showing a metastable phase onmore » Si. This change from the cubic lattice to the distorted metastable phase is characterized by an increase in the dielectric constant of more than 30% and a change in band gap. The case in study shows that extreme structural changes can occur in ultra-thin epitaxial rare earth oxide films and modify their dielectric properties when the underlying substrate is altered.« less

Optimization of intrinsic layer thickness, dopant layer thickness and concentration for a-SiC/a-SiGe multilayer solar cell efficiency performance using Silvaco software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Wong Wei; Natashah Norizan, Mohd; Salwani Mohamad, Ili; Jamalullail, Nurnaeimah; Hidayah Saad, Nor

2017-11-01

Solar cell is expanding as green renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuel electricity generation, but compared to other land-used electrical generators, it is a comparative beginner. Many applications covered by solar cells starting from low power mobile devices, terrestrial, satellites and many more. To date, the highest efficiency solar cell is given by GaAs based multilayer solar cell. However, this material is very expensive in fabrication and material costs compared to silicon which is cheaper due to the abundance of supply. Thus, this research is devoted to develop multilayer solar cell by combining two different layers of P-I-N structures with silicon carbide and silicon germanium. This research focused on optimising the intrinsic layer thickness, p-doped layer thickness and concentration, n-doped layer thickness and concentration in achieving the highest efficiency. As a result, both single layer a-SiC and a-SiGe showed positive efficiency improvement with the record of 27.19% and 9.07% respectively via parametric optimization. The optimized parameters is then applied on both SiC and SiGe P-I-N layers and resulted the convincing efficiency of 33.80%.

Silicon-based optoelectronics: Monolithic integration for WDM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Matthew Richard T.

2000-10-01

This thesis details the development of enabling technologies required for inexpensive, monolithic integration of Si-based wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) components and photodetectors. The work involves the design and fabrication of arrayed waveguide grating demultiplexers in silicon-on-insulator (SOI), the development of advanced SiGe photodetectors capable of photodetection at 1.55 mum wavelengths, and the development of a low cost fabrication technique that enables the high volume production of Si-based photonic components. Arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) demultiplexers were designed and fabricated in SOI. The fabrication of AWGs in SOI has been reported in the literature, however there are a number of design issues specific to the SOI material system that can have a large effect on device performance and design, and have not been theoretically examined in earlier work. The SOI AWGs presented in this thesis are the smallest devices of this type reported, and they exhibit performance acceptable for commercial applications. The SiGe photodetectors reported in the literature exhibit extremely low responsivities at wavelengths near 1.55 mum. We present the first use of three dimensional growth modes to enhance the photoresponse of SiGe at 1.55 mum wavelengths. Metal semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors were fabricated using this undulating quantum well structure, and demonstrate the highest responsivities yet reported for a SiGe-based photodetector at 1.55 mum. These detectors were monolithically integrated with low-loss SOI waveguides, enabling integration with nearly any Si-based passive WDM component. The pursuit of inexpensive Si-based photonic components also requires the development of new manufacturing techniques that are more suitable for high volume production. This thesis presents the development of a low cost fabrication technique based on the local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS), a standard processing technique used for Si integrated circuits. This process is developed for both SiGe and SOI waveguides, but is shown to be commercially suitable only for SOI waveguide devices. The technique allows nearly any Si microelectronics fabrication facility to begin manufacturing optical components with minimal change in processing equipment or techniques. These enabling technologies provide the critical elements for inexpensive, monolithic integration in a Si-based system.

Strain field mapping of dislocations in a Ge/Si heterostructure.

PubMed

Liu, Quanlong; Zhao, Chunwang; Su, Shaojian; Li, Jijun; Xing, Yongming; Cheng, Buwen

2013-01-01

Ge/Si heterostructure with fully strain-relaxed Ge film was grown on a Si (001) substrate by using a two-step process by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition. The dislocations in the Ge/Si heterostructure were experimentally investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The dislocations at the Ge/Si interface were identified to be 90° full-edge dislocations, which are the most efficient way for obtaining a fully relaxed Ge film. The only defect found in the Ge epitaxial film was a 60° dislocation. The nanoscale strain field of the dislocations was mapped by geometric phase analysis technique from the HRTEM image. The strain field around the edge component of the 60° dislocation core was compared with those of the Peierls-Nabarro and Foreman dislocation models. Comparison results show that the Foreman model with a = 1.5 can describe appropriately the strain field around the edge component of a 60° dislocation core in a relaxed Ge film on a Si substrate.

Effect of small scattering centers on the thermoelectric properties of p-type SiGe alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaty, John S.; Rolfe, Jonathan L.; Vandersande, Jan W.

1991-01-01

Theory predicts that the addition of ultra-fine, inert, phonon-scattering centers to thermoelectric materials will reduce their thermal conductivity. To investigate this prediction, ultrafine particulates (20 to 120 A) of silicon nitride have been added to boron-doped, p-type, 80/20 SiGe. All of the SiGe samples produced from ultrafine powder have lower thermal conductivities than standard SiGe, but high-temperature heat treatment increases the thermal conductivity back to the value for standard SiGe. However, the SiGe samples with silicon nitride, inert, phonon-scattering centers retained the lower thermal conductivity after several heat treatments. A reduction of approximately 25 percent in thermal conductivity has been achieved in these samples. The magnitude of the reduction agrees with theoretical predictions.

Nanostructure design for drastic reduction of thermal conductivity while preserving high electrical conductivity.

PubMed

Nakamura, Yoshiaki

2018-01-01

The design and fabrication of nanostructured materials to control both thermal and electrical properties are demonstrated for high-performance thermoelectric conversion. We have focused on silicon (Si) because it is an environmentally friendly and ubiquitous element. High bulk thermal conductivity of Si limits its potential as a thermoelectric material. The thermal conductivity of Si has been reduced by introducing grains, or wires, yet a further reduction is required while retaining a high electrical conductivity. We have designed two different nanostructures for this purpose. One structure is connected Si nanodots (NDs) with the same crystal orientation. The phonons scattering at the interfaces of these NDs occurred and it depended on the ND size. As a result of phonon scattering, the thermal conductivity of this nanostructured material was below/close to the amorphous limit. The other structure is Si films containing epitaxially grown Ge NDs. The Si layer imparted high electrical conductivity, while the Ge NDs served as phonon scattering bodies reducing thermal conductivity drastically. This work gives a methodology for the independent control of electron and phonon transport using nanostructured materials. This can bring the realization of thermoelectric Si-based materials that are compatible with large scale integrated circuit processing technologies.

Size-dependent characterization of embedded Ge nanocrystals: Structural and thermal properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araujo, L. L.; Giulian, R.; Sprouster, D. J.; Schnohr, C. S.; Llewellyn, D. J.; Kluth, P.; Cookson, D. J.; Foran, G. J.; Ridgway, M. C.

2008-09-01

A combination of conventional and synchrotron-based techniques has been used to characterize the size-dependent structural and thermal properties of Ge nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in a silica (a-SiO2) matrix. Ge NC size distributions with four different diameters ranging from 4.0 to 9.0 nm were produced by ion implantation and thermal annealing as characterized with small-angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The NCs were well represented by the superposition of bulklike crystalline and amorphous environments, suggesting the formation of an amorphous layer separating the crystalline NC core and the a-SiO2 matrix. The amorphous fraction was quantified with x-ray-absorption near-edge spectroscopy and increased as the NC diameter decreased, consistent with the increase in surface-to-volume ratio. The structural parameters of the first three nearest-neighbor shells were determined with extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and evolved linearly with inverse NC diameter. Specifically, increases in total disorder, interatomic distance, and the asymmetry in the distribution of distances were observed as the NC size decreased, demonstrating that finite-size effects govern the structural properties of embedded Ge NCs. Temperature-dependent EXAFS measurements in the range of 15-300 K were employed to probe the mean vibrational frequency and the variation of the interatomic distance distribution (mean value, variance, and asymmetry) with temperature for all NC distributions. A clear trend of increased stiffness (higher vibrational frequency) and decreased thermal expansion with decreasing NC size was evident, confirming the close relationship between the variation of structural and thermal/vibrational properties with size for embedded Ge NCs. The increase in surface-to-volume ratio and the presence of an amorphous Ge layer separating the matrix and crystalline NC core are identified as the main factors responsible for the observed behavior, with the surrounding a-SiO2 matrix also contributing to a lesser extent. Such results are compared to previous reports and discussed in terms of the influence of the surface-to-volume ratio in objects of nanometer dimensions.

The effect of local atomic structure on the optical properties of GeSi self-assembled islands buried in silicon matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demchenko, I. N.; Lawniczak-Jablonska, K.; Kret, S.; Novikov, A. V.; Laval, J.-Y.; Zak, M.; Szczepanska, A.; Yablonskiy, A. N.; Krasilnik, Z. F.

