The metal-insulator interface of hydrogen-sensitive metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors, with SiO2 as the insulator and Pt as the metal contact, was discussed. It was found that the difference in hydrogen response between differently prepared devices was explained by a difference in concentration of available adsorption sites. The analysis showed that the concentration of Pt atoms in contact with the oxide affected both the hydrogen response and the metal-oxide adhesion.
Electronic and optical properties of lead iodide were studied experimentally using absorption, transmission, ellipsometry, and theoretically using a full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method. The samples were mounted in a closed-cycle helium refrigeration system and studied at temperatures between 10 and 300 K. Band-gap energy of lead iodide was measured as a function of temperature using optical absorption. Calculations showed that there was a small anisotropy in optical properties of lead iodide, and dielectric function calculations agreed well with experiments.
The optical band gap energy and the dielectric functions of n-type 4H-SiC have been investigated experimentally by transmission spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry and theoretically by an ab initio full-potential linear muffin-tin-orbital method. We present the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric functions, resolved into the transverse and longitudinal photon moment a, and we show that the anisotropy is small in 4H-SiC. The measurements and the calculations fall closely together in a wide range of energies. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.
The discharge current behavior in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of Ti-O and Al-O is investigated. It is found that for both metals, the discharge peak current significantly increases in the oxide mode in contrast to the behavior in reactive direct current magnetron sputtering where the discharge current increases for Al but decreases for Ti when oxygen is introduced. In order to investigate the increase in the discharge current in HiPIMS-mode, the ionic contribution of the discharge in the oxide and metal mode is measured using time-resolved mass spectrometry. The energy distributions and time evolution are investigated during the pulse-on time as well as in the post-discharge. In the oxide mode, the discharge is dominated by ionized oxygen, which has been preferentially sputtered from the target surface. The ionized oxygen determines the discharge behavior in reactive HiPIMS.
pH determination is a strong prerequisite for many biochemical and biological processes. We used two methods, namely, the electrochemical potential method (experimental) and site binding method (theoretical), to study the sensitivity of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown on two-dimensional macroporous periodic structures (2DMPPS) (p-and n-type) and plane n-type Si substrates for use as an intracellular pH sensing device. The dimension of these nanorods varied in radius between 50 and 300 nm and lengths of 1–10 μm. We found that the sensitivity of ZnO nanorods increases with reductions in size, from 35 mV/pH for D = 300 nm and L = 10 μm, to 58 mV/pH for D = 50 nm and L = 1 μm, using the site binding model. The experimental electrochemical potential difference for the ZnO nanorods working electrode versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode showed a high sensitivity range for ZnO nanorods grown on 2DMPPS n-Si substrate as compared to plane n-Si at room temperature for pH ranging from 4 to 12 in buffer and NaCl solutions
ZnO nanorods with 80 nm diameter and 700 nm length and grown on the tip of a borosilicate glass capillary (0.7 μm in diameter) were used to create a highly sensitive pH sensor for monitoring in vivo biological process within single cells. The ZnO nanorods, functionalized by proton H3 O+ and hydroxyl O H- groups, exhibit a pH -dependent electrochemical potential difference versus a AgAgCl microelectrode. The potential difference was linear over a large dynamic range (4-11), which could be understood in terms of the change in surface charge during protonation and deprotonation. These nanoelectrode devices have the ability to enable analytical measurements in single living cells and have the capability to sense individual chemical species in specific locations within a cell. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.
Epitaxial NiO and CrN thin films were deposited on a single-crystal Al2O3(11¯02) (r-plane sapphire) using magnetron sputtering. The two materials were intentionally deposited into two different deposition chamber designs and under different conditions (temperature, pressure, gases, and energy of sputtered particles). Despite the differences in the deposition condition and material system, both materials had the same feature with uncommon tilted epitaxial growth. Through an in-depth x-ray diffraction analysis of the NaCl (B1)-structured materials on r-plane sapphire, the full twin domain epitaxial relations were determined and can be described as (110)NaCl(B1)∥(44¯03)Al2O3 and [11¯2]NaCl(B1)∥[1¯1¯20]Al2O3. This relationship differs from the previously observed orientation of (100)NaCl(B1)∥(11¯02)Al2O3 and [100]NaCl(B1)∥[101¯0]Al2O3. These results are of general relevance for the growth of the extended NaCl (B1)-structured cubic material family onto a r-plane sapphire substrate where similar epitaxial growth can be expected.
In order to investigate the stability of the cubic phase of Cr1−xAlxN at high AlN content, first principles calculations of magnetic properties, lattice parameters, electronic structure, and mixing enthalpies of the system were performed. The mixing enthalpy was calculated on a fine concentration mesh to make possible the accurate determination of its second concentration derivative. The results are compared to calculations performed for the related compound Ti1−xAlxN and with experiments. The mixing enthalpy is discussed in the context of isostructural spinodal decomposition. It is shown that the magnetism is the key to understand the difference between the Cr- and Ti-containing systems. Cr1−xAlxN turns out to be more stable against spinodal decomposition than Ti1−xAlxN, especially for AlN-rich samples which are of interest in cutting tools applications.
