Correlation between leakage current density and threading dislocation density in SiGe <i>p-i-n</i> diodes grown on relaxed graded buffer layers

Giovane, Laura M.; Luan, Hsin-Chiao; Agarwal, Anuradha M.; Kimerling, Lionel C.

doi:10.1063/1.1341230

Cited by 174 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…2). Qualitatively these images are very similar to those obtained previously [4,10,11], where they were associated with bunches of misfit dislocations. It should be noted that in both structures the EBIC images obtained in the same place at different energies reveal practically the same structure (Fig.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Therefore, a partial strain relaxation could occur during subsequent thermal processing resulting in formation of the misfit dislocations at the strained-Si/SiGe interface. The misfit and threading dislocations in the strained Si layer can essentially affect the device performance [4][5][6]. An additional factor affecting the device performance is the cross-hatching, a large-scale roughness inherent in such structures due to the stress fields associated with the underlying misfit dislocations generated during relaxation in the graded SiGe layer [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) technique is well suited for such investigation [8,9]. It has been shown [4,10,11] that this method allows to detect misfit dislocations in the graded SiGe and threading dislocations. At low beam energy the contrast inside the depletion region was observed [10,11], which was ascribed to misfit dislocations near strained Si/SiGe interface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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EBIC characterization of strained Si/SiGe heterostructures

et al. 2007

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Strained-Si/SiGe heterostructure is studied by the EBIC. The effect of annealing at 800• C is investigated. The EBIC images obtained at different beam energies are analyzed. The analysis of images obtained shows that misfit dislocation bunches in the graded SiGe layer could not explain the cross-hatch contrast dependence on Eb. Therefore, at least a part of this contrast should be associated with other defects located closer to the depletion region. It is assumed that dislocation trails could play a role of such defects.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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EBIC characterization of strained Si/SiGe heterostructures

et al. 2007

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“…During the device processing, such as the post-growth annealing and ion implantation of a strained silicon layer, the strain begins to relax via the generation of defects, especially misfit/threading dislocations, and Ge interdiffusion, which degrade the device performance by decreasing the charge mobility and increasing the leakage current [5][6][7][8]. Since threading dislocations (TDs) have a major influence upon device performance, many alternative processes for reducing their density have been suggested [9,10]. As the misfit dislocation density depends on the materials involved, it will be mainly determined by the lattice mismatch and different thermal coefficients rather than the growth condition due to its intrinsic nature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural characterization of strained silicon grown on a SiGe buffer layer

Jang

Phen

Gerger

et al. 2008

Semicond. Sci. Technol.

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The microstructure of about 50 nm thick strained-Si/Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 /graded-SiGe/Si-substrate layers grown by MBE (molecular beam epitaxy) was characterized using high-resolution x-ray based characterization techniques. The degree of relaxation of the Si-capping layer after a thermal anneal at 800• C for 30 min was determined using reciprocal space map (RSM) scans recorded around the (1 1 3) diffraction plane. However, since a RSM is not suitable when the strain relaxation is very small, x-ray reflectivity (XRR) and omega rocking curves (ω-RCs) were employed for the relaxation study. XRR spectra were collected and analyzed to obtain thickness, Ge concentration and surface/interfacial roughness information of the as-grown and annealed samples. ω-RCs were performed in order to investigate the crystalline quality of the samples. It was found that the annealed strained layer showed higher Lorentzian fraction in ω-RCs and misfit defect density which were caused by strain relaxation. In addition, the results showed that after the annealing process the broadening in the tail region of the ω-RCs was indicative of a change in the coherence length distribution of the crystallite size. The misfit defects and surface morphology obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations were consistent with results obtained from the x-ray based characterization techniques.

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“…5 However, many of these device architectures rely on latticemismatched epitaxy, for which threading dislocations are inevitable. Because these dislocations act as recombination centers for charge carriers [6][7][8] and reduce the device efficiency, the density of dislocations in the active region of the device must be minimized, generally by carefully varying the lattice constant in a thick graded layer. [9][10][11] It may also be possible to mitigate the impact of these dislocations via passivation with impurities, [12][13][14][15] or by controlling the type 16 or direction of the remaining dislocations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Period-doubling reconstructions of semiconductor partial dislocations

et al. 2015

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Atomic-scale understanding and control of dislocation cores is of great technological importance, because they act as recombination centers for charge carriers in optoelectronic devices. Using hybrid density-functional calculations, we present period-doubling reconstructions of a 90°partial dislocation in GaAs, for which the periodicity of like-atom dimers along the dislocation line varies from one to two, to four dimers. The electronic properties of a dislocation change drastically with each period doubling. The dimers in the single-period dislocation are able to interact, to form a dispersive one-dimensional band with deep-gap states. However, the inter-dimer interaction for the double-period dislocation becomes significantly reduced; hence, it is free of mid-gap states. The Ga core undergoes a further period-doubling transition to a quadruple-period reconstruction induced by the formation of small hole polarons. The competition between these dislocation phases suggests a new passivation strategy via population manipulation of the detrimental single-period phase.

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Correlation between leakage current density and threading dislocation density in SiGe p-i-n diodes grown on relaxed graded buffer layers

Cited by 174 publications

References 14 publications

EBIC characterization of strained Si/SiGe heterostructures

EBIC characterization of strained Si/SiGe heterostructures

Structural characterization of strained silicon grown on a SiGe buffer layer

Period-doubling reconstructions of semiconductor partial dislocations

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