2 MeV ion irradiation effects on AlGaN/GaN HFET devices

AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) were irradiated with 2 MeV protons, carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton ions with fluences ranging from 1 × 10⁹ cm^?2 to 1 × 10¹³ cm^?2. DC, pulsed I–V characteristics, loadpull and S-parameters of the AlGaN HFET devices were measured before and after irradiation. In parallel, a thick GaN reference layer was also irradiated with the same ions and was characterized by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Hall measurements before and after irradiation. Small changes in the device performance were observed after irradiation with carbon and oxygen at a fluence of 5 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2. Remarkable changes in device characteristics were seen at a fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2 for carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton irradiation. Similarly, remarkable changes were also observed in the GaN layer for irradiations with fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2. The results found on devices and on the GaN layer were compared and correlated.     

The effect of temperature on the growth and properties of green light-emitting In0.5Ga0.5N films prepared by reactive sputtering with single cermet target

We have grown In_0.5Ga_0.5N films on SiO₂/Si (100) substrate at 100–400 °C for 90 min by rf reactive sputtering with single cermet target. The target was made by hot pressing the mixture of metallic indium, gallium and ceramic gallium nitride powder. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicated that In_0.5Ga_0.5N films had wurtzite structure and showed the preferential (1 0 -1 0) diffraction. Both SEM and AFM showed that In_0.5Ga_0.5N films were smooth and had small roughness of 0.6 nm. Optical properties were measured by photoluminescence (PL) spectra from room temperature to low temperature of 20 K. The 2.28 eV green emission was achieved at room temperature for all our InGaN films. The electrical properties of In_0.5Ga_0.5N films on a SiO₂/Si (100) substrate were measured by the Hall measurement at room temperature. InGaN films showed the electron concentration of 1.51×10²⁰–1.90×10²⁰ cm⁻³ and mobility of 5.94–10.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Alloying of InN and GaN was confirmed for the sputtered InGaN.     

Effect of 100 MeV O7+ ion beam irradiation on radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtered ZnO thin films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. These films were irradiated with 100 MeV O⁷⁺ ions of the fluencies 5×10¹³ ions/cm² at room temperature (RT) and at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT). Profilometer studies showed that the roughness of pristine and LNT irradiated ZnO thin films were higher than that of the RT irradiated ZnO thin film. The glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a reduced intensity and increased full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (002) diffraction peak in the case of LNT irradiated film indicating disorder. However, the intensity and FWHM of the (002) diffraction peak in the case of RT irradiated ZnO thin films are comparable to those of the pristine film. UV–visible transmission spectra show that the percentage of transmission and band gap energy are different for RT and LNT irradiated films. While the pristine ZnO thin film exhibits two emissions—a broad emission at 403 nm and a sharp emission at 472 nm in its photoluminescence spectrum; the emission at 472 nm was absent for the irradiated films. The atomic concentrations of zinc and oxygen during the irradiation process were obtained using auger electron spectroscopy.     

Carbon ions irradiation induced modifications in structural and electrical resistivity characteristics of ZrN thin films

Zirconium nitride (ZrN) thin films are irradiated with 800 keV energetic carbon (C) ions in a 5UDH-Pelletron accelerator and the ions irradiation induced effects are investigated. The films are irradiated at various C ions fluences, ranging from 10¹³ to 10¹⁵ ions/cm². The scanning electron microscopy study of the films indicates the development of zirconium (Zr) nanoparticles at ions irradiated region. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of C ions irradiated films also show the formation of (100) and (002) oriented nanocrystalline metallic Zr phases. The irradiated films spectra depict a shift in ZrN peaks towards higher 2θ values, exhibiting that C ions bombardment induces compressive stress in the irradiated films. The appearance of C related peaks in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirms the incorporation of C atoms into ZrN film. Compressive stress has been calculated from the IR peak shift which indicates that higher ion dose (≥5×10¹⁴ ions/cm²) produce lower compressive stress relative to the lower ions fluences. Effect of ion dose on the film resistivity is also reported.     

