The effect of temperature on the growth and properties of green light-emitting In0.5Ga0.5N films prepared by reactive sputtering with single cermet target

We have grown In_0.5Ga_0.5N films on SiO₂/Si (100) substrate at 100–400 °C for 90 min by rf reactive sputtering with single cermet target. The target was made by hot pressing the mixture of metallic indium, gallium and ceramic gallium nitride powder. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicated that In_0.5Ga_0.5N films had wurtzite structure and showed the preferential (1 0 -1 0) diffraction. Both SEM and AFM showed that In_0.5Ga_0.5N films were smooth and had small roughness of 0.6 nm. Optical properties were measured by photoluminescence (PL) spectra from room temperature to low temperature of 20 K. The 2.28 eV green emission was achieved at room temperature for all our InGaN films. The electrical properties of In_0.5Ga_0.5N films on a SiO₂/Si (100) substrate were measured by the Hall measurement at room temperature. InGaN films showed the electron concentration of 1.51×10²⁰–1.90×10²⁰ cm⁻³ and mobility of 5.94–10.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Alloying of InN and GaN was confirmed for the sputtered InGaN.     

Effect of surface preparation on Ni Ohmic contact to 3C-SiC

The effect of roughness and chemical treatment of 3C-SiC film surface on Ni ohmic contact was studied in this work. 3C-SiC(1 1 1) film was grown on Si(1 1 1) in a chemical vapor deposition reactor. The 3C-SiC surface was polished using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technique to get a smooth and flat surface. The polished surface was oxidized and then was etched in BHF solution to remove subsurface damages formed during the CMP process. The morphology of thus prepared silicon carbide (SiC) surfaces was investigated using SEM and AFM. Ni contact resistance to the 3C-SiC films was evaluated using linear transmission line method pattern. The formation of good ohmic contact characteristics was observed from Ni contact to all the tested SiC samples. After the CMP process, it was found that the RMS roughness of 3C-SiC surface apparently reduces and the specific contact resistance to 3C-SiC decreases as well, in proportion to the SiC surface roughness. The sacrificial oxidation and etching of the polished SiC surface abruptly decrease the contact resistance to be 3.7×10⁻⁴ Ω cm². It was shown that the surface morphology and subsurface damage concentration of 3C-SiC films are important factors to give a great effect on the contact characteristic of the 3C-SiC films. However, it was considered that the reduction of subsurface damage concentration is essential to get better contact resistance to 3C-SiC surface.     

Preparation of nanocomposite thin films by sol-gel and photochemical metal–organic deposition of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 and PbZr0.48Ti0.52O3

The process for generating nanocomposite films constructed from alternate thin film layers of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ and PbZr_0.48Ti_0.52O₃ by photochemical metal–organic deposition and sol-gel has been investigated. By spin coating the appropriate metal organic precursors to Ba_0.5 Sr_0.5TiO₃ followed by photolysis a single layer of amorphous Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃, is produced. Subsequent spin coating of the appropriate metal organic precursors of PbZr_0.48Ti_0.52O₃ and photolysis led to the formation of a layer of amorphous PbZr_0.48Ti_0.52O₃. By repeating this procedure a material composed of alternating layers of BST and PZT was constructed. In an analogous process alternate coating and heating of the appropriate sol-gel precursors was used to make similar structures. These nanocomposite materials were formed as amorphous layered materials but could be made to crystallize by heat treatment. Heat treatment resulted in crystallization of the films although the resultant diffraction pattern was dependent upon the thickness of the layers. X-ray diffraction patterns of both BST and PZT were apparent in crystalline films formed from layers of more than 25 nm in thickness. The crystallization of films formed from layers less than 25 nm in thickness showed only a lattice constant intermediate between that expected for BST and PST consistent with the interdiffusion of these components. Atomic force microscopy indicated that the amorphous nanocomposite films were near featureless while the crystalline films had a much higher surface roughness.     

