Cathodoluminescence imaging and spectroscopy of dislocations in Si and Si1−<i>x</i>Ge<i>x</i> alloys

Abstract

Dislocations in float-zone Si which has been plastically deformed and deliberately copper contaminated, and misfit dislocations in a relaxed Si1−xGex alloy layer grown on a Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, have been investigated by monochromatic and panchromatic cathodoluminescence imaging and by cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. The measurements show that the D3 and D4 luminescence features originate on the slip lines in plastically deformed Si and at the misfit dislocations in the Si1−xGex alloy layer whereas the D1 and D2 bands are dominant between the slip lines and the misfit dislocations.