Preparation of regularly ordered Ge quantum dot lattices in amorphous matrices

We compare structural and optical properties of Ge quantum dot lattices in amorphous silica matrix obtained by two recently published techniques for the preparation of regularly ordered quantum dot lattices in amorphous matrices. The first technique is self-ordering growth of (Ge + SiO₂)/SiO₂ multilayer at an elevated substrate temperature where diffusion and surface morphology effects drive the self-ordering. The second one is irradiation of (Ge + SiO₂)/SiO₂ multilayer by oxygen ions. The multilayer used for the irradiation is grown at room temperature in this case, resulting with no Ge clusters after the deposition process. The irradiation causes clustering of Ge and ordering of Ge quantum dots in the irradiation direction. We show that the size of the dots and their arrangement can be easily manipulated by the preparation parameters. The structural properties of the films prepared by these methods affect the quantum confinement of the charge carriers which is visible in the absorption properties of the films.     

Origin of photoluminescence peaks in Ge–SiO2 thin films

Ge–SiO₂ thin films were prepared by the RF magnetron sputtering technique on p-Si substrates from a Ge–SiO₂ composite target. The as-deposited films were annealed in the temperature range of 300–1000 °C under nitrogen ambience. The structure of films was evaluated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. Results show that the content of Ge and its oxides in the films change with increasing annealing temperature (T_a), the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics are closely dependent on the contents of Ge and its oxides in SiO₂ matrix. The dependence observed strongly suggests that the PL peak at 394 nm is related to the existence of GeO and 580 nm to that of Ge nanocrystal (nc-Ge) in the films.     

Origin of photoluminescence peaks in Ge–SiO2 thin films

Ge–SiO₂ thin films were prepared by the RF magnetron sputtering technique on p–Si substrates from a Ge–SiO₂ composite target. The asdeposited films were annealed in the temperature range of 300–10000C under nitrogen ambience. The structure of films was evaluated by X–ray diffraction, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. Results show that the content of Ge and its oxides in thefilms change with increasing annealing temperature (Ta), the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics are closely dependent on the contents of Ge and its oxides in SiO₂ matrix. The dependence observed strongly suggests that the PL peak at 394 nm is related to the existenceof GeO and 580 nm to that of Ge nanocrystal (nc-Ge) in the films. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Synthesis of Cu/SiO2 composite films via gamma-irradiation route and their optical absorption properties

The Cu particles or clusters dispersed mesoporous SiO₂ composite films were prepared by a new method: first the matrix SiO₂ films were prepared by sol–gel process combined with the dip-coating technique, and then they were soaked in Cu(NO₃)₂ solutions followed by γ-ray irradiation at room temperature and in ambient pressure. Thus, the prepared Cu/SiO₂ composite films were examined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy. It has been shown that the Cu particles grown within the porous SiO₂ films are very small, and they are isolated and dispersed from each other with very narrow size distributions. With the Cu particles size changing, an interesting peak shift was observed in the optical absorption measurement. Possible mechanisms of this behavior are discussed in this paper.     

Gamma-irradiation-induced Ag/SiO2 composite films and their optical absorption properties

Small Ag particles or clusters dispersed mesoporous SiO₂ composite films were prepared by a new method: First the matrix SiO₂ films were prepared by sol-gel process combined with the dip-coating technique, then they were soaked in AgNO₃ solutions followed by irradiation of γ-ray at room temperature and in ambient pressure. The structures of these films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and optical absorption spectroscopy. It has been shown that the Ag particles grown within the porous SiO₂ films are very small, and they are isolated and dispersed from each other with very narrow size distributions. With increasing the soaking concentration and an additional annealing, an opposite peakshift effect of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was observed in the optical absorption measurements.     

DC magnetron sputtering of Si to form SiO2 in low-energy ion beam

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) films were deposited by magnetron sputtering and ion-beam oxidation (IBO) in separate zones at ambient temperature. The optical and structural characteristics of the films were analyzed by spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscope. The oxygen ratio in the ion beam and the energy of ion bombardment during deposition has strong influence on the optical and physical properties of SiO₂ films. The experimental results indicated that the IBO method could finely manipulate the structure and properties of the growing films.     

