Chemical vapor deposition of heteroepitaxial Si1−x−yGexCy films on (100)Si substrates

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Abstract
Thin heteroepitaxial films of Si1−x−yGexCy have been grown on (100)Si substrates using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition at 625 °C. The crystallinity, composition, and microstructure of the SiGeC films were characterized using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, secondary‐ion‐mass spectrometry, and cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy. The crystallinity of the films was very sensitive to the flow rate of C2H4 which served as the C source. Films with up to 2% C were epitaxial with good crystallinity and very few interfacial defects. Between 800 and 900 sccm of 10% C2H4 in He, the C content increased dramatically from 2% to 10% and the as‐grown films changed from crystalline to amorphous. In order to establish deposition conditions for the crystalline‐amorphous phase transformation, one SiGeC film was deposited as the 10% C2H4 flow was increased linearly from 500 to 1500 sccm during growth. When the C content reached ∼4%, the film developed considerable stacking defects and disorder, and at around 11% C, the film became amorphous.