Phonons as probes in self-organized SiGe islands

Abstract

We show how optical phonons can be used as efficient probes in self-organized ${\mathrm{Si}}_{\text{1−x}}{\mathrm{Ge}}_x$ islands grown on Si(001). Both the alloy composition and residual strain in the islands were originally determined from the phonon frequencies and Raman intensities. The experimental results are in good agreement with the strain relaxation simulated by means of the finite element method.