Abstract
The continuum elasticity model is applied to quantitatively investigate the growth features and nucleation mechanism of quantum dots (QDs), nanopits, and joint QDs-nanopits structures in SiGeC ternary systems. We determined the critical concentrations of carbon, x = 0.08 for Si1−x C x and y = 0.0033 for Si1−x−y Ge x C y at the concentration of germanium x = 0.467, when the growth mode changes from, respectively, nucleation of QDs to formation of nanopits. We have shown that the increase in the carbon concentration in a SiC binary system and of germanium concentration in a SiGeC ternary system leads to a decrease in the critical size of QD. The free energy of mixing for Si1−x−y Ge x C y ternary system was calculated and studied and its 3D sketch plotted. It is demonstrated that incorporation of carbon into Si and Ge up to background impurity concentration is energetically preferable, which explains the experimentally detected “contamination” of silicon and germanium crystals by carbon during the growth in the graphite crucible.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tersoff, J. and Le Goues, F.K., Phys. Rev. Lett., 1994, vol. 72, p. 3570.
Gambaryan, K.M., Aroutiounian, V.M., and Harutyunyan, V.G., Infrared Phys. Techn., 2011, vol. 54, p. 114.
Gambaryan, K.M., Nanoscale Res. Lett., 2010, vol. 5, p. 587.
Aroutiounian, V.M., Gambaryan, K.M., and Soukiassian, P.G., Surf. Sci., 2010, vol. 604, p. 1127.
Silly, M.G., Charra, F., and Soukiassian, P.G., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2007, vol. 91, p. 223111.
Nishi, K., Saito, H., Sugou, S., and Lee, J.S., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1999, vol. 74, p. 1111.
Haft, D., Warburton, R.J., Karrai, K., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2001, vol. 78, p. 2946.
Gambaryan, K.M., Aroutiounian, V.M., Boeck, T., Schulze, M., and Soukiassian, P., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 2008, vol. 41, p. 162004.
Li, H.J., Moss, S.C., Han, B.S., and Mai, Z.H., J. Appl. Phys., 2001, vol. 89, p. 3700.
Wakayama, Y., Sokolov, L.V., Zakharov, N., Werner, P., and Gösele, U., App. Surf. Sci., 2003, vol. 216, p. 419.
Schmidt, O.G., Lange, C., and Eberl, K., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1997, vol. 71, p. 16.
Biehl, M., Much, F., and Vey, C., Int. Series of Numerical Mathematics, 2005, vol. 149, p. 41.
Safonov, K.L., Dubrovskii, V.G., Sibirev, N.V., and Trushin, Yu.V., Techn. Phys. Lett., 2007, vol. 33, p. 490.
Fissel, A., J. Crys. Growth, 2000, vol. 212, p. 438.
Onabe, K., NEC Res. Develop., 1984, vol. 72, p. 1.
Emeljanova, O.S., Strelchenko, S.S., and Usacheva, M.P., Semiconductors, 2009, vol. 43, p. 135.
Wakahara, A., Tokuda, T., Dang, X.-Z., Noda, S., and Sasaki, A., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1997, vol. 71, p. 906.
Stringfellow, G.B., Organometallic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy: Theory and Practice, San Diego: Elsevier, 1999.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Original Russian Text © K.M. Gambaryan, V.M. Aroutiounian, A.K. Simonyan, L.G. Movsesyan, 2012, published in Izvestiya NAN Armenii, Fizika, 2012, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 265–276.
About this article
Cite this article
Gambaryan, K.M., Aroutiounian, V.M., Simonyan, A.K. et al. Growth features at competing nucleation of quantum dots and nanopits in Si-Ge-C ternary system. J. Contemp. Phys. 47, 173–180 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068337212040056
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068337212040056