Method of fabricating a low-defect strained epitaxial germanium film on silicon

1. A method of fabricating a germanium film on a silicon substrate, comprising:

preparing a silicon substrate;

depositing a first germanium film to form a continuous germanium film on the silicon substrate;

annealing the silicon substrate and the first germanium film thereon in a first annealing process to relax the germanium film;

depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film to form a germanium layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer;

depositing a layer of dielectric material on the germanium layer;

cyclic annealing the silicon substrate having the germanium layer and dielectric material thereon; and

completing a device containing the silicon substrate and germanium layer.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes depositing a buffer layer of silicon on the silicon substrate prior to said depositing the first germanium film.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a first germanium film includes CVD of a germanium film at a temperature of between about 250° C. to 300° C.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said annealing the silicon substrate and the first germanium film thereon in a first annealing process includes annealing the silicon substrate and the first germanium film at a temperature of about 700° C.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a first germanium film on the silicon substrate includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 10 nm and 200 nm; and wherein depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 500 nm and 5 μm.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said cyclic annealing the silicon substrate having the germanium layer and dielectric material thereon includes annealing at a first temperature of between about 840° C. to 900° C. and alternately annealing at a second temperature of between about 750° C. to 840° C., and wherein said cyclic annealing is repeated for between about 10 cycles to 40 cycles, and wherein each cycle lasts for between about one minute to ten minutes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said depositing a layer of dielectric material on the germanium layer includes depositing a layer of silicon nitride having a thickness of about 30 nm.

8. A method of fabricating a germanium film on a silicon substrate, comprising:

preparing a silicon substrate;

depositing a first germanium film to form a continuous germanium film on the silicon substrate;

annealing the silicon substrate and the first germanium film thereon in a first annealing process to relax the first germanium film;

depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film to form a germanium layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer;

depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the germanium layer having a thickness of between about 30 nm;

cyclic annealing the silicon substrate having the germanium layer and silicon nitride thereon; and

completing a device containing the silicon substrate and germanium film.

9. The method of claim 8 which includes depositing a buffer layer of silicon on the silicon substrate prior to said depositing a first germanium film.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said depositing a first germanium film includes CVD of a germanium film at a temperature of between about 250° C. to 300° C.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said annealing the silicon substrate and the germanium layer thereon in a first annealing process includes annealing the silicon substrate and the germanium layer thereon at a temperature of about 700° C.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said depositing a first germanium film on the silicon substrate includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 10 nm and 200 nm; and wherein depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 500 nm and 5 μm.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said cyclic annealing the silicon substrate having the germanium layer and silicon nitride thereon includes annealing at a first temperature of between about 840° C. to 900° C. and alternately annealing at a second temperature of between about 750° C. to 840° C., and wherein said cyclic annealing is repeated for between about 10 cycles to 40 cycles, and wherein each cycle lasts for between about one minute to ten minutes.

14. A method of fabricating a germanium film on a silicon substrate, comprising:

preparing a silicon substrate;

depositing a first germanium film to form a continuous germanium film on the silicon substrate;

annealing the silicon substrate and the first germanium film thereon in a first annealing process to relax the germanium film;

depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film to form a germanium layer;

patterning and etching the germanium layer;

depositing a layer of silicon nitride, having a thickness of about 30 nm, on the germanium layer;

cyclic annealing the silicon substrate having the germanium layer and dielectric material thereon, including annealing at a first temperature of between about 840° C. to 900° C. and alternately annealing at a second temperature of between about 750° C. to 840° C., and wherein said cyclic annealing is repeated for between about 10 cycles to 40 cycles, and wherein each cycle lasts for between about one minute to ten minutes; and

completing a device containing the silicon substrate and germanium layer.

15. The method of claim 14 which includes depositing a buffer layer of silicon on the silicon substrate prior to said depositing a first germanium film.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said depositing a first germanium film includes CVD of a germanium film at a temperature of between about 250° C. to 300° C.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said annealing the silicon substrate and the germanium layer thereon in a first annealing process includes annealing the annealing the silicon substrate and the germanium layer thereon at a temperature of about 700° C.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said depositing a first germanium film to form a continuous germanium film on the silicon substrate includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 10 nm and 200 nm; and wherein depositing a second germanium film on the first germanium film includes depositing germanium by CVD to a thickness of between about 500 nm and 5 μm.