Fabrication of Ag nanoparticle/ZnO thin films using dual-plasma-enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (DPEMOCVD) system incorporated with photoreduction method and its application

We report a novel method to grow silver nanoparticle/zinc oxide (Ag NP/ZnO) thin films using a dual-plasma-enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (DPEMOCVD) system incorporated with a photoreduction method. The crystalline quality, optical properties, and electrical characteristics of Ag NP/ZnO thin films depend on the AgNO₃ concentration or Ag content and annealing temperature. Optimal Ag NP/ZnO thin films have been grown with a AgNO₃ concentration of 0.12 M or 2.54 at%- Ag content and 500 °C- rapid thermal annealing (RTA); these films show orientation peaks of hexagonal-wurtzite-structured ZnO (002) and face-center-cubic-crystalline Ag (111), respectively. The transmittance and resistivity for optimal Ag NP/ZnO thin films are 85% and 6.9×10⁻⁴ Ω cm. Some Ag NP/ZnO transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films were applied to InGaN/GaN LEDs as transparent conductive layers. The InGaN/GaN LEDs with optimal Ag NP/ZnO TCO films showed electric and optical performance levels similar to those of devices fabricated with indium tin oxide.     

Structural,optical and dielectric properties of HfSiO films prepared by co-evaporation method

HfSiO dielectric films were prepared on Si substrate by the co-evaporation method. The chemical composition, crystalline temperature, optical and electrical properties of the compound film were investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis illustrated that the atom ratio of Hf to Si was about 4:1 and Hf–Si–O bonds appeared in the film. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the crystalline temperature of the film was higher than 850 °C. Optical measurements showed that the refractive index was 1.82 at 550 nm wavelengths and the optical band gap was about 5.88 eV. Electrical measurements demonstrated that the dielectric constant and a fixed charge density were 18.1 and 1.95×10¹² cm⁻² respectively. In addition, an improved leakage current of 7.81 μA/cm² at the gate bias of −3 V was achieved for the annealed HfSiO film.     

Low temperature Solution-Processed ZnO film on flexible substrate

Transparent conductive ZnO films were directly deposited on unseeded polyethersulfone (PES) substrates with a spin-spray method using aqueous solution at a low substrate temperature of 85 °C. All ZnO films were crystalline with wurtzite hexagonal structure and impurity phases were not detected. ZnO films deposited without citrate ions in the reaction solution had a rod array structure. In contrast, ZnO films deposited with citrate ions in the reaction solution had a continuous, dense structure. The transmittance of the ZnO films was improved from 11.9% to 85.3% as their structure changed from rod-like to continuous. After UV irradiation, the ZnO films with a continuous, dense structure had a low resistivity of 9.1×10⁻³ Ω cm, high carrier concentration of 2.7×10²⁰ cm⁻³ and mobility of 2.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Preparation and structure of ultra-thin GaN (0001) layers on In0.11Ga0.89N-single quantum wells

Multiple surface reconstructions have been observed on ultra-thin GaN (0001) layers of 1–10 nm thickness, covering a 3 nm thick In_0.11Ga_0.89N single quantum well in a GaN matrix. Low energy electron diffraction patterns show (2×2) and (√3×√3)-R30° symmetries for samples annealed in nitrogen plasma, and (2×2), (3×3), (4×4), and (6×6) symmetries for samples overgrown with an additional monolayer-thin GaN film by molecular beam epitaxy under Ga-rich growth conditions. Photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the InGaN quantum wells and capping layers are stable for growth temperatures up to 760 °C, and do not show formation of indium or gallium droplets on the surface. The photoluminescence emission from the buried InGaN SQWs remains unchanged by the preparation process, demonstrating that the SQWs do not undergo any significant modification.     