2007-03-01

The local atomic structure of GeSi self-assembled islands buried in a silicon matrix strongly influences the optical properties of such systems. In the present paper this structure was determined by x-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and used to build a schematic description of the band structure model. Quantitative analysis of the extended XAFS (EXAFS) spectrum was performed for three coordination shells around the Ge absorbing atom with multiple scattering taken into account. It was proved that the coordination number of elements in an alloy resulting from EXAFS analysis for all three coordination spheres (i.e. 'mixing degree' parameters) cannot be taken as the concentration of alloy but can be used together with a proper model of the alloy unit cell to calculate a realistic concentration. The fraction of Ge calculated in this way is consistent with HRTEM results. The found model of the unit cell was used to generate a x-ray absorption near edge structure spectrum by ab initio calculations. This approach yielded a spectrum in good agreement with the experimental one. The information gained from XAFS and HRTEM was then used for calculation of the band structure diagram. Results of the calculation are discussed and compared with the experimental photoluminescence spectrum.

Very low temperature (450 °C) selective epitaxial growth of heavily in situ boron-doped SiGe layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubin, J.; Hartmann, J. M.; Veillerot, M.; Essa, Z.; Sermage, B.

2015-11-01

We have investigated the feasibility of selectively growing SiGe:B layers at 450 °C, 20 Torr in a 300 mm industrial reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition tool. A reduced H2 carrier gas mass-flow has been used in order to have acceptable growth rates at such a temperature, which is very low indeed. We have first of all studied on blanket Si wafers the in situ boron doping of SiGe with Si2H6, GeH4 and B2H6. A growth rate increase by a factor close to 7 together with a Ge concentration decrease from 53% down to 32% occurred as the diborane mass-flow increased. Very high B+ ion concentrations were obtained in layers that were single crystalline and smooth. Their concentration increased almost linearly with the B2H6 mass-flow, from 1.8 up to 8.3 × 1020 cm-3. The associated resistivity dropped from 0.43 down to 0.26 mΩ cm. We have then tested whether or not selectivity versus SiO2 could be achieved by adding various amounts of HCl to Si2H6 + GeH4 +B2H6. Single crystalline growth rates of intrinsic SiGe(:B) on Si were very similar to poly-crystalline growth rates on SiO2-covered substrates irrespective of the HCl flow. Straightforward selectivity was thus not feasible with a co-flow approach. As a consequence, a 450 °C deposition/etch (DE) process was evaluated. Growth occurred at 20 Torr with the above-mentioned chemistry, while the selective etch of poly-SiGe:B versus c-SiGe:B was conducted at 740 Torr with a medium HCl mass-flow (F(HCl)/F(H2) = 0.2) and a high H2 flow. A 2.2 etch selectivity was achieved while retaining single crystalline if slightly rough SiGe:B layers.

Atomistics of Ge deposition on Si(100) by atomic layer epitaxy.

PubMed

Lin, D S; Wu, J L; Pan, S Y; Chiang, T C

2003-01-31

Chlorine termination of mixed Ge/Si(100) surfaces substantially enhances the contrast between Ge and Si sites in scanning tunneling microscopy observations. This finding enables a detailed investigation of the spatial distribution of Ge atoms deposited on Si(100) by atomic layer epitaxy. The results are corroborated by photoemission measurements aided by an unusually large chemical shift between Cl adsorbed on Si and Ge. Adsorbate-substrate atomic exchange during growth is shown to be important. The resulting interface is thus graded, but characterized by a very short length scale of about one monolayer.

Plasmonic nanohole arrays on Si-Ge heterostructures: an approach for integrated biosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augel, L.; Fischer, I. A.; Dunbar, L. A.; Bechler, S.; Berrier, A.; Etezadi, D.; Hornung, F.; Kostecki, K.; Ozdemir, C. I.; Soler, M.; Altug, H.; Schulze, J.

2016-03-01

Nanohole array surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors offer a promising platform for high-throughput label-free biosensing. Integrating nanohole arrays with group-IV semiconductor photodetectors could enable low-cost and disposable biosensors compatible to Si-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology that can be combined with integrated circuitry for continuous monitoring of biosamples and fast sensor data processing. Such an integrated biosensor could be realized by structuring a nanohole array in the contact metal layer of a photodetector. We used Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy to investigate nanohole arrays in a 100 nm Al film deposited on top of a vertical Si-Ge photodiode structure grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We find that the presence of a protein bilayer, constitute of protein AG and Immunoglobulin G (IgG), leads to a wavelength-dependent absorptance enhancement of ~ 8 %.

Kirkendall void formation in reverse step graded Si1-xGex/Ge/Si(001) virtual substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivadasan, Vineet; Rhead, Stephen; Leadley, David; Myronov, Maksym

2018-02-01

Formation of Kirkendall voids is demonstrated in the Ge underlayer of reverse step graded Si1-xGex/Ge buffer layers grown on Si(001) using reduced pressure chemical vapour deposition (RP-CVD). This phenomenon is seen when the constant composition Si1-xGex layer is grown at high temperatures and for x ≤ 0.7. The density and size of the spherical voids can be tuned by changing Ge content in the Si1-xGex and other growth parameters.

SiGe:C Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors: From Materials Research to Chip Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruecker, H.; Heinemann, B.; Knoll, D.; Ehwald, K.-E.

Incorporation of substitutional carbon ( ~10^20 cm^-3) into the SiGe region of a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) strongly reduces boron diffusion during device processing. We describe the physical mechanism behind the suppression of B diffusion in C-rich Si and SiGe, and explain how the increased thermal stability of doping profiles in SiGe:C HBTs can be used to improve device performance. Manufacturability of SiGe:C HBTs with transit frequencies of 100 GHz and maximum oscillation frequencies of 130 GHz is demonstrated in a BiCMOS technology capable of fabricating integrated circuits for radio frequencies with high yield.

Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y} light emitting diodes on silicon for mid-infrared photonic applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallagher, J. D.; Xu, C.; Menéndez, J.

This paper reports initial the demonstration of prototype Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y} light emitting diodes with distinct direct and indirect edges and high quality I-V characteristics. The devices are fabricated on Si (100) wafers in heterostructure pin geometry [n-Ge/i-Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y}/p-Ge(Sn/Si)] using ultra low-temperature (T < 300 °C) depositions of the highly reactive chemical sources Si{sub 4}H{sub 10}, Ge{sub 4}H{sub 10}, Ge{sub 3}H{sub 8}, and SnD{sub 4}. The Sn content in the i-Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y} layer was varied from ∼3.5% to 11%, while the Si content was kept constant near 3%. The Si/Sn amounts in the p-layer were selected to mitigatemore » the lattice mismatch so that the top interface grows defect-free, thereby reducing the deleterious effects of mismatch-induced dislocations on the optical/electrical properties. The spectral responsivity plots of the devices reveal sharp and well-defined absorption edges that systematically red-shift in the mid-IR from 1750 to 2100 nm with increasing Sn content from 3.5% to 11%. The electroluminescence spectra reveal strong direct-gap emission peaks and weak lower energy shoulders attributed to indirect gaps. Both peaks in a given spectrum red-shift with increasing Sn content and their separation decreases as the material approaches direct gap conditions in analogy with binary Ge{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y} counterparts. These findings-combined with the enhanced thermal stability of Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y} relative to Ge{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y} and the observation that ternary alloy disorder does not adversely affect the emission properties—indicate that Ge{sub 1−x−y}Si{sub x}Sn{sub y} may represent a practical target system for future generations of group-IV light sources on Si.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drozdov, Yu. N., E-mail: drozdyu@ipmras.ru; Drozdov, M. N.; Yunin, P. A.

It is demonstrated using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy that elastic stresses in GeSi layers on Si (115) substrates relax more effectively than in the same layers on Si (001) substrates. This fact is attributed to the predominant contribution of one of the (111) slip planes on the (115) cut. The atomicforce-microscopy image of the GeSi/Si(115) surface reveals unidirectional slip planes, while the GeSi/Si(001) image contains a grid of orthogonal lines and defects at the points of their intersection. As a result, thick GeSi layers on Si (115) have a reduced surface roughness. A technique for calculating the parametersmore » of relaxation of the layer on the Si (115) substrate using X-ray diffraction data is discussed.« less

Impacts of excimer laser annealing on Ge epilayer on Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhiwei; Mao, Yichen; Yi, Xiaohui; Lin, Guangyang; Li, Cheng; Chen, Songyan; Huang, Wei; Wang, Jianyuan

2017-02-01

The impacts of excimer laser annealing on the crystallinity of Ge epilayers on Si substrate grown by low- and high-temperature two-step approach in an ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition system were investigated. The samples were treated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) at various laser power densities with the temperature above the melting point of Ge, while below that of Si, resulting in effective reduction of point defects and dislocations in the Ge layer with smooth surface. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of X-ray diffraction patterns of the low-temperature Ge epilayer decreases with the increase in laser power density, indicating the crystalline improvement and negligible effect of Ge-Si intermixing during ELA processes. The short laser pulse time and large cooling rate cause quick melting and recrystallization of Ge epilayer on Si in the non-thermal equilibrium process, rendering tensile strain in Ge epilayer as calculated quantitatively with thermal mismatch between Si and Ge. The FWHM of X-ray diffraction patterns is significantly reduced for the two-step grown samples after treated by a combination of ELA and conventional furnace thermal annealing, indicating that the crystalline of Ge epilayer is improved more effectively with pre- annealing by excimer laser.

