SiGe thin films were deposited by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPE-CVD) at 400℃ using SiH₄ or SiCl₄ and GeCl₄ as the source of Si and Ge, respectively. The growth rate and the degree of crystallinity of the fabricated films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman analysis, respectively. The optical and electrical properties of SiGe films fabricated using SiCl₄ and SiH₄ source were comparatively studied. SiGe films deposited using SiCl₄ source showed a lower growth rate and higher crystallinity than those deposited using SiH4 source. Ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy measurement showed that the optical band gap of SiGe is in the range of 0.88~1.22 eV.

We developed a Ag nanowire patterning technique using a water-soluble sacrificial layer. To form a water-soluble sacrificial layer, germanium was deposited on the substrate and then water-soluble germanium oxide was simply formed by thermal oxidation of germanium using a conventional furnace. The formation of Ag nanowire patterns with various line and space arrangements was successfully demonstrated using this patterning process. The main advantage of this patterning technique is that it does not use a strong acid etchant, thereby preventing damage to the Ag nanowire during the patterning process.