Synthesis of silicon-based infrared semiconductors in the Ge-Sn system using molecular chemistry methods

Growth reactions based on a newly developed deuterium-stabilized Sn hydride [(Ph)SnD₃] with Ge₂H₆ produce a new family of Ge-Sn semiconductors with tunable band gaps and potential applications in high-speed, high-efficiency infrared optoelectronics. Metastable diamond-cubic films of Ge_1-xSn_x alloys are created by chemical vapor deposition at 350 °C on Si(100). These exhibit unprecedented thermal stability and superior crystallinity despite the 17% lattice mismatch between the constituent materials. The composition, crystal structure, electronic structure, and optical properties of these materials are characterized by Rutherford backscattering, high-resolution electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, as well as Raman, IR, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Electron diffraction reveals monocrystalline and perfectly epitaxial layers with lattice constants intermediate between those of Ge and α-Sn. X-ray diffraction in the θ-2θ mode shows well-defined peaks corresponding to random alloys, and in-plane rocking scans of the (004) reflection confirm a tightly aligned spread of the crystal mosaics. PBS ion-channeling including angular scans confirm that Sn occupies substitutional lattice sites and also provide evidence of local ordering of the elements with increasing Sn concentration. The Raman spectra show bands corresponding to Ge-Ge and Sn-Ge vibrations with frequencies consistent with random tetrahedral alloys. Resonance Raman and ellipsometry spectra indicate a band-gap reduction relative to Ge. The IR transmission spectra suggest that the band gap decreases monotonically with increasing Sn fraction. The synthesis, characterization, and gas-phase electron diffraction structure of (Ph)SnD₃ are also reported.