Abstract
Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) of two sets of ternary samples with fixed tin concentrations of ~5.2% (Ge 0.924 Si 0.024 Sn 0.052 , and Ge 0.911 Si 0.036 Sn 0.053 ) and ~7.3% (Ge 0.90 0 Si 0.027 Sn 0.073 , and Ge 0.888 Si 0.04 Sn 0.072 ) were measured along with their binary counterparts (Ge 0.948 Sn 0.052 and Ge 0.925 Sn 0.075 ). The variations of direct bandgap emission (E D ) and indirect bandgap emission (E ID ) with temperature were studied for both ternary and binary alloys by means of Gaussian curve fitting, and the results are compared. The bandgap widths of ternaries clearly increase after Si incorporation into the GeSn with similar Sn concentrations. It is found that for the ternaries both E D and E ID peak energies are blue shifted, and the energy separation of E D and E ID peaks becomes larger than that of binaries for similar Sn concentrations. Moreover, both E D and E ID peaks appear at room temperature (RT) in the GeSiSn spectra, but the E D peak position is greater than E ID , indicating these ternaries are indirect bandgap materials. Low temperature PL validates the existence of indirect PL emission in Ge 0.90 Si 0.027 Sn 0.073 and direct gap behavior in Ge 0.925 Sn 0.075 , indicating GeSn becomes a direct bandgap material at lower Sn concentration than GeSiSn. The PL intensities of these ternaries are generally weaker and the spectra become more complicated than those of binaries, probably due to increased strain and defects in the ternaries. Finally, it is found that the effect of large differences in strain of ternary samples on PL peak positions can be greater than that of small Si composition differences in ternaries. A large compressive strain in ternaries can also make splitting of the E D into E D,HH (conduction band minimum-Γ valley to heavy hole maximum) and E D,LH (conduction band minimum-Γ valley to light hole maximum) transitions more observable in the PL spectra.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 63-71 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Thin Solid Films |
Volume | 673 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2019 |
Keywords
- Direct/indirect bandgap emissions
- Germanium silicon tin
- Germanium tin
- Photoluminescence
- Strain
- Valence band splitting
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films
- Metals and Alloys
- Materials Chemistry