Synthesis and optical properties of Cu2O/SiO2 composite films via gamma-irradiation route

The Cu₂O particles or clusters dispersed mesoporous SiO₂ composite films were prepared by a new method: First the matrix SiO₂ films were prepared by sol-gel process combined with the dip-coating technique, and then they were soaked in Cu(NO₃)₂ solutions followed by γ-ray irradiation at room temperature and in ambient pressure. Thus prepared Cu₂O/SiO₂ composite films were examined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy. Compared with the pure Cu₂O nanoparticles, an obvious blue shift existed in the obtained Cu₂O/SiO₂ composite films.     

Optical and dielectric properties of thin SiOx films of variable composition

The effect of the composition of amorphous SiO_x films produced by the vacuum evaporation of SiO, on their optical and dielectric properties was investigated. The variation in the composition of the films was achieved by changing the deposition rate and the pressure of the residual gases.The optical band gap was observed to increase from 2.2 to 3.1 eV as the deposition rate was decreased from 50 to 5 Å s^-1 and simultaneously the refractive index, the permittiviity and the dielectric loss factor were found to decrease. The composition and structure of the films were determined from the optical absorption and IR spectroscopy.The experimental results revealed that SiO_x films produced by vacuum evaporation do not comprise a simple mixture of silicon and SiO₂ phases but they have a single-phase structure.     

Growth of Ge nanoparticles on SiO2/Si interfaces during annealing of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited thin films

Multilayer germanosilicate (Ge:SiO₂) films have been grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Each Ge:SiO₂ layer is separated by a pure SiO₂ layer. The samples were heat treated at 900 °C for 15 and 45 min. Transmission electron microscopy investigations show precipitation of particles in the layers of highest Ge concentration. Furthermore there is evidence of diffusion between the layers. This paper focuses mainly on observed growth of Ge particles close to the interface, caused by Ge diffusion from the Ge:SiO₂ layer closest to the interface through a pure SiO₂ layer and to the interface. The particles grow as spheres in a direction away from the interface. Particles observed after 15 min anneal time are 4 nm in size and are amorphous, while after 45 min anneal time they are 7 nm in size and have a crystalline diamond type Ge structure.     

Determination of the optical constants of HfO2–SiO2 composite thin films through reverse fitting of transmission spectra

Composite thin films of HfO₂:SiO₂ with wide range of relative composition from 100:0 (pure HfO₂) to 10:90 have been deposited on fused silica substrates by co-evaporation technique and the optical properties of the films have been studied by measuring the transmission spectra of the samples by spectrophotometer. Different important optical parameters viz., band gap, refractive index and absorption coefficients of the samples have been obtained by fitting the measured optical spectra with theoretically generated spectra and the variation of the optical constants as a function of SiO₂ content in the films have been obtained. Two different dispersion models viz., the single effective oscillator model and the Tauc–Lorentz model have been used to generate the theoretical spectra in the above fitting procedure. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) measurement technique has been used to find the densities of the films in order to explain the observed variation in optical properties of the films with increase in SiO₂ content.     

Annealing effect on the structural and optical properties of embedded Au nanoparticles in silicon suboxide films

Au/SiO_x nanocomposite films have been fabricated by co-sputtering Au wires and SiO₂ target using an RF magnetron co-sputtering system before the thermal annealing process at different temperatures. The structural and optical properties of the samples were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical transmission, and reflection spectroscopy. XPS analysis confirms that the as-prepared SiO_x films are silicon-rich suboxide films. FESEM images reveal that with an increase in annealing temperature, the embedded Au NPs tend to diffuse toward the surface of the SiO_x films. In IR spectra, the intensity of the Si-O-Si absorption band increases with the annealing temperature. Optical spectra reveal that the position and intensity of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak are dominated by the effect of the inter-particle distance and size of the Au NPs embedded in the SiO_x films, respectively. The SPR absorption peak shows the blue-shift from 672 to 600 nm with an increase in annealing temperature. The growth of silica nanowires (SiO_x NWs) is observed in the film prepared on a c-Si substrate instead of a quartz substrate and annealed at temperatures of 1000 °C.     

Determination of the optical constants of HfO2–SiO2 composite thin films through reverse fitting of transmission spectra

Composite thin films of HfO₂:SiO₂ with wide range of relative composition from 100:0 (pure HfO₂) to 10:90 have been deposited on fused silica substrates by co-evaporation technique and the optical properties of the films have been studied by measuring the transmission spectra of the samples by spectrophotometer. Different important optical parameters viz., band gap, refractive index and absorption coefficients of the samples have been obtained by fitting the measured optical spectra with theoretically generated spectra and the variation of the optical constants as a function of SiO₂ content in the films have been obtained. Two different dispersion models viz., the single effective oscillator model and the Tauc–Lorentz model have been used to generate the theoretical spectra in the above fitting procedure. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) measurement technique has been used to find the densities of the films in order to explain the observed variation in optical properties of the films with increase in SiO₂ content.     

