ABSTRACT
Silicon is the most important semiconductor material in the microelectronic industry. The main band offset between silicon (Si) and strained silicon–germanium (SiGe) is located in the valence band, that is, this system is much better suited for hole channel than for electron channel devices. Reduced diffusion of B in SiGe and the effect of the electric field due to hole confinement in SiGe were also included. The inherent strain limits the compatibility of heteroepitaxial SiGe systems to common Si technologies due to its lower thermal stability. Knowledge has been accumulated on growth, strain manipulation, thermal stability, and carbon effects on band structure and charge carrier transport. Lowcarbon concentrations can also be used to control diffusion of dopants without affecting strain and band alignment. The strain introduced by the incorporation of C and Ge makes these processes even more complicated. The bandgap for the ternary alloys is always smaller than that of silicon, independent of strain state.
