Structural and optical properties of magnetron sputtered and pulsed beam annealed Ge/Si layers

Recently the significant progress in the creation of thin film structures effectively emitting light in the near infrared region (1.5‐1.6 μm) at room temperature has been reached for Ge/Si system by UHV growth techniques by Kimerling's group (Ref. [13]). In this work vacuum deposition of Ge thin films onto Si substrates by magnetron sputtering followed by nanosecond pulsed annealing was performed. During deposition sputtering time (t = 3‐20 min) and substrate temperature (T = 20‐300 °C) were varied. During pulsed treatments powerful laser radiation (λ = 690 nm) or high current ion beams (C+, H+, E = 300 keV, J ≤ 150 A/cm2) were used. The dependence of structural and optical properties of Ge/Si films on parameters of magnetron sputtering and pulsed treatments was investigated. Optimum parameters for deposition and pulsed treatments resulted in light emitting layers are determined. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)