Controllable growth of GeSi nanostructures by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yingjie; Zhou, Tong; Zhong, Zhenyang; Jiang, Zuimin

2018-06-01

We present an overview on the recent progress achieved on the controllable growth of diverse GeSi alloy nanostructures by molecular beam epitaxy. Prevailing theories for controlled growth of Ge nanostructures on patterned as well as inclined Si surfaces are outlined firstly, followed by reviews on the preferential growth of Ge nanoislands on patterned Si substrates, Ge nanowires and high density nanoislands grown on inclined Si surfaces, and the readily tunable Ge nanostructures on Si nanopillars. Ge nanostructures with controlled geometries, spatial distributions and densities, including two-dimensional ordered nanoislands, three-dimensional ordered quantum dot crystals, ordered nanorings, coupled quantum dot molecules, ordered nanowires and nanopillar alloys, are discussed in detail. A single Ge quantum dot-photonic crystal microcavity coupled optical emission device demonstration fabricated by using the preferentially grown Ge nanoisland technique is also introduced. Finally, we summarize the current technology status with a look at the future development trends and application challenges for controllable growth of Ge nanostructures. Project supports by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61605232, 61674039) and the Open Research Project of State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics from Fudan University (Nos. KF2016_15s, KF2017_05).

Strong room temperature electroluminescence from lateral p-SiGe/i-Ge/n-SiGe heterojunction diodes on silicon-on-insulator substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Guangyang; Yi, Xiaohui; Li, Cheng; Chen, Ningli; Zhang, Lu; Chen, Songyan; Huang, Wei; Wang, Jianyuan; Xiong, Xihuan; Sun, Jiaming

2016-10-01

A lateral p-Si0.05Ge0.95/i-Ge/n-Si0.05Ge0.95 heterojunction light emitting diode on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate was proposed, which is profitable to achieve higher luminous extraction compared to vertical junctions. Due to the high carrier injection ratio of heterostructures and optical reflection at the SiO2/Si interface of the SOI, strong room temperature electroluminescence (EL) at around 1600 nm from the direct bandgap of i-Ge with 0.30% tensile strain was observed. The EL peak intensity of the lateral heterojunction is enhanced by ˜4 folds with a larger peak energy than that of the vertical Ge p-i-n homojunction, suggesting that the light emitting efficiency of the lateral heterojunction is effectively improved. The EL peak intensity of the lateral heterojunction, which increases quadratically with injection current density, becomes stronger for diodes with a wider i-Ge region. The CMOS compatible fabrication process of the lateral heterojunctions paves the way for the integration of the light source with the Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor.

Canadian Semiconductor Technology Conference, 6th, Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 11-13, 1992, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baribeau, Jean-Marc

1992-11-01

This volume contains papers on the growth efficiency and distribution coefficient of GaInP-InP epilayers and heterostructures, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of Ge epilayers on Si(100), and mechanical properties of silicon carbide films for X-ray lithography application. Attention is also given to fine structure in Raman spectroscopy and X-ray reflectometry and its uses for the characterization of superlattices, phase formation in Fe-Si thin-film diffusion couples, process optimization for a micromachined silicon nonreverse valve, and a numerical study of heat transport in thermally isolated flow-rate microsensors. Particular consideration is given to a versatile 2D model for InGaAsP quantum-well semiconductor lasers, gallium arsenide electronics in the marketplace, and optical channel grading in p-type Si/SiGe MOSFETs. Other papers are on ultrafast electron tunneling in a reverse-biased high-efficiency quantum well laser structure, excess currents as a result of trap-assisted tunneling in double-barrier resonant tunneling diodes, and carrier lifetimes in strained InGaAsP multiple quantum-well laser structures.

Role of surface energy on the morphology and optical properties of GaP micro & nano structures grown on polar and non-polar substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychowdhury, R.; Kumar, Shailendra; Wadikar, A.; Mukherjee, C.; Rajiv, K.; Sharma, T. K.; Dixit, V. K.

2017-10-01

Role of surface energy on the morphology, crystalline quality, electronic structure and optical properties of GaP layer grown on Si (001), Si (111), Ge (111) and GaAs (001) is investigated. GaP layers are grown on four different substrates under identical growth kinetics by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. The atomic force microscopy images show that GaP layer completely covers the surface of GaAs substrate. On the other hand, the surfaces of Si (001), Si (111), Ge (111) substrates are partially covered with crystallographically morphed GaP island type micro and nano-structures. Origin of these crystallographically morphed GaP island is explained by the theoretical calculation of surface energy of the layer and corresponding substrates respectively. The nature of GaP island type micro and nano-structures and layers are single crystalline with existence of rotational twins on Si and Ge (111) substrates which is confirmed by the phi, omega and omega/2theta scans of high resolution x-ray diffraction. The electronic valence band offsets between the GaP and substrates have been determined from the valence band spectra of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence electron plasmon of GaP are investigated by studying the energy values of Ga (3d) core level along with loss peaks in the energy dependent photoelectron spectra. The peak observed within the range of 3-6 eV from the Ga (3d) core level in the photoelectron spectra are associated to inter band transitions as their energy values are estimated from the pseudo dielectric function by the spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Ge-rich graded-index Si1-xGex devices for MID-IR integrated photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, J. M.; Vakarin, V.; Liu, Q.; Frigerio, J.; Ballabio, A.; Le Roux, X.; Benedikovic, D.; Alonso-Ramos, C.; Isella, G.; Vivien, L.; Marris-Morini, D.

2018-02-01

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) silicon photonics is becoming a prominent research with remarkable potential in several applications such as in early medical diagnosis, safe communications, imaging, food safety and many more. In the quest for the best material platform to develop new photonic systems, Si and Ge depart with a notable advantage over other materials due to the high processing maturity accomplished during the last part of the 20th century through the deployment of the CMOS technology. From an optical viewpoint, combining Si with Ge to obtain SiGe alloys with controlled stoichiometry is also of interest for the photonic community since permits to increase the effective refractive index and the nonlinear parameter, providing a fascinating playground to exploit nonlinear effects. Furthermore, using Ge-rich SiGe gives access to a range of deep mid-IR wavelengths otherwise inaccessible (λ 2-20 μm). In this paper, we explore for the first time the limits of this approach by measuring the spectral loss characteristic over a broadband wavelength range spanning from λ = 5.5 μm to 8.5 μm. Three different SiGe waveguide platforms are compared, each one showing higher compactness than the preceding through the engineering of the vertical Ge profile, giving rise to different confinement characteristics to the propagating modes. A flat propagation loss characteristic of 2-3 dB/cm over the entire wavelength span is demonstrated in Ge-rich graded-index SiGe waveguides of only 6 μm thick. Also, the role of the overlap fraction of the confined optical mode with the Si-rich area at the bottom side of the epitaxial SiGe waveguide is put in perspective, revealing a lossy characteristic compared to the other designs were the optical mode is located in the Ge-rich area at the top of the waveguide uniquely. These Ge-rich graded-index SiGe waveguides may pave the way towards a new generation of photonic integrated circuits operating at deep mid-IR wavelengths.

Lattice dynamics of Ru2FeX (X = Si, Ge) Full Heusler alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizwan, M.; Afaq, A.; Aneeza, A.

2018-05-01

In present work, the lattice dynamics of Ru2FeX (X = Si, Ge) full Heusler alloys are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) in a plane wave basis, with norm-conserving pseudopotentials. Phonon dispersion curves and phonon density of states are obtained using first-principles linear response approach of density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) as implemented in Quantum ESPRESSO code. Phonon dispersion curves indicates for both Heusler alloys that there is no imaginary phonon in whole Brillouin zone, confirming dynamical stability of these alloys in L21 type structure. There is a considerable overlapping between acoustic and optical phonon modes predicting no phonon band gap exists in dispersion curves of alloys. The same result is shown by phonon density of states curves for both Heusler alloys. Reststrahlen band for Ru2FeSi is found smaller than Ru2FeGe.

