Structural characteristics of SiGe/Si materials investigated by raman spectroscopy

In this paper, we employ a simple, efficient, and nondestructive Raman scattering analysis method to study the structural features of Si1−xGex/Si film. Markedly, the method can simultaneously determine the Ge fractional composition x, the strain of SiGe films as well as its relaxation degree, the thickness of a SiGe epilayer and the crystallinity of SiGe film. At the same time, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy/Channeling are also used to characterize SiGe films with the aim of corroborating the validity of the Raman analysis with respect to the Ge content, and the thickness and crystal quality of the SiGe film. It is demonstrated that Raman spectra show significant promise for obtaining a considerable variety of parameters of SiGe film in a nondestructive, highly production-efficient, and cost-effective manner.