Control of Ge island coalescence for the formation of nanowires on silicon

Germanium nanowires could be the building blocks of hole-spin qubit quantum computers. Selective area epitaxy enables the direct integration of Ge nanowires on a silicon chip while controlling the device design, density, and scalability. For this to become a reality, it is essential to understand and control the initial stages of the epitaxy process. In this work, we highlight the importance of surface treatment in the reactor prior to growth to achieve high crystal quality and connected Ge nanowire structures. In particular, we demonstrate that exposure to AsH₃ during the high-temperature treatment enhances lateral growth of initial Ge islands and promotes faster formation of continuous Ge nanowires in trenches. The Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami crystallization model supports our explanation of Ge coalescence. These results provide critical insight into the selective epitaxy of horizontal Ge nanowires on lattice-mismatched Si substrates, which can be translated to other material systems.