5 MeV Proton irradiation effects on 200 GHz silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnana Prakash, A. P.; Hegde, Vinayakprasanna N.; Pradeep, T. M.; Pushpa, N.; Bajpai, P. K.; Patel, S. P.; Trivedi, Tarkeshwar; Cressler, J. D.

2017-12-01

The total dose effects of 5 MeV proton and Co-60 gamma irradiation in the dose range from 1 to 100 Mrad on advanced 200 GHz Silicon-Germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) are investigated. The SRIM simulation study was conducted to understand the energy loss of 5 MeV proton ions in SiGe HBT structure. Pre- and post-radiation DC figure of merits such as forward- and inverse-mode Gummel characteristics, excess base current, DC current gain and output characteristics were used to quantify the radiation tolerance of the devices. The results show that the proton creates a significant amount of damages in the surface and bulk of the transistor when compared with gamma irradiation. The SiGe HBTs shows robust ionizing radiation tolerance even up to a total dose of 100 Mrad for both radiations.

Evidence for the Activation of Shallow Preferential Flow Paths in a Tropical Panama Watershed Using Germanium and Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Christopher B.; Litt, Guy F.; Lyons, W. Berry; Ogden, Fred L.

2017-10-01

In humid tropical watersheds, the hydrologic flow paths taken by rain event waters and how they interact with groundwater and soil matrix water to form streamflow are poorly understood. Preferential flow paths (PFPs) confound storm infiltration processes, especially in the humid tropics where PFPs are common. This work applies germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) as natural flow path tracers in conjunction with water stable isotopes and electrical conductivity to examine the rapid delivery of shallow soil water, the activation of PFPs, and event water partitioning in an experimental catchment in central Panama. We employed a three-component mixing model for hydrograph separation using the following end-member waters: (i) base flow (high [Si], low [Ge], and low Ge/Si ratio), (ii) dilute canopy throughfall (low [Si] and low [Ge]), and (iii) shallow (<15 cm) soil matrix water (low [Si], high [Ge], and high Ge/Si ratio). These three end-members bounded all observed Ge/Si streamflow ratios. During small rain events (<˜24 mm), base flow and dilute canopy throughfall components dominated stormflow. During larger precipitation events (>˜35 mm), we detected the third shallow soil water component with an elevated [Ge] and Ge/Si ratio. This component reached its maximum during the hydrograph's receding limb coincident with the maximum event fraction, and increased proportionally to the total storm rainfall exceeding ˜35 mm. Only shallow (<15 cm) soil matrix water exhibited elevated Ge concentrations and high Ge/Si ratios. This third component represents rapidly delivered soil matrix water combined with shallow lateral PFP activation through which event waters interact with soil minerals.

Oxidation kinetics of Si and SiGe by dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation and dry furnace oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozé, Fabien; Gourhant, Olivier; Blanquet, Elisabeth; Bertin, François; Juhel, Marc; Abbate, Francesco; Pribat, Clément; Duru, Romain

2017-06-01

The fabrication of ultrathin compressively strained SiGe-On-Insulator layers by the condensation technique is likely a key milestone towards low-power and high performances FD-SOI logic devices. However, the SiGe condensation technique still requires challenges to be solved for an optimized use in an industrial environment. SiGe oxidation kinetics, upon which the condensation technique is founded, has still not reached a consensus in spite of various studies which gave insights into the matter. This paper aims to bridge the gaps between these studies by covering various oxidation processes relevant to today's technological needs with a new and quantitative analysis methodology. We thus address oxidation kinetics of SiGe with three Ge concentrations (0%, 10%, and 30%) by means of dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation, and dry furnace oxidation. Oxide thicknesses in the 50 Å to 150 Å range grown with oxidation temperatures between 850 and 1100 °C were targeted. The present work shows first that for all investigated processes, oxidation follows a parabolic regime even for thin oxides, which indicates a diffusion-limited oxidation regime. We also observe that, for all investigated processes, the SiGe oxidation rate is systematically higher than that of Si. The amplitude of the variation of oxidation kinetics of SiGe with respect to Si is found to be strongly dependent on the process type. Second, a new quantitative analysis methodology of oxidation kinetics is introduced. This methodology allows us to highlight the dependence of oxidation kinetics on the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface, which is modulated by the pile-up mechanism. Our results show that the oxidation rate increases with the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface.

Novel growth techniques of group-IV based semiconductors on insulator for next-generation electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyao, Masanobu; Sadoh, Taizoh

2017-05-01

Recent progress in the crystal growth of group-IV-based semiconductor-on-insulators is reviewed from physical and technological viewpoints. Liquid-phase growth based on SiGe-mixing-triggered rapid-melting growth enables formation of hybrid (100) (110) (111)-orientation Ge-on-insulator (GOI) structures, which show defect-free GOI with very high carrier mobility (˜1040 cm2 V-1 s-1). Additionally, SiGe mixed-crystals with laterally uniform composition were obtained by eliminating segregation phenomena during the melt-back process. Low-temperature solid-phase growth has been explored by combining this process with ion-beam irradiation, additional doping of group-IV elements, metal induced lateral crystallization with/without electric field, and metal-induced layer exchange crystallization. These efforts have enabled crystal growth on insulators below 400 °C, achieving high carrier mobility (160-320 cm2 V-1 s-1). Moreover, orientation-controlled SiGe and Ge films on insulators have been obtained below the softening temperatures of conventional plastic films (˜300 °C). Detailed characterization provides an understanding of physical phenomena behind these crystal growth techniques. Applying these methods when fabricating next-generation electronics is also discussed.

Surface morphology and structure of Ge layer on Si(111) after solid phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Ryoma; Tosaka, Aki; Shigeta, Yukichi

2018-05-01

The surface morphology change of a Ge layer on a Si(111) surface formed by solid phase epitaxy has been investigated with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The Ge film was deposited at room temperature and annealed at 400 °C or 600 °C. The STM images of the sample surface after annealing at 400 °C show a flat wetting layer (WL) with small three-dimensional islands on the WL. After annealing at 600 °C, the STM images show a surface roughening with large islands. From the relation between the average height of the roughness and the deposited layer thickness, it is confirmed that the diffusion of Ge atoms becomes very active at 600 °C. The Si crystal at the interface is reconstructed and the intermixing occurs over 600 °C. However, the intermixing is fairly restricted in the solid phase epitaxy growth at 400 °C. The surface morphology changes with the crystallization at 400 °C are discussed by the shape of the islands formed on the WL surface. It is shown that the diffusion of the Ge atoms in the amorphous phase is active even at 400 °C.

Magnetotransport and Heat Capacity in Ternary Compounds U3M2M‧3‧, M=Al, Ga; M=Si, Ge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troć, R.; Rogl, P.; Tran, V. H.; Czopnik, A.

2001-05-01

We report detailed studies of magnetization, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistivity, and heat capacity performed on the novel family of intermetallic compounds U3M2M‧3, (M=Al, Ga, and M‧=Si, Ge). The present measurements support the earlier conclusions about the ferrimagnetic properties of silicides and ferromagnetic properties of germanides. The resistivity for both compounds U3{Al,Ga}2Si3 exhibits below TC a pronounced maximum observed for the first time in an actinoid-ferrimagnet, probably caused by (a) the reduction of the number of effective conduction carriers or (b) a SDW-type of spin-disorder scattering of electrons. Both low-temperature resistivity (except for U3Ga2Si3) and heat capacity may be described by a T-dependence involving a small gap Δ on the order of 30-50 K in the magnon dispersion. The Cp/T values at 2 K are enhanced and point to a medium-heavy fermion character of all these ternaries. Magnetoresistance for ferrimagnetic U3{Al,Ga}2Si3 is rather small but positive in correspondence of antiferromagnetic interactions. In correspondence to the ferromagnetic materials, negative magnetoresistance is encountered for U3{Al,Ga}2Ge3. Specific features in the temperature dependence of magnetoresistivity Δρ/ρ at various fields confirm the sinusoidal modulation of the magnetic structure for U3Al2Ge3 between 40 and 60 K. Also, such data for U3Ga2Ge3 present strong indications for a similar magnetic modulation between 63 and 93 K, yet to be discovered by neutron diffraction experiments. In addition, the transition at 63 K is furthermore well resolved in the specific heat data of U3Ga2Ge3.

An investigation of the effects of radiation exposure on stability constraints in epitaxial SiGe strained layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tianbing; Sutton, Akil K.; Haugerud, Becca M.; Henderson, Walter; Gnana Prakash, A. P.; Cressler, John D.; Doolittle, Alan; Liu, Xuefeng; Joseph, Alvin; Marshall, Paul W.

