The effects of low temperature buffer layer on the growth of pure Ge on Si(001)

Abstract We investigated the effects of low temperature (LT) Ge buffer layers on the two-step Ge growth by varying the thickness of buffer layers. Whereas the two-step Ge layers using thin ( 50 nm) LT Ge buffer layers. The lowest threading dislocation density of 1.2 × 106 cm−2 was obtained when 80-nm-thick LT Ge buffer layer was used. We concluded that the minimum thickness of buffer layer was required to grow uniform two-step Ge layers on Si and its quality was subject to the thickness of buffer layer.