We investigate the internal strain and crystallographic orientation (texture) in physical-vapor deposited metal nitride coatings of TiN and CrN. A high-energy diffraction technique is presented that uses synchrotron x rays and an area detector, and which allows the strain and intensity distributions of multiple crystallographic planes to be measured by a single x-ray exposure. Unique texture states and nonlinear sin2 ψ strain distributions are observed for all coatings investigated. Quantitative analysis indicates that existing micromechanical models can reasonably predict strain and corresponding stress for mixed-hkl reflections but are inadequate for fully describing measured data. Alternative mechanisms involving deposition-induced defects are proposed.
Low temperature aqueous chemical synthesis (LT-ACS) of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) has been attracting considerable research interest due to its great potential in the development of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The influence of the molar ratio of the zinc acetate (ZnAc): KOH as a ZnO seed layer precursor on the density of interface defects and hence the presence of non-radiative recombination centers in LT-ACS of ZnO NRs/GaN LEDs has been systematically investigated. The material quality of the as-prepared seed layer as quantitatively deduced by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is found to be influenced by the molar ratio. It is revealed by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence that the seed layer molar ratio plays a significant role in the formation and the density of defects at the n-ZnO NRs/p-GaN heterostructure interface. Consequently, LED devices processed using ZnO NRs synthesized with molar ratio of 1:5M exhibit stronger yellow emission (similar to 575 nm) compared to those based on 1:1 and 1:3M ratios as measured by the electroluminescence. Furthermore, seed layer molar ratio shows a quantitative dependence of the non-radiative defect densities as deduced from light-output current characteristics analysis. These results have implications on the development of high-efficiency ZnO-based LEDs and may also be helpful in understanding the effects of the ZnO seed layer on defect-related non-radiative recombination. Published by AIP Publishing.
We demonstrate an efficient possibility to synthesize vertically aligned pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and Co-doped ZnO nanorods (NRs) using the low-temperature aqueous chemical synthesis (90 degrees C). Two different mixing methods of the synthesis solutions were investigated for the Co-doped samples. The synthesized samples were compared to pure ZnO NRs regarding the Co incorporation and crystal quality. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements confirmed the substitution of Co2+ inside the ZnO NRs, giving a highly anisotropic magnetic Co2+ signal. The substitution of Zn2+ by Co2+ was observed to be combined with a drastic reduction in the core-defect (CD) signal (g similar to 1.956) which is seen in pure ZnO NRs. As revealed by the cathodoluminescence (CL), the incorporation of Co causes a slight red-shift of the UV peak position combined with an enhancement in the intensity of the defect-related yellow-orange emission compared to pure ZnO NRs. Furthermore, the EPR and the CL measurements allow a possible model of the defect configuration in the samples. It is proposed that the as-synthesized pure ZnO NRs likely contain Zn interstitial (Zn-i(+)) as CDs and oxygen vacancy (V-O) or oxygen interstitial (O-i) as surface defects. As a result, Co was found to likely occupy the Zn-i(+), leading to the observed CDs reduction and hence enhancing the crystal quality. These results open the possibility of synthesis of highly crystalline quality ZnO NRs-based diluted magnetic semiconductors using the low-temperature aqueous chemical method. Published by AIP Publishing.
Herein, we report on the phase stabilities and crystal structures of two newly discovered ordered, quaternary MAX phases-Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo2Ti2AlC3-synthesized by mixing and heating different elemental powder mixtures of mMo:(3-m) Ti:1.1Al:2C with 1.5 less than= m less than= 2.2 and 2Mo: 2Ti:1.1Al:2.7C to 1600 degrees C for 4 h under Ar flow. In general, for m greater than= 2 an ordered 312 phase, (Mo2Ti) AlC2, was the majority phase; for mless than 2, an ordered 413 phase (Mo2Ti2)AlC3, was the major product. The actual chemistries determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are Mo2TiAlC1.7 and Mo2Ti1.9Al0.9C2.5, respectively. High resolution scanning transmission microscopy, XPS and Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the general ordered stacking sequence to be Mo-Ti-Mo-Al-Mo-Ti-Mo for Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo-Ti-Ti-Mo-Al-Mo-Ti-Ti-Mo for Mo2Ti2AlC3, with the carbon atoms occupying the octahedral sites between the transition metal layers. Consistent with the experimental results, the theoretical calculations clearly show that M layer ordering is mostly driven by the high penalty paid in energy by having the Mo atoms surrounded by C in a face-centered configuration, i.e., in the center of the Mn+1Xn blocks. At 331 GPa and 367 GPa, respectively, the Youngs moduli of the ordered Mo2TiAlC2 and Mo2Ti2AlC3 are predicted to be higher than those calculated for their ternary end members. Like most other MAX phases, because of the high density of states at the Fermi level, the resistivity measurement over 300 to 10K for both phases showed metallic behavior. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
The ion flux obtained during reactive magnetron sputtering of an Al target in Ar/O2 gas mixtures was studied by energy-resolved mass spectrometry, as a function of the total and O2 partial pressures. The positive ions of film-forming species exhibited bimodal energy distributions, both for direct current and radio frequency discharges, with the higher energy ions most likely originating from sputtered neutrals. For the negative oxygen ions a high-energy peak was observed, corresponding to ions formed at the target surface and accelerated towards the substrate over the sheath potential. As the total pressure was increased the high-energy peaks diminished due to gas-phase scattering. Based on these results, the role of energetic bombardment for the phase constituent of alumina thin films are discussed.
