ABSTRACT
The local chemical composition of the self-assembled GexSi1-x/Si nanoclusters growth by molecular beam epitaxy was investigated by scanning auger microscopy with nanometre lateral resolution for the first time. Microelectronics is passing on to a quantitative new level in its development named nanoelectronics, where the electronic device dimensions have shrunk down to 100 nanometres and Jess. During acquisition of the Ge surface distribution it was found that the Ge concentration in the larger nanoclusters is lower than between them. The problem of sample charging was solved using a special method of quick repeated spectra recording with following correction of electron beam position. It was found that the Ge concentration in larger nanoclusters is lower than between them: this is believed to be due to intermixing by Si diffusion from the substrate during self-assemling driven by elastic strain relaxation.
