Infrared optical properties of Bi2Ti2O7 thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry

Bi₂Ti₂O₇ thin films have been grown directly on n-type GaAs (1 0 0) by the chemical solution decomposition technique. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the Bi₂Ti₂O₇ thin films are polycrystalline. The optical properties of the thin films are investigated using infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry (3.0–12.5 μm). By fitting the measured ellipsometric parameter (Ψ and Δ) data with a three-phase model (air/Bi₂Ti₂O₇/GaAs), and Lorentz–Drude dispersion relation, the optical constants and thickness of the thin films have been obtained simultaneously. The refractive index and extinction coefficient increase with increasing wavelength. The fitted plasma frequency ω_p is 1.64×10¹⁴ Hz, and the electron collision frequency γ is 1.05×10¹⁴ Hz, and it states that the electron average scattering time is 0.95×10⁻¹⁴ s. The absorption coefficient variation with respect to increasing wavelength has been obtained.     

Photoellipsometry studies of δ-doped GaAs and modulation-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction structures

Photoellispometry, a contactless optical method sensitive to surface and interface built-in electric fields, was applied to two types of doped semiconductor microstructures, namely, a δ-doped GaAs structure and a modulation-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction structure. The objective of this research was to use photoellipsometry for the determination of the sample's physical properties, such as built-in electric field strength, depletion width, broadening, and bandgap energy. The measured spectra were analyzed using the Franz-Keldysh theory, which also included the effects of field inhomogeneity and broadening. Good agreement was found between the measured and calculated spectra, indicating that the theory and model used were appropriate for the samples investigated and that the calculated results were reliable. Our analysis suggests that the field was uniform in the top layer for the δ-doped GaAs samples and linearly decreasing in the top layer for the modulation-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction samples. This in turn demonstrates the effectiveness of the method in the characterization of the chosen semiconductor microstructures.     

Carbon doped GaAs and AlGaAs grown by OMVPE: doping properties, oxygen incorporation, and hydrogen passivation

The carbon-doping behavior of GaAs and AlGaAs grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy was examined using AsH₃ or tertiarybutylarisine (TBAs) as the arsenic precursors. Carbon tetrachloride was utilized as the carbon dopant precursor for GaAs and AlGaAs. In addition, the intrinsic carbon doping of AlGaAs was also examined for these two As sources. The use of TBAs led to a significant reduction in carbon incorporation, by approximately a factor of 5–10 per mole of As precursor, both with respect to extrinsic and intrinsic carbon incorporation. For the GaAs:C layers grown at temperatures 550°C, significant concentrations (10−6 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³) of hydrogen were detected. Approximately 25–55% of the carbon acceptors were passivated by the hydrogen, based on Hall measurements and infrared absorption measurements. The CCl₄ source introduced oxygen into the AlGaAs layers. TBAs was more effective in reducing oxygen incorporation compared to AsH₃ and the concentration of oxygen was reduced with either increasing TBAs or AsH₃ flow rate.     

Fabrication of β-Si3N4 whiskers by combustion synthesis with MgSiN2 as additives

β-Si₃N₄ whiskers with diameter of 0.5–2 μm and aspect ratio of 10–15 have been successfully prepared by combustion synthesis under 30–50 atm nitrogen pressure. The addition of MgSiN₂ powder plays a significant role in the growth of β-Si₃N₄ whiskers. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

The effect of copper addition on the structure and strength of an Al–Li alloy

In this study the effect of copper addition on the structure, precipitation kinetics and hardness in the Al–Li and Al–Li–Cu alloys aged at 200°C was investigated. The structures of precipitates were studied using X-ray-small-angle-scattering (XSAS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The changes in the structure parameter (Rg) of both alloys was calculated using two methods, the Guinier approximation and correlation function γ(r). By use of a plot of r γ(r) the distribution law of the T₁ disc thickness was obtained and the coexisting spherical particles of δ′ were estimated. Two types of δ′ precipitates of approximately 2 nm size and above 8 nm and the T₁ precipitates of thickness between 3 and 4 nm were observed.     