2006-07-01

The thermodynamic stability of device-relevant epitaxial SiGe strained layers under proton irradiation is investigated using X-ray diffraction techniques, and compared with its stability constrain under high-temperature annealing. Irradiation with 63 MeV protons is found to introduce no significant microdefects into the SiGe thin films, regardless of starting stability condition of the SiGe film, and thus does not appear to be an issue for the use of SiGe HBT technology in emerging space systems. The strain relaxation of SiGe thin film under thermal annealing, however, is sensitive to the composition and thickness of the as-grown samples, as expected, with the subsequent lattice relaxation of the unstable samples occurring at a much higher rate than that of metastable samples.

Elemental boron-doped p(+)-SiGe layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy for infrared detector applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, T. L.; George, T.; Jones, E. W.; Ksendzov, A.; Huberman, M. L.

1992-01-01

SiGe/Si heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) detectors have been fabricated utilizing molecular beam epitaxy of p(+)-SiGe layers on p(-)-Si substrates. Elemental boron from a high-temperature effusion cell was used as the dopant source during MBE growth, and high doping concentrations have been achieved. Strong infrared absorption, mainly by free-carrier absorption, was observed for the degenerately doped SiGe layers. The use of elemental boron as the dopant source allows a low MBE growth temperature, resulting in improved crystalline quality and smooth surface morphology of the Si(0.7)Ge(0.3) layers. Nearly ideal thermionic emission dark current characteristics have been obtained. Photoresponse of the HIP detectors in the long-wavelength infrared regime has been demonstrated.

Unique Pressure versus Temperature Phase Diagram for Antiferromagnets Eu2Ni3Ge5 and EuRhSi3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakashima, Miho; Amako, Yasushi; Matsubayashi, Kazuyuki; Uwatoko, Yoshiya; Nada, Masato; Sugiyama, Kiyohiro; Hagiwara, Masayuki; Haga, Yoshinori; Takeuchi, Tetsuya; Nakamura, Ai; Akamine, Hiromu; Tomori, Keisuke; Yara, Tomoyuki; Ashitomi, Yosuke; Hedo, Masato; Nakama, Takao; Ōnuki, Yoshichika

2017-03-01

We studied the magnetic properties of the antiferromagnets Eu2Ni3Ge5 and EuRhSi3 by measuring their electrical resistivity, specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, and thermoelectric power, together with the electrical resistivities at high pressures of up to 15 GPa. These compounds have almost divalent Eu ions at ambient pressure and order antiferromagnetically with a successive change in the antiferromagnetic structure at TN = 19 K and T'N = 17 K in Eu2Ni3Ge5, and at TN = 49 K and T'N = 45 K in EuRhSi3. Magnetic field versus temperature (H-T) phase diagrams were constructed for both compounds from the magnetization measurements. The Néel temperature in Eu2Ni3Ge5 was found to increase up to 7 GPa but to decrease continuously with further increasing pressure, without the so-called valence transition. Under a high pressure of 15 GPa, Kondo-like behavior of the electrical resistivity was observed, suggesting the existence of the heavy-fermion state at low temperatures. A similar trend is likely to occur in EuRhSi3. The present P-T phase diagrams for both compounds are the first cases that are reminiscent of the phase diagram of EuCu2(SixGe1-x)2.

Tunnel current across linear homocatenated germanium chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuura, Yukihito

2014-01-01

The electronic transport properties of germanium oligomers catenating into linear chains (linear Ge chains) have been theoretically studied using first principle methods. The conduction mechanism of a Ge chain sandwiched between gold electrodes was analyzed based on the density of states and the eigenstates of the molecule in a two-probe environment. Like that of silicon chains (Si chains), the highest occupied molecular orbital of Ge chains contains the extended σ-conjugation of Ge 4p orbitals at energy levels close to the Fermi level; this is in contrast to the electronic properties of linear carbon chains. Furthermore, the conductance of a Ge chain is expected to decrease exponentially with molecular length L. The decay constant β, which is defined as e-βL, of a Ge chain is similar to that of a Si chain, whereas the conductance of the Ge chains is higher than that of Si chains even though the Ge-Ge bond length is longer than the Si-Si bond length.

Photoluminescent Au-Ge composite nanodots formation on SiO2 surface by ion induced dewetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, D. P.; Siva, V.; Singh, A.; Kanjilal, D.; Sahoo, P. K.

2017-09-01

Medium energy ion irradiation on a bilayer of Au and Ge on SiO2 is observed to result in gradual morphological evolution from an interconnected network to a nanodot array on the insulator surface. Structural and compositional analyses reveal composite nature of the nanodots, comprising of both Au and Ge. The growing nanostructures are found to be photoluminescent at room temperature where the emission intensity and wavelengths vary with morphology. The growth of such nanostructures can be understood in terms of dewetting of the metal layer under ion irradiation due to ion-induced melting along the ion tracks. The visible PL emission is found to be related with evolution of the Au-Ge nanodots. The study indicates a route towards single step synthesis of metal-semiconductor nanodots on insulator surface.

On atomic structure of Ge huts growing on the Ge/Si(001) wetting layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arapkina, Larisa V.; Yuryev, Vladimir A.

2013-09-01

Structural models of growing Ge hut clusters—pyramids and wedges—are proposed on the basis of data of recent STM investigations of nucleation and growth of Ge huts on the Si(001) surface in the process of molecular beam epitaxy. It is shown that extension of a hut base along ⟨110⟩ directions goes non-uniformly during the cluster growth regardless of its shape. Growing pyramids, starting from the second monolayer, pass through cyclic formation of slightly asymmetrical and symmetrical clusters, with symmetrical ones appearing after addition of every fourth monolayer. We suppose that pyramids of symmetrical configurations composed by 2, 6, 10, etc., monolayers over the wetting layer are more stable than asymmetrical ones. This might explain less stability of pyramids in comparison with wedges in dense arrays forming at low temperatures of Ge deposition. Possible nucleation processes of pyramids and wedges on wetting layer patches from identical embryos composed by 8 dimers through formation of 1 monolayer high 16-dimer nuclei different only in their symmetry is discussed. Schematics of these processes are presented. It is concluded from precise STM measurements that top layers of wetting layer patches are relaxed when huts nucleate on them.

On atomic structure of Ge huts growing on the Ge/Si(001) wetting layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arapkina, Larisa V.; Yuryev, Vladimir A.

Structural models of growing Ge hut clusters—pyramids and wedges—are proposed on the basis of data of recent STM investigations of nucleation and growth of Ge huts on the Si(001) surface in the process of molecular beam epitaxy. It is shown that extension of a hut base along <110> directions goes non-uniformly during the cluster growth regardless of its shape. Growing pyramids, starting from the second monolayer, pass through cyclic formation of slightly asymmetrical and symmetrical clusters, with symmetrical ones appearing after addition of every fourth monolayer. We suppose that pyramids of symmetrical configurations composed by 2, 6, 10, etc., monolayersmore » over the wetting layer are more stable than asymmetrical ones. This might explain less stability of pyramids in comparison with wedges in dense arrays forming at low temperatures of Ge deposition. Possible nucleation processes of pyramids and wedges on wetting layer patches from identical embryos composed by 8 dimers through formation of 1 monolayer high 16-dimer nuclei different only in their symmetry is discussed. Schematics of these processes are presented. It is concluded from precise STM measurements that top layers of wetting layer patches are relaxed when huts nucleate on them.« less

Structural properties of templated Ge quantum dot arrays: impact of growth and pre-pattern parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tempeler, J.; Danylyuk, S.; Brose, S.; Loosen, P.; Juschkin, L.

2018-07-01

In this study we analyze the impact of process and growth parameters on the structural properties of germanium (Ge) quantum dot (QD) arrays. The arrays were deposited by molecular-beam epitaxy on pre-patterned silicon (Si) substrates. Periodic arrays of pits with diameters between 120 and 20 nm and pitches ranging from 200 nm down to 40 nm were etched into the substrate prior to growth. The structural perfection of the two-dimensional QD arrays was evaluated based on SEM images. The impact of two processing steps on the directed self-assembly of Ge QD arrays is investigated. First, a thin Si buffer layer grown on a pre-patterned substrate reshapes the pre-pattern pits and determines the nucleation and initial shape of the QDs. Subsequently, the deposition parameters of the Ge define the overall shape and uniformity of the QDs. In particular, the growth temperature and the deposition rate are relevant and need to be optimized according to the design of the pre-pattern. Applying this knowledge, we are able to fabricate regular arrays of pyramid shaped QDs with dot densities up to 7.2 × 1010 cm‑2.

Structural properties of templated Ge quantum dot arrays: impact of growth and pre-pattern parameters.

