Strain Effects in Si-Ge Monolayer Structures Grown by MBE

Strain due to lattice mismatch at the semiconductor interfaces can play an important role in determining both the thin film growth mechanism as well as the material electronic structure and physical properties. In the case of Si-Ge system strain effects are significant, particularly in structures consisting of alternating layers of pure constituent elements where the lattice mismatch is more than 4%. The choice of different substrates or buffer layers makes it possible to vary both the sign and magnitude of strain in individual layers and thus tailor the properties of the material.