Thickness-dependent optoelectronic properties of CuCr0.93Mg0.07O2 thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

CuCr_0.93Mg_0.07O₂ thin films were successfully deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at 1123 K from metallic targets. The influence of film thickness on the structural and optoelectronic properties of the films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that all the films had a delafossite structure with no other phases. The optical and electrical properties were investigated by UV–VIS spectrophotometer and Hall measurement, respectively. It was found that the optoelectronic properties exhibited a thickness-dependent behavior. The optical band gap and the average transmittance of the films showed a monotonous decrease with respect to the increase in thickness. The average transmittance in the visible region decreased from 67% to 47% as the thickness increased from ~70 nm to ~280 nm. Simultaneously, the conductivity of the films fell from 1.40 S∙cm⁻¹ to 0.27 S∙cm⁻¹. According to Haacke's figure of merit (FOM), a film with a maximum FOM value of about 1.72×10⁻⁷ Ω⁻¹ can be achieved when the thickness is about 70 nm (σ≈ 1.40 S·cm⁻¹ and T_av. ≈67%).     

Effects of RTA temperatures on conductivity and micro-structures of boron-doped silicon nanocrystals in Si-rich oxide thin films

In this work, the B-doped Si rich oxide (SRO) thin films were deposited and then annealed using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to form SiO₂-matrix silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs). The effects of the RTA temperatures on the structural properties, conduction mechanisms and electrical properties of B-doped SRO thin films (BSF) were investigated systematically using Hall measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Results showed that the crystalline fraction of annealed BSF increased from 41.3% to 62.8%, the conductivity was increased from 4.48×10⁻³ S/cm to 0.16 s/cm, the carrier concentration was increased from 8.74×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ to 4.9×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and the carrier mobility was increased from 0.032 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ to 0.2 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ when the RTA temperatures increased from 1050 °C to 1150 °C. In addition, the fluctuation induced tunneling (FIT) theory was applicable to the conduction mechanisms of SiO₂-matrix boron-doped Si-NC thin films.     

Effect of electron irradiation on morphological,compositional and electrical properties of nanocluster carbon thin films grown using room temperature based cathodic arc process for large area microelectronics

The influence of 8 MeV electron beam bombardment on room temperature grown nanocluster carbon using cathodic arc process has been studied here. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) study shows that surface roughness varies with varying electron doses. High doses of electrons could causes thermal induce graphitization and morphological changes in the films. Raman spectroscopy analysis reveals that G-peak vary from 1555 cm⁻¹ to 1570 cm⁻¹ and D-peak varying from 1361 cm⁻¹ to 1365 cm⁻¹ indicating the disorderness and presence of both graphitic and diamond-like phases. Room temperature conductivity changes by two to three orders in magnitude. The conductivity in the films could be due to conduction of charge carriers through neighboring islands of conductive chains. Defect states calculated using the differential technique varies from 8 × 10¹⁷cm⁻³ eV⁻¹ to 1.5 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ eV⁻¹. Irradiation of nanocluster carbon thin films could be helpful to tune the electrical properties and defect densities of the nanocluster carbon films for various large area, flexible electronic and nano electronic applications.     

Effect of the film thickness on the crystal structure and ferroelectric properties of (Hf0.5Zr0.5)O2 thin films deposited on various substrates

In this work, the effect of the film thickness on the crystal structure and ferroelectric properties of (Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)O₂ thin films was investigated. The thin films were deposited on (111) Pt-coated SiO₂, Si, and CaF₂ substrates with thermal expansion coefficients of 0.47, 4.5, and 22×10⁻⁶/°C, respectively. From the X-ray diffraction measurements, it was found that the (Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)O₂ thin films deposited on the SiO₂ and CaF₂ substrates experienced in-plane tensile and compressive strains, respectively, in comparison with the films deposited on the Si substrates. For films deposited on all three substrates, the volume fraction of the monoclinic phase increased with increasing film thickness, with the SiO₂ substrate having the lowest monoclinic phase volume fraction at all film thicknesses tested. The grain size of the films, which is an important factor for the formation of the ferroelectric phase, remained almost constant at about 10 nm in diameter regardless of the film thickness and type of substrate utilized. Ferroelectricity was observed for the 17 nm-thick films deposited on SiO₂ and Si substrates, and the maximum remanent polarization (P_r) value of 9.3 µC/cm² was obtained for films deposited on the SiO₂ substrate. In contrast, ferroelectricity with P_r=4.4 µC/cm² was observed only for film on SiO₂ substrate in case of 55 nm-thick films. These results suggest that the films under in-plane tensile strain results in the larger ferroelectricity for 17 nm-thick films and have a ferroelectricity up to 55 nm-thick films.     

