Raman shifts in MBE-grown SixGe1-x - ySny alloys with large Si content

We examine the Raman shift in silicon-germanium-tin alloys with high silicon content grown on a germanium virtual substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The Raman shifts of the three most prominent modes, Si-Si, Si-Ge, and Ge-Ge, are measured and compared with results in previous literature. We analyze and fit the dependence of the three modes on the composition and strain of the semiconductor alloys. We also demonstrate the calculation of the composition and strain of SixGe1 - x - ySny from the Raman shifts alone, based on the fitted relationships. Our analysis extends previous results to samples lattice matched on Ge and with higher Si content than in prior comprehensive Raman analyses, thus making Raman measurements as a local, fast, and nondestructive characterization technique accessible for a wider compositional range of these ternary alloys for silicon-based photonic and microelectronic devices.

Automated summary

In this study, we investigated the Raman shift in silicon-germanium-tin alloys with high silicon content. By measuring and analyzing the Raman shifts of the three most prominent modes, we were able to calculate the composition and strain of the alloys. Our findings demonstrate that Raman measurements can serve as a local, fast, and nondestructive characterization technique for a wider compositional range of these ternary alloys.