Second harmonic generation indicates a better Si/Ge interface quality for higher temperature and with N2 rather than with H2 as the carrier gas

V. K. Valev, M. K. Vanbel, B. Vincent, V. V. Moshchalkov, M. Caymax, T. Verbiest

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

In order for germanium (Ge) to replace silicon in advanced MOSFET channels, proper passivation of Ge is required. For this purpose, an ultrathin epitaxial Si cap was grown on Ge(001), and we applied second harmonic generation (SHG) in order to probe the Si/Ge interface quality. SHG indicates a better interface quality for a growth temperature of 500°C rather than 450°C. Similarly, a better quality of the interface is observed upon replacing the conventional H2 carrier gas with N2. Additionally, from the SHG signal, we were able to extract both the thickness of the native SiO2 layer (∼4 monolayers (MLs)] and the thickness of the strained Si layer (relaxation at ∼12 MLs). These results are important for building Ge-based electronic components.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5660071
Pages (from-to)12-14
Number of pages3
JournalIEEE Electron Device Letters
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2011

Keywords

  • Interface phenomena
  • MOSFETs
  • optics
  • semiconductorinsulator interfaces

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