Abstract
We investigated the key factors dominating the maximum doping concentration of Sb in heavily Sb-doped Ge1−xSnx epitaxial layers prepared by non-thermal equilibrium molecular beam epitaxy. First, we found that the Sb-doped Ge layer showed a maximum electron concentration of 1020 cm−3 after low-temperature growth without surface degradation, whereas further Sb-doping caused Sb segregation and/or precipitation with a decrease in electron concentration. Next, we analyzed Sb chemical bonding state and showed that the concentration of electrically activated Sb atom, Sb1+, was saturated to approximately 1020 cm−3 and further doping increased Sb0 concentration. To analyze Sb1+ saturation, we simulated the theoretical relationship between ionized-donor and total-donor concentrations and showed that the saturation tendency of Sb1+ is due to the inevitable generation of an unionized substitutional donor, which occurs before Sb segregation and/or precipitation. The results of this study are significant for the design of heavily doped semiconductors.
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