Empirical data for the fill factor as a function of charge carrier mobility for two different polymer: fullerene systems is presented and analyzed. The results indicate that charge extraction depth limitations and space charge effects are inconsistent with the observed behavior, and the decrease in the fill factor is, instead, attributed to the field-dependent charge separation and geminate recombination. A solar cell photocurrent limited by the Onsager-Braun charge transfer exciton dissociation is shown to be able to accommodate the experimental observations. Charge dissociation limited solar cells always benefit from increased mobilities, and the negative contribution from the reduced charge separation is shown to be much more important for the fill factor in these material systems than any adverse effects from charge carrier extraction depth limitations or space charge effects due to unbalanced mobilities. The logarithmic dependence of the fill factor on the mobility for such a process is also shown to imply that simply increasing the mobilities is an impractical way to reach very high fill factors under these conditions since unrealistically high mobilities are required. A more controlled morphology is, instead, argued to be necessary for high performance.
Optical modeling of one folded tandem solar cell and four types of stacked tandem solar cells has been performed using the finite element method and the transfer matrix method for the folded cell and the stacked cells, respectively. The results are analyzed by comparing upper limits for short circuit currents and power conversion efficiencies. In the case of serial connected tandems all of the five cell types may be compared, and we find that the folded cells are comparable to stacked tandem cells in terms of currents and power conversion efficiencies.
The optical behavior of a reflective tandem solar cell (V cell) is modeled by means of finite element method (FEM) simulations. The absorption of solar light in the active material as well as in both electrode layers is calculated. The FEM solves the electromagnetic wave equation on the entire defined geometry, resulting in the consideration of interference effects, as well as effects of refraction and reflection. Both single cells and tandem cells are modeled and confirmed to be in accordance with reflectance measurements. Energy dissipation in the active layers is studied as a function of layer thickness and folding angle, and the simulations clearly display the advantage of the light trapping feature of folded cells. This is especially prominent in cells with thinner active layers, where folding induces absorption in the active layer equivalent to that of much thicker cells.
Characterization of dominant electron trap in as-grown SiC epilayers has been carried out using deep level transient spectroscopy. Two electron traps E1 and Z1 at Ec-0.21 and Ec-0.61 are observed, respectively, Z1 being the dominant level. Line shape fitting, capture cross section, and insensitivity with doping concentration have revealed interesting features of Z1 center. Spatial distribution discloses that the level is generated in the vicinity of epilayers/substrate interface and the rest of the overgrown layers is defect-free. Owing to the Si-rich growth conditions, the depth profile of Z1 relates it to carbon vacancy. The alpha particle irradiation transforms Z1 level into Z 1/Z2 center involving silicon and carbon vacancies. Isochronal annealing study further strengthens the proposed origin of the debated level. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.
A study was performed on the phonon modes and infrared dielectric functions of high-quality ZnO thin films. The pulsed laser deposition technique was used to deposit the ZnO films on c-plane sapphire substrates and were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering experiments. The accurate long-wavelength dielectric constant limits of the films were also obtained and were compared with near-band-gap index-of-refraction data upon the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation for both film and bulk samples. It was found that the phonon modes of the film were highly consistent with those of the bulk sample.
Electric field-enhanced emission of electrons from a deep level defect in GaN grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy has been studied. Using the field dependent mode of conventional deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), several frequency scans were performed keeping applied electric field (12.8-31.4 MV/m) and sample temperature (300-360 K) constant. Arrhenius plots of the resultant data yielded an activation energy of the electron trap E ranging from E-c -0.48 +/- 0.02 eV to E-c-0.35 +/- 0.02 eV, respectively. The extrapolation of the as-measured field dependent data (activation energy) revealed the zero-field emission energy (pure thermal activation energy) of the trap to be 0.55 +/- 0.02 eV. Various theoretical models were applied to justify the field-enhanced emission of the carriers from the trap. Eventually it was found that the Poole-Frenkel model associated with a square well potential of radius r=4.8 nm was consistent with the experimental data, and, as a result, the trap is attributed to a charged impurity. Earlier, qualitative measurements like current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were performed, and screening parameters of the device were extracted to ascertain the reliability of DLTS data.
The optical, electronic, and structural properties of a theoretically predicted new boron-carbon-nitride (BCN) two-dimensional monolayer have been explored using density functional theory calculations. The phonon dispersion, molecular dynamics simulation, the cohesive energy, and the Born criteria of elastic constant calculations of the BCN monolayer confirm its stability. The phonon spectrum illustrates an out-of-plane flexure mode with quadratic dispersion in the long-wavelength limit. The BCN monolayer is a semiconductor with a direct bandgap of 0.9 (1.63) eV determined via the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof) functional. The same electron and hole effective masses and mobility values indicate the high recombination rate of electrons and holes. Meanwhile, the BCN monolayer can absorb ultraviolet radiation more effectively than visible light. Due to its interesting physical properties, the novel BCN monolayer could be a rather good candidate material for electro-optical applications.& nbsp;Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing
We demonstrate white light luminescence from ZnO-organic hybrid light emitting diodes grown at 90 degrees C on flexible plastic substrate by aqueous chemical growth. The configuration used for the ZnO-organic hybrid white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) consists of a layer of poly (9, 9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) on poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate) coated plastic with top ZnO nanorods. Structural, electrical, and optical properties of these WLEDs were measured and analyzed. Room temperature electroluminescence spectrum reveals a broad emission band covering the range from 420 to 750 nm. In order to distinguish the white light components and contribution of the PFO layer we used a Gaussian function to simulate the experimental data. Color coordinates measurement of the WLED reveals that the emitted light has a white impression. The color rendering index and correlated color temperature of the WLED were calculated to be 68 and 5800 K, respectively.
