Strain-free GeSn nanomembranes enabled by transfer-printing techniques for advanced optoelectronic applications

GeSn alloys have emerged as promising materials for silicon-based optoelectronic devices. However, the epitaxy of pseudomorphic GeSn layers on a Ge buffer is susceptible to a significant compressive strain that significantly hinders the performance of GeSn-based photonic devices. Herein, we report o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2020-10, Vol.31 (44), p.445301-445301
Main Authors: Tai, Yeh-Chen, Yeh, Po-Lun, An, Shu, Cheng, Hung-Hsiang, Kim, Munho, Chang, Guo-En
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
GeSn alloys
silicon photonics
strain engineering
transfer-printing
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Summary:GeSn alloys have emerged as promising materials for silicon-based optoelectronic devices. However, the epitaxy of pseudomorphic GeSn layers on a Ge buffer is susceptible to a significant compressive strain that significantly hinders the performance of GeSn-based photonic devices. Herein, we report on a new strategy to produce strain-free GeSn nanomembranes for advanced optoelectronic applications. The GeSn alloy was grown on a silicon-on-insulator substrate using Ge buffers, and it has a residual compressive strain. By transfer-printing the GeSn/Ge/Si multi-layers, followed by etching the Si template and the Ge buffer layers, respectively, the residual compressive strain was completely removed to achieve strain-free GeSn layers. A bandgap reduction was also observed as a result of strain relaxation. Furthermore, theoretical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of strain relaxation on the GeSn-based optoelectronic devices. The proposed approach offers a practical and viable method for preparing strain-free GeSn alloys for advanced optoelectronic applications.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/1361-6528/aba6b1