ANTIMONY-MEDIATED GROWTH OF EPITAXIAL GE1-YCY LAYERS ON SI(001)

Ge1-yC(y) layers were grown epitaxially on Si(001) with molecular beam epitaxy. The Stranski-Krastanov islanding can be completely suppressed by using the surfactant growth technique. We could not observe any interference between the presence of the antimony monolayer and the carbon incorporation into the growing Ge layer. The degree of relaxation determined independent of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy investigations is surprisingly low. Also, the onset of relaxation is significantly delayed. The Ge1-yC(y) layer does not behave identically with a pseudomorphic Ge film with an artificially reduced strain; it should therefore rather be considered as a new material with its own specific strain degree.