Elastically stressed pseudomorphic SiSn island array formation with a pedestal on the Si(1 0 0) substrate using Sn as a growth catalyst

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2019-07, Vol.518, p.103-107
• Main Authors: Nikiforov, A.I., Timofeev, V.A., Mashanov, V.I., Gavrilova, T.A., Gulyaev, D.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemical analysis; Density; Energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy; Island growth; Islands; Molecular beam epitaxy; Organic chemistry; Photoluminescence; Silicon substrates; Thickness
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.04.021

•Sn-rich islands with faceted Si pedestals were grown by MBE technique on VLS mechanism.•Sn island arrays were used as catalysts for the formation of Sn-rich islands.•A Sn-rich islands demonstrated the intense photoluminescence in the near-IR range. The Sn-rich islands with a Si pedestal on the Si(1 0 0) substrate were obtained by the molecular-beam epitaxy technique. Initially, Sn films of different thicknesses were formed on the Si surface and then annealed to create the Sn island arrays, which were used as nanoobject growth catalysts. The Sn island density reaches up to 6 × 109 cm−2, whereas the Sn island sizes are changed in the range of 40–180 nm. The Sn-rich islands with the Si pedestal were first appeared after the Si deposition on the surface with the Sn islands in the temperature range of 300–450 °C. The new obtained nanostructures have the island density up to 4 × 108 cm−2 and the island sizes, which varied from 60 to 400 nm. The island growth with the pedestal occurred on the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The chemical analysis of the samples carried out using the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated the presence of the Sn-rich region on the top of nanoobjects. The intense photoluminescence from the Sn-rich islands with the Si pedestal was detected. The photoluminescence peak takes place at 1.55 µm.