Two-dimensional electron gas mobility as a function of virtual substrate quality in strained Si/SiGe heterojunctions

The electron mobilities of two-dimensional electron gases in tensile strained Si grown on relaxed cubic SiGe alloys on Si (001) substrates are reported. The effects of using high and low temperature growth for the relaxed buffer layers, in an ultrahigh vacuum compatible chemical vapor deposition system using SiH4 and GeH4 gases, were investigated. We have measured electron mobilities of up to 2.6 X 10(5) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) for 4.5 X 10(11) cm(-2) carrier densities at 1.5 K; there is a strong correlation between surface morphology and underlying misfit dislocation volume densities which is reflected in the electron mobility. The highest mobility was achieved with high growth temperatures and high growth rates for the relaxed layers, while lower temperatures and growth rates produced samples with lower mobilities. We present transmission electron microscopy images, together with optical micrographs of the sample surfaces to demonstrate that substrate growth technology plays an important part in device performance and manufacturing compatibility. (C) 1998 American Vacuum Society.