Oxidation of Strained Si-Ge Layers Grown by MBE

ABSTRACTThe oxidation of strained SiGe alloy layers grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) was studied. An initial fast growth regime was identified for 800°C steam oxidations, where the growth rate is 2.5 times that of silicon. The oxides formed on SiGe were found to be essentially Ge-free: Ge present in the material is rejected by the oxide, resulting in the formation of a Ge-rich epitaxial layer at the oxide/substrate interface.