Efficiency calculations for thin-film polycrystalline semiconductor Schottky barrier solar cells

Numerical calculations have been made of the effect of grain size on the short-circuit current and the AM1 efficiency of polycrystalline thin film InP, GaAs, and Si Schottky barrier solar cells. Si cells 10 µm thick are at best 8 percent efficient for 100-µm grain sizes; 25-µm-thick Si cells can be about 10 percent efficient for this grain size. GaAs cells 2 µm thick can be 12 percent efficient for grain sizes of 3 µm or greater.     

Efficiency calculations for thin-film polycrystalline semiconductor p-n junction solar cells

Numerical calculations have been made of the effect of grain size on the short-circuit current and the AM1 efficiency of polycrystalline thin-film GaAs and InP (2 µm thick) and silicon (25 µm thick) p-n junction solar cells. Junction solar cells are seen to be more efficient than Schottky-barrier cells, due to the higher dark current associated with Schottky diodes. GaAs shows the highest efficiency and both GaAs and InP attain 90 percent of their maximum efficiencies at a grain size of 10 µm, while silicon requires grain sizes of 200 µm to attain 90 percent of maximum efficiency. However, the deleterious effect of poor lifetimes and mobilities is less for silicon polycrystalline cells than for the direct-bandgap devices.     

Process and device performance of 1 µm-channel n-well CMOS technology

The process and device performance of 1 µm-channel n-well CMOS have been characterized in terms of substrate resistivities of 40 and 10 Ω.cm, substrate materials with and without an epitaxial layer, n-well surface concentrations ranging from5 times 10^{15}to4 times 10^{16}cm^-3, n-well depths of 3, 4, and 5 µm, channel boron implantation doses from2 times 10^{11}to1.3 times 10^{12}cm^-2, and effective channel lengths down to 0.6 µm. The deeper n-well more effectively improved the short-channel effects in p-channel MOSFET's having lower n-well surface concentrations. The impact-ionization current of the 0.9 µm n-channel MOSFET started to increase at a drain voltage of 5.2 V, while that of the 0.6 µm p-channel MOSFET did not increase until the drain voltage exceeded 12 V. Minimum latchup trigger current was observed when the output terminal of an inverter was driven over the power supply voltage. This minimum latchup trigger current was improved about 25 to 35 percent by changing the n-well depth from 3 to 5 µm and was further improved about 35 to 75 percent by using a substrate resistivity of 10 Ω.cm instead of 40 Ω.cm. The epitaxial wafer with a substrate resistivity of 0.008 Ω.cm improved the minimum latchup trigger current by more than 40 mA. It was estimated from the inverter characteristics that the effective mobility ratio between surface electrons and holes is about 1.4 at effective channel lengths of 1.0 µm for p-channel MOSFET's and 1.4 µm for n-channel MOSFET's. The optimized 1 µm-channel n-well CMOS resulted in a propagation delay time of 200 ps with a power dissipation of 500 µW and attained a maximum clock frequency of 267 MHz in a static ÷ 4 counter. The deep-trench-isolated CMOS structure was demonstrated to break through the scaling effect drawback of n-well depth and surface concentration.     

The semiconductor field-emission photocathode

The recently developed large-area field-emission photocathode is described. It consists of a finely spaced array of point emitters fabricated by etching of p-type silicon or other semiconductor. Uniform emission over areas of 6-7 cm²have been obtained. For Si, the spectral response extends from 0.4 to 1.1 µm. Quantum yields of 25 percent at 0.86 µm have been measured, which is about five times the value reported for the extended S-20 photocathode and comparable to the best III-V photoemitters. Calculations indicate that quantum yields of up to 40 percent at 0.86 µm and 28 percent at 0.9 µm are attainable with the present photocathode structures. For low dark current densities, photocathode cooling to temperatures approaching 77 K must be employed at present. The dark current is shown to be dominated by surface-generated electrons in the space-chargeregion of the emitters. Effects of phosphorus gettering and annealing treatments on dark current are discussed, and the spatial frequency response of the device is determined. The results of a computer study show that the field intensification factor of p-semiconductor field emitters behaves quite differently from that of metallic emitters.     

