Self-assembled growth of nanostructural Ge islands on bromine-passivated Si(111) surfaces at room temperature

We have deposited relatively thick (∼60 nm) Ge layers on Br-passivated Si(111) substrates by thermal evaporation under high vacuum conditions at room temperature. Ge has grown in a layer-plus-island mode although it is different from the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode observed in epitaxial growth. Both the islands and the layer are nanocrystalline. This appears to be a consequence of reduction of surface free energy of the Si(111) substrate by Br-passivation. The size distribution of the Ge nanoislands has been determined. The Br-Si(111) substrates were prepared by a liquid treatment, which may not produce exactly reproducible surfaces. Nevertheless, some basic features of the nanostructural island growth are reasonably reproducible, while there are variations in the details of the island size distribution.     

Site selective growth of Ge quantum dots on AFM-patterned Si substrates

By combining the atomic force microscope (AFM) local anodic oxidation and etching, a periodic array of nanodimples of 40 nm in diameter and 3.5 nm in depth has been made on a Si surface. Ge atoms deposited onto this patterned substrate by the MBE method nucleate preferentially in the dimples and form an array of nano Ge dots of about 50 nm in diameter and 10 nm in height.     

Shape, facet evolution and photoluminescence of Ge islands capped with Si at different temperatures

We investigate the embedding of Ge islands in a Si matrix by means of atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The Ge islands were grown between 360°C and 840°C and subsequently capped with Si at different temperatures. For the highest Ge growth temperature (840°C), we show that the surface flattens at high Si capping temperatures while new facets can be identified at the island base for intermediate capping temperatures (650–450°C). At low capping temperatures (300–350°C), the island morphology is preserved. In contrast to the observed island shape changes, the decreasing Si capping temperature causes only a small redshift of the island related PL signal for islands grown on high temperatures. This redshift increases for Ge islands grown at lower temperatures due to an increased Ge content in the islands. By applying low-temperature capping (300°C) on the different island types, we show that the emission wavelength can be extended up to 2.06 μm for hut clusters grown at 400°C. Further decreasing of the island growth temperature to 360°C leads to a PL blueshift, which is explained by charge carrier confinement in Ge quantum dots.     

Ultrasmall Ge islands with low diameter-to-height aspect ratio on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) surfaces

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and high resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) studies have been used to investigate the formation of Ge nanocrystals grown on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) surfaces by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We observe relatively high density of Ge islands where small ‘pyramids’, small ‘domes’ and facetted ‘domes’ of various sizes co-exist in the film. As revealed from XTEM images, a large fraction of islands, especially dome-shaped Ge islands have been found to have an aspect ratio of ∼1 (diameter):1 (height). Observation of truncated-sphere-shaped Ge islands with a narrow neck contact with the wetting layer is reported.     

Strain status of epitaxial Ge film on a Si (001) substrate

An epitaxial Ge film was grown on a Si (001) substrate via a two-step process through the molecular beam epitaxy technique. The strain status of non-annealed and annealed epitaxial Ge films was determined by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and geometric phase analysis. Results showed that the strain in non-annealed and annealed epitaxial Ge films is nonhomogeneous from the Ge/Si interface to the Ge film surface. The strain parallel to the interface in the non-annealed epitaxial Ge film is compressive; this strain reaches a minimum near the surface and a maximum at the interface. By contrast, the strain parallel to the interface in the annealed epitaxial Ge film is tensile; this strain reaches a minimum at the interface and a maximum near the surface.     

Reverse current reduction of Ge photodiodes on Si without post-growth annealing

A new approach to reduce the reverse current of Ge pin photodiodes on Si is presented, in which an i-Si layer is inserted between Ge and top Si layers to reduce the electric field in the Ge layer. Without post- growth annealing, the reverse current density is reduced to -10 mA/cm^2 at -1 V, i.e., over one order of magnitude lower than that of the reference photodiode without i-Si layer. However, the responsivity of the photodiodes is not severely compromised. This lowered-reverse-current is explained by band-pinning at the i-Si/i-Ge interface. Barrier lowering mechanism induced by E-field is also discussed. The presented ＂non-thermal＂ approach to reduce reverse current should accelerate electronics-photonics convergence by using Oe on the Si complementary metal oxide semiconductor （CMOS） platform.     

