Ge/Si photodiodes and phototransistors with embedded arrays of germanium quantum dots for fiber-optic communication lines

Photodetectors based on Ge/Si multilayer heterostructures with germanium quantum dots are fabricated for use in fiber-optic communication lines operating in the wavelength range 1.30–1.55 μm. These photodetectors can be embedded in an array of photonic circuit elements on a single silicon chip. The sheet density of germanium quantum dots falls in the range from 0.3 × 10¹² to 1.0 × 10¹² cm^?2, and their lateral size is approximately equal to 10 nm. The heterostructures are grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. For a reverse bias of 1 V, the dark current density reaches 2 × 10^?5 A/cm². This value is the lowest in the data on dark current densities available in the literature for Ge/Si photodetectors at room temperature. The quantum efficiency of photodiodes and phototransistors subjected to illumination from the side of the plane of the p-n junctions is found to be 3% at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. It is demonstrated that the maximum quantum efficiency is achieved for edge-illuminated waveguide structures and can be as high as 21 and 16% at wavelengths of 1.3 and 1.5 μm, respectively.     

纳米尺度下Si/Ge界面应力释放机制的分子动力学研究

采用分子动力学方法研究了纳米尺度下硅(Si)基锗(Ge)结构的Si/Ge界面应力分布特征,以及点缺陷层在应力释放过程中的作用机制.结果表明:在纳米尺度下, Si/Ge界面应力分布曲线与Ge尺寸密切相关,界面应力下降速度与Ge尺寸存在近似的线性递减关系;同时,在Si/Ge界面处增加一个富含空位缺陷的缓冲层,可显著改变Si/Ge界面应力分布,在此基础上对比分析了点缺陷在纯Ge结构内部引起应力变化与缺陷密度的关系,缺陷层的引入和缺陷密度的增加可加速界面应力的释放.参考对Si/Ge界面结构的研究结果,可在Si基纯Ge薄膜生长过程中引入缺陷层,并对其结构进行设计,降低界面应力水平,进而降低界面处产生位错缺陷的概率,提高Si基Ge薄膜质量,这一思想在研究报道的Si基Ge膜低温缓冲层生长方法中初步得到了证实.     

光通信用雪崩光电二极管(APD)频率响应特性研究

吸收层、电荷层和倍增层分离结构雪崩光电二极管(SACM-APD),包括InP/InGaAs、InAlAs/InGaAs和Si/Ge APD是光通信领域近年来研究的热点. 本文基于电路模型,系统比较了不同外延层厚度、不同材料以及不同结构APD的频率响应特性,重点探讨Si/Ge APD吸收层厚度、光敏面大小、寄生参数等各项参数对带宽的影响,仿真结果与实际器件实验数据相符合. 本文的研究成果对SACM-APD的优化设计具有指导意义. 关键词： SACM-APD 电路模型 频率响应     

Control of high-k/germanium interface properties through selection of high-k materials and suppression of GeO volatilization

Two approaches to control high-k/Ge interface qualities were investigated. The first approach was using high-k materials that are intimate with Ge. These Ge-intimate high-k materials should have moderate reactivity with Ge to form an amorphized interface that will reduce the interface defects and will suppress the GeO desorption at the interface. The second approach was modifying the annealing processes by using a cap layer to block GeO out-diffusion. We found that Si works as the cap layer very efficiently. By combining those two approaches, we achieved fairly good high-k/Ge metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) characteristics with LaYO₃ as the Ge-intimate high-k material, and a NiSi_X electrode as the cap layer. These results provide us an important guide for controlling the high-k/Ge interface properties.     

High-speed waveguide-integrated Ge/Si avalanche photodetector

Waveguide-integrated Ge/Si heterostructure avalanche photodetectors(APDs) were designed and fabricated using a CMOS-compatible process on 8-inch SOI substrate. The structure of the APD was designed as separate-absorption-chargemultiplication(SACM) using germanium and silicon as absorption region and multiplication region, respectively. The breakdown voltage(V_b) of such a device is 19 V at reverse bias and dark current appears to be 0.71 μA at 90% of the V_b. The device with a 10-μm length and 7-μm width of Ge layer shows a maximum 3-dB bandwidth of 17.8 GHz at the wavelength of 1550 nm. For the device with a 30-μm-length Ge region, gain-bandwidth product achieves 325 GHz.     

