Solid- and gas-source "hybrid" Si molecular beam epitaxy for a Si_1-xGe_x/Si single quantum well electroluminescent device

A p-i-n diode for a Si1-xGex/Si single quantum well (SQW) electroluminescent (EL) device was successfully fabricated by solid-source (SS) and gas-source (GS) "hybrid" Si molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). First, the undoped SQW layer was grown on a p-type Si(100) substrate by GSMBE using disilane (Si2H6) and germane (GeH4). Then the n-type Si contact layer was regrown by SSMBE after transferring the sample through the air. A (2 × 1) reconstruction was observed on a GSMBE-prepared Si surface even after the sample was exposed to air for 15 h. The excellent quality of the EL p-i-n device was shown by the sharpest emission lines, ≈5.5 meV, ever reported in the EL spectra of an SiGe system. Linear polarization along the SQW plane was also observed for no-phonon replica of EL. © 1994 The Mineral, Metal & Materials Society, Inc.