A characterisation of electronic properties of alkaline texturized polycrystalline silicon solar cells using IBIC

In this study, electronic properties of p-type alkaline texturized polycrystalline silicon solar cells were investigated using ion beam induced charge (IBIC) analysis. With this technique, quantitative information on electronic diffusion lengths and average electronic capture cross sections of lattice defects generated by high energy protons were obtained. Angular-resolved IBIC analysis was used to quantify the electronic diffusion lengths. For this purpose, the experimental data were fitted using a simulation based on the Ramo-Shockley-Gunn (RSG) theorem and the assumption of an abrupt pn-junction. In order to determine the average electronic capture cross section of proton-induced lattice defects, the loss of charge collection efficiency (CCE) was plotted vs. the accumulated ion fluence. As will be demonstrated, a simple model based on charge carrier diffusion and Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination is able to fit the CCE loss well. Furthermore, spatially and energetically highly resolved IBIC-maps of grain boundaries were recorded. A comparison with PIXE-maps shows that there is no correlation observable between CCE variations at grain boundaries and metallic impurities within the PIXE detection limits of a few ppm. On the contrary, there is an evident correlation to the morphology of the sample’s surface as was observed by comparing IBIC-maps and SEM-micrographs. These local CCE fluctuations are dominated by the interplay of charge carrier diffusion processes and the sample surface morphology.     

Mapping ion beam induced current changes in a commercial MOSFET

We demonstrate a novel nuclear microprobe imaging and analysis modality for micrometre-scale field effect transistor devices probed with focused beams of MeV ions. By recording the drain current as a function of time during ion irradiation it is possible to identify current transients induced by the passage of single ions through the sensitive structures of the device. This modality takes advantage of the fact that the ionization produced by the passage of a single ion acts in an equivalent way to a transient change in the gate bias which therefore modulates the drain current as a function of time. This differs from the traditional ion beam induced charge technique where the ionization drifts in an internal electric field and induces a single charge pulse in an electrode applied to the device. Instead a richer variety of phenomena are observed, with different time constants which depend on the proximity of the ion strike to the channel of the device. The signals may be used to examine device function, radiation sensitivity or to count ion impacts within the channel.     

Focused ion beam fabrication and IBIC characterization of a diamond detector with buried electrodes

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a high purity monocrystalline diamond detector with buried electrodes realized by the selective damage induced by a focused 6 MeV carbon ion beam scanned over a pattern defined at the micrometric scale. A suitable variable-thickness mask was deposited on the diamond surface in order to modulate the penetration depth of the ions and to shallow the damage profile toward the surface. After the irradiation, the sample was annealed at high temperature in order to promote the conversion to the graphitic phase of the end-of range regions which experienced an ion-induced damage exceeding the damage threshold, while recovering the sub-threshold damaged regions to the highly resistive diamond phase. This process provided conductive graphitic electrodes embedded in the insulating diamond matrix; the presence of the variable-thickness mask made the terminations of the channels emerging at the diamond surface and available to be connected to an external electronic circuit. In order to evaluate the quality of this novel microfabrication procedure based on direct ion writing, we performed frontal Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) measurements by raster scanning focused MeV ion beams onto the diamond surface. Charge collection efficiency (CCE) maps were measured at different bias voltages. The interpretation of such maps was based on the Shockley-Ramo-Gunn formalism.     

A review of ion beam induced charge microscopy

Since its development in the early 1990’s, ion beam induced charge (IBIC) microscopy has found widespread applications in many microprobe laboratories for the analysis of microelectronic devices, dislocations, semiconductor radiation detectors, semi-insulating materials, high power transistors, charge-coupled arrays, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and in conjunction with Single Event Upset imaging. Several modalities of the techniques have been developed, such as lateral IBIC and time-resolved IBIC. The theoretical model of IBIC generation and collection has developed from a one-dimensional model of charge drift and diffusion to a detailed model of the motion of ion charge carriers in semiconductors and insulators. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art of IBIC theory and applications.     

