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High-performance alloy thin films and large-sized thin film wafers for infrared applications are the focus of international researchers. In this study, doped Ge1−xSnx and Ge1−yBiy semiconductor alloy films were grown on a 5-in. silicon (Si) wafer using high-quality Ge films as buffer layers. An efficient technique is presented to reduce the dark current density of near-infrared photoelectric devices. By using boron for p-type doping in Ge1−xSnx films and bismuth (Bi) for n-type doping in Ge1−yBiy films, an all-thin film planar nano-p-i-n optoelectronic device with the structure n-Ge1−yBiy/i-GeSn/p-Ge1−xSnx/Ge buffer/Si substrate has been successfully fabricated. The photoelectric performance of the device was tested, and it was found that the insertion of p-Ge1−xSnx/Ge films reduced the dark current density by 1–2 orders of magnitude. The maximum photoresponsivity reached up to 0.8 A/W, and the infrared photocurrent density ranged from 904 to 935 μA/cm2 under a +1 V bias voltage. Furthermore, the device is capable of modulating a terahertz wave using a voltage signal with a modulation bandwidth of 1.2 THz and a modulation depth of ∼83%, while the modulation rate is 0.5 MHz. This not only provides a clear demonstration of how doped alloy films and the development of nano-p-i-n heterojunctions will improve photoelectric devices' performance in the near-infrared and terahertz bands, but it also raises the possibility of optoelectronic interconnection applications being achieved through a single device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress on (Si)GeSn optoelectronic devices holds great promise for photonic integration on Si substrates. In parallel to the development of bulk devices, (Si)GeSn-based quantum wells (QWs) have been investigated, aiming to improve device performance. While multiple QW structures are preferred for the device applications, a single quantum well (SQW) is more suitable for optical property studies. In this work, a comprehensive study of an SiGeSn/GeSn SQW was conducted. The calculated band diagram provided band alignment and energies of possible transitions. This SQW features a direct bandgap well with L–Γ valley energy separation of 50 meV, and barrier heights for both electron and hole are greater than 80 meV. Using two continuous-wave and two pulsed pumping lasers, the analysis of PL spectra allows for identifying different transitions and a better understanding of the SQW optical properties. This study could provide guidance for advancing the future QW design toward device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new technology, which would be able to shift photosensitivity of Si devices to the mid-infrared range, preserving the benefits of cheap silicon readout circuits, is of high priority for short-wave infrared photo-detection in defense, medical, night vision, and material production applications. Group IV GeSn-based materials have recently shown promising optoelectronic characteristics, allowing extension of the detection range to the mid-infrared region. However, the electronic properties of the material are not well understood and need further research. In this work, we provide temperature dependent studies of carrier lifetime, diffusion coefficient, and diffusion length in Ge0.95Sn0.05 epilayer on silicon by applying contactless light induced transient grating technique. The observed temperature dependence of lifetime was explained by the recombination of carriers on vacancy-related defects. The electron and hole capture cross sections were calculated. The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient indicated hole mobility limited by phonon and defect scattering. Weakly temperature dependent diffusion length of ∼0.5 μm verified material suitability for efficient submicrometer-thick optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality infrared (IR) devices made of group IV materials are highly promising to replace traditional III–V semiconductor-based IR optoelectronics due primarily to their compatibility with mature silicon-based technologies and much lower costs. In this regard, germanium tin (GeSn) has emerged as the only direct bandgap material in the group IV family exhibiting superior electrical and optical characteristics. In the past years, GeSn IR optoelectronics including lasers and photodetectors have been realized, although novel device architectures are still needed to enhance their device performance. Here, we experimentally demonstrate high-performance, large-area (mm2) GeSn thin-film resonant cavities (film thickness resonance operating at short-wave IR wavelengths by employing membrane transfer techniques). The fabricated asymmetric air/GeSn/metal structures exhibit high absorptance (>90%) at designed resonance wavelengths, which are easily tuned by tailoring the GeSn layer thickness. The measured resonance absorption reveals excellent agreement with numerical simulations, which further elucidates the mode characteristics of the observed cavity