Investigation on Thermal Stability of Epi-GeSn Directly on Si (001)

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the structural properties and thermal stability of metastable Ge1-xSnx epilayers (~4.5 at.% Sn) grown directly on Si(001) substrates by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that both 70 and 140 nm films are fully relaxed, with the thicker film exhibiting a small tensile strain (+0.09%). The thermal stability of the heterostructures was evaluated up to 813 K using temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The surface-weighted Raman response (532 nm excitation) and surface morphology of the 70 nm film remain highly stable. In contrast, the 140 nm film undergoes severe degradation, characterized by significant attenuation and broadening of the Ge-Ge longitudinal optical phonon mode, alongside enhanced surface Sn segregation. These findings demonstrate that the thermal stability of direct GeSn/Si heterostructures is governed by the initial defect structure established during epitaxial growth, providing key design rules for understanding the fabrication of GeSn-based optoelectronic devices.