Optimization of GaN nucleation layer deposition conditions on sapphire substrates in HVPE system

The influence of deposition conditions of nucleation GaN layer on the properties of high-temperature GaN layer, grown on sapphire substrates, was investigated. The hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) three-section horizontal hot-wall furnace technique was applied. Various temperatures, HCl flows and time intervals of nucleation layer growth were utilized. Based on previous studies the following experimental conditions were selected: temperature was kept at 450 or 570 °C, and HCl flows were 8 or 10 sccm/min. The duration of nucleation layer deposition was 5, 7 and 9 min. The scanning electron microscopy technique was applied for the investigation of nucleation layer morphology after migration. Thick GaN layers were deposited during the three-step growth process at 1060 °C. Samples with various surface morphologies were obtained. Photoluminescence spectra and X-ray measurements were performed, which permitted clarifications of the influence of growth conditions of the nucleation layer on the properties of high-temperature layers.     

水平HVPE反应器中气流动力学模拟与GaN生长

建立了GaN HVPE系统的流体动力学模型，研究了反应气体在反应室内的浓度场，讨论了反应室内GaCl和NH3管道空间配置对气体在衬底表面浓度分布的影响，并对HVPE系统反应室的设计进行了优化。材料生长结果表明，厚度均匀性良好，直接在蓝宝石衬底上生长的GaN外延层摇摆曲线半宽为660aresee。     

氢化气相外延氮化镓生长中气氛的作用研究

报告了氢化物气相外延技术中，在载气氮气氛中加入氢气对材料表面形貌及材料性质的影响。实验发现生长气氛中氛的存在会显著改进材料的质量，这种作用被归之于氢气氛下氮气在气相中的反应下降以及生长表面较低的氮的活动能力。     

采用阳极氧化铝做掩膜生长氮化镓膜

采用均匀的多孔阳极氧化铝做掩膜在氢化物气相外延设备中生长出高质量的氮化镓膜.采用扫描电镜观察了氮化镓膜的界面性质并用阴极发光谱表征了截面上氮化镓层在不同位置的的发光性质,发现随着厚度的增加,其发光特性得到改善,而且由于掩膜结构的引入,外延膜中的压应力得到一定程度的释放.     

Influence of AlN buffer layer thickness and deposition methods on GaN epitaxial growth

A gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial layer was grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on Si (111) substrates with aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers at various thicknesses. The AlN buffer layers were deposited by two methods: radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and MOCVD. The effect of the AlN deposition method and layer thickness on the morphological, structural and optical properties of the GaN layers was investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that GaN did not coalesce on the sputtered AlN buffer layer. On the other hand, it coalesced with a single domain on the MOCVD-grown AlN buffer layer. Structural and optical analyses indicated that GaN on the MOCVD-grown AlN buffer layer had fewer defects and a better aligned lattice to the a- and c-axes than GaN on the sputtered AlN buffer layer.     

Evolution of GaN nanoflowers from AlN-SiO2 grains on a silicon substrate by chemical vapor reaction

Gallium nitride (GaN) nanoflowers were synthesized on a silicon (Si) substrate at growth temperatures of 650 and 600 °C and under HCl:NH₃ flow ratios of 1:20, 1:30, and 1:40 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy. Numerous nanorod and nanoneedle burs were formed within each nanoflower. The nanoflower size increased with increasing NH₃ gas flow rate. The nanoflower formation mechanism is proposed based on cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images and bright field image of scanning transmission electron microscopy. Nanoflowers were evolved from irregular regions with AlN-SiO₂ grains on a Si substrate, i.e., the roughness of substrate affects nanoflower formation by causing nanoburs to protrude, exposing them to higher gas concentrations.     

Thermoelectric properties of boron-carbide thin film and thin film based thermoelectric device fabricated by intense-pulsed ion beam evaporation

Crystallized B₁₃C₂ thin films were fabricated by intense pulsed-ion beam evaporation (IBE) method. Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficients of the obtained films were 1×10^—4 l/Ωm and 200 μV/K at 1000 K, respectively. These values were comparable to those of bulks. For the application of the thin films, since reasonable thermoelectric (TE) properties were confirmed for the B₁₃C₂ films fabricated, we attempted to develop ’in-plane’ type TE device using B₁₃C₂ and SrB₆ as p-type and n-type elements, respectively. With applying temperature difference to the fabricated device, thermo-electromotive force and electrical power were generated from the device we made, indicating that the device worked as a TE device. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the TE device composed of only boron-rich solids.     

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,...     

Fabrication of GaN epitaxial thin film on InGaZnO4 single-crystalline buffer layer

Epitaxial (0001) films of GaN were grown on (111) YSZ substrates using single-crystalline InGaZnO₄ (sc-IGZO) lattice-matched buffer layers by molecular beam epitaxy with a NH₃ source. The epitaxial relationships are (0001)_GaN//(0001)_IGZO//(111)_YSZ in out-of-plane and [112¯0]_GaN//[112¯0]_IGZO//[11¯0]_YSZ in in-plane. This is different from those reported for GaN on many oxide crystals; the in-plane orientation of GaN crystal lattice is rotated by 30° with respect to those of oxide substrates except for ZnO. Although these GaN films showed relatively large tilting and twisting angles, which would be due to the reaction between GaN and IGZO, the GaN films grown on the sc-IGZO buffer layers exhibited stronger band-edge photoluminescence than GaN grown on a low-temperature GaN buffer layer.     

