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Diffusion in Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Si nanowire heterostructures.
Xi Zhang1, Joseph Kulik, Elizabeth C Dickey
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|April 25, 2007
Summary
Germanium diffusion in silicon nanowires is dominated by surface diffusion, with a low activation energy of 0.622 eV. This finding is crucial for understanding nanoscale material properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Semiconductor Physics
Background:
- Silicon/Germanium (Si/Ge) heterostructures are vital for advanced electronics.
- Understanding diffusion mechanisms in nanowires is key to controlling their properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Germanium (Ge) diffusion in Si/SiGe nanowire heterostructures.
- To determine the activation energy for Ge diffusion in [111]-oriented Si nanowires.
Main Methods:
- Growth of Si0.48Ge0.52/Si tip/nanowire heterostructures using pulsed laser vaporization (PLV).
- Post-synthesis annealing of nanowires at temperatures ranging from 200°C to 800°C.
- Quantification of Ge composition profiles using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
- Modeling diffusion profiles with a limited-source diffusion model.
Main Results:
- Ge diffusion coefficients were extracted and found to follow an Arrhenius relationship.
- An activation energy of 0.622 ± 0.050 eV was determined for Ge diffusion.
- The low activation energy suggests surface diffusion is the dominant mechanism in these nanowires.
Conclusions:
- Surface diffusion plays a significant role in Ge diffusion within Si nanowires at this scale.
- The findings provide insights into controlling composition and properties of SiGe nanowires for future applications.