An experimental study on improvement of performance for hemispherically shaped high-power IRED's with Ga1-xAlxAs grown junctions

This paper describes the structure and performance of a high-power infrared emitting diode (IRED) designed as a high speed optical beam source for optoelectronic applications. The heterostructured junction is formed on a thick Ga1-xAlxAs liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) grown layer which is used to shape hemispherical emitting surfaces. Dislocation density in recombination region was considerably decreased by the thick layer growth on a GaAs wafer used as a primary substrate. Under dc operations, external quantum efficiencies of around 45 percent at a current density of 0.6 kA/cm²and about 110 mW of optical output power at 200 mA (1 kA/cm²) have been obtained from the diodes with a 160-µm junction diameter. The tendency to reach power saturation with increased current has been decreased by means of reducing of thermal resistance of the mount, and the diodes with 240- µm junction diameter have shown about 180 mW at 600 mA dc and 1.4 W at a 4-A pulse (60 Hz, 50 µs). A large improvement in high frequency response has been obtained and the bandwidth at -3-dB intensity has reached above 120 MHz.     

Infrared optoelectronic properties of metal-germanium Schottky barriers

An experimental study has been made of the electronic properties of rectifying metal-Ge (n-type) contacts for a range of metals (Au, Cu, Ag, Pb, and Ni) and their optoelectronic characteristics under monochromatic illumination for λ = 0.6328 µm and for 1 µm < λ ≲ 2 µm in the near infrared. For each metal, very idealI-Vcharacteristics were obtained withnvalues from the exponential forward bias region of 1.02 to 1.08 and excellent reverse saturation at 300 K. The dependence of photoresponse on thickness of various metal electrodes (from 50 to more than 1000 Å) was observed.phi_{B}'sfound fromIV C-V, and photoresponse measurements are in close agreement within ±0.03 eV. The dependence of quantum efficiency (QE) upon metal thickness was measured for all metals and these results exhibit the expected decline in QE withd gsim 100Å. Ford lsim 100Å, QE can be as high as 75 percent at λ = 6328 Å, and 48 percent in the wavelength range 1.1 µm < λ < 1.4 µm. QE versushv(1 µm < λ < 2 µm) measurements have identified thresholds for the indirect and direct band-to-band excitation in the germanium and for the internal photoemission of electrons from the metal over the Schottky barrier induced by absorption of the infrared photons.     

Germanium reachthrough avalanche photodiodes for optical communication systems at 1.55-µm wavelength region

Germanium reachthrough avalanche photodiodes (Ge RAPD's) with high-frequency response have been designed, fabricated, and tested. In the calculation of frequency response, optimum depletion layer width of 21 µm has been found for 1.55-µm wavelength with the highest cutoff frequency of 830 MHz. The diodes fabricated by this design showed frequency degradation of less than 2 dB at 500 MHz and at 1.55 µm. This response has been unchanged up to 1.58 µm, indicating useful spectral limit lies at more than 1.58 µm. The diodes exhibited quantum efficiency of 80 percent and excess noise factor of 6.1 at a multiplication of 10 both for 1.55 µm. The breakdown voltage was 60- 90 v. The sensitivity of the diodes was measured at 100 Mb/s and 1.55 µm. The minimum detectable power of -44.3 dBm which is by 5.2 dB better than the conventional p⁺-n Ge APD has been achieved for 10^-11error rate. Comparison with InGaAs APD and p-i-n/FET receiver has been made by calculating minimum detectable power of RAPD at 500 Mb/s. Calculated sensitivity of RAPD is 1-2 dB worse than InGaAS APD and comparable to that of InGaAs p-i-n/FET receiver estimated from the reported experimental results.     

InGaPAs-InP double-heterojunction high-radiance LED's

InGaPAs-InP double-heterojunction (DH) high-radiance LED's (λ ∼ 1.05-1.3 µm) have been fabricated by liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) at constant temperature. The crystal growth procedure is described and the influence of InP substrate crystalline perfection is discussed. LED's with a high-radiance geometry suitable for coupling to an optical fiber have been fabricated. The four-layer double-heterostructure LED's have low forward-biased resistances. Typical external quantum efficiencies of ∼1.5 percent and narrow emission linewidths (∼56 nm, typical), have been measured for LED's (λ ∼ 1.08 µm) with an InGaPAs active layer thickness of 1.6 µm and an active layer carrier concentration ofN_{A} - N_{D} approx 2.8 \× 10^{16}cm^-3. The dependence of LED emission linewidth upon active layer doping is reported. Transient measurements show that the LED rise time is dependent upon current density for high-injection conditions. Preliminary lifetest results demonstrate only slight LED degradation after operation at 50 and 70°C for times up to ∼3500 h.     

High-speed GaAs-(GaAl)As DH LED's with output waveguide structure for optical communications

High-speed GaAs-(GaAl)As DH edge-emitting LED's with an output waveguide structure and a reversed p-n junction for current confinement are described. A cutoff frequency of 115 MHz and a radiance of 1100 W/sr cm²at a diode current of 200 mA have been measured. The output power at the end of a fiber pigtail is about 200 µw with a driving current of 200 mA (core diameter of fiber = 60 µm and numerical aperture NA = 0.2). The coupling efficiency between the diode and a single fiber amounts to 10 percent. Factors affecting both the radiative output and the modulation characteristics are analyzed and discussed.     