Annealing study of InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor and carbon-doped pGaAs base layers

In this work we have examined the effect of RF annealing (450–750°C, 5–30 min) upon both InGaP/GaAs-based hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) structures, fabricated by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), as well as thick carbon (C)-doped p⁺GaAs HBT base layers with varying layer thickness, dopant level and type (intrinsic and extrinsic C precursors) and co-doping (In) strain compensation. Anneal-induced changes in the p⁺GaAs layer lattice strain, Hall carrier concentration and mobility were compared with non-radiative losses, determined from photoluminescence (PL) intensity data. Majority and minority carrier property differences were also compared with IR reflection, Raman backscattering and photoreflectance (PR) data and correlated with changes in MOVPE hydrogen background concentration as determined by secondary-ion-mass-spectroscopy (SIMS). Thick base layer (1.3 μm) HBT structures were also examined for different anneal temperatures and time, showing significant changes in the PR emitter(InGaP)/base (p⁺GaAs) and base/collector (n-GaAs) interface regions for the 650°C anneal condition, as correlated with both PL and SIMS hydrogen concentration data.     

Structural and optical characterization of β-FeSi2 layers on Si formed by ion beam synthesis

Structural and optical properties have been investigated for surface β-FeSi₂ layers on Si(100) and Si(111) formed by ion beam synthesis using ⁵⁶Fe ion implantations with three different energies (140–50 keV) and subsequent two-step annealing at 600 °C and up to 915 °C. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analyses have revealed Fe redistribution in the samples after the annealing procedure, which resulting in a Fe-deficient composition in the formed layers. X-ray diffraction experiments confirmed the existence of /gb-FeSi₂ by annealing up to 915 °C, whereas the phase transformation from the β to phase has been induced at 930 °C. In photoluminescence measurements at 2 K, both β-FeSi₂/Si(100) and β-FeSi₂/Si(111) samples, after annealing at 900–915 °C for 2 h, have shown two dominant emissions peaked around 0.836 eV and 0.80 eV, which nearly coincided with previously reported PL emissions from the sample prepared by electron beam deposition. Another β-FeSi₂/Si(100) sample has shown sharp emissions peaked at 0.873 eV and 0.807 eV. Optical absorption measurements at room temperature have revealed the allowed direct bandgap of 0.868–0.885 eV as well as an absorption coefficient of the order of 10⁴ cm⁻¹ near the absorption edge for all samples.     

Characterization and microstructural evolution of SiC(OAl) fibers to SiC(Al) fibers derived from aluminum-containing polycarbosilane

The SiC(OAl) fibers and the SiC(Al) fibers were fabricated by the use of aluminum-containing polycarbosilane (Al–PCS) precursor. The two types of fibers have been characterized. Chemical element analysis, AES, SEM, XRD, RMS and NMR have been employed. The chemical formula of SiC(OAl) fibers is SiC_1.31O_0.25Al_0.018 with C and O rich on the surface. The microstructure of SiC(OAl) fibers is a mixture of β-SiC nanocrystals, free carbon, and an amorphous silicon oxycarbide (Si–C–O phase), which have been confirmed by an amount of SiC₂O₂, SiCO₃, SiO₄ and SiC₃O units in the ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectrum. A small quantity of aluminum is embedded uniformly in the Si–C–O amorphous continuous phase. For SiC(Al) fibers, nearly stoichiometric composition was confirmed as chemical composition of SiC_1.03O_0.013Al_0.024. The fiber is composed of a large number of β-SiC crystallites, a small amount of -SiC crystalline and SiC amorphous phase. The aluminum in the SiC(Al) fibers mainly exists in two manners: Al–C bonds connected with the surfaces of the β-SiC grains and Al–O bonds, or Al₂O₃, to the amorphous phase.     

