Humble planar defects in SiGe nanopillars

We report a {001} planar defect found in SiGe nanopillars. The defect structure, determined by atomicresolution electron microscopy, matches the Humble defect model proposed for diamond. We also investigate several possible variants of the Humble structure using first-principles calculations and find that the one lowest in energy is in agreement with the scanning transmission electron microscope images. The pillar composition has been analyzed with electron energy loss spectroscopy, which hints at how the defect is formed. Our results show that the structure and formation process of defects in nanostructured group IV semiconductors can be different from their bulk counterparts.

Automated summary

A {001} planar defect was discovered in SiGe nanopillars, with the structure matching the Humble defect model proposed for diamond. The lowest energy variant of the Humble structure was found to be consistent with scanning transmission electron microscope images. The pillar composition was analyzed using electron energy loss spectroscopy, hinting at the formation process of the defect.