The epitaxial growth of Ge on Si(111) covered with the 0.3 nm thick SiO2 film is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Nanoareas of bare Si in the SiO2 film are prepared by Ge deposition at a temperature in the ra...The epitaxial growth of Ge on Si(111) covered with the 0.3 nm thick SiO2 film is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Nanoareas of bare Si in the SiO2 film are prepared by Ge deposition at a temperature in the range of 570℃-650℃ due to the formation of volatile SiO and GeO molecules. The surface morphology of Ge layers grown further at 360℃-500℃ is composed of facets and large flat areas with the Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) reconstruction which is typical of unstrained Ge. Orientations of the facets, which depend on the growth temperature, are identified. The growth at 250℃-300℃ produces continuous epitaxial Ge layers on Si(111). A comparison of the surface morphology of Ge layers grown on bare and SiO2-film covered Si(111) surfaces shows a significantly lower Ge-Si intermixing in the latter case due to a reduction in the lattice strain. The found approach to reduce the strain suggests the opportunity of the thin continuous epitaxial Ge layer formation on Si(111).展开更多
文摘The epitaxial growth of Ge on Si(111) covered with the 0.3 nm thick SiO2 film is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Nanoareas of bare Si in the SiO2 film are prepared by Ge deposition at a temperature in the range of 570℃-650℃ due to the formation of volatile SiO and GeO molecules. The surface morphology of Ge layers grown further at 360℃-500℃ is composed of facets and large flat areas with the Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) reconstruction which is typical of unstrained Ge. Orientations of the facets, which depend on the growth temperature, are identified. The growth at 250℃-300℃ produces continuous epitaxial Ge layers on Si(111). A comparison of the surface morphology of Ge layers grown on bare and SiO2-film covered Si(111) surfaces shows a significantly lower Ge-Si intermixing in the latter case due to a reduction in the lattice strain. The found approach to reduce the strain suggests the opportunity of the thin continuous epitaxial Ge layer formation on Si(111).