On the structure of the NiO–Al2O3 systems, studied by diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy

Diffuse-reflectance spectra of the NiO–Al₂O₃ systems in the 350–800 nm spectral domain are analysed. Two types of Ni²⁺complexes in γ-Al₂O₃ have been found at low concentrations (<5%): [Ni²⁺6O²⁻] and [Ni²⁺4O²⁻] with octahedral (O_h) and tetrahedral (T_d) symmetries, respectively. Coexistence of these two complexes is discussed in connection with the sample preparation and their thermal treatment.     

Effect of ferroic domain pattern changes on the Raman spectra of some ferroic crystals

The influence of changes in the pattern of ferroic domain structure on the Raman spectra of β-LiNH₄SO₄ and (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ single crystals were studied. It was shown that the Raman spectra of β-LiNH₄SO₄ passed from the ferroelastic phase differ from those of “as-grown” crystal and those of the crystal, which was in the paraelectric phase. Significant changes could be observed in the Raman bands related to triply degenerated ν₃ and ν₄ vibrations of the SO₄ tetrahedron. Detailed temperature studies of the Raman spectra of β-LiNH₄SO₄ close to the paraelectric–ferroelectric phase transition, exhibit anomaly of some internal vibrations of SO₄ in the temperature range where a regular large-scale structure is observed. Different types of evolution of the ferroelastic domain structure and temperature behaviour of the donor and acceptor vibrations were shown while heating and cooling the (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ crystal. Different values of temperature hysteresis were found in temperature studies of the ferroelastic domain structure (ΔT_S  3–5 K) and in Raman spectra studies (ΔT_S  12 K). No changes were observed in the pattern of ferroelastic domain structure at the temperature T_II–III  265 K, at which C2/c → P2/n structural phase transition takes place. On the other hand, at T_III–IV  135 K additional domains with W′-type of domain wall orientation were found.     

Thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of sputtered amorphous Si3N4 films

The crystallization of thin silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) films deposited on polycrystalline SiC substrates was investigated by X-ray diffractometry as a function of annealing time. The amorphous Si₃N₄ films were produced by means of reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering. Annealing at temperatures between 1300 and 1700 °C led to the formation of crystalline films composed of -Si₃N₄ and β-Si₃N₄. The fraction of β-Si₃N₄ in the films reaches approximately 40% at temperatures above 1550 °C. Both polymorphic modifications were formed simultaneously during the crystallization process. A transformation of -Si₃N₄ to β-Si₃N₄ could not be observed in the time and temperature range investigated. The crystallization process of amorphous Si₃N₄ can be described according to the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov (JMAK) formalism, assuming a three-dimensional, interface controlled grain growth from pre-existing nuclei. The rate constants show an Arrhenius behaviour with an activation enthalpy of approximately 5.5 eV.     

Fabrication of a depletion mode GaAs MOSFET using Al2O3 as a gate insulator through the selective wet oxidation of AlAs

A 1 μm thick undoped GaAs buffer layer, a 1500 Å thick n-type GaAs layer, an undoped 500 Å thick AlAs layer and a 50 Å thick GaAs cap layer were consecutively grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on a [100] oriented semi-insulating GaAs substrate. The AlAs layer was oxidized in a N₂ bubbled H₂O vapor ambient at 400°C for 3 h and fully converted to Al₂O₃ for use as a gate insulator. The I–V characteristics, having a maximum drain current of 10.6 mA, a current cut-off voltage of −4.5 V and a maximum transconductance value of 11.25 mS/mm, indicate that the selective wet thermal oxidation of AlAs/GaAs was successful in producing a depletion mode GaAs MOSFET.     

