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Aspects of “High Minority-Carrier Lifetime” GaAs on Si Using A Novel SiGe/Ge Buffer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

R. Venkatasubramanian
Affiliation:
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
J.B. Posthill
Affiliation:
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
M.L. Timmons
Affiliation:
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
H. Ehsani
Affiliation:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
S.K. Ghandhi
Affiliation:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
B.M. Keyes
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO 80407
R.K. Ahrenkiel
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO 80407
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Abstract

Heteroepitaxial GaAs-on-Si utilizing a Si0.4Ge0.96/Ge buffer, with a hole minority-carrier lifetime as long as ∼ 2.5 nsec is described. This is the longest minority-carrier lifetime in GaAs grown on Si reported to date by any approach. Here we discuss the microstructural aspects of this heteroepitaxial system, including a crossectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) study of the interface of the SiGe/Ge buffer and the role of the SiGe layer. An x-ray double crystal diffraction (DCD) study of the GaAs layers is also presented. The SiGe/Ge buffer approach to heteroepitaxial GaAs on Si is a result of two observations: (1) SiGe epitaxial layers grown on Ge are under biaxial compressive stress (from DCD) and (2) dislocations tend to bend over into the Ge substrate (from TEM). These data and a description of the heteroepitaxy of SiGe layers on Ge are presented.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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References

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