PubMed

Tempeler, J; Danylyuk, S; Brose, S; Loosen, P; Juschkin, L

2018-07-06

In this study we analyze the impact of process and growth parameters on the structural properties of germanium (Ge) quantum dot (QD) arrays. The arrays were deposited by molecular-beam epitaxy on pre-patterned silicon (Si) substrates. Periodic arrays of pits with diameters between 120 and 20 nm and pitches ranging from 200 nm down to 40 nm were etched into the substrate prior to growth. The structural perfection of the two-dimensional QD arrays was evaluated based on SEM images. The impact of two processing steps on the directed self-assembly of Ge QD arrays is investigated. First, a thin Si buffer layer grown on a pre-patterned substrate reshapes the pre-pattern pits and determines the nucleation and initial shape of the QDs. Subsequently, the deposition parameters of the Ge define the overall shape and uniformity of the QDs. In particular, the growth temperature and the deposition rate are relevant and need to be optimized according to the design of the pre-pattern. Applying this knowledge, we are able to fabricate regular arrays of pyramid shaped QDs with dot densities up to 7.2 × 10 10 cm -2 .

Computer analysis of microcrystalline silicon hetero-junction solar cell with lumerical FDTD/DEVICE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riaz, Muhammad; Earles, S. K.; Kadhim, Ahmed; Azzahrani, Ahmad

The computer analysis of tandem solar cell, c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe, is studied within Lumerical FDTD/Device 4.6. The optical characterization is performed in FDTD and then total generation rate is transported into DEVICE for electrical characterization. The electrical characterization of the solar cell is carried out in DEVICE. The design is implemented by staking three sub cells with band gap of 1.12eV, 1.50eV and 1.70eV, respectively. First, single junction solar cell with both a-Si and μc-SiGe absorbing layers are designed and compared. The thickness for both layers are kept the same. In a single junction, solar cell with a-Si absorbing layer, the fill factor and the efficiency are noticed as FF = 78.98%, and η = 6.03%. For μc-SiGe absorbing layer, the efficiency and fill factor are increased as η = 7.06% and FF = 84.27%, respectively. Second, for tandem thin film solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe, the fill factor FF = 81.91% and efficiency η = 9.84% have been noticed. The maximum efficiency for both single junction thin film solar cell c-Si/μc-SiGe and tandem solar cell c-Si/a-Si:H/μc-SiGe are improved with check board surface design for light trapping.

Dislocation-free Ge Nano-crystals via Pattern Independent Selective Ge Heteroepitaxy on Si Nano-Tip Wafers.

PubMed

Niu, Gang; Capellini, Giovanni; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Niermann, Tore; Zaumseil, Peter; Katzer, Jens; Krause, Hans-Michael; Skibitzki, Oliver; Lehmann, Michael; Xie, Ya-Hong; von Känel, Hans; Schroeder, Thomas

2016-03-04

The integration of dislocation-free Ge nano-islands was realized via selective molecular beam epitaxy on Si nano-tip patterned substrates. The Si-tip wafers feature a rectangular array of nanometer sized Si tips with (001) facet exposed among a SiO2 matrix. These wafers were fabricated by complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible nanotechnology. Calculations based on nucleation theory predict that the selective growth occurs close to thermodynamic equilibrium, where condensation of Ge adatoms on SiO2 is disfavored due to the extremely short re-evaporation time and diffusion length. The growth selectivity is ensured by the desorption-limited growth regime leading to the observed pattern independence, i.e. the absence of loading effect commonly encountered in chemical vapor deposition. The growth condition of high temperature and low deposition rate is responsible for the observed high crystalline quality of the Ge islands which is also associated with negligible Si-Ge intermixing owing to geometric hindrance by the Si nano-tip approach. Single island as well as area-averaged characterization methods demonstrate that Ge islands are dislocation-free and heteroepitaxial strain is fully relaxed. Such well-ordered high quality Ge islands present a step towards the achievement of materials suitable for optical applications.

Dislocation-free Ge Nano-crystals via Pattern Independent Selective Ge Heteroepitaxy on Si Nano-Tip Wafers

PubMed Central

Niu, Gang; Capellini, Giovanni; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Niermann, Tore; Zaumseil, Peter; Katzer, Jens; Krause, Hans-Michael; Skibitzki, Oliver; Lehmann, Michael; Xie, Ya-Hong; von Känel, Hans; Schroeder, Thomas

2016-01-01

The integration of dislocation-free Ge nano-islands was realized via selective molecular beam epitaxy on Si nano-tip patterned substrates. The Si-tip wafers feature a rectangular array of nanometer sized Si tips with (001) facet exposed among a SiO2 matrix. These wafers were fabricated by complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible nanotechnology. Calculations based on nucleation theory predict that the selective growth occurs close to thermodynamic equilibrium, where condensation of Ge adatoms on SiO2 is disfavored due to the extremely short re-evaporation time and diffusion length. The growth selectivity is ensured by the desorption-limited growth regime leading to the observed pattern independence, i.e. the absence of loading effect commonly encountered in chemical vapor deposition. The growth condition of high temperature and low deposition rate is responsible for the observed high crystalline quality of the Ge islands which is also associated with negligible Si-Ge intermixing owing to geometric hindrance by the Si nano-tip approach. Single island as well as area-averaged characterization methods demonstrate that Ge islands are dislocation-free and heteroepitaxial strain is fully relaxed. Such well-ordered high quality Ge islands present a step towards the achievement of materials suitable for optical applications. PMID:26940260

Semiconductor-metal nanostructures: Scanning tunneling microscopy investigation of the fullerene-gold and manganese-germanium-silicon system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hui

Nanostructures, assembled from a layer or cluster of atoms with size of the order of nanometers, have attracted much attention for decades, because it has been widely recognized that the properties of nanoscale materials are remarkably different from those of materials of large scale. As one of the most powerful techniques, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) has become an indispensable technique for studies in nanotechnology. This dissertation is focused on the investigation of the C60-Au system, which is relevant in photovoltaic applications and organic electronic devices, and the Mn-Ge-Si system which is central to the development of advanced spintronics system. The first part of the dissertation focuses on the C60-Au system. Exploring how fullerene molecules interact physically and electronically with each other and with other elements is highly relevant to the advancement of fullerene-based nanotechnology applications. The initial growth stage of C 60 thin film on graphite substrate has been investigated by STM at room temperature. It is observed that the C60 layer grows in a quasi-layer-by-layer mode and forms round 1st layer islands on the graphite surface. The fractal-dendritic growth of the 2nd layer islands has been successfully described by a combination of Monte Carlo simulation and molecular dynamics simulations. As a next step towards the application of fullerenes in device structures, the growth mechanisms of Au clusters on fullerene layers and co-deposition of Au and C60 were explored. The most prominent features of the growth of Au on C60 are the preferential nucleation of Au clusters at the graphite-first fullerene layer islands edge and the co-deposition of C60 and Au on graphite leading to the formation of highly organized structures, in which Au clusters are embedded in a ring of fullerene molecules with a constant width of about 4 nm. The second part of this dissertation concentrates on the Mn-Ge-Si system, a semiconductor/metal system, which is a potential building-block structure for the development of complex spin-electronic devices. In recent years the study of thin film magnetic materials and the doping of semiconductors with magnetically active dopant atoms has received increased attention due their potential applications in magnetic memory devices and spintronics. In particular, the importance of Mn-Ge-Si system emerges since it combines a technically relevant semiconductor surface with a metallic element with a large magnetic moment. The goal in this part is the early growth stage of Mn on a Si (100) 2x1surface, the formation of Mn-nanostructure and the interaction between Mn and Ge on the Si surface. The position of Mn atoms with respect to Si surface has been determined by high resolution STM images. It is found that Mn adatoms form relatively short monoatomic wires, with a typical length of 5 to about 20 atoms, which are oriented perpendicular to the Si-dimer rows. And at the same time, the modification of Si surface around Mn wires was observed. The formation of Mn silicide after annealing the sample was also studied. The stability of Mn wires during the growth of a Ge overlayer was investigated by comparing several STM images, which were taken at different bias voltages. Because of the different local density of states, Mn and Ge may be partially distinguished in STM images. It is turned out that Mn wires preserve their structures after the deposition of a small amount of Ge on the sample. And the growth of Ge at the early stage on Si surface has not been significantly influenced by the presence of Mn adatoms. In summary, an investigation of two semiconductor-metal nanostructures by STM has been reported in this dissertation.

High Electron Mobility SiGe/Si Transistor Structures on Sapphire Substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Mueller, Carl H.; Croke, Edward T.; Ponchak, George E.