Surface evolution and three-dimensional shape changes of SiGe/Si(0 0 1) islands during capping at various temperatures

The authors use a combination of atomic force microscopy and selective wet chemical etching of the Si capping layer to investigate both the surface and the three-dimensional SiGe/Si(0 0 1) island shape changes during capping at various temperatures. Different evolution paths are identified depending on the capping temperature. During the early stages of Si overgrowth at 450 °C, a moderate SiGe alloying occurs near the island apex. In the later stages, island burying begins through lateral growth of pyramid-like structures, which consist of pure Si. A comparison with previous overgrowth studies allows us to clarify the role of the initial island size in determining the surface evolution above buried islands. Island dissolution with material transfer to the wetting layer dominates upon capping at 580 °C. Finally, when the temperature during growth and capping is identical, the islands become flatter and wider indicating that the system starts to evolve towards an energetically preferred SiGe quantum well.     

Morphology and photoluminescence of ultrasmall size of Ge quantum dots directly grown on Si(0 0 1) substrate

High density and ultrasmall size of Ge quantum dots (QDs) have been achieved directly on Si(0 0 1) (2 × 1) reconstruction surface. Their detailed morphology was observed by atomic force microscope (AFM) and shows that small pyramids, small domes, huts, and multi-headed large domes coexist in the film grown at 400 °C, while small domes and multi-headed large domes formed at 450 °C. Their low temperature photoluminescence (PL) showed that a very strong non-phonon (NP) peak with a large blue shift of 0.19 eV at 14 K, which can be attributed to their very high areal density, 5.2 × 10¹¹ cm⁻², and sub-10-nm mean size, 7.6 ± 2.3 nm.     

在Si衬底上自组装生长Ge量子点研究进展

在Si衬底上自组装生长纳米尺度的Ge量子点，由于三维量子限制效应的贡献，能够在能带结构上对Si、Ge天然材料的间接带特性实施准直接带结构的改性，使激子行为和带间复合跃迁得到大幅度增强，同时Ge量子点的可控有序相关排列还有助于发展新一代的Si基电子波量子器件．文章回顾了自20世纪80年代末至今Ge／Si量子点生长研究的重要进展，对其潜在的重要应用作出了评述．结合作者自己的研究结果，着重介绍了Ge量子点的生长动力学及其形态的演变过程，指出自组装生长的Ge／Si量子点属Ⅱ型能带结构，其发光效率比一维量子阱有很大增强．探讨了用模板衬底实现对Ge量子点尺寸和分布的有序可控生长方法与途径．     

Reverse current reduction of Ge photodiodes on Si without post-growth annealing Invited Paper

A new approach to reduce the reverse current of Ge pin photodiodes on Si is presented, in which an i-Si layer is inserted between Ge and top Si layers to reduce the electric field in the Ge layer. Without post- growth annealing, the reverse current density is reduced to ～10 mA/cm2 at -1 V, i.e., over one order of magnitude lower than that of the reference photodiode without i-Si layer. However, the responsivity of the photodiodes is not severely compromised. This lowered-reverse-current is explained by band-pinning at the i-Si/i-Ge interface. Barrier lowering mechanism induced by E-field is also discussed. The presented "non-thermal" approach to reduce reverse current should accelerate electronics-photonics convergence by using Ge on the Si complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) platform.     

低温生长的Ge/Si超晶格界面结构的X射线散射研究

低温下用MBE方法生长了Ge/Si超晶格,X射线反射及横向散射研究表明,Ge亚层上下表面的粗糙度呈反对称,下表面大的粗糙度来源于Ge向Si亚层中扩散形成SiGe混合组分结构,这种组分结构可以用一平均成分的SiGe合金层加以拟合,从而使得各亚层均有一个合理的粗糙度,旋转样品进行的X射线散射研究表明,这种SiGe的混合是各向同性的,这与透射电子显微镜的研究结构相一致.     