Efficient 1.06-µm emission from InxGa1-xAs electroluminescent diodes

Vapor-grown p-n junctions of InxGa1-xAs have been prepared that emit near-bandgap infrared radiation at 1.06 µm with an external quantum efficiency in excess of 1 percent at room temperature. These diodes have an electroluminescence response time of 20 ns. In addition, InxGa1-xAs injection lasers have been fabricated with threshold current densities between 2000 and 3000 A/cm²at 80 K. The importance of internal absorption losses in determining the spectral distribution and the electroluminescence efficiency at room temperature is described.     

InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes grown by chemical beam epitaxy

InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading, and multiplication regions (SAGM-APD's) have been fabricated from wafers grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). These APD's exhibit low dark current (<25 nA at 90 percent of breakdown), low capacitance (≈0.2 pF), and good responsivity (0.75 A/ W at 1.3 µm). The pulse response, which is relatively independent of avalanche gain, is characterized by rise and fall times of approximately 1.4 ns.     

17.2-percent efficient (AMO) p+-i-n InP homojunction solar cells

p⁺-i-n junction structure InP solar cells have been fabricated on n-type substrates by the LPE method. The conversion efficiencies for the active area of this cell are as high as 21.5 percent at AM1.5 and 17.5 percent at AMO, respectively. These are the highest ever reported for InP. The radiation resistance to 1-MeV electrons can be improved by optimizing i-layer thickness to 1 µm. However, the radiation-resistance of the p⁺-i-n cell is not so good as the n⁺-p structure cell, because of the increase in the leakage current due to the recombination center introduced in the i-layer with irradiation.     

Impurity distribution in high-efficiency silicon avalanche diode oscillators

The influence of impurity distribution on the performance of high-efficiency silicon avalanche diode oscillators has been investigated for a number of diffusion profiles and doping densities of ionized donors. p⁺-n-n⁺mesa diodes with diameters ranging from 0.005 to 0.030 inch, were designed with abrupt, hyperabrupt, graded, and linearly graded junctions with doping densities varying from 10¹⁴to 2 × 10¹⁵cm^-3and depletion region width 4 µm ≤ W ≤ 8 µm. The devices were operated at L-band with 40 percent efficiency. The high-frequency characteristics of the avalanche devices have shown that high-efficiency performance can be achieved with complex waveforms of current.     

CMOS analogue current-mode multiplier/divider circuit operating in triode-saturation with bulk-driven techniques

A CMOS analogue current-mode multiplier/divider circuit is presented. It is based on a dynamic biasing applied at the bulk terminal of MOS transistors operating in both saturation and triode. With the proposed structure, the multiplier forms a feedback loop that improves the current swing and accuracy. The multiplier has been fabricated using a standard 0.18 µm CMOS technology. The circuit consumes 144 µW using a single supply voltage of 1.8 V with a measured THD lower than 1% for an output current of 38 µA, and requires a die area of 90 µm x 45 µm.     

Analytical model and characterization of small geometry MOSFET's

Electrical characteristics of small geometry p-channel and n-channel MOSFET's are characterized based on an analytical model that includes short-channel, narrow-channel, and carrier-velocity-saturation effects. Theoretical results on threshold voltage, threshold-voltage shift by a substrate bias voltage, and drain current are in good agreement with the experimental results over wide ranges of channel lengths from 1 to 9 µm and channel widths from 2 to 14 µm. A comparison of the electrical characteristics of MOSFET's with and without field implantation leads to the conclusion that the field implantation is the main cause of the narrow-channel-width effect on threshold-voltage increase and drain-current degradation. The carrier-velocity-saturation effect starts to appear at the 3-µm channel length for the n-channel device and at 1 µm for the p-channel device under 5-V operation. According to the theoretical analysis of a 1-µm-channel inverter circuit, a CMOS inverter has superior noise immunity with 1.4 to 2.0 times larger driving-current capability in a load MOS device and requires 9 percent less area than a 1-µm n-channel enhancement/depletion inverter.     

Facet-coated graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure single-quantum-well lasers having low degradation rates (<1 percent/kh) at 70°C

The results of accelerated life testing of single-quantum-well (QW) lasers having graded-index (GRIN) separate-confinement heterostructure (SCH) active regions are reported. These results are the first to show that lasers grown by MOCVD can have low degradation rates (<1 percent/kh) at 70°C and are also the first light-emitting lifetime data for GRIN-SCH quantum-well lasers. The laser structures were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at atmospheric pressure using an uninterrupted growth sequence. Shallow proton-bombarded 5-µm × 250-µm stripe-geometry lasers were fabricated from these wafers and lasers with and without Al2O3facet coatings were life tested at 70°C and 5 mW per mirrors facet. Facet-coated lasers have lived longer than 1100 h with degradation rates as low as 0.5 percent/kh.     

