Temperature dependence of the optical energy gap for the CdS<Subscript>x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> quantum dots

A temperature dependence of the optical energy gap E _g (T) for the CdS_xSe_1?x quantum dots synthesized in a borosilicate glass matrix was investigated in the range of 4.2–500 K. It was demonstrated that this dependence reproduced the dependence E _g (T) for bulk crystals and is described by the Varshni formula for \(\bar r > a_B \) over the entire temperature range. Here, \(\bar r\) is the average dot radius, and a_B is the Bohr radius for the exciton in a bulk crystal. With the transition to quantum dots with \(\bar r > a_B \), a decrease in the thermal coefficient of the band gap and a deviation from the Varshni dependence were observed in the temperature range of 4.2–100 K. The specific features observed are explainable by a decrease in the resulting macroscopic potential of the electron-phonon interaction and by modification of the vibration spectrum for dots as their volume decreases.     

Excition states in semiconductor quantum dots in the modified effective mass approximation

A new modified effective mass approximation is suggested to describe the excitonic energy spectrum of quantum dots of radii a comparable to the exciton Bohr radius a _ex ⁰ . It is shown that, for quantum dots simulated by infinitely deep potential wells, the effective mass approximation is appropriate for describing excitons in quantum dots of radii a ≈ a _ex ⁰ , if the reduced effective mass of the excitons, μ, is considered as a function of the radius of the quantum dot a, μ = μ(a).     

Quantum dots grown in the InSb/GaSb system by liquid-phase epitaxy

The first results of the liquid-phase epitaxial growth of quantum dots in the InSb/GaSb system and atomic-force microscopy data on the structural characteristics of the quantum dots are reported. It is shown that the surface density, shape, and size of nanoislands depend on the deposition temperature and the chemical properties of the matrix surface. Arrays of InSb quantum dots on GaSb (001) substrates are produced in the temperature range T = 450–465°C. The average dimensions of the quantum dots correspond to a height of h = 3 nm and a base dimension of D = 30 nm; the surface density is 3 × 10⁹ cm^–2.     

Electron transport in unipolar heterostructure transistors with quantum dots in strong electric fields

A model for the explaining specific features of the electron transport in strong electric fields in the quantum-dot unipolar heterostructure transistor (AlGaAs/GaAs/InAs/GaAs/InAs) is presented. It is shown that the two-step shape of the output current-voltage characteristic I _D (V _D ) and the anomalous dependence of the drain current I _D on the gate voltage V _G are caused by the ionization of quantum dots in the strong electric field at the drain gate edge. The ionization of quantum dots sets in at the drain voltage V _D that exceeds the V_D1 value, at which the I _D (V _D ) dependence is saturated (the first step of the I-V characteristic). With the subsequent increase in V _D , i.e., for V _D >V_D1, the I _D (V _D ) dependence has a second abrupt rise due to the ionization of quantum dots, and then, for V _D =V_D2>V_D1, the current I _D is saturated for the second time (the second step in the current-voltage characteristic). It is suggested to use this phenomenon for the determining the population of quantum dots with electrons. The model presented also describes the twice-repeated variation in the sign of transconductance g _m =dI _D /dV _G as a function of V _G .     

Hysteresis in Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te near and within the phase transition region

Electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, and thermoelectric power were studied and differential thermal analysis was carried out in Ag₂Te crystals near and within the range of phase transitions, in the directions of heating and cooling. A large hysteresis loop was observed. The results are discussed in terms of the theory of smeared phase transitions. Agreement between experimental data and theory is achieved in a second approximation of the inclusion function L₂(T) and its derivative with respect to temperature, dL₂/dT.     

Size Effects in Transport Properties of PbSe Thin Films

This paper presents an overview and analysis of our earlier obtained experimental results on the dependences of kinetic properties of single PbSe quantum wells and PbSe-based superlattices on the PbSe layer thickness d. The observed oscillatory character of these dependences is attributed to quantum size effects due to electron or hole confinement in quantum wells. Some general regularities and factors that determine the character of these quantum size effects are established. The influence of the oxidation processes and doping on the d-dependences of the transport properties is revealed. A periodic change in the conductivity type related to quantum size oscillations is detected. It is shown that the experimentally determined values of the oscillation period Δd are in good agreement with the results of theoretical calculations based on the model of a rectangular quantum well with infinitely high walls, taking into account the dependence of the Fermi energy ε _F on d and the availability of subbands below ε _F. It is established that the Δd value for the superlattices is practically equal to the Δd value observed for the single PbSe thin film.     

Biexciton Binding Energy in Spherical Quantum Dots with Γ<Subscript>8</Subscript> Valence Band

The biexciton binding energy in spherical CdSe/ZnSe quantum dots is calculated variationally in the framework of kp-perturbation theory. Smooth and abrupt confining potentials with the same localization area of carriers are compared for two limiting cases of light hole to heavy hole mass ratio β = m _lh /m _hh : β = 1 and β = 0. Accounting for correlations between carriers results in their polarized configuration and significantly increases the biexciton binding energy in comparison with the first order perturbation theory. For β = 0 in smooth confining potentials there are three nearby biexciton states separated by small energy gap between 1S_3/2 and 1P_3/2 hole states.     

