Temperature effect on the formation of uniform self-assembled Ge dots

Abstract

The effect of the growth temperature on the formation of uniform self-assembled Ge dots on Si (001) substrates was studied. The ratio of pyramid dots to dome dots varies with the growth temperature from 500 to 700 °C. Temperature of 600 °C was optimum to form uniform self-assembled Ge dots, and is attributed to the enhanced diffusion kinetics. Highly uniform Ge dots with height deviation of ±3% were obtained at this growth temperature. Discontinuity in characteristic length was found in an Arrhenius plot between 600 and 625 °C, and it is due to intermixing of Si with Ge which occurred at high temperature.