Growth of single-crystal Si, Ge and SiGe layers using plasma-assisted CVD

• Published in: Thin solid films 1997-02, Vol.294 (1), p.76-79
• Main Authors: Thwaites, M.J., Reehal, H.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapour deposition; Germanium; Plasma processing and deposition; Silicon
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(96)09297-8

The results of a preliminary study on the growth of epitaxial Si, hetero-epitaxial Ge and Si/Si x Ge 1− x multilayer structures on (100) Si substrates using r.f. plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition are described. Silane and germane were used as the precursor gases. The lowest temperature for homo-epitaxial Si growth was 600 °C and epitaxy was critically dependent on an in-situ hydrogen plasma clean of the substrate. Ge and SiGe growth was carried out following the growth of an initial Si epitaxial layer, also at the lowest temperature of 600 °C. Successful Ge epitaxy required a continuously graded Si x Ge 1− x “buffer layer” (with x decreasing from 1 to 0), on top of the initial Si epilayer. Si/Si x Ge 1− x superlattice structures having in excess of 100 alternating layers of Si and Si x Ge 1− x with x≈0.6 and good layer uniformity, periodicity and abruptness have been demonstrated.