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The magnitudes of the surface band bending have been determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for polar, semipolar, and non-polar surfaces of wurtzite GaN crystals. All surfaces have been prepared from crystalline GaN samples grown by the hydride-vapour phase epitaxy and separated from sapphire substrates. The Ga 3d core level peak shifts have been used for band bending determination. Small band bending magnitudes and also relatively small difference between the band bendings of the surfaces with opposite polarity have been found. These results point to the presence of electron surface states of different amounts and types on surfaces of different polarity and confirm the important role of the electron surface states in compensation of the bound surface polarity charges in wurtzite GaN crystals. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.
The nucleation and growth of Ti2 AlN thin films on MgO(111) substrates during dual direct current reactive magnetron cosputtering from Ti and Al targets in an Ar N2 atmosphere at a substrate temperature of 690 °C have been investigated. Time and thickness dependent in situ specular x-ray reflectivity and x-ray diffraction in combination with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy reveal the formation of competing phases for slight N superstoichiometry with respect to Ti2 AlN. The stoichiometry deviations initiate the layer-by-layer growth of a ∼380 Å thick epitaxial N-substoichiometric cubic (Ti1-x Alx) Ny layer. N-vacancy driven diffusion of Ti and Al leads to decomposition of this metastable solid solution into nanosized cubic TiN y′ and AlN y″ domains as well as to a solid-state reaction with the MgO(111) by formation of a Mg2 (Al:Ti) O4 spinel, reducing the transformed (Ti1-x Alx) Ny layer thickness down to ∼60 Å. Local AlN y″ domains serve as templates for Ti2 AlN nucleation at higher thicknesses. At the same time TiN y′ and AlN y″ serve as a sink for excess gas phase N during the subsequent polycrystalline Ti2 AlN growth with random (Ti1-x Alx) Ny renucleation as a tissue phase along Ti2 AlN grain boundaries. The individual Ti2 AlN grains with vertical sizes up to the total thickness retain local epitaxy to the substrate, with basal planes nonparallel to the substrate interface. Concurrently the (Ti1-x Alx) Ny layer is further reduced by inward Ti2 AlN grain growth along the basal planes. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.
Ternary Ti-Al-N films were deposited onto Al2O3 (0001) substrates by reactive co‑sputtering from elemental Ti and Al targets and analyzed by in situ and ex situ x-ray scattering, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The deposition parameters were set to values that yield Ti:Al:N ratios of 2:1:1 and 4:1:3 at room temperature. 2TiAlN depositions at 675 °C result in epitaxial Ti2AlN growth with basal planes parallel to the substrate surface. Nominal 4TiAl3N depositions at 675 °C and above, however, yield TiN and Ti2AlN domains due to Al loss to the vacuum. Depositions at a lower temperature of 600 °C yield films with correct 4:1:3 stoichiometry, but Ti4AlN3 formation is supposedly prevented by insufficient adatom mobility. Instead, an incoherent Tin+1AlNn structure with random twinned stacking sequences n is obtained, that exhibits both basal plane orientations parallel as well as nearly perpendicular to the substrate interface. X‑ray photoemission spectroscopy shows that in contrast to stoichiometric nitrides the Al is metallically bonded and hence acts as twinning plane within the Tin+1AlNn stackings. Domains with perpendicular basal plane orientation overgrowth those with parallel ones in a competitive growth mode. The resulting morphology is a combination of smooth‑surfaced parallel basal plane orientation domains interrupted by repeated facetted hillock-like features with perpendicular basal plane orientation.
We report on an electroluminescent diode emitting red, green, and blue light simultaneously. The device is based on a thin polymer layer, poly[3‐(4‐octylphenyl)‐2,2′‐bithiophene] and a thick molecular layer, 2‐(4‐biphenylyl)‐5‐(4‐tertbutyl‐phenyl)1,3,5‐oxadiazole. The quantum efficiency for light conversion is 0.3% and the turn‐on voltage for light emission is 7 V. In this article we present electric and spectroscopic characterizations. A mechanism for the light emission, based on electron and hole recombination between the two organic layers, is proposed
Deep levels were detected in Fe-doped n- and p-type 4H-SiC using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). One defect level (EC 0.39 eV) was detected in n-type material. DLTS spectra of p-type 4H-SiC show two dominant peaks (EV + 0.98 eV and EV + 1.46 eV). Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements confirm the presence of Fe in both n- and p-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers. The majority capture process for all the three Fe-related peaks is multi-phonon assisted. Similar defect behavior in Si indicates that the observed DLTS peaks are likely related to Fe and Fe-B pairs.
