Nonradiative defects in Si and SiGe/Si heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Important grown-in nonradiative defects in Si epilayers and SiGe/Si heterostructures prepared by molecular beam epitaxy are studied by the optically detected magnetic resonance technique. Several nonradiative defects are observed that have been introduced by ion bombardment during growth or by the low surface adatom mobility during low-temperature growth. These defects are shown to provide efficient nonradiative channels for carrier recombination and, to a large extent, control the carrier lifetime. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.