Valence Band Structure of Germanium-Silicon Alloys

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Abstract
The valence band structure of Ge-Si alloys was determined by a study of free-hole absorption spectra. The spectra reveal a Ge-like valence band structure with a continuous variation of the hole effective masses and spin-orbit splittings with composition. The variation of the hole effective masses can be qualitatively accounted for by assuming that the optical matrix elements which couple various conduction and valence bands are independent of composition. The observed spin-orbit splittings are in agreement with a simple model which employs the free atom spin-orbit splittings of pure Ge and Si and which has been successfully employed in estimating the spin-orbit splittings of the III-V compounds.