resonances. The demonstrated thin-film device architectures could greatly facilitate the development of novel GeSn photonic devices with tunable wavelengths and enhanced performance enabled by strain engineering, and could allow for the integration of GeSn into many existing group IV-based devices for next-generation IR optoelectronics where high performance, small footprint, and low cost are all required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carrier transmission properties and the specific contact resistivity for metal/n-Ge1−xSnx contacts with various Sn compositions ranging from 0% to 11% are modelled by the transfer matrix method. It is found that increasing the Sn composition enhances the electron tunneling between metal and Γ valley and lowers the ρc by more than 4 times when the donor concentration (NA) is below 1 × 1020 cm−3; when NA is higher than this, electron tunneling from the L valley dominates and ρc is insensitive to change in the Sn composition. The impact of contact metals on ρc for metal/n-Ge0.89Sn0.11 contacts is also investigated. Metals with a lower effective mass are preferred when NA is below 2 × 1020 cm−3, while for a higher NA, a metal with a higher effective mass is preferred to further lower ρc. This is due to the transition from Γ valley-dominant tunneling to L valley-dominant tunneling with increasing NA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature dependences of the dipole layer strength at Al2O3/SiO2 and Y2O3/SiO2 interfaces were investigated. The dipole layer strength at each temperature was quantified from the flatband voltage (Vfb) shift of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with Al2O3/SiO2 and Y2O3/SiO2 bilayer gate dielectrics on Si substrates. In order to accurately extract the dipole layer strength, the effects of the difference between the gate metal work function and the Si Fermi level, the fixed charges at the SiO2/Si interface, and the fixed charges at the high-k/SiO2 interface on the Vfb shift were excluded. It was found that both interface dipole layer strengths increased but in the opposite direction at the approximated rates of +2.2 mV K−1 and −0.7 mV K−1 for Al2O3/SiO2 and Y2O3/SiO2 interfaces, respectively, when the temperature was raised from 100 K to 300 K. The temperature dependences are larger than expected if only the thermal expansion of the oxides was considered as the factor which changes the effective dipole length of the dipole layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SiGeSn/GeSn/SiGeSn single quantum well structure featuring type-I band alignment was comprehensively characterized. Three pump lasers with different penetration depths and photon energies were used to pinpoint the optical transition characteristics of the sample. The carrier generation, redistribution, and recombination under each pumping condition were analyzed in detail. By comparing the temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra of the GeSn quantum well with that of SiGeSn and GeSn thin film samples possessing similar Si and Sn compositions, the optical transition mechanism was clearly identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid thermal anneal (RTA) at high temperatures can be employed to introduce vacancies to control oxygen precipitation (OP) behavior in Czochralski (CZ) silicon. Such excessive vacancies survive from the recombination of silicon-interstitials and vacancies (V-I recombination) during the RTA. In this work, we aim to elucidate the carbon effect on the survival of vacancies in CZ silicon during the high temperature RTA by means of gold diffusion in combination with deep-level transient spectroscopy. It is revealed that the existence of ∼1017 cm−3 carbon atoms significantly increases the amount of survival vacancies in the form of vacancy-oxygen (VOm, m ≥ 2) complexes in CZ silicon when subjected to the 1250 °C/60 s RTA. Moreover, such an increase in the number of vacancies becomes more significant with the increase in the cooling rate of RTA. The density functional theory calculations suggest that the V-I recombination is to some extent unfavorable as a carbon atom is close to the silicon-interstitial. Alternatively, it is believed that the substitutional carbon (Cs) atoms tend to trap the silicon-interstitials, thus forming Ci complexes (Cs + I → Ci) in CZ silicon during the RTA. In this context, the V-I recombination is suppressed in a manner, leading to the survival of more vacancies, thus generating more VOm complexes. Furthermore, after the 1250 °C/60 s RTA, the oxide precipitate nucleation based on the VOm complexes is more significant in carbon-rich CZ (CCZ) silicon than in the conventional CZ counterpart. Hence, when subjected to the same OP anneal consisting of the nucleation anneal at 650 or 800 °C for 4 h and the subsequent growth anneal at 1000 °C for 16 h, CCZ silicon possesses a higher density of bulk microdefects and therefore stronger internal gettering capability than CZ silicon. However, the nucleation temperature for OP should be carefully selected as 