H+ implantation-enhanced stress relaxation in c-Si1−xGex on SiO2 during oxidation-induced Ge condensation process

Enhancement effects of H+ implantation on stress relaxation of c-Si1−xGex layers on SiO2 during oxidation-induced Ge condensation process have been investigated. Stress relaxation of c-Si1−xGex layers during oxidation (1100 °C) was significantly improved by high-dose (>1015 cm−2) H+ implantation. However, oxidation was also enhanced by implantation. Enhanced oxidation was completely suppressed by the two-step annealing (1st: 500 °C for 30 min, 2nd: 850 °C for 60 min) before oxidation. The enhanced stress relaxation was tentatively assigned to enhanced gliding of c-Si1−xGex layers on SiO2. This newly developed combination method of H+ implantation, two-step annealing, and oxidation-induced Ge condensation will be a powerful tool to fabricate highly relaxed c-Si1−xGex buffer layers for growing strained Si layers.