Theoretical Study of Electronic Structure and Thermoelectric Properties of Doped CuAlO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The doping level dependence of thermoelectric properties of delafossite CuAlO₂ has been investigated in the constant scattering time (τ) approximation, starting from the first principles of electronic structure. In particular, the lattice parameters and the energy band structure were calculated using the total energy plane-wave pseudopotential method. It was found that the lattice parameters of CuAlO₂ are a = 2.802 Å and c = 16.704 Å, and the internal parameter is u = 0.1097. CuAlO₂ has an indirect band gap of 2.17 eV and a direct gap of 3.31 eV. The calculated energy band structures were then used to calculate the electrical transport coefficients of CuAlO₂. By considering the effects of doping level and temperature, it was found that the Seebeck coefficient S(T) increases with increasing acceptor doping (A _d) level. The values of S(T) in our experiments correspond to an A _d level at 0.262 eV, which is identified as the Fermi level of CuAlO₂. Based on our experimental Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity, the constant relaxation time is estimated to be 1 × 10^?16 s. The power factor is large for a low A _d level and increases with temperature. It is suggested that delafossite CuAlO₂ can be considered as a promising thermoelectric oxide material at high doping and high temperature.     

Tuning the energy spectrum of InAs/GaAs quantum dots by varying the thickness and composition of the thin double GaAs/InGaAs cladding layer

It is shown that the ground state transition energy in quantum dots in heterostructures grown by atmospheric-pressure MOCVD can be tuned in the range covering both transparence windows of the optical fiber at wavelengths of 1.3 and 1.55 μm by varying the thickness and composition of the thin GaAs/In_xGa_1−x As double cladding layer. These structures also exhibit a red shift of the ground state transition energy of the In_xGa_1−x As quantum well (QW) as a result of the formation of a hybrid QW In_xGa_1−x As/InAs (wetting layer) between the quantum dots (QDs). The Schottky diodes based on these structures are characterized by an increased reverse current, which is attributed to thermally activated tunneling of electrons from the metal contact to QD levels. __________ Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 38, No. 4, 2004, pp. 448–454. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2004 by Karpovich, Zvonkov, Levichev, Baidus, Tikhov, Filatov, Gorshkov, Ermakov.     

Resonant Raman scattering and atomic force microscopy of InGaAs/GaAs multilayer nanostructures with quantum dots

The transition from two-dimensional (2D) pseudomorphic growth to the three-dimensional (3D) (nanoisland) growth in In_xGa_1?xAs/GaAs multilayer structures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy was investigated by atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence, and Raman scattering. The nominal In content x in In_xGa_1?xAs was varied from 0.20 to 0.50. The thicknesses of the deposited In_xGa_1?xAs and GaAs layers were 14 and 70 monolayers, respectively. It is shown that, at these thicknesses, the 2D-3D transition occurs at x ≥ 0.27. It is ascertained that the formation of quantum dots (nanoislands) does not follow the classical Stranski-Krastanov mechanism but is significantly modified by the processes of vertical segregation of In atoms and interdiffusion of Ga atoms. As a result, the In_xGa_1?xAs layer can be modeled by a 2D layer with a low In content (x < 0.20), which undergoes a transition into a thin layer containing nanoislands enriched with In (x > 0.60). For multilayer In_xGa_1?xAs structures, lateral alignment of quantum dots into chains oriented along the \([\overline 1 10]\) direction can be implemented and the homogeneity of the sizes of quantum dots can be improved.     

On the theory of the two-photon linear photovoltaic effect in <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-GaP

A quantitative theory of the diagonal (ballistic) and nondiagonal (shift) band index contributions to the two-photon current of the linear photovoltaic effect in a semiconductor with a complex band due to the asymmetry of events of electron scattering at phonons and photons is developed. It is shown that processes caused by the simultaneous absorption of two photons do not contribute to the ballistic photocurrent in n-GaP. This is due to the fact that, in this case, there is no asymmetric distribution of the momentum of electrons excited with photons; this distribution arises upon the sequential absorption of two photons with the involvement of LO phonons. It is demonstrated that the temperature dependence of the shift contribution to the two-photon photocurrent in n-GaP is determined by the temperature dependence of the light-absorption coefficient caused by direct optical transitions of electrons between subbands X₁ and X₃. It is shown that the spectral dependence of the photocurrent has a feature in the light frequency range ω → Δ/2?, which is related to the hump-like shape of subband X₁ in n-GaP¹ and the root-type singularity of the state density determined as k_ω^-1= (2?ω–Δ)^–1/2, where Δ is the energy gap between subbands X₁ and X₃. The spectral and temperature dependences of the coefficient of absorption of linearly polarized light in n-GaP are obtained with regard to the cone-shaped lower subband of the conduction band.     