Ion beam induced charge imaging of charge transport in CdTe and CdZnTe

Ion beam induced charge (IBIC) imaging is a powerful technique for quantitative mapping of the charge transport performance of wide bandgap semiconductor materials. In this paper we present results from a study of electron and hole mobility-lifetime product and drift mobility in CdTe:Cl and CdZnTe, which are semiconductor materials used for radiation detector applications. IBIC imaging has been used to produce mobility-lifetime product maps in CdTe:Cl and CdZnTe, revealing the influence of extended defects and tellurium inclusions and assessing the large area response uniformity of the materials. The recent extension of this method in the form of digital time-resolved IBIC is also discussed and time of flight maps are presented which give quantitative images of electron and hole drift mobility.     

Creation of microstructures using heavy ion beam lithography

In this work, three-dimensional (3D) structures were produced in PMMA and CR-39 polymer resists using a carbon ion microbeam. To investigate possible advantages of heavy ions compared to the well-established proton beam lithography, the same resist materials were also irradiated with protons that had a range in the materials studied here similar to that of carbon ions. The microstructures produced in different resists were analysed after chemical etching. The quality of the bottom and side walls of the structures produced by protons and carbon ions were compared using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that, for the resist materials tested, lithographic structures made with the 8 MeV carbon beam had more rough lateral and bottom surfaces compared to those made with 0.6 MeV proton beam lithography.     

Phoswich探测器的重离子束测试

利用一套由１ｍｍ厚的ＰＩＬＯＴ－Ｕ和４０ｍｍ厚的ＮＥ１１５塑料闪烁体组成的Ｐｈｏｓｗｉｃｈ（光叠层望远镜）探测器测量了４０Ａｒ（２５ＭｅＶ／ｕ）＋１９７Ａｕ反应中出射的产物，粒子鉴别采用Ｐｈｏｓｗｉｃｈ的快慢成分方法．结果表明该方法能清楚地分辨出粒子的电荷．对Ｚ＝１的粒子，ｐ、ｄ和ｔ亦能分开．     

离子束诱导电荷显微术的现状与发展趋势

离子束诱导电荷显微术（IBIC）是核子微探针显微成像技术的又一新发展，它具有低束流（fA量级），高效率的特点，已被广泛应用于半导体材料和微电子材料研究中。本文简述了离子束诱导电荷显微术（IBIC）的原理和实验方法，综述了IBIC 研究的现状和进展。     

Study of basic mechanisms of semiconductor devices using ion beam induced charge (IBIC) collection

A change of wave form of current transients induced by a single heavy ion was investigated around a pn junction with 8 μm width and 10 μm length as a function of the ion incident position. Three pn junctions were made on a 3 μm thick Si epilayer (1 × 10¹⁶/cm³) grown on Si substrate and were in a line along an aluminum electrode with 10 μm spacing between the adjacent junctions. The elements of a pn junction array were irradiated with a 1 μm diameter 15 MeV C⁺ heavy ion microbeam spacing steps by 3 μm. At a bias voltage of − 10 V, 148, 91, and 54 fC were collected at the pn junction center, and at 3 μm and 4 μm from the edge of the electrode, respectively. Internal device structure was examined by IBIC (ion beam induced current) method by using a 2 MeV He⁺ ion microbeam. From the IBIC spectrum and the IBIC image, the charge collected from the open space by the diffusion process was observed in addition to the charge collected from the depletion layer of the pn junction.     

