Ge-on-Si Materials Created by Physical Vapor Deposition

Ge nanostructures are grown on Si substrates using solid Ge sources in a compact chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. The surface termination of the Si substrate and the flow rate of the Ar carrier gas are found to strongly impact the morphology and structure of the Ge nanostructures. The growth mechanism is revealed through a systematical analysis of the x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns for samples grown under various conditions. The morphological, structural, and optoelectronic properties of these Ge-on-Si materials will be reported.