Strain engineering in Ge,Sn heterostructures for optoelectronic applications.

Recently, room-temperature lasing was achieved in GeSn at our institute by stacking different layers with strain gradients. The next challenge is to transfer a single, homogeneously strained, high Sn-content GeSn layer, removing the need for underlying strain gradient layers. Our laboratory has the necessary expertise in direct bonding, grinding, and wet/dry etching processes. Key challenges include controlling strain distribution during these steps to ensure consistency in the final device. This research will focus on strain mapping, quantifying residual strain, and studying relaxation effects in transferred and patterned GeSn layers. We will employ simulations, strain resolution quantification, and analysis of edge relaxation effects to achieve these objectives, advancing GeSn's application in photonics and microelectronics.