Influence of patterning on the nucleation of Ge islands on Si and SiO2 surfaces

Surface patterning is expected to influence the nucleation site of deposited nanostructures. In the present study, clean Si and SiO₂ surfaces were patterned by a nanolithographic process using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Ge was evaporated in ultra high vacuum at 873 K on these substrates, resulting in the formation of island arrays. Based on scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy images, a statistical analysis was performed in order to highlight the effect of patterning on the size distribution of islands compared to a non-patterned surface. We find that the self-organization mechanism on patterned substrates results in a very good arrangement and positioning of Ge nanostructures, depending on growth conditions and holes distance, both on Si and SiO₂ surfaces.     

Microtribological and electrochemical corrosion behaviors of polydopamine coating on APTS-SAM modified Si substrate

A polydopamine coating (coded as PDAc) was prepared successfully on a Si substrate through a two-step process. Briefly, to improve the adhesion of PDAc on the Si substrate, a self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (coded as APTS-SAM) was firstly generated on the bare Si wafer. Thereafter, the PDAc with different thickness was fabricated through the chemical adsorption and autopolymerization of the dopamine hydrochloride on the APTS-SAM coated Si substrate. The formation of PDAc on the APTS-SAM modified Si substrate was proved by the characterizations of contact angle measurement, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), etc. The ellipsometric thickness measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM) image analysis showed that the PDAc became thicker and rougher with the deposition time prolongation. Microtribological study showed that the thickness and roughness of the PDAc played a significant role in the tribological properties. In comparison with the bare Si substrate, the PDAc with thinner thickness possessed lower friction and was anticipated to be used as protecting coating in the field of boundary lubrication. The electrochemical corrosion behaviors of the prepared PDAc were investigated using the electrochemical station and a low corrosion current density was revealed, implying that the PDAc had good anti-corrosion capability and might find potential applications in the field of corrosion resistance.     

硅(001)图形衬底上锗硅纳米线的定位生长

纳米线的定位生长是实现纳米线量子器件寻址和集成的前提.结合自上而下的纳米加工和自下而上的自组装技术,通过分子束外延生长方法,在具有周期性凹槽结构的硅(001)图形衬底上首先低温生长硅锗薄膜然后升温退火,实现了有序锗硅纳米线在凹槽中的定位生长,锗硅纳米线的表面晶面为(105)晶面.详细研究了退火温度、硅锗的比例及图形周期对纳米线形成与否,以及纳米线尺寸的影响.     

Evolution of self-assembled Ge/Si island grown by ion beam sputtering deposition

The effect of temperature and Ge coverage on the evolution of self-assembled Ge/Si islands grown by ion beam sputtering deposition is studied. Atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy are used to analyze the island morphology and the intermixing between Si and Ge. The experiments are presented in two aspects. First, when the temperature is increased, intermixing is promoted, resulting in the reappearance of low aspect ratio islands. Second, a different evolution pathway is observed, in which short islands initially don’t grow along the constant ratio of 11:1 (diameter:height) and the islands always grow faster in vertical direction. In summary, the interdiffusion, surface diffusion, and amount of Ge determines the evolution of Ge/Si islands.     

Chlorination of Si surfaces with gaseous hydrogen chloride at elevated temperatures

Silicon wafers of different orientations were treated with gaseous hydrogen chloride at elevated temperatures in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor to generate chlorinated surfaces. After the chlorination process, a smooth surface morphology with single layer steps was observed on Si(1 1 1) surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurements showed that the chlorine coverage is directly affected by the Si surface orientation. The surface chlorine is highly reactive with moisture and alcoholic compounds, which provides a new route for organic molecular functionalization of silicon surfaces.     