Enhancing charge transport in copper phthalocyanine thin film by elevating pressure of deposition chamber

Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-based thin film transistors were fabricated using CuPc films grown under different deposition pressure (P_dep) (ranging from 1.8 × 10⁻⁴ Pa to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ Pa). The transistor performance highly depended on P_dep. A field-effect mobility of 2.1 × 10⁻² cm²/(V s) was achieved under 1.0 × 10⁻¹ Pa. Detailed investigations revealed that P_dep modulates the molecular packing and orientation of the organic films grown on a SiO₂/Si substrate and influences the charge transport. Furthermore, from a device physics point of view, contact resistance of the fabricated transistors decreased when P_dep increased, which was beneficial in reducing energy consumption.     

Electrical properties of low-dielectric-constant films prepared by PECVD in O2/CH4/HMDSO

Low-dielectric constant (low-k) films have been prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) mixed with oxygen or methane. The films are analyzed by ellipsometry, infrared absorption spectroscopy while their electrical properties are deduced from C–V, I–V and R–f measurements performed on Al/insulator/Si structures. For an oxygen and methane fraction equal to 50% and 22%, respectively, the dielectric constant and losses are decreased compared with those of the film prepared in a pure HMDSO plasma. The effect of adding 22% of CH₄ in HMDSO plasma increases the Si–CH₃ bonds containing in the polymer film and as the constant of methyl groups in the film increased the dielectric constant of the film decreases. For this film, the dielectric constant is 2.8, the dielectric losses at 1 kHz are equal to 2×10⁻³, the leakage current density measured for an electric field of 1 MV/cm is 3×10⁻⁹ A/cm² and the breakdown field is close to 5 MV/cm.     

Study on mobility enhancement in MOVPE-grown AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT structures using a thin AlN interfacial layer

Al_0.26Ga_0.74N/AlN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structures with AlN interfacial layers of various thicknesses were grown on 100-mm-diameter sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, and their structural and electrical properties were characterized. A sample with an optimum AlN layer thickness of 1.0 nm showed a highly enhanced Hall mobility (μ_Hall) of 1770 cm²/Vs with a low sheet resistance (ρ_s) of 365 Ω/sq. (2DEG density n_s = 1.0 × 10¹³/cm²) at room temperature compared with those of a sample without the AlN interfacial layer (μ_Hall = 1287 cm²/Vs, ρ_s = 539 Ω/sq., and n_s = 0.9 × 10¹³/cm²). Electron transport properties in AlGaN/AlN/GaN structures were theoretically studied, and the calculated results indicated that the insertion of an AlN layer into the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface can significantly enhance the 2DEG mobility due to the reduction of alloy disorder scattering. HEMTs were successfully fabricated and characterized. It was confirmed that AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs with the optimum AlN layer thickness show superior DC properties compared with conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.     

Properties of fluorine-doped SnO2 thin films by a green sol–gel method

Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) films were fabricated on a glass substrate by a green sol–gel dip-coating process. Non-toxic SnF₂ was used as fluorine source to replace toxic HF or NH₄F. Effect of SnF₂ content, 0–10 mol%, on structure, electrical resistivity, and optical transmittance of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Hall effect measurements, and UV–vis spectra. Structural analysis revealed that the films are polycrystalline with a tetragonal crystal structure. Grain size varies from 43 to 21 nm with increasing fluorine concentration, which in fact critically impacts resultant electrical and optical properties. The 500 °C-annealed FTO film containing 6 mol% SnF₂ shows the lowest electrical resistivity 7.0×10⁻⁴ Ω cm, carrier concentration 1.1×10²¹ cm⁻³, Hall mobility 8.1 cm²V⁻¹ s⁻¹, optical transmittance 90.1% and optical band-gap 3.91 eV. The 6 mol% SnF₂ added film has the highest figure of merit 2.43×10⁻² Ω⁻¹ which is four times higher than that of un-doped FTO films. Because of the promising electrical and optical properties, F-doped thin films prepared by this green process are well-suited for use in all aspects of transparent conducting oxide.     