650 °C for CCZ silicon in order to form an oxide precipitate-free denuded zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alleviation effect on the Schottky barrier height (SBH) (ΦB) using ultrathin titanium dioxide and hafnium dioxide dielectrics in a single layer and a bilayer stack was demonstrated. ΦB in the Pt/n-Si contact was reduced from 0.53 to −0.058, 0.3, and −0.12 eV using 3 nm TiO2, 1 nm HfO2, and high-k/high-k bilayer insertion, respectively. A maximum of 122% reduction in ΦB was obtained using bilayer dielectric insertion, which is the highest ever reduction reported so far in a Schottky diode. This was achieved by effectively passivating the semiconductor surface states by HF cleaning followed by inserting an ultrathin film produced from the novel Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique. The Gaussian distribution (GD) of barrier heights all over the interface has been investigated for both Metal–Semiconductor (M–S) and Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor (M–I–S) contacts. The nonlinear behavior in a conventional Richardson plot was observed with lower values of the Richardson constant (A*). We have reported the surface inhomogeneity in both M–S and M–I–S contacts through temperature dependency of diode characteristics. The standard deviation (σ) as evidence for the Gaussian distribution of barrier heights was determined using the ln(Is/T2) vs q/2kT plot. The results were validated by a modified Richardson plot where the values of A* obtained were found to be in close agreement with the known values. As the ALD technique is known for conformity and uniformity of thin films, the dielectric insertion has proved effective in mitigating the SBH. However, the inhomogeneity in both M–S and M–I–S points to the role of dipole formation at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GeSn alloys are promising materials for light emitters monolithically grown on silicon. In this work, we demonstrate room temperature (RT) lasing in a GeSn hetero-structure with 17.2% of Sn. We report a threshold of 3.27 MW c m − 2 at 305 K with peak emission at 353 meV. We ascribe these improvements to a higher tin concentration in the GeSn active layer with lower Sn content barriers on each side and to a better thermal dissipation provided by an adapted pedestal architecture beneath the GeSn micro-disk. This outcome is a major milestone for a fully integrated group-IV semiconductor laser on Si. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomorphic GeSn layers with Sn atomic percentages between 4.5% and 11.3% were grown by chemical vapor deposition using digermane and SnCl4 precursors on Ge virtual substrates grown on Si. The layers were characterized by x-ray diffraction rocking curves and reciprocal space maps. Photoconductive devices were fabricated, and the dark current was found to increase with Sn concentration. The responsivity of the photoconductors was measured at a wavelength of 1.55 µm using calibrated laser illumination at room temperature and a maximum value of 2.7mA/W was measured for a 4.5% Sn device. Moreover, the responsivity for higher Sn concentration was found to increase with decreasing temperature. Spectral photoconductivity was measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photoconductive absorption edge continually increased in wavelength with increasing tin percentage, out to approximately 2.4 µm for an 11.3% Sn device. The direct band gap was extracted using Tauc plots and was fit to a bandgap model accounting for layer strain and Sn concentration. This direct bandgap was attributed to absorption from the heavy-hole band to the conduction band. Higher energy absorption was also observed, which was thought to be likely from absorption in the light-hole band. The band gaps for these alloys were plotted as a function of temperature. These experiments show the promise of GeSn alloys for CMOS compatible short wave infrared detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wet etching of germanium-tin (Ge1-xSnx) alloys (4.2%1-xSnx is proportional to the square root of the etch time t and decreases exponentially with increasing x for a given t. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that increasing t increases the intensity of the Sn oxide peak, whereas no obvious change is observed for the Ge oxide peak. This indicates that an accumulation of Sn oxide on the Ge1-xSnx surface decreases the amount of Ge atoms exposed to the etchant, which accounts for the decrease in etch rate with increasing etch time. Atomic force microscopy was used to examine the surface morphologies of the Ge0.918Sn0.082 samples. Both root-mean-square roughness and undulation periods of the Ge1-xSnx surface were observed to increase with increasing t. This work provides further understanding of the wet etching of Ge1-xSnx using APM and may be used for the fabrication of Ge1-xSnx-based electronic and photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge thermal noise owing to the narrow energy bandgap is one of the critical issues for