Abstract
We outline a metal-free fabrication route of in-plane Ge nanowires on Ge(001) substrates. By positively exploiting the polishing-induced defects of standard-quality commercial Ge(001) wafers, micrometer-length wires are grown by physical vapor deposition in ultra-high-vacuum environment. The shape of the wires can be tailored by the epitaxial strain induced by subsequent Si deposition, determining a progressive transformation of the wires in SiGe faceted quantum dots. This shape transition is described by finite element simulations of continuous elasticity and gives hints on the equilibrium shape of nanocrystals in the presence of tensile epitaxial strain.PACS81.07.Gf; 68.35.bg; 68.35.bj; 62.23.Eg
Highlights
In the last few years, germanium (Ge)-based nanoelectronics is living a second youth
A comparison of the large-scale morphology obtained by different surface treatments is shown in Additional file 1
In summary, we have described the quite complex mesoscale structure of Ge(001) substrates cleaned by sputtering/ annealing treatments, indentifying the sputtering-induced defects and distinguishing them from polishing-induced intrinsic defects
Summary
In the last few years, germanium (Ge)-based nanoelectronics is living a second youth. This renewed interest stems from recent advances in high-κ dielectrics technology compatible with Ge and has been prompted by the advantageous electrical properties of Ge compared to Silicon (Si) [1,2]. Ge NWs are usually grown by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism [8,9,10]. In this process, the metal seed, which is required as catalyst, is left in the final wire structure, and this can degrade the performance of nanowire-based devices
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