Germanium and Silicon Film Growth by Low-Energy Ion Beam Deposition

Abstract

The design and characteristics of a low-energy ion beam deposition system are discussed. In the system, metal ions with an energy of 100 eV are deposited onto the substrate at a current density of 4–5 µA/cm2. Germanium single crystalline films are deposited on germanium (111) and silicon (111) substrate at substrate temperatures above 300°C. In the case of deposition below 200°C, films are found to be amorphous and re-crystallized by annealing above 300°C. When the ion energy over 500 eV is used, sputtering of the substrate is dominant and deposition is not observed for Ge+ ions and the silicon substrate combination. The results demonstrated the feasibility of growing thin film by low-energy ion beam deposition.