group IV-based photonics in the mid-infrared regime. With this motivation, we examined to form Ge1−xSnx/Ge1−x−ySixSny quantum heterostructures (QHs) by molecular beam epitaxy for realizing resonant tunneling diodes composed of group-IV materials. We confirmed the formation of approximately 2 nm-thick Ge1−xSnx/Ge1−x−ySixSny QHs with atomically flat interfaces by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy methods. Moreover, by the current density–voltage (J–V) measurement at 10 K, we observed the occurrence of a non-linear distinct hump in the J–V characteristic, which is possibly originated from quantum transport of heavy holes. According to the tunneling transmission spectra simulation result, the hump property would be due to two possible scenarios: a resonant tunneling of heavy holes in the QH and/or a resonance phenomenon that heavy holes pass just above a potential barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an investigation of a planar GeSn p–i–n diode for a high-detectivity photodetector based on an undoped GeSn film. By fabricating n- and p-type regions on the plane of the GeSn film using the complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology of ion implantation, a low dark current density is revealed and attributed to the low defect density of the film and current flow suppression around the diode periphery. This yields a specific 1550-nm detectivity of ∼1010 cm Hz1/2 W−1, an order of magnitude higher than that of conventional vertical GeSn-based diodes and comparable to that of commercially available Ge-based diodes. This work provides an alternative approach for achieving a high-detectivity GeSn photodetector that may facilitate its potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A calculating method is proposed for lightning transient analysis in photovoltaic bracket systems. The circuit parameters are evaluated for the conducting branches and grounding electrodes. On the ground of the circuit parameters, the equivalent circuit model is set up for photovoltaic bracket systems. The transient calculation is made by the circuit model and the potential and current responses are obtained in photovoltaic bracket systems. The laboratory-experiment is performed on a reduced-scale photovoltaic bracket system. The results obtained from the measurement are compared with those from the transient calculation to confirm the validity of the circuit model. Then, the probability density function of lightning current is further introduced into the statistical analysis of lightning transients. By means of the transient calculations made in a large interval of lightning current amplitudes, the statistical values of the nodal potential and branch current amplitudes are calculated by probability weights. A numerical example is also given for examining the difference between the statistical and non-statistical values. The proposed method can take account of the actual randomness of lightning discharge and afford a sound basis for lightning protection design of photovoltaic bracket systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports experimental evidence for the effect of oxygen on carbon precipitation in polycrystalline ribbon silicon. Four sets of wafers subject to various heat treatments have been examined by infrared spectroscopy. It is found that carbon precipitation in an oxygen-containing wafer consists of two distinct steps, namely, an initial rapid oxygen–carbon coprecipitation in the very first hour annealing, followed by slow precipitation during subsequent prolonged annealing. A high oxygen content enhances carbon precipitation throughout the two steps. It is shown that the formation of interstitial carbon in the presence of excess silicon self-interstitials generated during oxygen precipitation plays an important role in increasing the carbon precipitation rate in the first hour annealing. Because of the absence of interstitial injection during the following slow precipitation process, the enhancement effect of oxygen can only arise from an increase in precipitation sites. It is proposed that the oxygen–carbon coprecipitates formed in the very first hour annealing provide sites for continuous carbon precipitation. This explains why carbon impurities precipitate faster in a high oxygen-containing wafer, even after removal of all the interstitial oxygen from the silicon matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the defect formation in (100) silicon at low temperatures during electron cyclotron resonance hydrogen plasma treatment. Examination of the temperature effect on crystalline defect morphology; Formation of amorphous {100} platelets without {111} platelets; Effect of the precipitation of oxygen promoted by hydrogen-enhanced oxygen diffusion.

Deals with a study which investigated oxygen and carbon coprecipitation in Czochralski silicon in terms of a diffusion-limited growth model. Equations for analyzing coprecipitation behavior; Temperature dependence of carbon-lean crystal; Time evolution of oxygen and carbon coprecipitation.