Preparation and optimization of freestanding GaN using low-temperature GaN layer

In this work, a method to acquire freestanding GaN by using low temperature (LT)-GaN layer was put forward. To obtain porous structure and increase the crystallinity, LT-GaN layers were annealed at high temperature. The morphology of LT-GaN layers with different thickness and annealing temperature before and after annealing was analyzed. Comparison of GaN films using different LT-GaN layers was made to acquire optimal LT-GaN process. According to HRXRD and Raman results, GaN grown on 800 nm LT-GaN layer which was annealed at 1090 °C has good crystal quality and small stress. The GaN film was successfully separated from the substrate after cooling down. The self-separation mechanism of this method was discussed. Cross-sectional EBSD mapping measurements were carried out to investigate the effect of LT-buffer layer on improvement of crystal quality and stress relief. The optical property of the obtained freestanding GaN film was also determined by PL measurement.     

ZnO nanostructures grown on epitaxial GaN

Presented is the growth of zinc oxide nanorod/nanowire arrays on gallium nitride epitaxial layers. A hierarchical zinc oxide morphology comprising of different scale zinc oxide nanostructures was observed. The first tier of the surface comprised of typical zinc oxide nanorods, with most bridging to adjacent nanorods. While the second tier comprised of smaller zinc oxide nanowires approximately 30 nm in width often growing atop the aforementioned bridges. Samples were analysed via scanning electron microscopy, as well as, cross-sectional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the detailed growth and structural elements of the heterostructure.     

The role of trimethylgallium flow during nucleation layer deposition in the optimization of epitaxial GaN films

The effects of the trimethylgallium flow (14–55 μmol/min) during the deposition of the GaN nucleation layer on the structure and electronic properties of GaN epilayers were examined. X-ray and mobility studies indicate that GaN epilayers, grown using non-optimal trimethylgallium (TMG) flow, result in wide FWHM peak and low electron mobility. On the contrary, an optimal TMG flow during the nucleation layer growth leads to films with superior structural and electronic properties. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to systematically investigate the morphological evolution of as-grown nucleation layers, and the nucleation layers were heated to 1000°C under different TMG flows.     

Growth condition dependence of unintentional oxygen incorporation in epitaxial GaN

Growth conditions have a tremendous impact on the unintentional background impurity concentration in gallium nitride (GaN) synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy and its resulting chemical and physical properties. In particular for oxygen identified as the dominant background impurity we demonstrate that under optimized growth stoichiometry the growth temperature is the key parameter to control its incorporation and that an increase by 55?°C leads to an oxygen reduction by one order of magnitude. Quantitatively this reduction and the resulting optical and electrical properties are analyzed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, photoluminescence, capacitance versus voltage measurements, low temperature magneto-transport and parasitic current paths in lateral transistor test structures based on two-dimensional electron gases. At a growth temperature of 665?°C the residual charge carrier concentration is decreased to below 10¹⁵ cm^?3, resulting in insulating behavior and thus making the material suitable for beyond state-of-the-art device applications.     

Investigations of selectively grown GaN/InGaN epitaxial layers

We have studied GaN/InGaN heterostructures grown by selective area low pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE). A GaN layer already grown on the c-face of sapphire has been used as substrate, partly masked by SiO₂. In a second epitaxial step a GaN/InGaN single heterostructure and GaN/InGaN/GaN double heterostructures were grown on the unmasked rectangular fields. We obtained good selectivity for GaN and for InGaN. A larger growth rate as compared to planar epitaxy and strong growth enhancement at the edges was observed. Spatially resolved measurements of the luminescence show an increase in indium incorporation of about 80% at the edges. Besides the larger indium offering at the edges, this is due to an enhanced growth rate. Very smooth facets are obtained. The influence of pressure on the surface morphology and growth enhancement was investigated.     

Structural and thermoelectric properties of HfNiSn half-Heusler thin films

The bulk thermoelectric properties of half-Heusler alloys have recently been extensively studied due to their potential as thermoelectric materials. However, only a few publications have been addressed on thin film systems. The present study investigated the structural and thermoelectric properties of HfNiSn half-Heusler alloy thin films grown at different substrate temperatures: 25 °C, 200 °C, and 400 °C. The crystalline phase and structural variation of the films were determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Polycrystalline thin films were obtained for utilizing lower substrate temperatures. The HfNiSn thin films exhibited preferred (111) orientation when substrate temperature was higher than 400 °C. The in-plane Seebeck coefficient and resistivity of HfNiSn thin films with preferred orientation were much lower than those of films without orientation. This implies the thermoelectric properties of HfNiSn alloy may exhibit anisotropic characteristics. The best Seebeck coefficient and power factor of HfNiSn thin films obtained in this work are −68 μV/K and 1.3 μW/K²cm, respectively, measured at room temperature. The effects of partial substitution of Sn by Sb on thermoelectric properties of HfNiSn thin films were also studied with a “pseudo-combinatorial” approach.     

