Formation of Defect-Free Ge Island on Insulator by Ni-Imprint Induced Si Micro-Seeding Rapid Melting

Liquid-phase epitaxial growth of Ge islands on insulator (GOI) using Ni-imprint-induced Si (111) micro-crystal seeds (〜1μmφ) is proposed. As a result, single-crystalline GOI (111) structures with large area (〜10μmφ) are realized. The Raman measurements show that the tensile strain (-0.2 %) which enhances carrier mobility is induced in the growth regions. Moreover, the transmission electron microscopy observations reveal no defects in the grown regions. This new method is can be employed to realize the multi-functional SiGe-LSI.