After low-energy electron irradiation of epitaxial n-type 4H-SiC with a dose of 5 x 10(16) cm(-2), the bistable M-center, previously reported in high-energy proton implanted 4H-SiC, is detected in the deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) spectrum. The annealing behavior of the M-center is confirmed, and an enhanced recombination process is suggested. The annihilation process is coincidental with the evolvement of the bistable EB-centers in the low temperature range of the DLTS spectrum. The annealing energy of the M-center is similar to the generation energy of the EB-centers, thus partial transformation of the M-center to the EB-centers is suggested. The EB-centers completely disappeared after annealing temperatures higher than 700 degrees C without the formation of new defects in the observed DLTS scanning range. The threshold energy for moving Si atom in SiC is higher than the applied irradiation energy, and the annihilation temperatures are relatively low, therefore the M-center, EH1 and EH3, as well as the EB-centers are attributed to defects related to the C atom in SiC, most probably to carbon interstitials and their complexes.
Using medium- and high-resolution multi-spectra fitting of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS), optical O-DLTS and optical-electrical (OE)-MCTS measurements, we show that the EH6∕7 deep level in 4H-SiC is composed of two strongly overlapping, two electron emission processes with thermal activation energies of 1.49 eV and 1.58 eV for EH6 and 1.48 eV and 1.66 eV for EH7. The electron emission peaks of EH7 completely overlap while the emission peaks of EH6 occur offset at slightly different temperatures in the spectra. OE-MCTS measurements of the hole capture cross section σp 0(T) in p-type samples reveal a trap-Auger process, whereby hole capture into the defect occupied by two electrons leads to a recombination event and the ejection of the second electron into the conduction band. Values of the hole and electron capture cross sections σn(T) and σp(T) differ strongly due to the donor like nature of the deep levels and while all σn(T) have a negative temperature dependence, the σp(T) appear to be temperature independent. Average values at the DLTS measurement temperature (∼600 K) are σn 2+(T) ≈ 1 × 10−14 cm2, σn +(T) ≈ 1 × 10−14 cm2, and σp 0(T) ≈ 9 × 10−18 cm2 for EH6 and σn 2+(T) ≈ 2 × 10−14 cm2, σn +(T) ≈ 2 × 10−14 cm2, σp 0(T) ≈ 1 × 10−20 cm2 for EH7. Since EH7 has already been identified as a donor transition of the carbon vacancy, we propose that the EH6∕7 center in total represents the overlapping first and second donor transitions of the carbon vacancy defects on both inequivalent lattice sites.
Color-center defects in silicon carbide promise opto-electronic quantum applications in several fields, such as computing, sensing, and communication. In order to scale down and combine these functionalities with the existing silicon device platforms, it is crucial to consider SiC integrated optics. In recent years, many examples of SiC photonic platforms have been shown, like photonic crystal cavities, film-on-insulator waveguides, and micro-ring resonators. However, all these examples rely on separating thin films of SiC from substrate wafers. This introduces significant surface roughness, strain, and defects in the material, which greatly affects the homogeneity of the optical properties of color centers. Here, we present and test a method for fabricating monolithic single-crystal integrated-photonic devices in SiC: tuning optical properties via charge carrier concentration. We fabricated monolithic SiC n-i-n and p-i-n junctions where the intrinsic layer acts as waveguide core, and demonstrate the waveguide functionality for these samples. The propagation losses are below 14 dB/cm. These waveguide types allow for addressing color centers over a broad wavelength range with low strain-induced inhomogeneity of the optical-transition frequencies. Furthermore, we expect that our findings open the road to fabricating waveguides and devices based on p-i-n junctions, which will allow for integrated electrostatic and radio frequency control together with high-intensity optical control of defects in silicon carbide.
Understanding and controlling growth of graphene on the carbon face (C-face) of SiC presents a significant challenge. In this work, we study the structural, vibrational, and dielectric function properties of graphene grown on the C-face of 4H-SiC by high-temperature sublimation in an argon atmosphere. The effect of growth temperature on the graphene number of layers and crystallite size is investigated and discussed in relation to graphene coverage and thickness homogeneity. An amorphous carbon layer at the interface between SiC and the graphene is identified, and its evolution with growth temperature is established. Atomic force microscopy, micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy are combined to determine and correlate thickness, stacking order, dielectric function, and interface properties of graphene. The role of surface defects and growth temperature on the graphene growth mechanism and stacking is discussed, and a conclusion about the critical factors to achieve decoupled graphene layers is drawn. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
We have used a photothermal technique, in which chopped light heats the front surface of a small (similar to 1 mm(2)) sample and the chopping frequency dependence of thermal radiation from the back surface is measured with a liquid-nitrogen-cooled infrared detector. In our system, the sample is placed directly in front of the detector within its dewar. Because the detector is also sensitive to some of the incident light, which leaks around or through the sample, measurements are made for the detector signal that is in quadrature with the chopped light. Results are presented for layered crystals of semiconducting 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-pn) and for papers of cellulose nanofibrils coated with semiconducting poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene): poly (styrene-sulfonate) (NFC-PEDOT). For NFC-PEDOT, we have found that the transverse diffusivity, smaller than the in-plane value, varies inversely with thickness, suggesting that texturing of the papers varies with thickness. For TIPS-pn, we have found that the interlayer diffusivity is an order of magnitude larger than the in-plane value, consistent with previous estimates, suggesting that low-frequency optical phonons, presumably associated with librations in the TIPS side groups, carry most of the heat. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
The electrical and optical properties of carbon-nitride CNx films (O=x=0.25) deposited by unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering from a graphite target in mixed Ar/N2 discharges at a substrate temperature of 350°C have been investigated. Pure C films exhibit a dark conductivity at room temperature of 250 O-1 cm-1, which grows up to 250 O-1 cm-1 for CNx films with N content of 20%. For CNx films, temperature-dependent conductivity measurements suggest that two electron conduction processes exist in the investigated temperature range 130
Noble-gas implantation was used to introduce defects in n-type degenerate ScN thin films to tailor their transport properties. The electrical resistivity increased significantly with the damage levels created, while the electron mobility decreased regardless of the nature of the ion implanted and their doses. However, the transport property characterizations showed that two types of defects were formed during implantation, named point-like and complex-like defects depending on their temperature stability. The point-like defects changed the electrical conduction mode from metallic-like to semiconducting behavior. In the low temperature range, where both groups of defects were present, the dominant operative conduction mechanism was the variable range hopping conduction mode. Beyond a temperature of about 400 K, the point-like defects started to recover with an activation energy of 90 meV resulting in a decrease in resistivity, independent of the incident ion. The complex-like defects were, therefore, the only remaining group of defects after annealing above 700 K. These latter, thermally stable at least up to 750 K, introduced deep acceptor levels in the bandgap resulting in an increase in the electrical resistivity with higher carrier scattering while keeping the metallic-like behavior of the sample. The generation of both types of defects, as determined by resistivity measurements, appeared to occur through a similar mechanism within a single collision cascade.
