Structural and optical properties of magnetron sputtered and pulsed beam annealed Ge/Si layers

Abstract

AbstractRecently the significant progress in the creation of thin film structures effectively emitting light in the near infrared region (1.5‐1.6 μm) at room temperature has been reached for Ge/Si system by UHV growth techniques by Kimerling's group (Ref. [13]). In this work vacuum deposition of Ge thin films onto Si substrates by magnetron sputtering followed by nanosecond pulsed annealing was performed. During deposition sputtering time (t = 3‐20 min) and substrate temperature (T = 20‐300 °C) were varied. During pulsed treatments powerful laser radiation (λ = 690 nm) or high current ion beams (C+, H+, E = 300 keV, J ≤ 150 A/cm2) were used. The dependence of structural and optical properties of Ge/Si films on parameters of magnetron sputtering and pulsed treatments was investigated. Optimum parameters for deposition and pulsed treatments resulted in light emitting layers are determined. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)