Formation and structural features of silicon quantum dots in germanium

Abstract

The formation of Si quantum dots on Ge is studied. Fundamental differences were found between the nucleation and growth of quantum dots on substrates with different orientations, related to both the formation of a SiGe solid solution layer and the shape of quantum dots. The temperature interval of formation of Si nanocrystals on Ge (111) is determined. It is shown that a change in the epitaxy temperature from 480 to 400 °C increases the silicon content in quantum dots from 58 to 75%. The effect of surfactants (in particular, hydrogen) on the nucleation and growth of silicon nanoislands is analyzed, showing that the use of hydrogen as a surfactant leads to a decrease in the size of quantum dots and a substantial increase in their density. The observed effects are attributed to the suppression of surface diffusion of atoms in the presence of hydrogen.