2003-01-01

SiGe/Si n-type modulation doped field effect structures and transistors (n-MODFETs) have been fabricated on r-plane sapphire substrates. The structures were deposited using molecular beam epitaxy, and antimony dopants were incorporated via a delta doping process. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) indicates that the peak antimony, concentration was approximately 4 x 10(exp19) per cubic cm. The electron mobility was over 1,200 and 13,000 sq cm/V-sec at room temperature and 0.25 K, respectively. At these two temperatures, the electron carrier densities were 1.6 and 1.33 x 10(exp 12) per sq cm, thus demonstrating that carrier confinement was excellent. Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations were observed at 0.25 K, thus confirming the two-dimensional nature of the carriers. Transistors, with gate lengths varying from 1 micron to 5 microns, were fabricated using these structures and dc characterization was performed at room temperature. The saturated drain current region extended over a wide source-to-drain voltage (V(sub DS)) range, with (V(sub DS)) knee voltages of approximately 0.5 V and increased leakage starting at voltages slightly higher than 4 V.

Ge-rich islands grown on patterned Si substrates by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition.

PubMed

Bollani, M; Chrastina, D; Fedorov, A; Sordan, R; Picco, A; Bonera, E

2010-11-26

Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands grown on Si patterned substrates have received considerable attention during the last decade for potential applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this work we propose a new methodology to grow Ge-rich islands using a chemical vapour deposition technique. Electron-beam lithography is used to pre-pattern Si substrates, creating material traps. Epitaxial deposition of thin Ge films by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition then leads to the formation of Ge-rich Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands (x > 0.8) with a homogeneous size distribution, precisely positioned with respect to the substrate pattern. The island morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the Ge content and strain in the islands was studied by μRaman spectroscopy. This characterization indicates a uniform distribution of islands with high Ge content and low strain: this suggests that the relatively high growth rate (0.1 nm s(-1)) and low temperature (650 °C) used is able to limit Si intermixing, while maintaining a long enough adatom diffusion length to prevent nucleation of islands outside pits. This offers the novel possibility of using these Ge-rich islands to induce strain in a Si cap.

WSi2 in Si(1-x)Ge(x) Composites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Jonathan A.; Sehirlioglu, Alp; Dynys, Fred

2015-01-01

Traditional SiGe thermoelectrics have potential for enhanced figure of merit (ZT) via nano-structuring with a silicide phase, such as WSi2. A second phase of nano-sized silicides can theoretically reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity without significantly reducing the electrical conductivity. However, experimentally achieving such improvements in line with the theory is complicated by factors such as control of silicide size during sintering, dopant segregation, matrix homogeneity, and sintering kinetics. Samples were prepared using powder metallurgy techniques; including mechano-chemical alloying, via ball milling, and spark plasma sintering for densification. Processing, micro-structural development, and thermoelectric properties will be discussed. Additionally, couple and device level characterization will be introduced.

Performance analysis of SiGe double-gate N-MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.; Kapoor, D.; Sharma, R.

2017-04-01

The major purpose of this paper is to find an alternative configuration that not only minimizes the limitations of single-gate (SG) MOSFETs but also provides the better replacement for future technology. In this paper, the electrical characteristics of SiGe double-gate N-MOSFET are demonstrated and compared with electrical characteristics of Si double-gate N-MOSFET. Furthermore, in this paper the electrical characteristics of Si double-gate N-MOSFET are demonstrated and compared with electrical characteristics of Si single-gate N-MOSFET. The simulations are carried out for the device at different operational voltages using Cogenda Visual TCAD tool. Moreover, we have designed its structure and studied both {I}{{d}}{-}{V}{{g}} characteristics for different voltages namely 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 0.8, 1 and 1.5 V and {I}{{d}}{-}{V}{{d}} characteristics for different voltages namely 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 V at work functions 4.5, 4.6 and 4.8 eV for this structure. The performance parameters investigated in this paper are threshold voltage, DIBL, subthreshold slope, GIDL, volume inversion and MMCR.

Crystalline Electric Field Level Scheme of the Non-Centrosymmetric CePtSi3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueta, Daichi; Kobuke, Tomohiro; Yoshida, Masahiro; Yoshizawa, Hideki; Ikeda, Yoichi; Itoh, Shinichi; Yokoo, Tetsuya

2018-05-01

The crystalline electric field (CEF) excitations in CePtSi3 with the non-centrosymmetric structure were investigated by inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiment. CEF excitations were observed at 5.3 and 17.5 meV. We discuss the CEF parameters and wave function of CePtSi3 by comparing those of other CeTX3(T: transition metal, X: Si, Ge) systems.

Wet oxidation of GeSi strained layers by rapid thermal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, D. K.; Kamjoo, K.; Park, J. S.; Woo, J. C. S.; Wang, K. L.

1990-07-01

A cold-wall rapid thermal processor is used for the wet oxidation of the commensurately grown GexSi1-x layers on Si substrates. The rate of oxidation of the GexSi1-x layer is found to be significantly higher than that of pure Si, and the oxidation rate increases with the increase in the Ge content in GexSi1-x layer. The oxidation rate of GexSi1-x appears to decrease with increasing oxidation time for the time-temperature cycles considered here. Employing high-frequency and quasi-static capacitance-voltage measurements, it is found that a fixed negative oxide charge density in the range of 1011- 1012/cm2 and the interface trap level density (in the mid-gap region) of about 1012/cm2 eV are present. Further, the density of this fixed interface charge at the SiO2/GeSi interface is found to increase with the Ge concentration in the commensurately grown GeSi layers.

Doped Sc2C(OH)2 MXene: new type s-pd band inversion topological insulator.

PubMed

Balcı, Erdem; Akkuş, Ünal Özden; Berber, Savas

2018-04-18

The electronic structures of Si and Ge substitutionally doped Sc 2 C(OH) 2 MXene monolayers are investigated in density functional theory. The doped systems exhibit band inversion, and are found to be topological invariants in Z 2 theory. The inclusion of spin orbit coupling results in band gap openings. Our results point out that the Si and Ge doped Sc 2 C(OH) 2 MXene monolayers are topological insulators. The band inversion is observed to have a new mechanism that involves s and pd states.

Optical spectra, electronic structure and aromaticity of benzannulated N-heterocyclic carbene and its analogues of the type C6H4(NR)2E: (E = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb).

PubMed

Aysin, Rinat R; Bukalov, Sergey S; Leites, Larissa A; Zabula, Alexander V

2017-07-11

A series of benzannulated N-heterocyclic compounds containing divalent 14 group atoms, C 6 H 4 (NR) 2 E II , E = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, have been studied by various experimental (vibrational and UV-vis spectroscopy) and theoretical (NICS, ISE, ACID) techniques. The methods used confirm 10 π-electron delocalization (aromaticity) in these heterocycles, however, the aromaticity sequences estimated by the criteria based on different physical properties do not coincide.

Doped Sc2C(OH)2 MXene: new type s-pd band inversion topological insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcı, Erdem; Özden Akkuş, Ünal; Berber, Savas

2018-04-01

The electronic structures of Si and Ge substitutionally doped Sc2C(OH)2 MXene monolayers are investigated in density functional theory. The doped systems exhibit band inversion, and are found to be topological invariants in Z 2 theory. The inclusion of spin orbit coupling results in band gap openings. Our results point out that the Si and Ge doped Sc2C(OH)2 MXene monolayers are topological insulators. The band inversion is observed to have a new mechanism that involves s and pd states.

Superconductivity in Ternary Rare-Earth Transition Metal Silicides and Germanides with the SCANDIUM(5) COBALT(4) SILICON(10)-TYPE Structure.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Linda Sue

A systematic study of the superconducting and normal state properties of some ternary rare earth transition metal silicides and germanides of the Sc(,5)Co(,4)Si(,10) -type is reported in this work. Low temperature heat capacity measurements indicate the presence of a complicated phonon density of states in these structurally complex compounds. A better description of the phonon spectrum of the high T(,c) materials, Sc(,5)Rh(,4)Si(,10), Sc(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), and Y(,5)Os(,4)Ge(,10), given by a model proposed by Junod et al.('1), is presented and discussed. The large values of (DELTA)C/(gamma)(,n)T(,c) and the electron-phonon coupling constant for these high T(,c) compounds indicate that they are strong-coupled superconductors. Relative to other ternary superconductors, many of these materials have large Debye temperatures. The BSC theory does not seem to afford an adequate description of the supercon- ducting state in these compounds. DC electrical resistivity measurements on these compounds show resistivity behaviors deviating from those exhibited by simple metals. The (rho)(T) data for Y(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Rh(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), and Y(,5)Os(,4)Ge(,10), indicate the presence of anomalies. Static molar magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on these compounds indicate (1) a small effective magnetic moment of 0.26(mu)(,B) on the Co atom and (2) anomalous behaviors in the Lu(,5)Rh(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), Y(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Ir(,4)Ge(,10), and Y(,5)Rh(,4)Ge(,10) data. It is suggested that the same mechanism, namely, the forma- tion of a charge- or spin-density wave, is causing the anomalous behaviors in both the resistivity and susceptibility data. Lastly, upper critical magnetic field measurements were performed on Sc(,5)Co(,4)Si(,10), Sc(,5)Rh(,4)Si(,10), Sc(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Rh(,4)Si(,10), Lu(,5)Ir(,4)Si(,10), and Y(,5)Os(,4)Ge(,10). Relative to the other five samples, Y(,5)Os(,4)Ge(,10) exhibits very high values for (-dH(,c2)/dT)(,Tc) = 10.2 kOe/ K and H(,c2)(0) = 60.4 kOe. Comparing the value of (-dH(,c2)/dT)(,Tc) gained from the fit of the data to the WHH theory to the calculated (-dH(,c2)/dT)(,Tc) yields various degrees of agreement for these com- pounds. Indications are also that (1) there seems to be little or no. Pauli limiting and (2) the spin-orbit effect appears to be negligible in these compounds. *DOE Report IS-T-1215. This work was performed under contract No. W-7405-Eng-82 with the U. S. Department of Energy. ('1)A. Junod, D. Bichsel, and J. Muller, Helv. Phys. Acta 52, 580 (1979).

