Transfer of dewetted SiGe and Ge nanostructures onto PDMS toward flexible photonic platforms

Abstract Flexible material platforms are attracting rapidly growing interest in photonics, enabling mechanically compliant optical components for wearable, conformable, and stretchable devices. In this context, transferring high-index semiconductor nanoresonators from bulk substrates to elastomeric supports is both technologically relevant and still challenging. Here we demonstrate and assess the transfer of dewetted Si _{1− x} Ge _x and Ge nano-islands acting as a Mie-resonator platform from rigid substrates to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The process combines selective wet-chemical removal of a sacrificial SiO ₂ layer, embedding of the nano-islands within PDMS, and final release from the host wafer. Scanning electron microscopy is employed to quantify transfer efficiency and to verify the morphological integrity of the embedded nanostructures. Raman spectroscopy is used to confirm that the crystalline quality and vibrational fingerprints are preserved after transfer, while also providing insight into strain evolution. These results establish a viable route to integrate dewetted group-IV Mie nanoresonators into soft polymer matrices, supporting the development of flexible photonic technologies.