Non-homogeneous SiGe-on-insulator formed by germanium condensation process

Ge condensation process of a sandwiched structure of Si/SiGe/Si on silicon-on-insulator （SOI） to form SiGe-on- insulator （SGOI） substrate is investigated. The non-homogeneity of SiGe on insulator is observed after a long time oxidation and annealing due to an increased consumption of silicon at the inflection points of the corrugated SiGe film morphology, which happens in the case of the rough surface morphology, with lateral Si atoms diffusing to the inflection points of the corrugated SiGe film. The transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the non-homogeneous SiGe layer exhibits a single crystalline nature with perfect atom lattice. Possible formation mechanism of the non-homogeneity SiGe layer is presented by discussing the highly nonuniform oxidation rate that is spatially dependent in the Ge condensation process. The results are of guiding significance for fabricating the SGOI by Ge condensation process.     

n,p柱宽度对超结SiGe功率二极管电学特性的影响

结合SiGe材料的优异性能与超结结构在功率器件方面的优势,提出了一种超结SiGe功率二极管.该器件有两个重要特点:一是由轻掺杂的p型柱和n型柱相互交替形成超结结构,取代传统功率二极管的n^-基区;二是阳极p⁺区采用很薄的应变SiGe材料.该二极管可以克服常规Si p⁺n^-n⁺功率二极管存在的一些缺陷,如阻断电压增大的同时,正向导通压降随之增大,反向恢复时间也变长.利用二维器件模拟软件MEDICI仿真 关键词： 超结 锗硅二极管 n p柱宽度 电学特性     

Optimization of the Doped Ablator Layers for the Plastic Ignition Capsule

The paper investigates theoretically the optimization of the doped ablator layers for the plastic ignition capsule. The high-resolved one-dimensional implosion simulations show that the inner pure CH layer of the Si-doped design is excessively preheated by the hard x-ray, leading to the unstable ablator-fuel interface compared to the Ge-doped capsule. This is because that the Si K-shell absorption edge (1.8 keV) is higher than the Ge L-edge (1.3 keV), and Si dopant makes more hard x-ray penetrate through the doped ablator layers to preheat the inner pure CH layer. So an optimization of the doped ablator layers (called "Si/Ge capsule") is performed: an Si-doped CH layer is placed next to the outer pure CH layer to keep the high implosion velocity; next to the Si-doped layer is a thin Ge-doped layer, in order to absorb the hard x-ray and protect the inner undoped CH-layer from excessively preheating. The simulations show that the Si/Ge capsule can effectively improve hydrodynamic stability at the ablator-fuel interface while keeping the high implosion velocity.     

Oxygen chemisorption as a tool for atom discrimination in the SiGe termination layer

This Letter describes a novel method of employing the phenomenon of oxygen chemisorption for atom discrimination in the SiGe surface termination layer. Formation of SiO species on clean Si(100) gives rise to peaks at 7 and 10.2 eV in He I UPS and a peak at 532.3 eV in O 1s XPS. Whereas GeO species on a Ge(100) surface exhibits a single peak at 5.2 eV in He I UPS and a peak at 531.3 eV in O 1s XPS. These signature spectra of SiO and GeO species have been effectively employed for atom discrimination in the termination layer of SiGe surfaces. Upon dosing at room temperature, on a sample prepared by depositing 5ÅGe on Si(100) at 550°C, oxygen bonds with Ge atoms forming GeO, exclusively. This indicates termination entirely by Ge atoms. Oxygen adsorption at room temperature, on a sample prepared by codeposition of Ge and Si (total 5Å) onto Si(100) at 550°C, forms a mixture of SiO and GeO species suggesting a surface termination by both Ge and Si atoms.     

Normal incidence p-i-n Ge heterojunction photodiodes on Si substrate grown by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition

We report on normal incidence p-i-n heterojunction photodiodes operating in the near-infrared region and realized in pure germanium on planar silicon substrate. The diodes were fabricated by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition at 600 °C without thermal annealing and allowing the integration with standard silicon processes. Due to the 0.14% residual tensile strain generated by the thermal expansion mismatch between Ge and Si, an efficiency enhancement of nearly 3-fold at 1.55 μm and the absorption edge shifting to longer wavelength of about 40 nm are achieved in the epitaxial Ge films. The diode with a responsivity of 0.23 A/W at 1.55 μm wavelength and a bulk dark current density of 10 mA/cm² is demonstrated. These diodes with high performances and full compatibility with the CMOS processes enable monolithically integrating microphotonics and microelectronics on the same chip.     

Identification of Ge/Si intermixing processes at the Bi/Ge/Si(111) surface

The chemical contrast between Si and Ge obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy on Bi-covered Si(111) surfaces is used as a tool to identify two vertical Ge/Si intermixing processes. During annealing of an initially pure Ge monolayer on Si, the intermixing is confined to the first two layers approaching a 50% Ge concentration in each layer. During epitaxial growth, a growth front induced intermixing process acting at step edges is observed. Because of the open atomic structure at the step edges, relative to the terraces, a lower activation barrier for intermixing at the step edge, compared to the terrace, is observed.     

Temperature dependent characteristics of a PIN avalanche photodiode (APD) in Ge,Si and GaAs

A theoretical assessment is presented based on a modification of Baraff's theory in order to compare the temperature dependence of several characteristics, including breakdown voltage, excess noise factor, effective ionization rate ratio and efficiency in Ge, Si and GaAs PIN avalanche photodiodes. The temperature coefficient of avalanche breakdown voltage in a high field region is studied. Finally the response time of a PIN APD in these materials is discussed.This paper is supported by the National Science Council, the Republic of China.     

