Growth optimization of shallow Ge quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

Shallow strained Ge quantum wells have gained recent attention for realizing scalable, high-performance hybrid superconductor/semiconductor-based qubits. Epitaxial superconducting contacts can improve the quality and consistency of the superconductor/semiconductor interface. The growth of Ge quantum wells by molecular beam epitaxy is then motivating due to the relative ease of integration with epitaxial superconductor growth. However, the performance of Ge quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been limited. To improve the properties of MBE-grown Ge quantum wells, the growth conditions were systematically optimized. Thick buffer layers are utilized to eliminate certain defects, and an optimal growth temperature is found. A peak hole mobility of 105,000 cm\textsuperscript{2}/Vs at 2 K is obtained in a 22-nm deep Ge quantum well, demonstrating that the Ge quantum wells grown in this study represent the highest mobilities for shallow MBE-grown samples. Mobility modeling indicates that the increase in mobility due to growth temperature optimization are likely due to a reduction in interface roughness scattering, and further improvements in mobility are expected through improved surface passivation.