Epitaxial growth of Ge on 〈100〉 Si by a simple chemical vapor deposition technique

Abstract

The heteroepitaxial growth of Ge on Si substrates by means of a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is presented. The epitaxial Ge layers were formed by the decomposition of GeH4 in a H2 ambient at substrate temperatures of 500–900 °C. Smooth surface morphologies and high crystalline quality are obtained in the epitaxial Ge layers. Electrical properties of the Ge films and the resulting p-Ge/n-Si heterojunctions were determined. This technique provides a Ge growth method that is compatible with the current CVD processes used in the growth of GaAs.