Supersaturated carbon in silicon and silicon/germanium alloys

The growth and properties of Si1-yCy and Si1-x-yGexCy alloys pseudomorphically strained on Si(001) will be reviewed. Although the bulk solubility of carbon in silicon is small, epitaxial layers of more than 1 at.%C can be fabricated. Most of the incorporated C atoms occupy substitutional positions and, therefore, allow strain manipulation; including the growth of an inversely strained Si1-x-yGexCy layer. The mechanical properties as well as the influence of C atoms on band structure will be discussed. Finally we will present an atomistic picture of a fully strain-compensated SiGeC layer.