CHARACTERIZATION OF SI1-XGEX EPILAYERS GROWN USING A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ULTRAHIGH-VACUUM CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION REACTOR

Si1-xGex epitaxial layers were grown at T = 525 degrees C using a comm ercially available, ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition reactor . Various techniques, including cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrosco py, double crystal x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence (PL) are u sed to characterize this material. For the first time, phonon resolved PL is used to map out the composition uniformity obtained with this h igh throughput, production-ready technology. The composition variation s along most of the wafer surface (except the flats) do not exceed +/- 0.15%. A discussion follows on the limitations of this technology, in cluding the critical thickness for misfit strain relaxation, compared to other growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy and rapid th ermal chemical vapor deposition. The material grown here exhibits char acteristics that are very encouraging for the prospect of manufacturin g high frequency devices and circuits. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Societ y.