Optimization of 3C–SiC/Si heterointerfaces in epitaxial growth

In this article, we present the basic formalism of the S-correlated theory of misfit induced interface superstructures (MIIS) and nucleation centers for misfit dislocation network (NCMDN). Two main properties play an important role in the theory. The first one is the S factor, which is the ratio of effective elastic constants over the material atomic density: this factor can be identified from the standard equations of the elasticity theory which, in our approach, represents the basic background. This implies a realistic lattice dynamics model which enables to interpret the velocity of longitudinal, transverse and shear vibrational waves in solids. The second property, n_S is a geometric parameter related to the extension of MIIS and to the lattice spacing of misfit dislocation network (MDN). We then apply this theory to several heterosystems and we demonstrate that it can be used to optimize heterointerfaces between host materials characterized by large lattice mismatch.     

Mechanisms of layer growth during molecular beam epitaxy of semiconductor films

This paper reviews our present understanding of particular aspects of the surface processes involved in the growth of epitaxial semiconductor films by molecular beam epitaxy. Emphasis is placed on adatom migration and incorporation on GaAs (001) substrates during the growth of GaAs, a comparison with equivalent growth effects on (110) and (111)A oriented substrates, and the influence of mismatch and substrate orientation on growth mode and strain relaxation in the InAs/GaAs system. A brief indication of surface segregation behaviour is also included.     

Si(111)衬底上HVPE GaN厚膜生长

在Si(111)衬底上,以MOCVD方法高温外延生长的AIN为缓冲层,使用氮化物气相外延(HVPE)方法外延生长了15Km的c面GaN厚膜.并利用X射线衍射(XRD)、光致发光谱(PL)、拉曼光谱(Raman)等技术研究了GaN厚膜的结构和光学性质.分析结果表明,GaN厚膜具有六方纤锌矿结构,外延层中存在的张应力较小,...     

横向过生长 (LEO)外延 GaN材料及其生长机理

由于没有合适的衬底材料与之匹配，使外延生长的GaN材料缺陷密度很大，从而限制了它的应用。采用LEO（横向过生长外延）技术能使缺陷密度降低3－4个数量级,可生长出高质量的GaN材料。本文简要介绍了应用LEO技术生长GaN材料的现状及对生长机理研究的进展。     

Plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN

The growth of GaN on sapphire by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated with the object of optimizing the material quality. The V/III flux ratio as well as the growth temperature are discussed in relation to their impact on electrical, optical and structural layer properties. Samples grown under nearly stoichiometric conditions exhibit both the highest mobilities and the highest photoluminescence efficiencies. Growth temperatures above 800°C were found to result in narrow reflections in X-ray diffraction. However, the chemical decomposition of GaN at temperatures above 850°C limits the suitable temperature range for the growth under high vacuum conditions.     

Liquid phase epitaxy growth of bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet thin films for magneto-optical applications

The novel Bi-substituted rare-earth iron garnet films were grown by the modified liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) technique for use as a 45° Faraday rotator in optical isolators. First, single crystals of Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG), with a lattice constant of 1.2378 nm, were grown by means of the Czochralski method. Using the seed crystal of YIG instead of the conventional non-magnetic garnet of Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂ as a substrate, a film of BiYbIG was grown by means of the LPE method from Bi₂O₃–B₂O₃ fluxes. The structural, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of BiYbIG LPE film/YIG crystal composite have been investigated using directional X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, vibrating sample magnetometer and near-infrared transmission spectrometry. The saturation magnetization 4πM_s has been estimated to be approximately 1200 G. The Faraday rotation spectrum was measured by the method of rotating analyzer ellipsometry with the wavelength varying from 800 to 1700 nm. The resultant Bi_0.37Yb_2.63Fe₅O₁₂ LPE film/YIG crystal composite showed an increased Faraday rotation coefficient due to doping Bi³⁺ ions on the dodecahedral sites of the magnetic garnet without increasing absorption loss, therefore a good magneto-optic figure of merit, defined by the ratio of Faraday rotation and optical absorption loss, has been achieved of 21.5 deg/dB and 30.2 deg/dB at 1300 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths, respectively, at room temperature. Since Yb³⁺ ions and Y³⁺ ions provide the opposite contributes to the wideband and temperature characteristic of Faraday rotation, the values of Faraday rotation wavelength and temperature coefficients were reduced to 0.06%/nm and 0.007 deg/°C at 1550 nm wavelength, respectively.     