Fabrication and performance of GaN electronic devices

GaN and related materials (especially AlGaN) have recently attracted a lot of interest for applications in high power electronics capable of operation at elevated temperatures. Although the growth and processing technology for SiC, the other viable wide bandgap semiconductor material, is more mature, the AlGaInN system offers numerous advantages. These include wider bandgaps, good transport properties, the availability of heterostructures (particularly AlGaN/GaN), the experience base gained by the commercialization of GaN-based laser and light-emitting diodes and the existence of a high growth rate epitaxial method (hydride vapor phase epitaxy) for producing very thick layers or even quasi-substrates. These attributes have led to rapid progress in the realization of a broad range of GaN electronic devices, including heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs), Schottky and p–i–n rectifiers, heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). This review focuses on the development of fabrication processes for these devices and the current state-of-the-art in device performance, for all of these structures. We also detail areas where more work is needed, such as reducing defect densities and purity of epitaxial layers, the need for substrates and improved oxides and insulators, improved p-type doping and contacts and an understanding of the basic growth mechanisms.     

Strain effects on thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional materials

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), phosphorene, transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MoS₂, WS₂, etc.), metal oxides (e.g., MoO₃) have attracted much attention recently due to their extraordinary structural, mechanical and physical properties. In particular, 2D materials have shown great potential for thermal management and thermoelectric energy generation due to their fascinating electrical and thermal transport properties, which can lead to a significantly large figure-of-merit. Also due to their large stretchability, 2D materials are promising for using strain engineering to tune and modulate their electronic and thermal properties, which can further enhance their figure-of-merit. In this article, we give a review on the recent advances in the study of strain-engineering on the thermoelectric properties of 2D materials. We first review some important aspects in thermoelectric effects, such as Peltier effect, Seebeck effect, the coefficient of performance and figure-of-merit (ZT) and discuss why 2D materials are ideal candidates for thermal management and thermoelectric applications. We then briefly discuss the strain (stress) generation in 2D materials and their structure integrity under strain (stress). Next, we discuss how strain affects the electronic properties of 2D materials, followed by the discussion on the effects of strain on the thermal properties of 2D materials. Subsequently, we discuss the strain effects on two important thermoelectric properties, Seebeck coefficient and figure-of-merit ZT. Finally, we present our conclusions and future perspective.     

Luminescence and lasing in GaN epitaxial layers and InGaN/GaN quantum well heterostructures under optical and electron-beam excitation

Interrelation between stimulated and excitonic emission intensity of GaN epitaxial layers and yellow luminescence intensity as well as correlation between photoluminescence and laser properties of InGaN based multiple quantum well heterostructures was investigated. It was found among all studied undoped GaN epitaxial layers that the higher intensity of the yellow luminescence and so the higher concentration of the yellow luminescence related centres the higher is the excitonic, electron–hole plasma and stimulated emission intensity. It was shown that a small Stokes shift and a high ratio of the luminescence intensity from InGaN quantum well layers to the photoluminescence intensity from GaN barrier layers indicate high laser quality of the multiple quantum well heterostructures. The lowest full width at half maximum of the laser line was 0.04 nm, the highest operating temperature was 585 K, the lowest threshold was 100 kW cm⁻², the highest characteristic temperature was 164 K and the highest wavelength was 442.5 nm. The far-field patterns of the laser emission from the MQW lasers consist of two approximately symmetrical high brightness spots localized at angles =±30–35°.     

Thermoelectric properties of conducting polyaniline/graphite composites

HClO₄-doped polyaniline/graphite composites were prepared by mechanical ball milling and cold pressing. The thermoelectric properties for the composites were investigated as a function of graphite concentration. The thermal conductivity (К) increases slightly with increasing graphite content but the electric conductivity(σ) as well as the Seebeck coefficient (S) increases remarkably, which leads to an obvious enhancement in the figure of merit for the composites. The ZT of the composite with graphite concentration of 50 wt % was calculated to be 1.37 × 10^− 3 at 393 K, which was at least 10000 times greater than that of the HClO₄-doped polyaniline without graphite (1.13 × 10^− 7). This work suggests a new method to improve thermoelectric properties of conducting polymers.     

Thermoelectric power properties of Zn substituted Cu-Ga spinel ferrites

Composition and temperature dependence of dc conductivity and Seebeck coefficient for Cu_1−xZn_xGa_0.5Fe_1.5O₄ (0.0 ≤ × ≤ 0.5) are discussed. Thermoelectric power studies of this ferrite series are investigated from room temperature to well beyond the Curie temperature by the differential method. The Seebeck coefficient φ is found to be positive for compositions with x ≤ 0.2 indicating that these ferrites behave as p-type semiconductors, while compositions with x ≥ 0.3 show n-type semiconductors with φ negative. Results of the dc conductivity display semiconducting behavior of these materials. Transition temperatures obtained from both studies are in good agreement and was found to be decreased linearly with Zn content. Some physical properties of the samples such as density and porosity are also discussed. The obtained results are discussed in the light of the interactions over the metal sites in the spinel unit cell.