On orientation relationship of the Ti5Si3 precipitates in a TiAl alloy

The orientation relationship (OR) and interface structure between ζ-Ti₅Si₃ precipitates and γ-TiAl phase in a Ti–Al based alloy composed of γ-TiAl and ₂-Ti₃Al lamellae have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Various orientation relationships defined by a pair of parallel directions and planes are discussed with the method of basic vector transformation matrix in the reciprocal space from γ-TiAl to ζ-Ti₅Si₃ precipitate phase and two new kinds of orientation relationships between ζ-Ti₅Si₃ and γ-TiAl phases have been found. Periodical interface fringes at γ-TiAl/ζ-Ti₅Si₃ interface are analyzed according to the Moiré fringes and interface misfit dislocations.     

Electrical properties of sol-gel processed barium titanate films

The sol-gel technique has been used to prepare ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO₃) films. The electrical properties of the films have been investigated systematically. The room temperature dielectric constant (ε) and loss tangent (tanδ) at 1 kHz were respectively found to be 370 and 0.012. Both ε and tanδ showed anomaly peaks at 125°C. The room temperature remanant polarization (P_r) and coercive field (E_c) were found to be 3.2 μC/cm² and 30 kV/cm, respectively. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) and conductance–voltage (G–V) characteristics also showed hysteresis effect. The temperature variation of C–V and G–V characteristics also confirms the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition at 125°C.     

A photoluminescence study of vanadium-related defects in n-type, semi-insulating and p-type Cd(Zn)Te

A photoluminescence (PL) study of vanadium-related defects in semi-insulating and co-doped p-type and n-type CdTe:V crystals gives evidence of the presence of the V²⁺–Zn complex. In addition to the ³T₂(F)→³A₂(F) emission of V³⁺ near 0.5 eV and the ⁴T₂(F)→⁴T₁(F) transition of V²⁺ near 0.45 eV, two further luminescence bands are detected at higher energies. The first emission band (I), peaking around 0.8 eV, is correlated to the V²⁺–Zn complex and the second one (II), peaking around 0.6 eV, is attributed to the acceptor level introduced by the cadmium vacancies. Varying the zinc concentration in CdTe, we analyse the behaviour of the vanadium impurity charge state. We show that the V²⁺ internal transition decreases with zinc alloying due to the formation of the V²⁺–Zn complex. The emission bands related to isolated V_Cd are present with high intensity only in the p-type crystals, in which all the vanadium content is in the V³⁺ oxidation state, whereas, in the semi-insulating and n-type crystals, the PL spectrum is dominated by Emission I related to the V²⁺–Zn complex. The presence of this complex in the semi-insulating crystals used in photorefractive (PR) applications and the dominance of this complex over the optical properties of Cd(Zn)Te:V imply the contribution of this complex to the PR processes.     

Low-temperature liquid-phase epitaxy growth from Ga–As–Bi solution

Measurements of Ga–As–Bi liquidus composition at 600 °C for Ga–Bi–GaAs range are reported. High quality GaAs layers and Al_0.28Ga_0.72As/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) structures with different well thicknesses are grown from a mixed Ga + Bi solvent by low-temperature liquid-phase epitaxy method. They are characterized by the Hall effect and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Significant changes in the layer electrical properties are observed with varying the Bi content in the solution. The layers grown from a mixed solution with 20–30% Bi content are n-type with carrier concentration of 10¹⁴ cm^− 3 and mobility of 40 000 cm²/Vs at 77 K, while p-type high resistivity layers are obtained from a solution with more than 70% Bi content. PL spectra of the SQW structures grown from Ga + 25% Bi solution at 2 K show that the roughness at the interface is less than two monolayers.     

