Journal of Materials Science, Vol.55, No.11, 4762-4768, 2020
Investigation of lead surface segregation during germanium-lead epitaxial growth
Crystalline germanium-lead (GePb) alloys were deposited on Ge(100) substrates via magnetron sputtering epitaxy. Strip-shaped Pb segregation along the direction was observed on the Ge0.976Pb0.024 film surface, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. The chemical compositions and structural properties of the strip-shaped segregation were investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and micro-Raman scattering spectra. The Ge0.976Pb0.024 film remained high crystal quality even after Pb segregation. The strip-shaped segregation was mainly composed of polycrystalline Pb, and its surface was covered with a GePb nanocrystalline layer.