Group IV semiconductor Ge integration with topological insulator Sb2Te3 for spintronic application

Sb2Te3/Ge heterojunctions were grown on deoxidized GaAs (0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy to explore a new type of spin torque device. Despite the large lattice mismatch between Ge and Sb2Te3, the films display highly uniform fabrication and good crystallinity, which have been confirmed by structural characterization. The band structures of Sb2Te3/Ge heterojunctions were investigated by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. Small chemical shift of Sb 3d5/2 indicates that TI conducting surface is not destroyed, and Ge valence band bending contributes to Fermi level depinning. The band offset of Sb2Te3/Ge heterojunctions is different from common gate dielectric/Ge heterojunctions. The integral quality of the heterostructure reveals the potential of combining topological insulators with semiconductors for the advancement of spintronic devices.