Schottky Diodes on Si1-x-yGexCy Alloys.

We have recently investigated the properties of W/Si1-xGex films prepared by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD). The barrier height on p-type, ΦBp, varies as the band gap with the germanium content for totally relaxed films, and increases with strain relaxation, while that on n-type remains rather constant. These results suggest that the Fermi level is pinned relative to the conduction band at the interface of the binary alloy and that the measurement of Schottky barriers is a suitable tool to follow band gap variations. In this work, the effects of carbon incorporation on Schottky barriers have been investigated. The study has been performed on Si1-x-yGexCy films (0≤y≤1.35% with x=10%). The strain retained in the films was determined by X-ray diffraction. Infrared absorption measurements have shown that the carbon is incorporated on substitutional sites. The electrical results indicate the same trends than those observed on the binary alloys, the barrier height on n-type remains rather constant while the barrier height on p-type varies. Adding C leads to an increase of ΦBp, but this increase is too large to be explained in terms of variation of the band gap. The influence of other parameters, such as the doping level and the hole effective mass is discussed.