Composition and stress analysis in Si structures using micro-raman spectroscopy

Strained silicon (Si) technology enables improvements in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) performance and functionality via replacement of the bulk, cubic-crystal Si substrate with an Si substrate that contains a tetragonally distorted, biaxially strained Si thin film at the surface. Here we use Raman spectroscopy to allow us to characterise growth processes of strained si, and to characterise the resulting level of strain/stress in the si and the effect it has on the underlying layer of graded SiGe.