Compositional dependence of the band-gap of Ge_1−x−ySi_xSn_y alloys

The group-IV semiconductor alloy Ge_1−x−ySi_xSn_y has recently attracted great interest due to its prospective potential for use in optoelectronics, electronics, and photovoltaics. Here, we investigate molecular beam epitaxy grown Ge_1−x−ySi_xSn_y alloys lattice-matched to Ge with large Si and Sn concentrations of up to 42% and 10%, respectively. The samples were characterized in detail by Rutherford backscattering/channeling spectroscopy for composition and crystal quality, x-ray diffraction for strain determination, and photoluminescence spectroscopy for the assessment of band-gap energies. Moreover, the experimentally extracted material parameters were used to determine the SiSn bowing and to make predictions about the optical transition energy.