The organization of coherent three-dimensional islands during the growth of SiGe/Si multilayers on Si(100) was investigated with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Merging of islands of different initial size is found to be the dominant mechanism leading to a uniform size distribution. Upon overgrowth with Si, we observe a change of the shape of the islands from the {105}-faceted “hut” to a boxlike shape bounded on top by a (100) facet.
The nanomechanical properties of thin silicon films will become increasingly critical in semiconductor devices, particularly in the context of substrates that consist of a silicon film on an insulating layer (known as silicon-on-insulator, or SOI, substrates). Here we use very small germanium crystals as a new type of nanomechanical stressor to demonstrate a surprising mechanical behaviour of the thin layer of silicon in SOI substrates, and to show that there is a large local reduction in the viscosity of the oxide on which the silicon layer rests. These findings have implications for the use of SOI substrates in nanoelectronic devices.
In this article we study the electroluminescence of p-i-n diode structures with Ge dots consisting of coherent three-dimensional small ͑pyramids͒ and larger ͑dome͒ islands. The Ge dots are formed through strain-induced islanding. The diode structures, including one layer with Ge dots, were deposited on Si mesas with variable areas in order to study the influence of limited area deposition on self-assembling. It was observed that the reduction of deposited area improves island uniformity. The combined analysis of island distribution and electroluminescence spectra has lead to the conclusion that domes in small diodes have a smaller Si content or are less relaxed than domes in larger diodes. The diodes are found to emit up to room temperature near the optical communication wavelength of 1.3 microns.
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