Nanoscale interfacial engineering to grow Ge on Si as virtual substrates and subsequent integration of GaAs

We have demonstrated the scalability of a process previously dubbed as Ge “touchdown” on Si to substantially reduce threading dislocations below 10⁷/cm² in a Ge film grown on a 2 inch-diameter chemically oxidized Si substrate. This study also elucidates the overall mechanism of the touchdown process. The 1.4 nm thick chemical oxide is first formed by immersing Si substrates in a solution of H₂O₂ and H₂SO₄. Subsequent exposure to Ge flux creates 3 to 7 nm-diameter voids in the oxide at a density greater than 10¹¹/cm². Comparison of data taken from many previous studies and ours shows an exponential dependence between oxide thickness and inverse temperature of void formation. Additionally, exposure to a Ge or Si atom flux decreases the temperature at which voids begin to form in the oxide. These results strongly suggest that Ge actively participates in the reaction with SiO₂ in the void formation process. Once voids are created in the oxide under a Ge flux, Ge islands selectively nucleate within the void openings on the newly exposed Si. Island nucleation and growth then compete with the void growth reaction. At substrate temperatures between 823 and 1053 K, nanometer size Ge islands that nucleate within the voids continue to grow and coalesce into a continuous film over the remaining oxide. Coalescence of the Ge islands is believed to result in the creation of stacking faults in the Ge film at a density of 5 × 10⁷/cm². Additionally, coalescence results in films of 3 µm thickness having a root-mean-square roughness of 8 to 10 nm. We have found that polishing the films with dilute H₂O₂ results in roughness values below 0.5 nm. However, stacking faults originating at the Ge-SiO₂ interface and terminating at the Ge surface are polished at a slightly reduced rate, and show up as 1 to 2 nm raised lines on the polished Ge surface. These lines are then transferred into the subsequent growth morphology of GaAs deposited by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Room temperature photoluminescence shows that films of GaAs grown on Ge-on-oxidized Si have an intensity that is 20 to 25% compared to the intensity from GaAs grown on commercial Ge or GaAs substrates. Cathodoluminescence shows that nonradiative defects occur in the GaAs that spatially correspond to the stacking faults terminating at the Ge surface. The exact nature of these nonradiative defects in the GaAs is unknown, however, GaAs grown on annealed samples of Ge-on-oxidized Si, whereby annealing removes the stacking faults, have photoluminescence intensity that is comparable to GaAs grown on a GaAs substrate.     

Structural and photoluminescence investigation of ZnSe nanocrystals dispersed in organic and inorganic matrices

In this work, we report on the investigation of the effect of dispersion of zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanocrystallites into polystyrene (PS) and silica (SiO₂) thin films on their structural, morphological and photoluminescence properties. The ZnSe/PS nanocomposites thin films were synthesized by a direct dispersion of ZnSe crystallites into polymers solution, whereas the ZnSe–SiO₂ films were prepared on glass substrates by the sol–gel dip-coating technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-rays (EDX), UV–visible spectrophotometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques have been used to study the structural, morphological and optical properties of the prepared nanocomposite thin films. XRD patterns have demonstrated the incorporation of cubic ZnSe in both organic and inorganic matrices. SEM micrographs have indicated that ZnSe dispersion in the films is homogeneous. UV–visible absorption spectra of the nanocomposite thin films have put into evidence that the dispersion of ZnSe nanocrystals in the thin film matrices improved their optical absorption. Room temperature PL spectra have shown that the addition of ZnSe enhanced the UV emission of PS and all the emission of SiO₂ thin films.     

Strong visible electroluminescence from Ge- and Sn-implanted silicon dioxide layers

Silicon-based light emission is a key feature to make a real step into the world of integrated optical systems, laboratory-on-chip applications and high performance optical communication. One of the most promising approaches is ion implantation into thin SiO₂ films. In this paper, the electroluminescence (EL) properties of Sn-implanted SiO₂ layers are investigated and compared with those of Ge-implanted SiO₂ layers. Strong EL in the blue-violet spectral region with a power efficiency of 0.025% is extracted from Sn-implanted oxide layers. Similar to the case of Ge, the main emission at 3.2 eV is attributed to a radiative T₁→S₀ transition of an Sn-related oxygen deficiency center, the EL intensity increases linearly over several orders of magnitude and the stability reaches comparable values. In contrast to the case of Ge, a low-energy shoulder appears in the EL spectrum of Sn-implanted oxides. Finally, the suitability of Sn-implanted oxides for optoelectronic applications is discussed.     