The effects of ionizing radiation on GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/AlInAs heterojunction bipolar transistors

GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/AlInAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) have been exposed to ⁶⁰Co γ-ray doses up to 100 MRad. The d.c. current gain of GaAs/AlGaAs devices showed small increases for doses up to 75 MRad, due to a faster decrease in base current relative to collector current. After 100 MRad, none of the original devices were operational because of failure of the base-collector contact metallization (TiPtAu). Devices with either Be- or C-doped base layers showed the same response to the γ-ray doses. The InGaAs/AlInAs HBTs showed a small decrease (<10%) in current gain after a total dose of 88 MRad and appear to be somewhat more resistant to damage from accumulated doses of radiation than comparable GaAs devices. GaAs/AlGaAs devices exposed to transient (120 nsec) pulses of high energy electrons show rapid recovery of both collector and base currents, with no long transient responses observed. Numerical simulations of the recovery of both GaAs- and InP-based HBTs after transient doses of ionizing radiation suggest that both are relatively immune to damage up to dose rates of 10¹¹ Rad s⁻¹ with faster recovery of the GaAs devices because of the shorter recombination times in this material.     

The relationship of the volume fraction of martensite vs. plastic strain in an Fe–Mn–Si–Cr–N shape memory alloy

The volume fractions of stress-induced martensite formed by certain plastic strains were determined by X-ray diffraction and quantitative metallography in an Fe–Mn–Si–Cr–N alloy at room temperature. The results are fitted by least square method and are well consistent with an exponential function f_M=1−exp{−β[1−exp(−η)]ⁿ} deduced by Olson and Cohen, who used it to fit with experimental data for AISI304 stainless steel. The similarity of and β, as well as the difference in n for these two alloys are discussed in relation to their nucleation mechanisms.     

Cyclic deformation behavior of double-slip-oriented copper single crystals I: coplanar double slip orientation on 011-1&#x0304;11 side of the stereographic triangle

The cyclic deformation behaviors of [2̄33] coplanar double-slip-oriented and [4̄ 18 41] single-slip-oriented copper single crystals were investigated at constant plastic shear strain amplitude γ_pl in the range of about 10⁻⁴–10⁻² at ambient temperature in air. It was revealed that the cyclic deformation behavior of copper single crystal oriented on the 011-1̄11 side is distinctly dissimilar from that on the 001-1̄11 and 001-011 sides in the stereographic triangle. The plot of initial hardening rate θ_0.2 against γ_pl of [2̄33] crystal exhibits two regions as presented for single-slip-oriented crystals. The critical strain amplitude (≈3.5×10⁻³), corresponding to the occurrence of the secondary hardening stage in the cyclic hardening curve of the [2̄33] crystal, was found to be an intermediate value between that for single-slip-oriented single crystals and polycrystals. The result shows that the cyclic hardening behavior of the [2̄33] crystal, as compared with that of single-slip-oriented crystals, is more close to that of polycrystals. Instead of a clear plateau, the cyclic stress–strain (CSS) curves of the [2̄33] crystals shows a quasi-plateau over the range of about 3.0×10⁻⁴–2.0×10⁻³, which would be greatly attributed to the mode of dislocation interactions between slip systems operating in the crystal. The habit plane of two types of deformation bands DBI and DBII, formed in the cyclically deformed [2̄33] crystal, are perpendicular to each other strictly, and they develop with increasing applied strain amplitude.     

Optical properties of rare earth ion (Nd, Er and Tb)-doped alumina films prepared by the sol–gel method

Rare earth ion (Nd³⁺, Er³⁺ and Tb³⁺)-doped alumina films were prepared by the sol–gel method using aqueous alumina sol. The effects of dopant concentration and treatment temperature on the optical properties, absorption and emission were examined for the doped films. Alumina films prepared by this method gave a high dopant concentration (0–15 mol% per alumina). Significant concentration quenching did not occur in this concentration range. The emissions from ⁵D₃ and ⁵D₄ of Tb³⁺-doped film reflected sensitively a matrix environment around Tb³⁺ ions. Er³⁺- and Nd³⁺-doped alumina films resonantly excited by cw Ti–sapphire laser (800 nm) showed upconversion emission at room temperature. The former gave 548 nm (⁴S_3/2→⁴I_15/2) and 640 nm (⁴F_9/2→⁴I_11/2) signals, and the latter 640 nm (⁴G_7/2→⁴I_11/2), which were dependent on alumina.