Development of a soft X-ray microprobe for single cell radiobiology

An X-ray microprobe for radiobiological studies was developed which deliver precise doses of radiation to the selected individual cells. The facility used synchrotron radiation as soft X-ray source. A zone plate combining with a pinhole produced a fine probe from bending magnet for single cell irradiating with defined doses. The diameter of microprobe at the target position was about 2 μm by scanning a knife-edge with an AXUV photo diode. The fluxes of soft X-rays at 516.7 eV (2.4 nm) were about 5.4×104 photons/s.100mA measured with the photo diode. The absorbed dose rate for typical yeast cells was about 11.34 Gy/s with the storage current of 100 mA. A preliminary experiment for yeast cells irradiation has shown that the microprobe had a definite biological effect for radiobiological investigations. The soft X-ray microprobe at "water window" region has provided a useful tool for single cell irradiating damage and a capability of individually irradiating a certain numbers of cells each time.     

Characterization of silicon oxynitride films using ion beam analysis techniques

Heavy-ion elastic recoil detection analysis (HIERDA) is the ideal technique for quantitative analysis of silicon oxynitride films on silicon because of its unique ability to measure simultaneously all elements of interest (i.e., H, C, N, O and Si), thereby permitting key parameters such as the O/N-ratio to be determined in a single measurement. However, high-energy accelerators suitable for such HIERDA measurements are becoming much less readily available. Hence, the present paper investigates and calibrates an alternative IBA technique for simultaneous O, N and C analysis – namely, the use of (d,p) and (d,) nuclear reactions. Under optimum analysis conditions (850 keV deuterons and 150° detector angle), the Si background level sets a lower detection limit of 1×10¹⁶ nitrogen atoms/cm² and 3×10¹⁵ oxygen atoms/cm². H analysis is carried out separately, using low-energy ERDA and a 2 MeV ⁴He beam. Absolute cross-sections have been obtained for each of the (d,p) and (d,) groups. Comparison with data in the recent Handbook of Modern Ion Beam Materials Analysis shows reasonable agreement (10–15%) for the (d,p) reactions on oxygen and carbon. However, in the case of nitrogen, the measured cross-section values are 70% larger than the Handbook data. Several silicon oxynitride samples have been analyzed, first at UWO using 850 keV deuterons, and subsequently at ANU using HIERDA and a 200 MeV Au beam. The resulting O/N-ratios agree to within 10%. The relative importance of radiation damage effects is briefly discussed.     

Semiconductor characterization by scanning ion beam induced charge (IBIC) microscopy

The acronym IBIC (ion beam induced charge) was coined in the early 1990s to indicate a scanning microscopy technique which uses MeV ion beams as probes to image the basic electronic properties of semiconductor materials and devices. Since then, IBIC has become a widespread analytical technique to characterize materials for electronics or for radiation detection, as testified by more than 200 papers published so far in peer-reviewed journals. Its success stems from the valuable information IBIC can provide on charge transport phenomena occurring in finished devices, not easily obtainable by other analytical techniques. However, IBIC analysis requires a robust theoretical background to correctly interpret experimental data. In order to illustrate the importance of using a rigorous mathematical formalism, we present in this paper a benchmark IBIC experiment aimed to test the validity of the interpretative model based on the Gunn’s theorem and to provide an example of the analytical capability of IBIC to characterize semiconductor devices.     

Measurement of transient thickness between the body and graze layers of ancient porcelains using microprobe EDXRF technique

The oxide contents of TiO2, MnO, SrO and Fe2O3 in the body and graze layers of the Jiao-Tan-Xia (JTX) and Lao-Hu-Dong (LHD) porcelains in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.) have been determined using an International Eagle-Ⅱ μ-probe EDXRF spectrometer. The results show that the contents in the body are much different from those in the graze one. Therefore, the transient thickness (TT) between the body and graze layers can be measured through determination of a distance of the drift change in the chemical contents. The TT average for the JTX porcelains is 161μm, while that for the LHD porcelains is 258μm, which are consistent with a range of 0.15-0.3mm inthe Ru-Yao porcelains. The different TT is related to the variances in firing temperature and raw material for manufacturing the respective porcelains.     

