Investigation of the high temperature behavior of strained Si _1-yC_y/Si heterostructures

verfasst von

G. G. Fischer, P. Zaumseil, E. Bugiel, H. J. Osten

Abstract

We report on x-ray diffraction measurements of the substitutional carbon content y in pseudomorphic Si_1-yC_y (y<0.02) layers grown on (100)-oriented silicon substrate. The samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and investigated during post growth annealing in situ by an x-ray powder diffractometer. Despite the tensile strain in the 100-nm-thick layers and the high carbon supersaturation, the samples were stable up to 800°C. Beyond this temperature range, the substitutional carbon content decreased exponentially during isothermal annealing. This effect can be explained by the precipitation of the carbon and the nucleation and diffusion limited growth of SiC nanocrystals. Since no strain relief by the introduction of misfit dislocations was detectible, we conclude that contrary to the mechanism of strain relief in Si_1-xGe_x, in comparably strained Si _1-yC_y epilayers, the main high temperature process is precipitation.

Externe Organisation(en)

Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik (IHP)

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Journal of applied physics

Band

77

Seiten

1934-1937

Anzahl der Seiten

4

ISSN

0021-8979

Publikationsdatum

01.03.1995

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Allgemeine Physik und Astronomie

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.358826 (Zugang: Geschlossen)