We discuss general limitations of topographical studies of epitaxial graphene in ambient conditions, in particular, when an accurate determination of the layers thickness is required. We demonstrate that the histogram method is the most accurate for measurements of small vertical distances (andlt;0.5 nm) and generally should be applied to epitaxial graphene and similar types of samples in order to get the correct and reproducible values. Experimental determination of the step height between different domains of epitaxial graphene shows excellent agreement with the predicted values once the adsorption of a 2D monolayer is taken into account on top of the one layer graphene. In contrast to general limitations of AFM topography, electrostatic force microscopy imaging allows a straightforward identification of domains of epitaxial graphene of different thickness.
Spin relaxation processes in strained Zn0.96Mn0.04Se/CdSe superlattices are studied in detail by using hot photoluminescence combined with tunable excitation spectroscopy. A drastic enhancement in occupation of the upper-lying |+1/2,-3/2> state of the heavy-hole excitons is observed when excitation photon energy is resonantly tuned near an integer number of the LO phonon energy above the |+1/2,-3/2> state. Assuming the Boltzmann distribution between the excitonic states, the spin temperature of the excitons is deduced to be as high as 85 K, well above the lattice temperature of 2 K. The observed behavior provides experimental evidence for a surprisingly strong suppression of spin relaxation from the upper spin-split excitonic branch for small values of wave vector.
Heteroepitaxial c-(Ti-0.37,Al-0.63)N thin films were grown on MgO(001) and MgO(111) substrates using reactive magnetron sputtering. High resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron micrographs show coherency between the film and the substrate. In the as-deposited state, x-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps show a strained epitaxial film. Corresponding geometric phase analysis (GPA) deformation maps show a high stress in the film. At elevated temperature (900 degrees C), the films decompose to form iso-structural coherent c-Al- and c-TiN-rich domains, elongated along the elastically soft amp;lt;100amp;gt; directions. GPA analysis reveals that the c-TiN domains accommodate more dislocations than the c-AlN domains. This is because of the stronger directionality of the covalent bonds in c-AlN compared with c-TiN, making it more favorable for the dislocations to accumulate in c-TiN. The defect structure and strain generation in c-(Ti,Al)N during spinodal decomposition is affected by the chemical bonding state and elastic properties of the segregated domains.
Aspects on the phase stability and mechanical properties of nitrogen deficient (Ti0.54Al0.46)N-y alloys were investigated. Solid solution alloys of (Ti,Al)N were grown by cathodic arc deposition. The kinetic energy of the impinging ions was altered by varying the substrate bias voltage from -30V to -80 V. Films deposited with a high bias value of -80V showed larger lattice parameter, finer columnar structure, and higher compressive residual stress resulting in higher hardness than films biased at -30V when comparing their as-deposited states. At elevated temperatures, the presence of nitrogen vacancies and point defects (anti-sites and self-interstitials generated by the ion-bombardment during coating deposition) in (Ti0.54Al0.46)N-0.87 influence the driving force for phase separation. Highly biased nitrogen deficient films have point defects with higher stability during annealing, which cause a delay of the release of the stored lattice strain energy and then accelerates the decomposition tendencies to thermodynamically stable c-TiN and w-AlN. Low biased nitrogen deficient films have retarded phase transformation to w-AlN, which results in the prolongment of age hardening effect up to 1100 degrees C, i.e., the highest reported temperature for Ti-Al-N material system. Our study points out the role of vacancies and point defects in engineering thin films with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties for high temperature hard coating applications. Published by AIP Publishing.