Ion beam processing of single crystalline silicon carbide

A short review is presented concerning problems of ion beam processing of single crystalline silicon carbide. Emphasis is given to recent results on point defects, extended defects, amorphisation and recrystallisation, electrical activation of dopant atoms, and metallisation.     

Ion beam induced luminescence of materials

Ion beam interactions with many insulating materials produces strong luminescence and this may be collected and analysed to gain information on the defect structures present. The use of light ions such as H⁺ and He⁺ with MeV energies allows penetration to a depth of several microns in most materials. The variation of ion species and energy allows precise control of ion-induced damage and ionisation within the material. This control of depth, ionisation, and damage can be superior to that of the traditional cathodo-luminescence technique and comparison with spectra from the two methods often yields differences in sensitivity to different emission bands and features.     

Layout of a nuclear microprobe beamline using a liquid metal ion source

The Bochum solenoid lens microprobe will be installed in a new configuration which can be fed both by the 4 MV Dynamitron tandem accelerator and by a new 500 kV accelerator of extremely low energy-spread (ΔE/E 10⁻⁵). Apart from a conventional duoplasmatron ion source, a commercial gallium liquid metal ion source (LMIS) will be implemented in this accelerator. Microprobe optics will benefit from the high brightness of the LMIS ( 10⁵ Am⁻²sr⁻¹eV⁻¹), thus enabling an increased lateral resolution. Ion optical ray tracing, simulating the accelerator tube and the solenoid lens, has allowed one to specify the beam parameters required at the accelerator entrance to yield a micrometer focus at the target position. Using this information and further simulations, the accelerator injection optics can be particularly optimized for the new microbeam line.     

Manipulation of a cooled beam for future heavy ion therapy

In order to deliver a high-quality beam for biophysics experiments, an electron cooler, a wideband rf system, and an extraction kicker have been installed in the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS). A demonstration of beam manipulation during cooling and fast extraction is presented in this paper.     

重离子束辐射生物学效应研究热点及其进展

随着生物学技术的发展,重离子束辐射生物学效应的研究在研究手段和研究对象上都经历着由表型到基因型、定性到定量的转变,逐步深入到分子层次。在分子水平上,生命物质对重离子束辐射具有特定的损伤、修复行为,而相应数学物理模型的构建可实现重离子束辐射生物学效应的定量评估,同时,重离子束辐射诱导旁观者效应的研究对于减轻病灶周围健康组织在重离子放疗中的损伤具有重要意义。     

Development of function-graded proton exchange membrane for PEFC using heavy ion beam irradiation

The graded energy deposition of heavy ion beam irradiation to polymeric materials was utilized to synthesize a novel proton exchange membrane (PEM) with the graded density of sulfonic acid groups toward the thickness direction. Stacked Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) films were irradiated by Xe⁵⁴⁺ ion beam with the energy of 6 MeV/u under a vacuum condition. The induced trapped radicals by the irradiation were measured by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Irradiated films were grafted with styrene monomer and then sulfonated. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra showed that the densities of sulfonic acid groups were controlled for injection “Surface” and transmit “Back” sides of the fabricated PEM. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabricated by the function-graded PEM showed improved fuel cell performance in terms of voltage stability. It was expected that the function-graded PEM could control the graded concentration of sulfonic acid groups in PEM.     

Ion beam induced luminescence of polyethylene terephthalate foils under MeV H and He ion bombardment

The evolution of the ion beam induced luminescence (IBIL) of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foils was studied under the irradiation of H and He ions of MeV energy. The optical and chemical changes of the samples were also examined by photo-stimulated luminescence and optical absorption measurements after the irradiation. A prominent broad emission peak of IBIL appeared at around 380 nm, and its intensity monotonically decreased during the ion irradiation. The decay curves of the emission intensity were quantitatively explained as a function of the electronic energy deposition of the incident H and He ions. On the contrary, to the decrease of the main emission peak, a growth of new peaks was observed in the wavelengths between 500 and 600 nm.