Reviews the advances in the study of oxygen precipitation and of the main properties of oxide precipitates in silicon. Kinetics and thermodynamics of the precipitate formation; Characterization of the precipitates; Influence of oxygen precipitation on properties of semiconductor device.

A highly efficient room temperature photodetector with broadband (400 nm–1800 nm) photoresponse based on the MoSe2/Ge heterojunction has been reported here. The fabricated MoSe2/Ge heterojunction exhibits high responsivity up to 24 A/W in the near-infrared wavelength range (750 nm) and 35 A/W in the short wavelength infrared range (1550 nm). The interfacial charge transfer at the Ge-MoSe2 heterojunction enables self-powered photo-detection in fabricated devices with zero bias responsivity values of 250 mA/W (750 nm) and 400 mA/W (1550 nm). Transient photoresponse measurements of the MoSe2/Ge heterojunction under the modulated light reveal that the devices are capable of working up to 20 kHz with a fast rise/fall time of 13.5/1.2 μsec. These results demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a high-performance photodetector derived from the MoSe2/Ge heterojunction for broadband infrared detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the tricolor superstructure (TCS), which is a triple-layer stack structure containing two types of high dielectric constant (high-k) layers (designated HK1 and HK2) and a SiO2 layer, is proposed to control the moment and the polarity of the interface dipole layer that are induced at the high-k/SiO2 interfaces. The interface dipole layer is formed by oxygen ion migration from the layer with higher oxygen areal density (σ) to that with lower σ. When the two high-k materials are selected with the order of σHK1 > σSiO2 > σHK2 in a SiO2/HK2/HK1/SiO2 TCS, the dipole directions of the interface dipole layers at the SiO2/HK2 and the HK1/SiO2 interfaces are aligned. Additionally, in the transposed SiO2/HK1/HK2/SiO2 TCS, the total polarity is reversed. The concept is demonstrated using Al2O3 and Y2O3 layers because they offer the order of σAl2O3 > σSiO2 > σY2O3. The two stacking sequence samples composed of SiO2/Y2O3/Al2O3/SiO2 and SiO2/Al2O3/Y2O3/SiO2 that were fabricated using superlattice technique by pulsed laser deposition obviously show opposite dipole polarities. Increasing repetition of the deposited TCS unit also causes the dipole moments to increase systematically. The TCS technique enables control of the properties of the interface dipole layer at high-k/SiO2 interfaces in amorphous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors studied the correlation between the chemical bonding (CB) states and fixed charge (FC) states of Sr-silicate films grown on Si(100) substrates [Sr-silicate/Si(100)]. The Sr-silicate/ Si(100) samples were synthesized by silicate reaction of SrO layers on the Si substrates through the diffusion of Si atoms from the substrates by thermal annealing in oxygen atmosphere. The CB states and the FC states of the Sr-silicate/Si(100) samples were obtained from their O 1s core-level x-ray photoemission spectra and the shift in voltage from the flat band state in their capacitance- voltage curves, respectively. Peak fittings of the O 1s core-level spectra for each sample were carried out with the three components of Si-O, Si-O-Sr, and Sr-O bonds to determine the CB state. The thin Sr-silicate layers were mainly constructed of the Si-O-Sr component. With increasing thickness, the amount of Si-O-Sr component decreased while that of Sr-O increased. The thickness dependency of the FC density showed a good agreement with that of the Si-O-Sr component, revealing a clear correlation between FC and Sr-O-Si bonding. Our results suggest that silicate bonding plays an important role in FC generation in Sr-silicate systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an investigation on the absorption mechanism of a GeSn photodetector with 2.4% Sn composition in the active region. Responsivity is measured and absorption coefficient is calculated. Square root of absorption coefficient linearly depends on photon energy indicating an indirect transition. However, the absorption coefficient is found to be at least one order of magnitude higher than that of most other indirect materials, suggesting that the indirect optical absorption transition cannot be assisted only by phonon. Our analysis of absorption measurements by other groups on the same material system showed the values of absorption coefficient on the same order of magnitude. Our study reveals that the strong enhancement of absorption for the indirect optical transition is the result of alloy disorder from the incorporation of the much larger Sn atoms into the Ge lattice that are randomly distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an investigation of normal-incidence GeSn-based p-i-n