Structural analysis of Ge x Si1−x /Si layers by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on Si (100)

Abstract

In this work, remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) has been used to grow Ge x Si1−x /Si layers on Si(100) substrates at 450° C. The RPCVD technique, unlike conventional plasma CVD, uses an Ar (or He) plasma remote from the substrate to indirectly excite the reactant gases (SiH4 and GeH4) and drive the chemical deposition reactions. In situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, selected area diffraction, and plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) were used to confirm the single crystallinity of these heterostructures, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy was used to verify abrupt transitions in the Ge profile. XTEM shows very uniform layer thicknesses in the quantum well structures, suggesting a Frank/ van der Merwe 2-D growth mechanism. The layers were found to be devoid of extended crystal defects such as misfit dislocations, dislocation loops, and stacking faults, within the TEM detection limits (∼105 dislocations/cm2). Ge x Si1−x /Si epitaxial films with various Ge mole fractions were grown, where the Ge contentx is linearly dependent on the GeH4 partial pressure in the gas phase for at leastx = 0 − 0.3. The incorporation rate of Ge from the gas phase was observed to be slightly higher than that of Si (1.3:1).