In-situ real-time observation of the self-assembled growth of ordered germanium nanocrystals embedded within a dielectric matrix

We report on an in-situ and ex-situ X-ray investigations of a self-assembled growth of Ge nanocrystals embedded in a dielectric matrix forming BCC- or FCC-like superstructures. Germanium quantum dots (QD’s) embedded in dielectric matrices like SiO2 [1] or Al2O3 [2] have numerous interesting properties e.g. a strong quantum confinement. They could be used in optoelectronic devices and memory systems. Such a material can be a key element for the development of a new generation of solar cells extending the spectral range for electrical energy generation, either for an up and/or down conversion of the incident photons or simply as one part of a multilayer stack arrangement.