ELECTROREFLECTANCE SPECTRA OF Ge_xSi_1-x/Si STRAINED LAYER MULTIPLE-QUANTUM WELLS

We have investigated the optical transitions above the fundamental gap of a set of Ge_xSi_1-x/Si strained layer multiple-quantum wells by electroreflectance (ER). The sam-ples were grown by molecular beam espitaxy (MBE). The thickness of the strained layer of Ge_xSi_1-x was 5nm with Ge concentration x in the range from 0.4 to 0.5, and the Si barrier layer greater than 16nm. Considering the energy shift caused by strain and quantum well confinement, we were able to clearly recognize the transitions from different quantum well structures associated with the critical points E₀, E′₀, and E₁. The transitions of the critical points E₀ and E′₀, which are very weak in bulk mateials, are apparently enhanced in the quantum well structures.