Growth of partially strain-relaxed Si1-yCy epilayers on (100)Si

1432-0630

PACS: 68.55

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics

Physics

1-y Cy epilayers were grown by MBE on (100) Si single-crystal substrates either directly on a dislocation-free or on a highly dislocated Si buffer layer. The orientation of the epilayers and their strain status were measured by double-crystal X-ray diffraction. Cross sections were prepared for TEM investigations. Epitaxial layers of about 130 nm thickness and carbon contents up to [%at.]1.38 grown on top of dislocation-free 1-μm-thick Si buffer layers were fully strained. In TEM bright field images, no dislocations were found. In order to introduce a high dislocation density in the Si buffer layer, the native oxide on the substrate was only partially removed prior to growing the Si buffer. A Si1-yCy film grown on top of that highly dislocated buffer layer showed a partial stress relaxation (a∥=5.429 Å〈asi=5.431 Å). The large FWHM of transverse rocking scans through the Bragg reflection corresponding to the epilayer indicates a high defect density. TEM cross-section micrographs showed an extension of threading dislocations from the Si buffer layer into the Si1-yCy layer.

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