Investigation of Properties of Highly Boron-Doped SiGe(C) Thin Layers

A complex study of charge carrier transport, low-frequency noise and surface electric potential distribution of highly boron-doped SiGe(C) layers have been carried out. An attention is paid to the conceptual problem that from Hall-effect measurement for highly degenerated materials we can evaluate the Hall mobility, but for evaluation of mobile charge carrier density one needs to know the effective density of states at the Fermi level energy. The resistivity, Hall coefficient and hole Hall mobility have been measured at temperature range from 77 K to 350 K, while the surface electric potential distribution and the low-frequency noise spectra in the frequency interval from 10 Hz to 20 kHz at room temperature. It is shown that complex investigation of Hall mobility, low-frequency noise and surface electric potential distribution in highly doped SiGe(C) layers gives to one a powerfull diagnostic tool for quality characterization of these layers.