MBE growth of Ge1−x Sn x devices with intrinsic disorder

Abstract

We discuss the electrical properties of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown, modulation doped, Ge1−x Sn x quantum well devices. A consequence of the epitaxial growth process is that electronic disorder is introduced even in modulation doped quantum well structures and electrical transport properties that are characteristic of a high level of disorder are apparent. MBE growth of this material also results in the surface segregation of elemental β-Sn in the way that has been observed utilizing other epitaxial growth methods. A thermally activated, p-type mobility is a clear feature of the electrical properties with generally temperature independent hole densities ∼1012 cm−2 from the measured Hall effect and coming from the modulation doping. We present a discussion of Hall effect measurements in this disordered regime. The percolation carrier density in MBE modulation doped GeSn is in the region of ∼1 × 1012 cm−2 although Hall measurements in this regime are difficult to quantify when the resistivity >(h/e 2). In this notation h is Planck’s constant and e is the unit of charge. Conductivities (σ) as low as ∼0.028 × (e 2/h) × square can be measured in the four-contact ac configuration and the temperature dependence indicates a mobility edge in these p-type devices below ∼2 × 1012 cm−2. At lower temperatures (<∼1 K) the presence of a Coulomb gap can be determined using dc transport, constant voltage measurements where small ac current excitation is not available experimentally. This two-contact configuration can determine σ down to ∼10−6 × (e 2/h), deep into the localization regime, revealing a hopping conductivity dominated system. We discuss the relevance of these electrical properties for MBE grown GeSn devices.