GeSn/Ge multiquantum well photodetectors on Si substrates

Abstract

Vertical incidence GeSn/Ge multiquantum well (MQW) pin photodetectors on Si substrates were fabricated with a Sn concentration of 7%. The epitaxial structure was grown with a special low temperature molecular beam epitaxy process. The Ge barrier in the GeSn/Ge MQW was kept constant at 10 nm. The well width was varied between 6 and 12 nm. The GeSn/Ge MQW structures were grown pseudomorphically with the in-plane lattice constant of the Ge virtual substrate. The absorption edge shifts to longer wavelengths with thicker QWs in agreement with expectations from smaller quantization energies for the thicker QWs.