Crystallization and surface morphology of Au/SiO2 thin films following furnace and flame annealing

A crystallization and surface evolution study of Au thin film on SiO₂ substrates following annealing at different temperatures above the eutectic point of the Au/Si system are reported. Samples were prepared by conventional evaporation of gold in a high vacuum (10⁻⁷ mbar) environment on substrates at room temperature. Thermal treatments were performed by both furnace and flame annealing techniques. Au thin films can be crystallized on SiO₂ substrates by both furnace and flame annealing. Annealing arranges the Au crystallites in the (1 1 1) plane direction and changes the morphology of the surface. Both, slow and rapid annealing result in a good background in the XRD spectra and hence clean and complete crystallization which depends more on the temperature than on the time of annealing. The epitaxial temperature for the Au/SiO₂ system decreases in the range of 350-400 °C. Furnace and flame annealing also form crystallized gold islands over the Au/SiO₂ surface. Relaxation at high temperatures of the strained Au layer, obtained after deposition, should be responsible for the initial stages of clusters formation. Gold nucleation sites may be formed at disordered points on the surface and they become islands when the temperature and time of annealing are increased. The growth rate of crystallites is highest around 360 °C. Above this temperature, the layer melts and gold diffuses from the substrate to the nucleation sites to increase the distance between islands and modify their shapes. Well above the eutectic temperature, the relaxed islands have hexagonally shaped borders. The mean crystallite diameters grow up to a maximum mean size of around 90 nm. The free activation energy for grain boundary migration above 360 °C is 0.2 eV. Therefore the type of the silicon substrate changes the mechanism of diffusion and growth of crystallites during annealing of the Au/Si system. Epitaxial Au(1 1 1) layers without formation of islands can be prepared by furnace annealing in the range of 300-310 °C and by flame annealing of a few seconds and up to 0.5 min.     

Effect of annealing on the nanoscratch behavior of multilayer Si0.8Ge0.2/Si films

In this study, we examined the nanoscratch behavior of annealed multilayered silicon-germanium (SiGe) films comprising alternating sublayers (Si) deposited using an ultrahigh-vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV/CVD) system. Annealing consisted of ex situ thermal treatment in a furnace system. We used a nanoscratch technique to investigate the nanotribological behavior of the SiGe films and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe deformation phenomena. Our AFM morphological studies of the SiGe films revealed that pile-up phenomena occurred on both sides of each scratch. The scratched surfaces of the SiGe films that had been subjected to various annealing conditions exhibited significantly different features, it is conjectured that cracking dominates in the case of SiGe films while ploughing dominates during the scratching process. We obtained higher coefficients of friction (μ) when the ramped force was set at 6000 μN, rather than 2000 μN, suggesting that annealing of SiGe films leads to higher shear resistance; annealing treatment not only produced misfit dislocations in the form of a significantly wavy sliding surface but also promoted scratching resistance.     

Thermally-induced morphological transition in WOx deposited on a ZrO2(1 0 0) substrate

A combined atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study of tungsten oxide model catalysts is presented. The model catalysts were prepared by applying the real preparation method to a ZrO₂(1 0 0) single crystal support. AFM imaged several granular structures of scattered dimensions on the surface of ZrO₂(1 0 0) in the as prepared samples. After heating, at low loading the tungsten species rearranged into small WO_x particles strongly interacting with the substrate. At high tungsten content large WO₃ aggregates also formed. XPS analysis confirmed these changes. The estimated surface density of the interacting W-containing species closely matched that of real catalysts.     

Photoluminescence of Ge(Si)/Si(0 0 1) self-assembled islands in the near infra-red wavelength range

The dependence of photoluminescence spectra of structures with GeSi/Si(0 0 1) self-assembled nanoislands on growth temperature has been investigated. It was shown that the redshift of the island-related photoluminescence peak with a decrease of the growth temperature is associated with suppression of Si diffusion in the islands and an increase of Ge content in them. For the first time a photoluminescence signal from SiGe islands was observed at energies much lower than the Ge band gap. The energy position of the island-related photoluminescence peak is well described by the model of optical transition, which is indirect in real space. The photoluminescence signal at 1.55 μm from GeSi/Si(0 0 1) self-assembled islands was obtained up to room temperature.