The optical-field enhancement from plasmon resonance at spheroids is studied by solving Maxwell equations using spheroidal vector wave functions. This treatment is an extension of the Mie theory for spheres. The phase retardation or dephasing effects, as studied by finite-element methods in a previous article, are confirmed. Nevertheless, the optical-field enhancement is shown to be substantial under certain resonance conditions. It is suggested that the positions of the resonances in parameter space are determined by global antenna properties and the magnitude of the field enhancement by local plasmon resonance.
In this work, we have developed a methodology to obtain an ab initio cluster expansion of a system containing a dislocation and studied the effect of configurational disorder on the 1/2111 screw dislocation core structure in disordered Mo1-xWx alloys. Dislocation cores control the selection of glide planes, cross slip, and dislocation nucleation. Configurational disorders in alloys can impact the dislocation core structure and affect dislocation mobility. For our calculations, we have used a quadrupolar periodic array of screw dislocation dipoles and obtained the relaxed structures and energies using density functional theory. We have obtained the dislocation core structure as a function of composition and the interaction energies of solutes with the dislocation as a function of position with respect to the core. With these energies, we performed mean-field calculations to assess segregation toward the core. Finally, with the calculated energies of 1848 alloy configurations with different compositions, we performed a first principle cluster expansion of the configurational energetics of Mo1-xWx solid solutions containing dislocations.
We investigate how the magnetic state influences the interaction of Cr substitutional impurities with 1/2?111? screw dislocations in bcc Fe via density functional theory (DFT). We compare the paramagnetic state, modeled with a non-collinear disordered local moment (DLM) model, with the ferromagnetic state. In a previous work [Casillas-Trujillo et al., Phys. Rev. B 102, 094420 (2020)], we have shown that the magnetic moment and atomic volume landscape around screw dislocations in the paramagnetic state of iron are substantially different from that in the ferromagnetic state. Such a difference can have an impact in the formation energies of substitutional impurities, in particular, magnetic solutes. We investigate the formation energies of Cr solutes as a function of position with respect to the screw dislocation core, the interaction of Cr atoms along the dislocation line, and the segregation profile of Cr with respect to the dislocation in paramagnetic and ferromagnetic bcc iron. Our results suggest that with increasing temperature and connected entropic effects, Cr atoms gradually increase their occupation of dislocation sites, close to twice the amount of Cr in the DLM case than in the ferromagnetic case, with possible relevance to understand mechanical properties at elevated temperatures in low-Cr ferritic steels in use as structural materials in nuclear energy applications.
ZnO nanopillars were successfully grown using both the vapor-liquid-solid and the aqueous chemical growth methods on different substrates, such as quartz, n-, and p-type non-porous Si wafer (flat) and microporous periodic Si structure (MPSiS). Scanning electron microscopy was employed to compare sample morphologies. The absorption was calculated employing the GW(0) method, based on the local density approximation, and with the projector augmented wave approach. Experiment and theory show a reasonable agreement when the shape of the optical absorption is considered. The measured absorption of ZnO nanopillars, on different substrates, is lower than that observed for ZnO films on quartz substrate, in the energy gap spectral range. A strong effect of MPSiS substrates on ZnO nanopillar properties is observed. The photoluminescence technique was also employed as an optical characterization.
We have developed a kinetic model for residual stress generation in thin films grown from energetic vapor fluxes, encountered, e.g., during sputter deposition. The new analytical model considers sub-surface point defects created by atomic peening, along with processes treated in already existing stress models for non-energetic deposition, i.e., thermally activated diffusion processes at the surface and the grain boundary. According to the new model, ballistically induced subsurface defects can get incorporated as excess atoms at the grain boundary, remain trapped in the bulk, or annihilate at the free surface, resulting in a complex dependence of the steady-state stress on the grain size, the growth rate, as well as the energetics of the incoming particle flux. We compare calculations from the model with in situ stress measurements performed on a series of Mo films sputter-deposited at different conditions and having different grain sizes. The model is able to reproduce the observed increase of compressive stress with increasing growth rate, behavior that is the opposite of what is typically seen under non-energetic growth conditions. On a grander scale, this study is a step towards obtaining a comprehensive understanding of stress generation and evolution in vapor deposited polycrystalline thin films. Published by AIP Publishing.
Severe surface decomposition of semi-insulating (SI) GaN templates occurred in high-temperature H2 atmosphere prior to epitaxial growth in a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition system. A two-step heating process with a surface stabilization technique was developed to preserve the GaN template surface. Utilizing the optimized heating process, a high two-dimensional electron gas mobility ∼2000 cm2/V·s was obtained in a thin AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructure with an only 100-nm-thick GaN spacer layer homoepitaxially grown on the GaN template. This technique was also demonstrated viable for native GaN substrates to stabilize the surface facilitating two-dimensional growth of GaN layers. Very high residual silicon and oxygen concentrations were found up to ∼1 × 1020 cm−3 at the interface between the GaN epilayer and the native GaN substrate. Capacitance-voltage measurements confirmed that the residual carbon doping controlled by growth conditions of the GaN epilayer can be used to successfully compensate the donor-like impurities. State-of-the-art structural properties of a high-mobility AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructure was then realized on a 1 × 1 cm2 SI native GaN substrate; the full width at half maximum of the X-ray rocking curves of the GaN (002) and (102) peaks are only 21 and 14 arc sec, respectively. The surface morphology of the heterostructure shows uniform parallel bilayer steps, and no morphological defects were noticeable over the entire epi-wafer.
