Epitaxy relationships between Ge-islands and SiC(0001)

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 241; no. 3-4; pp. 403 - 411
• Main Authors: Aït-Mansour, K., Dentel, D., Kubler, L., Diani, M., Bischoff, J.L., Bolmont, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.03.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: C-rich reconstructed surface; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electron diffraction and scattering; Epitaxy relationships; Exact sciences and technology; Germanium (Ge) islands; In-plane orientations; Low-energy electron diffraction (leed) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (rheed); Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED); Silicon carbide (SiC); Structure and morphology; thickness; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Theory and models of film growth; Thin film structure and morphology; 68.37.Ps; 79.60.-i; 68.55.-a; 81.15.Hi; C-rich reconstructed surface; 61.14.Hg; Epitaxy relationships; Germanium (Ge) islands; Silicon carbide (SiC); Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED); In-plane orientations; 61.14.Hg; 68.37.Ps; 68.55.-a; 79.60.-i; 81.15.Hi; Atomic force microscopy; Epitaxy; Silicon carbides; RHEED; Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED); Epitaxy relationships; In-plane orientations; Germanium (Ge) islands; Silicon carbide (SiC); C-rich reconstructed surface; Film growth; Surface structure; Surface reconstruction; Germanium; LEED; Island structure; X-ray photoelectron spectra
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.07.054

Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) has been used to determine epitaxy relationships and in-plane orientations between Ge and SiC(0001). Three monolayers of Ge have been deposited at 500°C on a graphitized SiC (6√3 × 6√3)R30° reconstructed surface, this surface supporting epitaxial Ge island growth in a Volmer–Weber mode. Nucleation of relaxed Ge-islands gives rise to transmission electron diffraction patterns allowing to deduce that pure Ge grows according to only one epitaxy relationship Ge{111}//SiC(0001). These {111}-Ge-islands have two in-plane orientations, a preferential one, Ge〈-1-12〉//SiC〈1-100〉 and a minority one, Ge〈-1-12〉//SiC〈10-10〉, deduced one from the other by a 30° rotation around the 〈111〉-Ge (or [0001]-SiC) growth axis. Due to the three-fold symmetry of the {111}-Ge plane, each in-plane orientation is degenerated into two twin orientations, differing by a 180° angle around Ge〈111〉.