High fluence 1.8 MeV proton irradiation effects on n-type MOS capacitors

MOS capacitors with 7 nm SiO₂ dielectrics and n-doped Si substrate were irradiated by 1.8 MeV protons with fluences ranging from 10¹² to 5 × 10¹³ cm^?2 which correspond to the typical LHC fluence range. No significant increase in gate oxide leakage current was detected. A decrease of the capacitance was observed in the accumulation regime. This effect is explained by an increase of the substrate resistivity caused by displacement damage.     

DC and microwave characteristics of Lg 50 nm T-gate InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMT for future high power RF applications

The DC and microwave characteristics of L_g = 50 nm T-gate InAlN/AlN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) on SiC substrate with heavily doped n+ GaN source and drain regions have demonstrated using Synopsys TCAD tool. The proposed device features an AlN spacer layer, AlGaN back-barrier and SiN surface passivation. The proposed HEMT exhibits a maximum drain current density of 1.8 A/mm, peak transconductance (g_m) of 650 mS/mm and ft/fmax of 118/210 GHz. At room temperature, the measured carrier mobility, sheet charge carrier density (n_s) and breakdown voltage are 1195 cm²/Vs, 1.6 × 10¹³ cm⁻² and 18 V respectively. The superlatives of the proposed HEMTs are bewitching competitor for future monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) applications particularly in W-band (75–110 GHz) high power RF applications.     

Effects of thermal annealing on the photophysical properties of bisfluorene-cored dendrimer films

Annealing is widely used in the processing of organic semiconductors, and can modify their film morphology and photophysical properties. A study of the effect of annealing on films made from a blue emitting bisfluorene-cored dendrimer is reported. Annealing causes a 15 nm blue-shift in the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and an 11 nm blue-shift in the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectrum. It causes the PL efficiency to decrease only slightly from 0.92 to 0.83. The radiative decay rate of 1.3 × 10⁹ s^?1, the ASE threshold of 1.5 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3 and the singlet–singlet exciton annihilation rate of 5.5 × 10^?10 cm³ s^?1 are unaffected by annealing. The results indicate a scope for colour adjustment of dendrimer light-emitting diodes and lasers without affecting their efficiencies. Investigation by spectroscopic ellipsometry shows that on annealing, the films become anisotropic, with larger values of the refractive index and extinction coefficient observed for light polarised in the plane of the film than the corresponding out-of-plane values in the absorption region of the bisfluorene core. This anisotropy indicates a preferential in-plane orientation of bisfluorene cores upon annealing.     

Influence of working pressure on the structural,optical and electrical properties of sputter deposited AZO thin films

Highly oriented crystalline aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were sputter deposited on glass substrates and a systematic investigation on the as deposited and etched films was reported for its further application in silicon thin film solar cell. Influence of the deposition pressure (from 2 to 8 mTorr) and post-annealing temperature (at 400 °C for 5 min) on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the as-deposited and etched samples were analyzed. The optimum condition for its reproducibility and large area deposition is determined and found that the depositions made at 8 mTorr at 200 W having the distance from source to substrate of 9 cm. All the AZO films exhibited a c-axis preferred orientation perpendicular to the substrate and their crystallinity was improved after annealing. From the XRD pattern the grain size, stress and strain of the films were evaluated and there is no drastic variation. Optical transmittance, resistivity, Hall mobility and carrier concentration for the as deposited and etched-annealed films were found to improve from 79 to 82%; 2.97 to 3.14×10⁻⁴ Ω cm; 25 to 38 cm²/V s; 8.39 to 5.96×10²⁰/cm³ respectively. Based on the triangle diagram between figure of merit and Hall mobility, we obtained a balance of point between the electrical and optical properties to select the deposition condition of film for device application.