Phonons in Ge/Si superlattices with Ge quantum dots

Ge/Si superlattices containing Ge quantum dots were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and studied by resonant Raman scattering. It is shown that these structures possess vibrational properties of both two-and zero-dimensional objects. The folded acoustic phonons observed in the low-frequency region of the spectrum (up to 15th order) are typical for planar superlattices. The acoustic phonon lines overlap with a broad emission continuum that is due to the violation of the wave-vector conservation law by the quantum dots. An analysis of the Ge and Ge-Si optical phonons indicates that the Ge quantum dots are pseudoamorphous and that mixing of the Ge and Si atoms is insignificant. The longitudinal optical phonons undergo a low-frequency shift upon increasing laser excitation energy (2.54–2.71 eV) because of the confinement effect in small-sized quantum dots, which dominate resonant Raman scattering.     

Optical absorption spectra of Si with Ge quantum dots

The results of calculations of optical absorption spectra of silicon containing Ge nanoclusters of spherical shape and different size are reported. The optical transitions from the Ge cluster levels to the silicon bulk energy band states are analyzed.     

Interband photoconductivity of Ge/Si structures with self-organized quantum rings

At low temperatures a lateral photoconductivity (PC) of Ge/Si (1 0 0) self-organized quantum rings (QRs) structures as a function of interband light intensity has been investigated for different values of lateral voltage and temperature. In contrast to self-organized Ge/Si quantum dots (QDs) structures (grown at the same conditions) where the stepped PC was registered, for QRs structures essential smoothing of PC steps was observed. Such behavior is determined by decreasing of strain potential around QRs in conductive Si matrix due to a transfer of Ge atoms from the center of QDs to its periphery accompanied by Ge/Si intermixing.     

Folded acoustic phonons in Si/Ge superlattices with Ge quantum dots

The spectra of Raman scattering by folded acoustic phonons in Si/Ge superlattices with pseudomorphic layers of Ge quantum dots (QDs) grown by low-temperature (T = 250°C) molecular beam epitaxy are studied. New features of the folded phonon lines related to the resonant enhancement and unusual intensity ratio of the doublet lines that cannot be explained by the existing theory have been observed. The observed modes are shown to be related to the vibrations localized to the QDs and induced by the folded phonons of the Si spacer layers. The calculations performed in the model of a one-dimensional chain of atoms have allowed the nature of the localization of acoustic phonons attributable to a modification of the phonon spectrum of a thin QD layer to be explained. The observed intensity ratio of the folded phonon doublet lines is caused by asymmetry of the relief of the QD layers.     

Luminescence study of Si/Ge quantum dots

We present a photoluminescence (PL) study of Ge quantum dots embedded in Si. Two different types of recombination processes related to the Ge quantum dots are observed in temperature-dependent PL measurements. The Ge dot-related luminescence peak near 0.80 eV is ascribed to the spatially indirect recombination in the type-II band lineup, while a high-energy peak near 0.85 eV has its origin in the spatially direct recombination. A transition from the spatially indirect to the spatially direct recombination is observed as the temperature is increased. The PL dependence of the excitation power shows an upshift of the Ge quantum dot emission energy with increasing excitation power density. The blueshift is ascribed to band bending at the type-II Si/Ge interface at high carrier densities. Comparison is made with results derived from measurements on uncapped samples. For these uncapped samples, no energy shifts due to excitation power or temperatures are observed in contrast to the capped samples.     

AC-hopping conductance of self-organized Ge/Si quantum dot arrays

Dense (n=4×10¹¹ cm^-2) arrays of Ge quantum dots in a Si host were studied using attenuation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagating along the surface of a piezoelectric crystal located near the sample. The SAW magneto-attenuation coefficient, ΔΓ=Γ(ω,H)-Γ(ω,0), and change of velocity of SAW, ΔV/V=(V(H)-V(0))/V(0), were measured in the temperature interval T=1.5–4.2 K as a function of magnetic field H up to 6 T for the waves in the frequency range f=30–300 MHz. Based on the dependences of ΔΓ on H, T and ω, as well as on its sign, we believe that the AC conduction mechanism is a combination of diffusion at the mobility edge with hopping between localized states at the Fermi level. The measured magnetic field dependence of the SAW attenuation is discussed based on existing theoretical concepts.     

Longitudinal conductivity of Ge/Si heterostructures with quantum dots

The conductance along an island layer of Ge quantum dots buried in silicon was investigated. The sizes of the islands varied in the range D ≈ 12−19 nm. It was found that the charge transport is characterized by two activation energies. The first one is associated with the thermal emission of holes from Ge quantum wells into the valence band of Si. The second one is due to the tunneling of holes between islands under Coulomb blockade conditions and is determined by the electrostatic charging energy of a quantum dot. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 6, 423–426 (25 March 1996)     

Excitons in Ge/Si double quantum dots

The spatial structure of excitons and the oscillator strength characterizing the intensity of interband optical transitions in vertically coupled Ge/Si quantum dots have been theoretically studied. It has been found that the probability of the exciton transition under certain conditions (the sizes of the quantum dots, the separation of the dots) can be much larger (up to a factor of 5) than the value for the case of single quantum dots. It is expected that the results will make it possible to approach the creation of efficient light-emitting and photoreceiving devices based on Si and Ge indirect-band semiconductors.     

