Heteroepitaxy of group IV materials for future device application

Abstract

Heteroepitxy of group IV materials (Si, SiGe, and Ge) has great potential for boosting Si-based novel device performance because of the possibility for strain, band gap/Fermi-level engineering, and applying emerging artificial materials such as a superlattice (SL) and nanodots. In order to control group IV heteroepitaxy processes, strain, interface, and surface energies are very essential parameters. They affect dislocation formation, interface steepness, reflow of deposited layers, and also surface reaction itself during the growth. Therefore, process control and crystallinity management of SiGe heteroepitaxy are difficult especially in the case of high Ge concentrations. In this paper, we review our results of abrupt SiGe/Si interface fabrication by introducing C-delta layers and the influence of strain on the surface reaction of SiGe. Three-dimensional self-ordered SiGe and Ge nanodot fabrication by proactively using strain and surface energies by depositing SiGe/Si and Ge/SiGe SL are also reviewed.