To clarify the electrical property of grain boundaries, the fine-grained ceramics CaCu3Ti4O12 have been treated with the hydrofluoric acid to remove the parts of grain boundaries. The dielectric response difference between the etched samples and the pristine ones indicates that the ceramic CaCu3Ti4O12 consists of insulating or semiconducting grains with conducting grain boundaries. Therefore, the giant dielectric phenomenon is supposed not to derive from the grain boundary barrier layer capacitance effect. The possible mechanism is discussed. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.
We report on measurements of the dielectric permittivity of NiO-based ceramics doped with Zr (ZNO). Samples were prepared by the traditional solid-state reaction method. The concentration of Zr has an effect on the dielectric properties of ZNO ceramics. High permittivity values (similar to 10(4)) were observed which remain almost constant from 200 K to 350 K at low frequencies. The high-dielectric-constant response of the ZNO ceramics is attributed mainly to a grain boundary (internal) barrier layer capacitance. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.
Temperature-dependent radiative and non-radiative dynamics of photoexcited carriers were studied in In0.3Ga0.7N nanodisks (NDs) fabricated from quantum wells (QWs) by neutral-beam etching using bio-nano-templates. The NDs had a diameter of 5 nm, a thickness of 2 and 3 nm, and a sheet density of 2 x 10(11) cm(-2). The radiative decay time, reflecting the displacement between the electron and hole wavefunctions, is about 0.2 ns; this value is almost constant as a function of temperature in the NDs and not dependent on their thickness. We observed non-exponential decay curves of photoluminescence (PL) in the NDs, particularly at temperatures above 150 K. The thermal activation energies of PL quenching in the NDs are revealed to be about 110 meV, corresponding to the barrier heights of the valence bands in the disks. Therefore, hole escape is deemed responsible for the PL quenching, while thermal activation energies of 12 meV due to the trapping of carriers by defects were dominant in the mother QWs. The above-mentioned non-exponential PL decay curves can be attributed to variations in the rate of hole escape in the NDs because of fluctuations in the valence-band barrier height, which, in turn, is possibly due to compositional fluctuations in the QWs. We found that non-radiative trapping, characteristic of the original QW, also exists in about 1% of the NDs in a form that is not masked by other newly formable defects. Therefore, we suggest that additional defect formation is not significant during our ND fabrication process. Published by AIP Publishing.
We report here an experimental and theoretical study on the magnetoresistance properties of heavily phosphorous doped germanium on the metallic side of the metal-nonmetal transition. An anomalous regime, formed by negative values of the magnetoresistance, was observed by performing low-temperature measurements and explained within the generalized Drude model, due to the many-body effects. It reveals a key mechanism behind the magnetoresistance properties at low temperatures and, therefore, constitutes a path to its manipulation in such materials of great interest in fundamental physics and technological applications. Published under license by AIP Publishing.
Effects of growth conditions and post-growth treatments, such as presence of N ions, N2 flow, growth temperature, In alloying, and postgrowth rapid thermal annealing (RTA), on formation of grown-in defects in Ga(In)NP prepared by molecular beam epitaxy are studied in detail by the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique. Several common residual defects, such as two Ga-interstitial defects (i.e., Gai-A and Gai-B) and two unidentified defects with a g factor around 2 (denoted by S1 and S2), are closely monitored. Bombardment of impinging N ions on grown sample surface is found to facilitate formation of these defects. Higher N2 flow is shown to have an even more profound effect than a higher number of ions in introducing these defects. Incorporation of a small amount of In (e.g., 5.1%) in GaNP seems to play a minor role in the formation of the defects. In GaInNP with 45% of In; however, the defects were found to be abundant. Effect of RTA on the defects is found to depend on initial configurations of Gai-related defects formed during the growth. In the alloys where the Gai-A and Gai-B defects are absent in the as-grown samples (i.e., GaNP grown at a low temperature of 460 °C), the concentrations of the two Gai defects are found to increase after postgrowth RTA. This indicates that the defects originally introduced in the as-grown alloys have been transformed into the more thermally stable Gai-A and Gai-B during RTA. On the other hand, when the Gai-A and Gai-B are readily abundant (e.g., at higher growth temperatures (>=500 °C), RTA leads to a slight reduction of the Gai-A and Gai-B ODMR signals. The S2 defect is also shown to be thermally stable upon the RTA treatment.
By employing photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy under dual-wavelength optical excitation, we uncover the presence of deep-level hole traps in Ga(In)NP alloys grown by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE). The energy level positions of the traps are determined to be at 0.56 eV and 0.78 eV above the top of the valance band. We show that photo-excitation of the holes from the traps, by a secondary light source with a photonenergy below the bandgapenergy, can lead to a strong enhancement (up to 25%) of the PL emissions from the alloys under a primary optical excitation above the bandgapenergy. We further demonstrate that the same hole traps can be found in various MBE-grown Ga(In)NP alloys, regardless of their growth temperatures, chemical compositions, and strain. The extent of the PL enhancement induced by the hole de-trapping is shown to vary between different alloys, however, likely reflecting their different trap concentrations. The absence of theses traps in the GaNP alloy grown by vapor phase epitaxy suggests that their incorporation could be associated with a contaminant accompanied by the N plasma source employed in the MBEgrowth, possibly a Cu impurity.