Formation of high-quality Ge1−xSnx layer on Ge(110) substrate with strain-induced confinement of stacking faults at Ge1−xSnx/Ge interfaces

Abstract

The formation of a high-quality Ge1−xSnx layer has been examined on the basis of the understanding of the relationship between the stacking fault and the misfit strain between the Ge1−xSnx layer and the Ge substrate. We found that the crystallinity of the Ge1−xSnx layer is improved with increasing Sn content despite the increase in the lattice mismatch. This is caused by the shortening of the distance between the two dissociated partial dislocations, which indicates that the confinement of the stacking fault occurs at the Ge1−xSnx/Ge interface with increasing misfit strain.