PROJECT TITLE :

Formation of GeSn alloy on Si(100) by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy

ABSTRACT:

GeSn alloys grown on Si(100) by the low-temperature (100 °C) molecular beam epitaxy are studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that the effect of Sn as a surfactant modifies substantially the low-temperature growth mechanism of Ge on Si. Instead of the formation of small Ge islands surrounded by amorphous Ge, in the presence of Sn, the growth of pure Ge islands appears via the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, and a partially relaxed Ge1−xSnx alloy layer with the high Sn-fraction up to 40 at. % is formed in the area between them. It is shown that the observed growth mode induced by high surface mobility of Sn and the large strain of the pseudomorphic state of Ge to Si ensures the minimum elastic-strain energy of the structure.