photodetectors (PDs) with a Ge0.94Sn0.06 active layer grown using sputter epitaxy on a Ge(100) substrate. A low dark current density of 0.24 A/cm² was obtained at a reverse bias of 1 V. A high optical responsivity of the Ge0.94Sn0.06/Ge p-i-n PDs at zero bias was achieved, with an optical response wavelength extending to 1985 nm. The temperature-dependent optical-response measurement was performed, and a clear redshift absorption edge was observed. This work presents an approach for developing efficient and cost-effective GeSn-based infrared devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of Sn surface segregation during the epitaxial growth of GeSn on Si (001) substrates was investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Sn surface segregation depends on the growth temperature and Sn content of GeSn layers. During Sn surface segregation, Sn-rich nanoparticles form and move on the surface during the deposition, which results in a rough surface owing to facet formation. The Sn-rich nanoparticles moving on the surface during the deposition absorb Sn from the periphery and yield a lower Sn content, not on the surface but within the layer, because the Sn surface segregation and the GeSn deposition occur simultaneously. Sn surface segregation can occur at a lower temperature during the deposition compared with that during postannealing. This suggests that the Sn surface segregation during the deposition is strongly promoted by the migration of deposited Ge and Sn adatoms on the surface originating from the thermal effect of substrate temperature, which also suggests that limiting the migration of deposited Ge and Sn adatoms can reduce the Sn surface segregation and improve the crystallinity of GeSn layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an investigation on GeSn p-i-n waveguide photodetectors grown on a Ge-buffered Si wafer. In comparison with a reference Ge detector, the GeSn detector shows an enhanced responsivity in the measured energy range, mainly attributed to the smaller bandgap caused by Sn-alloying. Analysis of the quantum efficiency indicates that increasing the Sn content in the active layers can significantly shorten the required device length to achieve the maximum efficiency. The present investigation demonstrates the planar photodetectors desired for monolithic integration with electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-film Ge09Sn01 structures were grown by reduced-pressure chemical vapor deposition and were fabricated into photoconductors on Si substrates using a CMOS-compatible process. The temperature-dependent responsivity and specific detectivity (D*) were measured from 300 K down to 77 K. The peak responsivity of 1.63 A/W measured at 1.55 μm and 77 K indicates an enhanced responsivity due to photoconductive gain. The measured spectral response of these devices extends to 2.4 μm at 300 K, and to 2.2 μm at 77 K. From analysis of the carrier drift and photoconductive gain measurements, we have estimated the carrier lifetime of this Ge09Sn01 thin film. The longest measured effective carrier lifetime of 1.0 x 10-6 s was observed at 77 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge1-xSnx thin films with Sn composition up to 7% were epitaxially grown by chemical vapor deposition on silicon. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence was investigated and the peaks corresponding to the direct and indirect transitions were observed in a wavelength range from 1.6 to 2.2 µm. The exact peak positions obtained from Gaussian fitting were fitted with an empirical temperature dependent band-gap equation (Varshni relationship). The separation between direct and indirect peaks was equal to 0.012 eV for GeSn thin film with 7% Sn content at room temperature. This observation indicates that the indirect-to-direct crossover would take place at slightly higher Sn compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double heterostructure Ge/Ge1-xSnx/Ge light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with 6% and 8% Sn were grown on Si substrates using chemical vapor deposition. The electroluminescence emission spectra from the fabricated LEDs were investigated at room-temperature under different injection levels. The observed emission peaks at 0.645 eV and 0.601 eV are attributed to the direct bandgap transition of the Ge0.94Sn0.06 and Ge0.92Sn0.08 layers, respectively. Moreover, the integrated emission intensity increases as the Sn composition increases under the same injection condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopy of internal photoemission of electrons from Ge and Ge1-xSnx(x≤0.08) alloys into amorphous Al2O3 is used to evaluate the energy of the semiconductor valence band top. It is found that in Ge and Ge1-xSnx the valence bands are aligned within the measurement accuracy (60.05 eV) irrespective