Growth of strained layer semiconductor/metal/semiconductor heterostructures.

Single crystal epitaxial strained layer semiconductor-metal- semiconductor heterostructures have been grown for the first time. Silicon layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy over thin (100angstroms) NiSi(2) layers on Si(111). The presence of ~20angstroms Si template layers formed at low temperature (500C on the silicide was shown to have a dramatic effect on subsequent Si growth. The overgrown Si layers were rotated 180degrees with respect to the NiSi(2) and had a channeling minimum yield of ~3%. Epitaxial strained layer semiconductor- metal-semiconductor heterostructures represent a new class of material system with potential for high speed device applications.