Plasma and wet chemical etching of In0.5Ga0.5P

Dry and wet chemical etching of epitaxial In_{0, 5}Ga_0.5P layers grown on GaAs substrates by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated. For chlorine-based dry etch mixtures (PCl₃/Ar or CC1₂F₂/Ar) the etching rate of InGaP increases linearly with dc self-bias on the sample, whereas CH₄/H₂-based mixtures produce slower etch rates. Selectivities of ≥500 for etching GaAs over InGaP are obtained under low bias conditions with PCl₃/Ar, but the surface morphologies of InGaP are rough. Both CC1₂F₂/Ar and CH₄/H₂/Ar mixtures produce smooth surface morphologies and good (≥10) selectivities for etching GaAs over InGaP. The wet chemical etching rates of InGaP in H₃PO₄:HC1:H₂O mixtures has been systemically measured as a function of etch formulation and are most rapid (∼1 μn · min⁻¹) for high HCl compositions. The etch rate,R, in a 1:1:1 mixture is thermally activated of the formR ∝ , whereE _a = 11.25 kCal · mole⁻¹. This is consistent with the etching being reaction-limited at the surface. This etch mixture is selective for InGaP over GaAs.     

Improvement of Thermoelectric Properties in (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 Films of Nanolayered Pillar Arrays

In this work, it is found that unique pillar arrays with nanolayered structure can favorably influence the carrier and phonon transport properties of films. p-(Bi_0.5Sb_0.5)₂Te₃ pillar array film with (0 1 5) orientation was successfully achieved by a simple ion-beam-assisted technique at deposition temperature of 400°C, owing to the enhanced mobility of deposited atoms for more sufficient growth along the in-plane direction. The pillar diameter was about 250 nm, and the layered nanostructure was clear, with each layer in the pillar array being <30 nm. The properties of the oriented (Bi_0.5Sb_0.5)₂Te₃ pillar array were greatly enhanced in comparison with those of ordinary polycrystalline films synthesized at deposition temperature of 350°C and 250°C. The (Bi_0.5Sb_0.5)₂Te₃ pillar array film with (0 1 5) preferred orientation exhibited a thermoelectric dimensionless figure of merit of ZT = 1.25 at room temperature. The unique pillar array with nanolayered structure is the main reason for the observed improvement in the properties of the (Bi_0.5Sb_0.5)₂Te₃ film.     

Formation of Low-Resistance Ohmic Contact by Damage-Proof Selective-Area Growth of Single-Crystal <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript>-GaN Using Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

To achieve very low ohmic contact resistance, an n ⁺-GaN layer was selectively deposited using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). During this process polycrystalline GaN grew on the patterned SiO₂ region, which was subsequently removed by a heated KOH solution, resulting in damage to the n ⁺-GaN surface. To prevent this damage, an additional SiO₂ layer was selectively deposited only on the n ⁺-GaN region. To optimize the fabrication process the KOH etching time and n ⁺-GaN layer thickness were adjusted. This damage-proof scheme resulted in a specific contact resistance of 4.6 × 10⁻⁷ Ω cm². In comparison, the resistance with the KOH etching damage was 4.9 × 10⁻⁶ Ω cm² to 24 × 10⁻⁶ Ω cm². The KOH etching produced a large number of pits (4.1 × 10⁸ cm⁻²) and degraded the current transport. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis indicated that KOH etching was very effective in removing the oxide from the GaN surface and that the O-H bonding at the GaN surface was likely responsible for the degraded contact performance. The optimum n ⁺-GaN thickness was found to be 54 nm.     

Room Temperature Ferrimagnetism and Ferroelectricity in Strained,Thin Films of BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3

Highly strained films of BiFe_0.5Mn_0.5O₃ (BFMO) grown at very low rates by pulsed laser deposition were demonstrated to exhibit both ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity at room temperature and above. Magnetisation measurements demonstrated ferrimagnetism (T_C ～ 600K), with a room temperature saturation moment (M_S) of up to 90 emu/cc (～ 0.58 μ_B/f.u) on high quality (001) SrTiO₃. X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism showed that the ferrimagnetism arose from antiferromagnetically coupled Fe³⁺ and Mn³⁺. While scanning transmission electron microscope studies showed there was no long range ordering of Fe and Mn, the magnetic properties were found to be strongly dependent on the strain state in the films. The magnetism is explained to arise from one of three possible mechanisms with Bi polarization playing a key role. A signature of room temperature ferroelectricity in the films was measured by piezoresponse force microscopy and was confirmed using angular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The demonstration of strain induced, high temperature multiferroism is a promising development for future spintronic and memory applications at room temperature and above.     