The effect of defects on the optical nonlinearity of thermally poled SiOx thin films

Defects were deliberately induced in SiO_x thin films during their deposition using a helicon plasma activated reactive evaporation technique. The films were thermally poled and the poling induced second-order optical nonlinearity was investigated by measuring the second harmonic generation of the samples. It was found that oxygen-rich SiO_x thin films containing mainly peroxy radicals enabled a much larger optical nonlinearity than stoichiometric SiO₂ films after poling, and their optical nonlinearity was long-time stable; while silicon-rich SiO_x thin films containing mainly oxygen vacancy defects presented a smaller and unstable optical nonlinearity after poling.     

Dielectric engineering of Ge nanocrystal/SiO2 nanocomposite thin films with Ge ion implantation: Modeling and measurement

Ge nanocrystal (nc-Ge) embedded SiO₂ nanocomposite thin films have been synthesized with the ion implantation technique. The distribution profile of nc-Ge in the SiO₂ matrix can be tailored by varying the implantation energy and dose in the Ge ion implantation process; thus the effective dielectric constant of the nc-Ge/SiO₂ nanocomposite thin films can be engineered. The effective metal–oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitance of the nanocomposite thin films has been calculated using the sub-layer model and the Maxwell–Garnett effective medium approximation, taking the reduced dielectric constant corresponding to the nanometer size of nc-Ge into account. On the other hand, capacitance–voltage measurements on the MOS structures based on the nc-Ge/SiO₂ thin films have been conducted to extract the capacitance experimentally. The modeling and measurement results have shown good agreement, suggesting that the nanocomposite dielectric engineering can be easily realized through the energy- and dose-controlled Ge⁺ implantation technique.     

R.f.-sputtered SiO2 films for optical applications

We investigated the refractive index variation of r.f.-sputtered SiO₂ films in the direction normal to the substrate surface as a function of some important deposition conditions. As confirmed by Rutherford backscattering measurements the impurity content and its distribution over the film thickness profoundly affect the optical homogeneity and the UV absorption of SiO₂ films. Homogeneous SiO₂ films with refractive indices and transmission properties close to those of fused silica can be prepared by judicious selection of the substrate temperatures. This is possible even under such rough mutual contamination conditions as occur in the fabrication of multilayer stacks.     

Spectrographic ellipsometry study of a liquid crystal display substrate consisting of thin films of SiO2, polyimide and indium tin oxide on glass

Variable angle spectrometric ellipsometry at room temperature is used to determine thin film parameters of substrates used in liquid crystal displays. These substrates consist of sequential thin films of polyimide (PI), on indium tin oxide (ITO),on SiO₂ deposited on a glass backing approximately 1.1 mm thick. These films were studied by sequentially examining more complex systems of films (SiO₂, SiO₂-ITO, SiO₂-ITO-PI). The SiO₂ layer appears to be optically uniform and flat. The ITO film is difficult to characterize. When this surface film's lower surface is SiO₂ and upper surface is an air-ITO-interface it is found that including surface roughness and variation of the optical properties with ITO thickness in the model improved the fit; suggesting that both phenomena exist in the ITO films. However, the surface roughness and graded nature of optical properties could be not determinable by ellipsometry when the ITO is coated with a polyimide film. The PI films are ellipsometrically flat and over the wavelength range from 500 to 1400 nm the real refractive index of polyimide films varying in thickness between 25 and 80 nm is well modeled by a two-term Cauchy model with no absorption. The ellipsometric thickness of the ITO layer is the same as the profilometric thickness; however, the ellipsometric thickness of the polyimide layers is roughly 10 nm larger than that obtained from the profilometer. These final observations are consistent with the literature.     

Optical study of Ge x Sb20−x Te80 chalcogenide films

The optical properties of Ge _x Sb_20?x Te₈₀ films with x values of 15, 17, and 19, lying in the glass-forming region of the Ge–Sb–Te system, have been studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the spectral range 300–820 nm. The refractive index values were found to be 1.2–5.5 in the spectral range studied. With increasing Ge content in the films, a shift of the absorption edge toward higher energies was observed. This corresponds to an increase in the optical bandgap energy, from 0.58 to 0.76 eV.