Liquid phase epitaxy of films with langasite structure

Epitaxial films of Na₂CaGe₆O₁₄ with langasite structure were deposited by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) technique on isomorphic Nd₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ substrates at a growth temperature of about 1000°C using K₂O–V₂O₅ based flux. The films were about 100 μm in thickness and had rough surface morphology. The film composition measurements were made by scanning electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA). EPMA data indicated low content of flux forming K⁺ and V⁵⁺ cations in the films grown. Ca²⁺ enrichment and Na⁺ decrease were detected in the vicinity of film/substrate interfaces.     

Growth and strain investigation of Cd0.96Zn0.04Te/GaAs by hot-wall epitaxy

A higher quality and a nearly stoichometric composition of Cd_1−yZn_yTe (y=0.04) epilayers have been successfully grown on a GaAs substrate by hot-wall epitaxy (HWE). The growth conditions regarding preheating treatment and Cd reservoir temperature were optimized. The relationship between quality and thickness was examined by four-crystal X-ray rocking curves and the best value of 120 arcsec for full width at half maximum (FWHM) was obtained. The dislocations on the interface, generated from the difference in lattice constants, were directly observed by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The variation of strain with epilayer thickness shows that the density of extended defects in the epilayer decreases rapidly increasing the thickness up to 5 μm. When the epilayer thickness reaches 20 μm, the strain almost becomes zero. This result suggests that the high-quality epilayer, same as the bulk crystal, can be obtained by increasing the thickness. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra at 4.2 K show that bound-exciton (BE) emission is dominative. The strain relaxation by misfit dislocations were also explored by HREM.     

Growth of GaN and AlN thin films by laser induced molecular beam epitaxy

Hexagonal GaN and AlN thin films were grown by laser induced molecular beam epitaxy using Al or Ga metal as target material and N₂as nitrogen source. The films were deposited on sapphire (0001) and SiC (0001) substrates. Epitaxial growth of GaN has been achieved at 730°C and 10⁻³ mbar N₂ pressure. The AlN films were polycrystalline with predominant (0001) orientation.     

Monocrystalline thin films of ZnSe and ZnO grown by atomic layer epitaxy

We report on the growth of monocrystalline thin films of ZnSe and ZnO by atomic layer epitaxy by simple reaction between elemental precursors. Structural and optical properties of these films are discussed with reference to the investigations performed with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence.     

电化学原子层外延制备Bi—Se系薄膜

采用电化学原子层外延（electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy，ECALE）方法尝试在Pt电极上沉积Bi2Se3纳米热电薄膜。利用循环伏安扫描研究了Bi^3＋、Se^4＋在Pt电极上的欠电势沉积参数，在此基础上利用自动电沉积系统交替沉积400个Bi、Se原子层。采用电量分析、XRD、EDX对沉积物进行表征。电量分析表明沉积物中存在硒的富余，XRD结果表明沉积物中除了Bi2Se3化合物外还有单质Se的富余。EDX分析沉积物的硒铋原子比为4：1，与XRD分析结果一致。     

Structural and optical properties of GaN films grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

GaN films are grown on [0 0 1] GaAs substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy using a three-step process that consists of a substrate nitridation, deposition of a low-temperature buffer layer, and a high-temperature overgrowth. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicate that this method promotes prismatic growth of c-oriented α-GaN. Photoluminescence studies show that the emission from cubic β-GaN inclusions dominates the spectrum.     

Hydrogen reduction in GaAsN thin films by flow rate modulated chemical beam epitaxy

The amount of residual H in the GaAsN film grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) can be decreased by flow rate modulation growth. Many H atoms in the films grown by CBE exist as N-H or N-H₂ structures. Although a higher growth temperature was required for decreasing the H concentration ([H]), it caused a decrease in the N concentration ([N]). A reduction in [H] while keeping [N] constant was necessary. By providing an intermittent supply of Ga source while continuously supplying As and N sources, [H] effectively decreased in comparison with the [H] value in the film grown at the same temperature by conventional CBE without reducing [N].     

The effect of growth parameters on CrN thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper, we report on the controlling of the effect of growth parameters such as substrate temperature and the ratio of Cr and N atoms on phase formation, surface morphology and crystallization of CrN(001) thin films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on the MgO(001) substrate. The reflection high energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy are used to characterize the thin films grown under various conditions. High-quality CrN(001) thin films are achieved at a substrate temperature 430 °C with a low Cr deposition rate.     