High‐Performance Near‐IR Photodetector Using Low‐Bandgap MA0.5FA0.5Pb0.5Sn0.5I3 Perovskite

Photodetectors with ultrafast response are explored using inorganic/organic hybrid perovskites. High responsivity and fast optoelectronic response are achieved due to the exceptional semiconducting properties of perovskite materials. However, most of the perovskite‐based photodetectors exploited to date are centered on Pb‐based perovskites, which only afford spectral response across the visible spectrum. This study demonstrates a high‐performance near‐IR (NIR) photodetector using a stable low‐bandgap Sn‐containing perovskite, (CH₃NH₃)_0.5(NH₂CHNH₂)_0.5Pb_0.5Sn_0.5I₃ (MA_0.5FA_0.5Pb_0.5Sn_0.5I₃), which is processed with an antioxidant additive, ascorbic acid (AA). The addition of AA effectively strengthens the stability of Sn‐containing perovskite against oxygen, thereby significantly inhibiting the leakage current. Consequently, the derived photodetector shows high responsivity with a detectivity of over 10¹² Jones ranging from 800 to 970 nm. Such low‐cost, solution processable NIR photodetectors with high performance show promising potential for future optoelectronic applications.     

Mechanistic study of borosilicate glass growth by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition from tetraethylorthosilicate and trimethylborate

A reaction mechanism and film morphology as a function of reactor conditions and post growth thermal annealing for borosilicate glass (BSG), (SiO₂)_x(B₂O₃)_1−x, films deposited from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), trimethylborate (TMB), and oxygen (O₂) precursors by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) was determined. An empirically derived reaction model for BSG film growth is proposed that predicts the growth rate and composition of BSG films up to 70 mole% B₂O₃. The BSG reaction model includes a strongly adsorbed TEOS-derived intermediate that forms SiO₂ and a direct surface reaction of TMB, in O₂, to form B₂O₃. This model is supported by growth rate and mass spectroscopic data. The BSG film morphology, investigated using atomic force microscopy, was found to have a root-mean-square roughness of 0.5 nm, with the precise film morphology being a function of reactor conditions. The BSG film roughness increases with film thickness, temperature, and boron content. Thermal annealing of the films in a water-free environment leads to planarization of the BSG governed by the film composition and anneal temperature.     

Wafer-scale fabrication of magneto-photonic structures in Bismuth Iron Garnet thin film

In this paper we report on a reproducible technological process for wafer-scale fabrication of different photonic structures in Bismuth Iron Garnet (BIG: Bi₃Fe₅O₁₂) thin films: two-dimensional magneto-photonic crystals (PhC), ring circulators, Bragg gratings or ridge waveguides. Different fabrication techniques such as Ion Beam Etching (IBE), Focused Ion Beam (FIB) etching, wet chemical etching and Reactive Ion etching are compared. The transfer of different geometries in BIG is obtained with good etching verticality and conservation of the dimensions using Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE). This work demonstrates the possibility of wafer-scale high-quality nanostructuration of crystalline garnet thin films for magneto-photonic devices.     

