Strain and lattice orientation distribution in SiN/Ge complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible light emitting microstructures by quick x-ray nano-diffraction microscopy

This paper presents a study of the spatial distribution of strain and lattice orientation in CMOS-fabricated strained Ge microstripes using high resolution x-ray micro-diffraction. The recently developed model-free characterization tool, based on a quick scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy technique can image strain down to levels of 10(-5) (Delta a/a) with a spatial resolution of similar to 0.5 mu m. Strain and lattice tilt are extracted using the strain and orientation calculation software package X-SOCS. The obtained results are compared with the biaxial strain distribution obtained by lattice parameter-sensitive mu-Raman and mu-photoluminescence measurements. The experimental data are interpreted with the help of finite element modeling of the strain relaxation dynamics in the investigated structures. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.