A dc and microwave comparison of GaAs MESFET's on GaAs and Si substrates

In order to assess GaAs on Si technology, we have made a performance comparison of GaAs MESFET's grown and fabricated on Si and GaAs substrates under identical conditions and report the first microwave results. The GaAs MESFET's on Si with 1.2-µm gate length (290-µm width) exhibited transconductances (gm) of 180 mS/mm with good saturation and pinchoff whereas their counterparts on GaAs substrates exhibited gmof 170 mS/mm. A current gain cut-off frequency of 13.5 GHz was obtained, which compares with 12.9 GHz observed in similar-geometry GaAs MESFET's on GaAs substrates. The other circuit parameters determined from S-parameter measurements up to 18 GHz showed that whether the substrate is Si or GaAs does not seem to make a difference. Additionally, the microwave performance of these devices was about the same as that obtained in devices with identical geometry fabricated at Tektronix on GaAs substrates. The side-gating effect has also been measured in both types of devices with less than 10-percent decrease in drain current when 5 V is applied to a pad situated 5 µm away from the source. The magnitude of the sidegating effect was identical to within experimental determination for all side-gate biases in the studied range of 0 to -5 V. The light sensitivity of this effect was also very small with a change in drain current of less that 1 percent between dark and light conditions for a side gate bias of -5 V and a spacing of 5 µm. Carrier saturation velocity depth profiles showed that for both MESFET's on GaAs and Si substrates, the velocity was constant at 1.5 × 10⁷cm/s to within 100-150 Å of the active layer-buffer layer interface.     

Junction-current-confinement planar light-emitting diodes and optical coupling into large-core diameter fibers using lenses

High-radiance AlGaAs-GaAs double-heterostructure light-emitting diodes utilizing junction current confinement are described. Diode resistance and junction ideality factor are investigated as a function of emission diameters from 10 to 75 µm. Near-field intensity profiles indicate tight current confinement over the full range of emission diameters. Rise-time measurements are consistent with a simple carrier lifetime model for >25-µm emission diameters. An effective radiative-recombination constant, B = 1.5(±0.5) × 10-¹⁰cm³/s is deduced from the rise-time data and model. Peak wavelength and spectral width data are discussed in terms of junction current density and temperature. With decreasing emission diameter, the optical coupling efficiencies into 100- and 200-µm core diam high-numerical-aperture fibers increased from 10 to 25 percent and 25 to 50 percent, respectivley, using spherical glass lenses.     

Light emitting diodes for the spectral range λ=3.3–4.3 µm fabricated from InGaAs and InAsSbP solid solutions: Electroluminescence in the temperature range of 20–180°C (Part 2)

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on p-n homo-and heterostructures with InAsSb(P) and InGaAs active layers have been designed and studied. An emission power of 0.2 (λ=4.3 µm) to 1.33 mW (λ=3.3 µm) and a conversion efficiency of 30 (InAsSbP, λ=4.3 µm) to 340 mW/(A cm²) (InAsSb/InAsSbP double heterostructure (DH), λ=4.0 µm) have been achieved. The conversion efficiency decreases with increasing current, mainly owing to the Joule heating of the p-n homojunctions. In DH LEDs, the fact that the output power tends to a constant value with increasing current is not associated with active region heating. On raising the temperature from 20 to 180°C, the emission power of the (λ=3.3 and 4.3 µm) LEDs decreases, respectively, 7-and 14-fold, to become 50 (at 1.5 A) and 7 µW (at 3 A) at 180°C.     

A 1-µm bipolar VLSI technology

A 1-µm VLSI process technology has been developed for the fabrication of bipolar circuits. The process employs electron-beam slicing writing, plasma processing, ion implantation, and low-temperature oxidation/annealing to fabricate bipolar device structures with a minimum feature size of 0.9 µm. Both nonisolated I²L and isolated Schottky transistor logic (STL) devices and circuits have been fabricated with this process technology. The primary demonstration vehicle is a scaled LSI, I²L, 4-bit processor chip (SBP0400) with a minimum feature size of 1 µm. Scaled SPB0400's have been fabricated that operate at clock speeds 3 × higher than their full-size counterparts at 50-mA chip current. Average propagation delay has been measured as a function of minimum feature size for both I²L and STL device designs. Power-delay products of 14 fJ for I²L and 30 fJ for STL have been measured.