Dear Colleagues,

Group-IV alloys such as GeSiSn and GeSn, containing sufficiently high concentrations of tin, have a direct bandgap, offering the possibility for development of integrated, on-chip, photonic and electronic functionality. In addition, this material system provides new opportunities for low-cost fabrication of emitters and detectors operating in the short- and midwave-infrared spectral bands used by the telecom industry.  However, limited solubility of Sn in Ge and Si creates technical challenges to the use of these alloys in commercial applications. Special processes are required such as low-temperature, non-equilibrium growth methods to avoid phase segregation of Sn.

This Special Issue will focus on recent progress in these group-IV alloys, focused on the fundamental material properties of this system, from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, novel approaches to synthesis, as well as emitter and detector device fabrication and performance.  Topics may include but are not limited to:

• GeSiSn, GeSn, SiSn, GeSiSnPb, GeSnPb alloys;
• Thin film growth on Si, Ge, sapphire, or other substrates;
• Effects of incorporating one or more buffer layers (e.g. Ge virtual substrate);
• Suspended or released films;
• Nanostructures;
• Annealing processes (e.g. rapid thermal annealing, furnace annealing, laser recrystallization, etc.);
• Band structure and local ordering;
• Simulation of growth processes;
• Electrical and optical properties;
• Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers;
• Infrared detectors and arrays.

Dr. Bruce B. Claflin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• germanium-silicon-tin (GeSiSn)
• synthesis
• characterization
• theory
• devices
• infrared
• emitters
• detectors