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies on Cd0.5Fe0.5Se nanocrystalline thin films deposited by a spray pyrolysis technique

Recently, nanostructured thin films have attracted the attention of researchers from several disciplines, due to their outstanding electronic and optical properties and potential applications in various optoelectronic devices. The ternary Cd_0.5Fe_0.5Se nanocrystalline thin films were deposited by a spray pyrolysis method onto glass, aluminium, copper and stainless steel substrates. The structural and morphological properties were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The XRD study revealed that, Cd_0.5Fe_0.5Se films are nanocrystalline in nature with hexagonal lattice. The optical absorption study showed that, the semiconductor Cd_0.5Fe_0.5Se thin film deposited on glass exhibits direct band gap energy of the order of 1.95 eV. The PEC study revealed that, Cd_0.5Fe_0.5Se thin films deposited on aluminium substrate exhibited maximum fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) as compared to the films deposited on stainless steel and copper substrates.     

Integration of high dielectric Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 films into amorphous TaSiN barrier layer structures

The high-k dielectric material (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ has been intensively investigated for possible applications in dynamic random access memory circuits. During the BST deposition process in O₂ ambient, typically at 650°C, the diffusion of oxygen through the bottom electrode into the poly Si plug must be prevented. Amorphous TaSiN films are excellent candidates as oxygen barrier layers. Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ (BST) films with thickness of 100 nm were deposited on the electrode structure SiO₂/TaSiN/Pt. The sol–gel method was used to grow the BST films. The barrier effect for oxygen diffusion is studied in TaSiN layers with thickness of 50 nm, which were deposited by a reactive sputter process. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results confirm that this amorphous material is a suitable barrier against oxygen diffusion at 650°C. The BST films, deposited at 650°C and post-annealed at 650°C show a dielectric constant of 100 at 100 kHz and a dissipation factor of less than 5%.     

Highly anisotropic, ultra-smooth patterning of GaN/SiC by low energy electron enhanced etching in DC plasma

Hetero-epitaxial films of GaN(OOOl), deposited on SiC(OOOl) by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy and masked by 200 nm of SiO₂, have been patterned by low energy electron enhanced etching (LE4) in hydrogen and chlorine dc plasmas at room temperature. Lines 2.0 μm wide showed highly anisotropic etching: straight side walls, no overcut, no trenching, and no “pedestal” at the base of the line. Root mean square (RMS) surface roughness of the films as grown was 8.5–10?; after LE4, RMS surface roughness of the etched surfaces was 2.5?.     

Ohmic contacts ton-type In0.5Ga0.5P

The contact properties of alloyed Ni/Au-Ge/Mo/Au metallization to npoststagger+In_0.5Ga_0.5P epilayers grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates are reported. A minimum specific contact resistance of 10⁻⁵ Ωcm² was obtained forn = 2 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ material after alloying at 360° C for 20 sec. Above this temperature outdiffusion of lattice elements and reactions of the metallization with the In_0.5Ga_0.5P lead to severe morphological changes and degraded contact properties. From the temperature dependence of the contact resistance, thermionic emission was identified as the predominant current transport mechanism in these contacts.     

The effect of selenium doping on the optical and structural properties of Ga0.5ln0.5P

Selenium doping at an electron concentration of 10¹⁸ – 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ is shown to cause an increase in both the band gap and the disorder of Ga_0.5In_0.5P films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaAs substrates. The effect of selenium is shown to be very similar to that of the p-type dopants, zinc and magnesium. Selenium doping is also shown to have a dramatic smoothing effect on the surface morphology of Ga_0.5In_0.5P films.     

Properties and use of ln0.5(AlxGa1-x)0.5P and AlxGa1-x as native oxides in heterostructure lasers

Data are presented demonstrating the formation of native oxides from high Al composition In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5P (x≳ 0.9) by simple annealing in a “wet” ambient. The oxidation occurs by reaction of the high Al composition crystal with H₂O vapor (in a N₂ carrier gas) at elevated temperatures (≥500° C) and results in stable transparent oxides. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) are employed to evaluate the oxide properties, composition, and oxide-semiconductor interface. The properties of native oxides of the In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5P system are compared to those of the Al_xGa_1-xAs system. Possible reaction mechanisms and oxidation kinetics are considered. The In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5P native oxide is shown to be of sufficient quality to be employed in the fabrication of stripe-geometry In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5P visible-spectrum laser diodes.     

