Metastable nanoscale solid solutions and their integration

The project targets the controlled formation of nanoscale germanium-based materials with metastable composition to alter and control their physical properties. For this purpose, low temperature growth processes will be adapted and suitable precursors identified allowing to exceed the respective solid solubility in germanium. The adjustment of the metal concentration and altering the n- and p-dopant activity will be in the focus of the material synthesis. In addition, electronic devices will be fabricated based on these metastable nanomaterials and the influence of the formed interfaces with metallic contacts will be evaluated. The manipulation of the interface properties as well as the size of the metastable semiconductor material will be achieved by a thermally induced exchange reaction. Examination of these metal- semiconductor heterostructures fundamental electronic properties will allow to study the fundamental physics and, device structure and the metastable semiconductor material. Since these material combinations are also found in modern quantum computers, new findings could also have impact on the research in this field of applications.