Tuning Superconductivity in Nanosecond Laser‐Annealed Boron‐Doped Si_1–xGe_x Epilayers

Abstract

Superconductivity in ultradoped Si1−xGex:B epilayers is demonstrated by nanosecond laser doping, which allows introducing substitutional B concentrations well above the solubility limit and up to 7 at%. A Ge fraction x ranging from 0 to 0.21 is incorporated in Si:B: 1) through a precursor gas, by gas immersion laser doping; 2) by ion implantation, followed by nanosecond laser annealing; and 3) by ultrahigh‐vacuum‐chemical vapor deposition growth of a thin Ge layer, followed by nanosecond laser annealing. The 30 and 75 nm‐thick Si1−xGex:B epilayers display superconducting critical temperatures Tc tuned by B and Ge between 0 and 0.6 K. Within Bardeen Cooper Schrieffer (BCS) weak‐coupling theory, Tc evolves exponentially with both the density of states and the electron–phonon potential. While B doping affects both, through the increase of the carrier density and the tensile strain, Ge incorporation allows addressing independently the lattice deformation influence on superconductivity. To estimate the lattice parameter modulation with B and Ge, Vegard's law is validated for the ternary SiGeB bulk alloy by density functional theory calculations. Its validity is furthermore confirmed experimentally by X‐ray diffraction. A global linear dependence of Tc versus lattice parameter, common for both Si:B and Si1−xGex:B, with δTc/Tc ≈ 50% for δa/a ≈1%, is highlighted.