Spectrum of electron-hole states of the Si/Ge structure with Ge quantum dots

The lateral photoconductivity spectra of Si/Ge multilayer structures with Ge quantum dots of various sizes are investigated. We observed optical transition lines between the hole levels of quantum dots and electronic states of Si. This enabled us to construct a detailed energy level diagram of the electron-hole spectrum of the Si/Ge structures. It is shown that the hole levels of Ge quantum dots are successfully described by the “quantum box” model using the actual sizes of Ge islands. It I found that the position of the longwavelength photosensitivity boundary of Si/Ge structures with Ge quantum dots can be controlled by changing the growth parameters.     

Electronic structure of double Ge quantum dots in Si

Theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of elastically stressed double Ge quantum dots in Si performed in the six-band kp approximation with the Bir-Pikus Hamiltonian and with the configuration interaction method are reviewed. The existence of the antibonding ground state of holes has been revealed. It has been found that, when quantum dots approach each other, the exchange energy of two-particle states has a minimum at the point of the intersection of bonding and antibonding levels; the singlet and triplet states at this point are degenerate. For the lowest spin singlet, it has been revealed that Coulomb correlations in the motion of two holes are manifested in the localization of the two-particle wavefunction at opposite quantum dots when the distance between the dots increases. It has been shown that the degree of entanglement of the singlet quantum states reaches 50% in the case of the manifestation of such spatial correlations.     

Micro-Raman scattering by laser-modified structures with Ge/Si quantum dots

Structures with self-assembled Ge/Si quantum dots grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are exposed to pulsed radiation of a picosecond laser. Changes in the vibrational spectrum of nanostructures under an external action are studied by Raman spectroscopy. An analysis of the Raman spectra measured with a micron spatial resolution along the exposed region indicates a mixing of Ge and Si atoms and a change in the induced mechanical stresses in quantum dots.     

Zeeman effect for holes in a Ge/Si system with quantum dots

The tight binding approximation is employed to study the Zeeman effect for the hole ground state in a quantum dot. A method is proposed for calculating the g factor for localized states in a quantum dot. This method can be used both for hole states and for electron states. Calculations made for a Ge/Si system with quantum dots show that the g factor of a hole in the ground state is strongly anisotropic. The dependence of the g factor on the size of a germanium island is analyzed and it is shown that anisotropy of the g factor increases with the island size. It is shown that the value of the g factor is mainly determined by the contribution of the state with the angular momentum component J _z =±3/2 along the symmetry axis of the germanium island.     

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．     

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.     

Temperature dependence of photoluminescence from self-organized Ge quantum dots with large size and low density

Photoluminescence(PL) from self-organized Ge quantum dots(QDs) with large size and low density has been investigated over a temperature range from 10 to 300 K using continuous-wave(CW) optical excitation.The integrated PL intensity of QDs observed is negligible at about 10 K and rapidly increases with raising temperature up to 100 K.Through analyzing the PL experimental data of the QDs and wetting layer(WL),we provide direct evidence that there exists a potential barrier,arising from the greater compressive...     

Thermodynamic model of metal-induced self-assembly of Ge quantum dots on Si substrates

We have investigated the nucleation thermodynamics and kinetics of the Ge quantum dot (QD) self-assembly on the Au-patterned Si substrates based on the surface chemical potential theory. It is find that the minimum chemical potential on the substrate surface is located at the center site of the square lattice constructed by Au islands, which indicates that the nucleation of QD is thermodynamically favorable at the center site. The nucleation probability of QD at the center site is kinetically calculated by the mechanochemical potential-based approach. The influence of the surface orientation of Si substrates on the QD shape is addressed by the surface chemical potential theory.     

Spatial distribution of elastic deformations in Ge/Si structures with quantum dots

A method is developed for calculating the elastic deformation in coherently strained heterostructures on the basis of the valence force field (VFF) model using the Green’s function of the “atomistic” elastic problem. The spatial distribution of the elastic deformations in a Ge/Si system with pyramidal Ge quantum dots buried in a Si matrix is investigated theoretically. The deformation distribution in and around the pyramids is determined. Near quantum dots, the region near the tip of the pyramid is most strongly intensely. Inside quantum dots the region of the vertex is most relaxed, and the most strained section lies on the contour of the pyramid base. Compression occurs in the plane of the pyramid base inside quantum dots, and stretching occurs along the vertical direction. The picture is reversed near quantum dots: stretching occurs in the lateral direction and compression in the vertical direction. It is shown that the local deformations and their spatial distribution are essentially independent (to within the scaling) of the size of the quantum dots for 10–15 nm pyramid bases.     

Optical phonons in Ge quantum dots obtained on Si(111)

The Raman light scattering from optical phonons of Ge quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a Si(111) surface is studied. A series of Raman lines related to the quantization of phonon spectrum is observed. It is shown that phonon frequencies are adequately described in terms of the elastic properties and the dispersion of the optical phonons of bulk Ge. The strain experienced by the Ge quantum dots is estimated.     

Suppression of hole relaxation in small Ge/Si quantum dots

We study the effect of quantum dot size on the mid-infrared photocurrent, photoconductive gain, and hole capture probability in ten-period p-type Ge/Si quantum dot heterostructures. The dot dimensions are varied by changing the Ge coverage during molecular beam epitaxy of Ge/Si(001) system in the Stranski–Krastanov growth mode while keeping the deposition temperature to be the same. A device with smaller dots is found to exhibit a lower capture probability and a higher photoconductive gain and photoresponse. The integrated responsivity in the mid-wave atmospheric window (λ = (3–5) μm) is improved by a factor of about 8 when the average in-plane dot dimension changes from 18 to 11 nm. The decrease in the dot size is expected to reduce the carrier relaxation rate due to phonon bottleneck by providing strong zero-dimensional quantum mechanical confinement.