Characterization of strain relaxation behavior in Si1- x Ge x epitaxial layers by dry oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyunchul; Kim, Byongju; Koo, Sangmo; Park, Seran; Ko, Dae-Hong

2017-11-01

We fabricated fully strained Si0.77Ge0.23 epitaxial layers on Si substrates and investigated their strain relaxation behaviors under dry oxidation and the effect of oxidation temperatures and times. After the oxidation process, a Ge-rich layer was formed between the oxide and the remaining Si0.77Ge0.23 layer. Using reciprocal space mapping measurements, we confirmed that the strain of the Si0.77Ge0.23 layers was efficiently relaxed after oxidation, with a maximum relaxation value of 70% after oxidation at 850 °C for 120 min. The surface of Si0.77Ge0.23 layer after strain relaxation by dry oxidation was smoother than a thick Si0.77Ge0.23 layer, which achieved a similar strain relaxation value by increasing the film thickness. Additionally, N2 annealing was performed in order to compare its effect on the relaxation compared to dry oxidation and to identify relaxation mechanisms, other than the thermally driven ones, occurring during dry oxidation.

Significant reduction of thermal conductivity in Si/Ge core-shell nanowires.

PubMed

Hu, Ming; Giapis, Konstantinos P; Goicochea, Javier V; Zhang, Xiaoliang; Poulikakos, Dimos

2011-02-09

We report on the effect of germanium (Ge) coatings on the thermal transport properties of silicon (Si) nanowires using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that a simple deposition of a Ge shell of only 1 to 2 unit cells in thickness on a single crystalline Si nanowire can lead to a dramatic 75% decrease in thermal conductivity at room temperature compared to an uncoated Si nanowire. By analyzing the vibrational density states of phonons and the participation ratio of each specific mode, we demonstrate that the reduction in the thermal conductivity of Si/Ge core-shell nanowire stems from the depression and localization of long-wavelength phonon modes at the Si/Ge interface and of high frequency nonpropagating diffusive modes.

Characterization of Electrostatic Potential and Trapped Charge in Semiconductor Nanostructures using Off-Axis Electron Holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Zhaofeng

Off-axis electron holography (EH) has been used to characterize electrostatic potential, active dopant concentrations and charge distribution in semiconductor nanostructures, including ZnO nanowires (NWs) and thin films, ZnTe thin films, Si NWs with axial p-n junctions, Si-Ge axial heterojunction NWs, and Ge/Li xGe core/shell NW. The mean inner potential (MIP) and inelastic mean free path (IMFP) of ZnO NWs have been measured to be 15.3V+/-0.2V and 55+/-3nm, respectively, for 200keV electrons. These values were then used to characterize the thickness of a ZnO nano-sheet and gave consistent values. The MIP and IMFP for ZnTe thin films were measured to be 13.7+/-0.6V and 46+/-2nm, respectively, for 200keV electrons. A thin film expected to have a p-n junction was studied, but no signal due to the junction was observed. The importance of dynamical effects was systematically studied using Bloch wave simulations. The built-in potentials in Si NWs across the doped p-n junction and the Schottky junction due to Au catalyst were measured to be 1.0+/-0.3V and 0.5+/-0.3V, respectively. Simulations indicated that the dopant concentrations were ~1019cm-3 for donors and ~1017 cm-3 for acceptors. The effects of positively charged Au catalyst, a possible n+-n --p junction transition region and possible surface charge, were also systematically studied using simulations. Si-Ge heterojunction NWs were studied. Dopant concentrations were extracted by atom probe tomography. The built-in potential offset was measured to be 0.4+/-0.2V, with the Ge side lower. Comparisons with simulations indicated that Ga present in the Si region was only partially activated. In situ EH biasing experiments combined with simulations indicated the B dopant in Ge was mostly activated but not the P dopant in Si. I-V characteristic curves were measured and explained using simulations. The Ge/LixGe core/shell structure was studied during lithiation. The MIP for LixGe decreased with time due to increased Li content. A model was proposed to explain the lower measured Ge potential, and the trapped electron density in Ge core was calculated to be 3x1018 electrons/cm3. The Li amount during lithiation was also calculated using MIP and volume ratio, indicating that it was lower than the fully lithiated phase.

Anisotropy of Seebeck coefficient in Si/Ge composite quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsin, Cheng-Lun, E-mail: clhsin@ee.ncu.edu.tw; Tsai, Yue-Yun; Lee, Sheng-Wei

2016-08-22

In this report, Si{sub 5}Ge{sub 5} alloy and Si/Ge composite quantum dots (CQDs) layers were grown on Si substrates. Seebeck coefficient (S) of Si and Ge wafers, as well as these two samples, were patterned and measured from 60 to 180 °C in [110] and [010] directions. For Si, Ge, and Si{sub 5}Ge{sub 5}, the S of each is a constant in this temperature range. However, the S of the CQDs at 60–80 °C is anomalous and much higher than the others. The behavior of the voltage difference is linear to the temperature difference even as large as 50 °C, except for CQDsmore » at 60–80 °C. This result indicates that a narrow distribution of carriers energy with a sharp change in density of state near Fermi-level and selective carrier scattering in the miniband at Si/Ge interface make the discrepancy of charge transport enhanced. The CQDs can be a good candidate for temperature sensing and thermoelectric applications due to their high S and low thermal conductivity near room temperature.« less

Fabrication and ferromagnetism of Si-SiGe/MnGe core-shell nanopillars.

PubMed

Wang, Liming; Liu, Tao; Wang, Shuguang; Zhong, Zhenyang; Jia, Quanjie; Jiang, Zuimin

2016-10-07

Si-Si0.5Ge0.5/Mn0.08Ge0.92 core-shell nanopillar samples were fabricated on ordered Si nanopillar patterned substrates by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperatures. The magnetic properties of the samples are found to depend heavily on the growth temperature of the MnGe layer. The sample grown at a moderate temperature of 300 °C has the highest Curie temperature of 240 K as well as the strongest ferromagnetic signals. On the basis of the microstructural results, the ferromagnetic properties of the samples are believed to come from the intrinsic Mn-doped amorphous or crystalline Ge ferromagnetic phase rather than any intermetallic ferromagnetic compounds of Mn and Ge. After being annealed at a temperature of 500 °C, all the samples exhibit the same Curie temperature of 220 K, which is in sharp contrast to the different Curie temperature for the as-grown samples, and the ferromagnetism for the annealed samples comes from Mn5GeSi2 compounds which are formed during the annealing.

Two-Dimensional Large Gap Topological Insulators with Tunable Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling in Group-IV films

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shou-juan; Ji, Wei-xiao; Zhang, Chang-wen; Li, Ping; Wang, Pei-ji

2017-01-01

The coexistence of nontrivial topology and giant Rashba splitting, however, has rare been observed in two-dimensional (2D) films, limiting severely its potential applications at room temperature. Here, we through first-principles calculations to propose a series of inversion-asymmetric group-IV films, ABZ2 (A ≠ B = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb; Z = F, Cl, Br), whose stability are confirmed by phonon spectrum calculations. The analyses of electronic structures reveal that they are intrinsic 2D TIs with a bulk gap as large as 0.74 eV, except for GeSiF2, SnSiCl2, GeSiCl2 and GeSiBr2 monolayers which can transform from normal to topological phases under appropriate tensile strain of 4, 4, 5, and 4%, respectively. The nontrivial topology is identified by Z2 topological invariant together with helical edge states, as well as the berry curvature of these systems. Another prominent intriguing feature is the giant Rashba spin splitting with a magnitude reaching 0.15 eV, the largest value reported in 2D films so far. The tunability of Rashba SOC and band topology can be realized through achievable compressive/tensile strains (−4 ~ 6%). Also, the BaTe semiconductor is an ideal substrate for growing ABZ2 films without destroying their nontrivial topology. PMID:28368035