ABSTRACT
The efficiency of the ambient cross-sectional atomic force microscopy (XAFM) for the observation and study of buried semiconductor nanoislands has been demonstrated. For GeSi nanoislands buried in Si matrix, it is shown that GeSi nanoislands can be revealed on the structure cleavages as nanometer high features in surface relief. Semiconductor heterostructures with incorporated self-organized nanoislands are important elements of modem electronic devices. Direct observation of buried nanoislands is one of the main challenges in studying the properties of such nanoheterostructures. Usually, visualisation of overgrown nanoislands is made by transmission electron microscopy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) topography studies have been carried out with the P-47 SEMI (NT-MDT) device working in contact and resonant (tapping) modes. Silicon cantilevers with tip curvature of 15-20nm (SCNC12, NT-MDT) were used. AFM topography is uncapped GeSi nanoislands on the growth surface (left) and GeSi nanoislands distributions by height and base diameter (right).
