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Stress Relaxation in Uniquely Oriented SiGe/Si Epitaxial Layers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

M. E. Ware  and
R. J. Nemanich
M. E. Ware
Affiliation:
Physics Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, meware@unity.ncsu.edu, robert_nemanich@ncsu.edu
R. J. Nemanich
Affiliation:
Physics Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, meware@unity.ncsu.edu, robert_nemanich@ncsu.edu
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Abstract

This study explores stress relaxation of epitaxial SiGe layers grown on Si substrates with unique orientations. The crystallographic orientations of the Si substrates used were off-axis from the (001) plane towards the (111) plane by angles, θ = 0, 10, and 22 degrees. We have grown 100nm thick Si(1−x) Ge(x) epitaxial layers with x=0.3 on the Si substrates to examine the relaxation process. The as-deposited films are metastable to the formation of strain relaxing misfit dislocations, and thermal annealing is used to obtain highly relaxed films for comparison. Raman spectroscopy has been used to measure the strain relaxation, and atomic force microscopy has been used to explore the development of surface morphology. The Raman scattering indicated that the strain in the as-deposited films is dependent on the substrate orientation with strained layers grown on Si with 0 and 22 degree orientations while highly relaxed films were grown on the 10 degree substrate. The surface morphology also differed for the substrate orientations. The 10 degree surface is relatively smooth with hut shaped structures oriented at predicted angles relative to the step edges.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 594: Symposium V – Thin Films - Stresses & Mechanical Properties VIII , 1999 , 163
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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