Experimental and modeling study on increasing accuracy of strain measurement by ion beam analysis in SiGe strained layer thin films Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We have used Rutherford backscattering spectrometry to characterize Si/-Si0.8Ge0.2/Si strained-layer heterogeneous epitaxial structures. Two-dimensional yield mapping of backscattered 2 MeV He atoms as a function of tilting angles around off-normal 1 1 0 axis are obtained. For Si/Si0.8Ge0.2/Si with buried strained layer, we observe distortion of (1 1 0) planar minimum in yield mapping from Ge. The distortion features slightly decreasing angular offsets with decreasing tilting away from 1 1 0 axis. Our finding suggests that strain measurements using one dimensional angular scan within or close to (1 0 0) plane will lead to strain underestimation. A two dimensional yield mapping is preferred over one dimensional angular scan for high accuracy in strain measurements, so the angular off-set can be measured in a region free of distortion. The experimental observations are in good agreement with our modeling prediction. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS

author list (cited authors)

  • Martin, M. S., Wijesundera, D., Thompson, P. E., Wang, X., Chu, W., & Shao, L.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Martin, Michael S||Wijesundera, Dharshana||Thompson, Phillip E||Wang, Xuemei||Chu, Wei-Kan||Shao, Lin

publication date

  • August 2014