Materials Research for Group IV Semiconductors

Abstract

AbstractThis volume is a collection of papers presented at Symposium X “Materials Research for Group IV Semiconductors: Growth, Characterization, and Technological Developments” at the E‐MRS Spring Meeting 2014 held from May 26–30 in Lille, France.Different from the recent past, the major challenges for fundamental research and technological development in microelectronics and photovoltaics are no more confined to bulk silicon and silicon devices but to a variety of options based on silicon alloys, nanocrystalline silicon, silicon nanowires, Ge films on silicon, and graphene. Group IV elements are dominating microelectronics, photovoltaics, and nano‐technology in their whole variety and with ongoing innovation potential.The overall development is driven more and more by defect engineering procedures, optimized deposition processes and growth techniques, advanced diagnostics and modeling tools. Basic research on point defects and extended defects remains in the center of interest for both electronic and photovoltaic applications, being still important for solving defect related problems, for improved defect engineering, and to increase the efficiency of gettering processes in photovoltaic and electronic materials.Crystal growth for electronic applications moves towards 450 mm diameter silicon ingots while photovoltaic applications are seeking a tradeoff between high quality of large volumes and cost efficiency. Advanced float‐zone processes open new opportunities, and modeling of crystal growth and defect generation for Si, Ge and Si–Ge alloys can help to facilitate these developments.Optimization of epitaxial deposition of nitrides on silicon substrates as well as novel methods for the growth of graphene on silicon are in the center of interest because of their innovation potential for the optoelectronic and microelectronic industry. Selective epitaxy for advanced electronic applications and strain engineering in strained layer epitaxy are still important for the heterogeneous integration of Si or Ge in high‐end silicon device technologies.Eventually, nanocrystalline group IV semiconductors in their whole variety from quantum dots, nanowires and superlattices offer a number of novel opportunities for new applications in view of “more than Moore”.The symposium addressed its interest to all these topics and provided a successful forum for scientists coming from research institutions and industry of Asia, America, Australia, Africa, and Europe to discuss recent results and developments in materials research on group IV elements. In total, 72 oral and 113 poster presentations have made this symposium a fruitful expert meeting, with mutual benefits arising from technical and scientific interactions between academy and industry. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)