Si/Gen/Si(001)异质结薄膜的掠入射荧光X射线吸收精细结构研究

利用掠入射荧光X射线吸收精细结构(XAFS)方法研究了在400℃的温度下分子束外延生长的Si/Ge_n/Si(001)异质结薄膜(n=1，2，4和8个原子层)中Ge原子的局域环境结构.结果表明，在1至2个Ge原子层(ML)生长厚度的异质结薄膜中，Ge原子的第一近邻配位主要是Si原子.随着Ge原子层厚度增加到4ML，Ge原子的最近邻配位壳层中的Ge-Ge配位的平均配位数增加到1.3.当Ge原子层厚度增加到8ML时，第一配位壳层中的Ge-Ge配位占的比例只有55%.这表明在400℃的生长条件下，Ge原子有很强的迁移到Si覆盖层的能力.随着Ge层厚度从1 增加到2，4和8ML，Ge原子迁移到Si覆盖层的量由0.5ML分别增加到1.5，2.0和3.0ML.认为在覆盖Si过程中Ge原子的迁移主要是通过产生Ge原子表面偏析来降低表面能和Ge层的应变能. 关键词： XAFS n/Si(001)异质膜')" href="#">Si/Ge_n/Si(001)异质膜 迁移效应     

High-efficiency metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors on heteroepitaxially grown Ge on Si

We demonstrate extremely efficient germanium-on-silicon metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with responsivities (R) as high as 0.85 A/W at 1.55 microm and 2V reverse bias. Ge was directly grown on Si by using a novel heteroepitaxial growth technique, which uses multisteps of growth and hydrogen annealing to reduce surface roughness and threading dislocations that form due to the 4.2% lattice mismatch. Photodiodes on such layers exhibit reverse dark currents of 100 mA/cm2 and external quantum efficiency up to 68%. This technology is promising to realize monolithically integrated optoelectronics.     

半导体量子点形成临界尺寸的定量预测

半导体量子点是一类具有显著量子效应的零维量子结构,自组的模型系统,表现为Stranski-Krastanov型生长.其特征为,当超过3—4个Ge单原子层（浸润层）时,则由二维层状生长转变为三维岛状生长.Ge/Si量子点是初期形成的与衬底共格无位错的三维岛,岛表面由{105}晶面组成.文章作者利用第一性原理计算和介观理论模拟相结合的连续式多尺度（sequential multi-scale）方法,第一次对纯Ge和GeSi合金量子点在Si(001)表面的成核临界尺寸进行了定量的理论预测,同时研究了岛边缘的应力不连续对量子点稳定性的影响,实现了对Ge/Si量子点的形成和稳定性定量的理论研究.     

Nanowires and nanorings at the atomic level

The step-flow growth mode is used to fabricate Si and Ge nanowires with a width of 3.5 nm and a thickness of one atomic layer (0.3 nm) by self-assembly. Alternating deposition of Ge and Si results in the formation of a nanowire superlattice covering the whole surface. One atomic layer of Bi terminating the surface is used to distinguish between the elements Si and Ge. A difference in apparent height is measured in scanning tunneling microscopy images for Si and Ge. Also, different kinds of two-dimensional Si/Ge nanostructures like alternating Si and Ge nanorings having a width of 5-10 nm were grown.     

有源层掺杂剂对Ga1-xAlxAs/GaAs双异质结发光管特性的影响

本文研究了由液相外延技术生长的GaAIAs/GaAs双异质结材料制成的发光管,有源层掺杂剂对器件特性的影响结果表明,器件结构和器件制作工艺相同的GaAIAs/GaAs发光管,有源层掺Si可获得较大的光输出功率,而频响特性<15MHz,波长在8700Å以上;对有源层掺Ge器件,光输出功率低于掺Si器件,而频响特性则>15MHz,波长可控制在8200Å~8500Å.深能级测量表明二者有不同的深能级位置,对掺Si(氧沾污)器件,Ec-ET≈0.29eV,而掺Ge器件ET-Ev≈0.42eV.两种掺杂剂对有源层暗缺陷的影响尚无明显区别.     

Ge/Si混合物纳米薄膜中Ge钠米颗粒氧化态的XPS研究(英文)

pacc:7300,3320R TheoxidationstatesofGenanoparticlesin thesurfacelayerofGe/SifilmwerestudiedbyX-rayphotoelectronspectroscopy.Newfeatures appearedatthehighbindingenergysideofthe XPSGe3dpeakwhensampleswereannealedin atmosphere,whichwerecausedbythelargein ter…     

Photoconductivity of Ge/Si quantum dot photodetectors

Various structures of self-assembled Ge/Si quantum dot infrared photodetectors were implemented and investigated. The electronic structure of the QDIPs was studied by electrical and optical techniques including I–V characteristics, dark current, photoconductivity, photoluminescence, and photo-induced infrared absorption. The photoconductive spectra consist of a broad multi-peak, composed of peaks ranging from 70 to 220 meV. Their relative intensity changes with bias. Comparative dark current measurements were performed. Dark current limits the performance of this first generation of Ge/Si QDIPs. It is plausible that direct doping in the dot layer is a viable way of reducing the dark current.     

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.