Low-temperature Au-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous Si0.5Ge0.5 thin films using Au solution

Low-temperature (∼400 °C) metal-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous Si_0.5Ge_0.5 thin films using Au solution has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. It was shown that Au solution significantly promotes the crystallization of the films at low temperatures. The effects of annealing temperature and concentration of the Au solution on the structure and morphology of the films were analyzed. The increase in crystallinity was observed with increasing the annealing temperature. The Raman shifts of Ge–Ge and Si–Ge peaks with the annealing temperature were also discussed.     

Effect of the film thickness on the crystal structure and ferroelectric properties of (Hf0.5Zr0.5)O2 thin films deposited on various substrates

In this work, the effect of the film thickness on the crystal structure and ferroelectric properties of (Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)O₂ thin films was investigated. The thin films were deposited on (111) Pt-coated SiO₂, Si, and CaF₂ substrates with thermal expansion coefficients of 0.47, 4.5, and 22×10⁻⁶/°C, respectively. From the X-ray diffraction measurements, it was found that the (Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)O₂ thin films deposited on the SiO₂ and CaF₂ substrates experienced in-plane tensile and compressive strains, respectively, in comparison with the films deposited on the Si substrates. For films deposited on all three substrates, the volume fraction of the monoclinic phase increased with increasing film thickness, with the SiO₂ substrate having the lowest monoclinic phase volume fraction at all film thicknesses tested. The grain size of the films, which is an important factor for the formation of the ferroelectric phase, remained almost constant at about 10 nm in diameter regardless of the film thickness and type of substrate utilized. Ferroelectricity was observed for the 17 nm-thick films deposited on SiO₂ and Si substrates, and the maximum remanent polarization (P_r) value of 9.3 µC/cm² was obtained for films deposited on the SiO₂ substrate. In contrast, ferroelectricity with P_r=4.4 µC/cm² was observed only for film on SiO₂ substrate in case of 55 nm-thick films. These results suggest that the films under in-plane tensile strain results in the larger ferroelectricity for 17 nm-thick films and have a ferroelectricity up to 55 nm-thick films.     

Effect of the underlayer on the microstructure and surface evolution in Al-0.5wt.%Cu polycrystalline thin films

The effects of the Ti underlayer on the evolution of grain morphology, crystallographic texture, and surface roughness of Al-0.5wt.%Cu thin films during sputter deposition have been characterized. In comparison to SiO₂ substrates, Ti underlayers reduce the AlCu thickness at which film continuity is reached, reduce the AlCu columnar grain size, and allow exact Al (111) fiber texture development. The AlCu films on both Ti and SiO₂ are primarily randomly oriented at early stages of deposition. A near-(111) Al fiber texture in AlCu/SiO₂ films initiates during the preferential growth of ≈5° offset islands prior to film continuity, seeding the near Al (111) texture as film continuity is reached. The exact Al (111) fiber orientation in AlCu/Ti films develops after film continuity. The near-(111) and exact (111) fiber textures strengthen with further deposition due to combined normal and abnormal grain growth. Film coalescence and grain growth lead to a significant smoothing effect during the early stages of deposition.     

Deep reactive ion etching of thermally co-evaporated Te-Ge films for IR integrated optics components

Due to their remarkable transparency in the infrared region, telluride glasses are very promising materials for the realization of IR integrated optics components for specific applications, such as the detection of pollutant gases in the atmosphere or the detection of exoplanetary systems. In order to prove the feasibility of channel waveguiding structures based on this kind of materials, deep etching of thermally co-evaporated Te-Ge films, one of the most important and critical steps, was investigated. Reactive ion etching was carried out using different mixtures of three gases CHF₃, O₂ and Ar, and for different chamber pressures and RF powers. The influence of each parameter on the quality of etched Te-Ge films, in term of rib dimensions and surface roughness for example, was studied. Finally optimized parameters i.e. a CHF₃/O₂/Ar ratio of 59.5/10.5/30, a chamber pressure of 30 mTorr and a RF power of 50 W were used to fabricate a pattern showing the achievement in term of etching resolution.