GaN:Eu electroluminescent devices grown by interrupted growth epitaxy

In this paper we report on electroluminescent devices fabricated using Eu-doped GaN films grown by interrupted growth epitaxy (IGE). IGE is a combination of conventional molecular beam epitaxy and migration enhanced epitaxy. It consists of a sequence of ON/OFF cycles of the Ga and Eu beams, while the N₂ plasma is kept constant during the entire growth time. IGE growth of GaN:Eu resulted in significant enhancement in the Eu emission intensity at 620.5 nm. The nitridation of the surface that occurs during the OFF cycle appears to be the dominant process producing the enhancement. Thick dielectric devices fabricated on glass substrates using IGE-grown GaN:Eu have resulted in luminance of ∼1000 cd/m² and luminous efficiency of ∼0.15 lm/W.     

Nanoindention study of indium nitride thin films grown using RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

In this study, we used an RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE) system to grow single-crystalline indium nitride (InN) films onto aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers on Si (111) substrates. We then used nanoindentation techniques and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) to study the influence of the c-axis-oriented InN films on the mechanical performance. From morphological observations, we compared the stiffness and resistance against contact-induced damage of the InN films in the presented shrinkage of the area. InN films prepared at growth temperatures of 440, 470, and 500 °C had nanohardnesses (H) of 3.6 ± 0.2, 4.5 ± 0.25, and 9.1 ± 0.8 GPa, respectively, and Young’s moduli (E) of 97.4 ± 1.2, 147.7 ± 1.8, and 176.0 ± 2.3 GPa, respectively.     

PbSe单晶薄膜的分子束外延及其表面微结构

用分子束外延技术在BaF2（111）衬底上生长了PbSe单晶薄膜,观测了表面形貌和微结构．结果表明,在高Se／PbSe束流比（≥0．4）条件下,PbSe按照二维层状模式生长,外延层中的应力通过位错滑移发生塑性形变而获得充分弛豫,获得的PbSe薄膜是具有单原子层平整度的表面台阶和螺旋结构;降低Se／PbSe束流比至0．2,首次在PbSe样品表面观察到规则的三角形纳米孔状结构;当Se／PbSe束流比为0时,PbSe薄膜表面出现三维岛状结构,应力只能得到部分弛豫．在BaF2（111）衬底上分子束外延生长PbSe单晶薄膜的最佳温度为450℃．     

A review of molecular beam epitaxy of ferroelectric BaTiO3 films on Si,Ge and GaAs substrates and their applications

Abstract

SrTiO₃ epitaxial growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on silicon has opened up the route to the monolithic integration of various complex oxides on the complementary metal-oxide–semiconductor silicon platform. Among functional oxides, ferroelectric perovskite oxides offer promising perspectives to improve or add functionalities on-chip. We review the growth by MBE of the ferroelectric compound BaTiO₃ on silicon (Si), germanium (Ge) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) and we discuss the film properties in terms of crystalline structure, microstructure and ferroelectricity. Finally, we review the last developments in two areas of interest for the applications of BaTiO₃ films on silicon, namely integrated photonics, which benefits from the large Pockels effect of BaTiO₃, and low power logic devices, which may benefit from the negative capacitance of the ferroelectric.     

CVD growth and characterization of 3C-SiC thin films

Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) thin films were grown on (100) and (111) Si substrates by CVD technique using hexamethyldisilane (HMDS) as the source material in a resistance heated furnace. HMDS was used as the single source for both Si and C though propane was available for the preliminary carbonization. For selective epitaxial growth, patterned Si (100) substrates were used. The effect of different growth parameters such as substrate orientation, growth temperature, precursor concentration, etc on growth was examined to improve the film quality. The surface morphology, microstructure and crystallinity of grown films were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Raman scattering and Rutherford backscattering studies on InN films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

A series of InN thin films was grown on sapphire substrates via plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) with different nitrogen plasma power. Various characterization techniques, including Hall, photoluminescence, Raman scattering and Rutherford backscattering, have been employed to study these InN films. Good crystalline wurtzite structures have been identified for all PA-MBE grown InN films on sapphire substrate, which have narrower XRD wurtzite (0002) peaks, showed c-axis Raman scattering allowed longitudinal optical (LO) modes of A₁ and E₁ plus E₂ symmetry, and very weak backscattering forbidden transverse optical (TO) modes. The lower plasma power can lead to the lower carrier concentration, to have the InN film close to intrinsic material with the PL emission below 0.70 eV. With increasing the plasma power, high carrier concentration beyond 1 × 10²⁰ cm^− 3 can be obtained, keeping good crystalline perfection. Rutherford backscattering confirmed most of InN films keeping stoichiometrical In/N ratios and only with higher plasma power of 400 W leaded to obvious surface effect and interdiffusion between the substrate and InN film.