High-quality strain-relaxed SiGe films grown with low temperature Si buffer

High-quality strain-relaxed SiGe templates with a low threading dislocation density and smooth surface are critical for device performance. In this work, SiGe films on low temperature Si buffer layers were grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by atomic force microscope, double-axis x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Effects of the growth temperature and the thickness of the low temperature Si buffer were studied. It was demonstrated that when using proper growth conditions for the low temperature Si buffer the Si buffer became tensily strained and gave rise to the compliant effect. The lattice mismatch between the SiGe and the Si buffer layer was reduced. A 500 nm Si_0.7Ge_0.3 film with a low threading dislocation density as well as smooth surface was obtained by this method.