of the strain imposed on the semiconductor or by the kind of passivating inter-layer applied between the semiconductor and alumina. This indicates that the Ge1-xSnx-stressor approach may be useful for strain engineering in p-channel Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical properties and the Franz-Keldysh effect at the direct band gap of GeSn alloys with Sn concentrations up to 4.2% at room temperature were investigated. The GeSn material was embedded in the intrinsic region of a Ge heterojunction photodetector on Si substrates. The layer structure was grown by means of ultra-low temperature molecular beam epitaxy. The absorption coefficient as function of photon energy and the direct bandgap energies were determined. In all investigated samples, the Franz-Keldysh effect can be observed. A maximum absorption ratio of 1.5 was determined for 2% Sn for a voltage swing of 3V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex dielectric function of biaxially strained Ge1-xSnx (0≤x≤0.17) alloys grown on Ge (100) has been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry from 1.2 to 4.7 eV. The effect of substitutional Sn incorporation and the epitaxial strain on the energy transitions E1, E1 + Δ1, E0′, and E2 of GeSn alloys is investigated. Our results indicate that the strained GeSn alloys show Ge-like electronic bandstructure with all the transitions shifted downward due to the alloying of Sn. The strain dependence of E1 and E1+Δ1 transitions is explained using the deformation potential theory, and values of -5.4±0.4 eV and 3.8±0.5 eV are obtained for the hydrostatic and shear deformation potentials, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-illuminated GeSn p-i-n photodetectors (PDs) with Ge0.964Sn0.036 active layer on Ge substrate were fabricated. Photodetection up to 1.95 μm is achieved with a responsivity of 0.13 A/W. High responsivities of 0.56 and 0.71 A/W were achieved under a reverse bias voltage of 3 V at 1640 and 1790 nm, respectively. A low dark current of 1.08 μA was obtained at a reverse bias of 1 V with a diameter of 150 μm, which corresponds to a current density of 6.1 mA/cm2. This value is among the lowest dark current densities reported among GeSn PDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of tin (Sn)-doping on point defects and oxygen precipitation (OP) in Czochralski (CZ) silicon has been investigated by experiment and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). It is found that Sn plays different roles in affecting OP according to the amount of introduced vacancies. That is, Sn suppresses OP in vacancy-lean CZ silicon but promotes OP in vacancy-rich CZ silicon. The effects of Sn-doping on the formation and annihilation of point defects as well as on the evolution of vacancy- and oxygen-related complexes have been systematically studied using DFT calculations. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, it is postulated that Sn atoms in silicon act as vacancy reservoirs which modify the formation and annihilation of vacancies as well as the evolution of vacancy-related complexes. The mechanism for the different roles of Sn in affecting OP is discussed based on the DFT calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the depth distribution and precipitation of carbon and morphology of buried C[sub x]Si layers produced by ion implantation of carbon into CZ silicon. Use of transmission electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy and positron annihilation measurements; Production of beta-silicon carbide precipitates at higher temperatures.

This paper reports the comprehensive characterization of a Ge0.92Sn0.08/Ge0.86Sn0.14/Ge0.92Sn0.08 single quantum well. By using a strain relaxed Ge0.92Sn0.08 buffer, the direct bandgap Ge0.86Sn0.14 QW was achieved, which is unattainable by using only a Ge buffer. Band structure calculations and optical transition analysis revealed that the quantum well features type-I band alignment. The photoluminescence spectra showed dramatically increased quantum well peak intensity at lower temperature, confirming that the Ge0.86Sn0.14 quantum well is a direct bandgap material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge1-x-ySixSny alloys with y > x have been grown directly on Si substrates. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements indicate that the alloys have direct bandgaps below that of pure Ge, thus representing an alternative to tensile-strained Ge and to Ge1-ySny for long-wavelength applications. In comparison with binary Ge1-ySny alloys, ternary Ge1-x-ySixSny alloys have superior stability due to their increased mixing entropy. The observation of photoluminescence from these films confirms that high-quality material can be grown in spite of the large size mismatch between Si and Sn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]