Localization of holes in an InAs/GaAs quantum-dot molecule

Deep-level transient spectroscopy is used to study the emission of holes from the states of a vertically coupled system of InAs quantum dots in p-n InAs/GaAs heterostructures. This emission was considered in relation to the thickness of a GaAs interlayer between two layers of InAs quantum dots and to the reversebias voltage U_r. It is established that hole localization at one of the quantum dots is observed for a quantum-dot molecule composed of two vertically coupled self-organized quantum dots in an InAS/GaAs heterostructure that has a 20-Å-thick or 40-Å-thick GaAs interlayer between two layers of InAs quantum dots. For a thickness of the GaAs interlayer equal to 100 Å, it is found that the two layers of quantum dots are incompletely coupled, which results in a redistribution of the hole localization between the upper and lower quantum dots as the voltage U_r applied to the structure is varied. The studied structures with vertically coupled quantum dots were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy using self-organization effects.     

Structural transformations and optical properties of As<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>3</Subscript> chalcogenide glasses

The effects of melt temperature T _i and quenching rate V _i on the structure and optical properties of As₂S₃ glasses is studied. It is found that the glass band gap increases with T _i and V _i , whereas a decrease is observed in the glass density, refractive index (from 2.71 to 2.48), and two-photon absorption coefficient (from 0.37 to 0.15 cm/MW), which is accompanied by an increase in the optical-breakdown damage threshold.     

Temperature dependence of the band structure of 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>, 2<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>, 4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>, and 6<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis> SiC polytypes

The temperature dependences of significant energy extrema at the high-symmetry points Γ, X, L, K, M, A, and H of the Brillouin zone in the cubic and hexagonal modifications of SiC, as well as the energies of the main interband transitions at these points, were calculated for the first time by the empirical-pseudopotential method. The effect of the temperature dependence of the electron-phonon interaction on the crystal band structure was taken into account via the Debye-Waller factors, and the contribution of the linear expansion of the lattice was accounted for via the temperature dependence of the linear-expansion coefficient. The special features of the temperature dependences of the energy levels and of energies of the interband and intraband transitions are analyzed in detail. The results of the calculations are in good agreement with the known experimental data on the characteristics of SiC-based p-n structures operating in the breakdown mode. For example, the temperature coefficient of the energy of the X_1c–X_3c transition, which is responsible for the narrow violet band in the breakdown-electroluminescence spectra of reverse-biased p-n junctions, was found to be significantly smaller than the temperature coefficients for the interband transitions (from the conduction to valence band). This fact is quite consistent with the experimental curve of the temperature coefficient of the emission spectrum, which has a minimum in the same wavelength range.     

The Stark shift of the hole states in separate InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown on (100) and (311)A GaAs substrates

Deep-level transient spectroscopy is used to study charge-carrier emission from the states of separate quantum dots in InAs/GaAs p-n heterostructures grown on (100)-and (311)A-oriented GaAs substrates in relation to the reverse-bias voltage U. It is established that the structures under consideration exhibit different bias-voltage dependences of the Stark shift for the energy levels of the quantum-dot states on the value of U.     

Optical properties of hybrid quantum-well–dots nanostructures grown by MOCVD

The deposition of In _x Ga_1–x As with an indium content of 0.3–0.5 and an average thickness of 3–27 single layers on a GaAs wafer by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at low temperatures results in the appearance of thickness and composition modulations in the layers being formed. Such structures can be considered to be intermediate nanostructures between ideal quantum wells and quantum dots. Depending on the average thickness and composition of the layers, the wavelength of the photoluminescence peak for the hybrid InGaAs quantum well–dots nanostructures varies from 950 to 1100 nm. The optimal average In _x Ga_1–x As thicknesses and compositions at which the emission wavelength is the longest with a high quantum efficiency retained are determined.     

Special features of annealing of radiation defects in irradiated <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Si crystals

p-Si single crystals grown by the Czochralski method were studied; the hole concentration in these crystals was p = 6 × 10¹³ cm^?3. The samples were irradiated with 8-MeV electrons at 300 K and were then annealed isochronously in the temperature range T _ann = 100–500°C. The studies were carried out using the Hall method in the temperature range of 77–300 K. It is shown that annealing of divacancies occurs via their transformation into the B _s V ₂ complexes. This complex introduces the energy level located at E _v + 0.22 eV into the band gap and is annealed out in the temperature range of 360–440°C. It is assumed that defects with the level E _v + 0.2 eV that anneal out in the temperature range T _ann = 340–450°C are multicomponent complexes and contain the atoms of the doping and background impurities.     

Density of states in amorphous carbon and its modification by annealing

The effect of annealing on the electron density of states in amorphous carbon a-C and amorphous hydrogenated carbon a-C:H has been studied. a-C and a-C:H layers were grown by magnetron sputtering of a graphite target in, respectively, argon and argon-hydrogen plasmas. Optical transmission spectra were studied experimentally in the range 1.5–5.6 eV, and ellipsometric parameters were measured at the He-Ne laser wavelength. The spectral dependence of the imaginary part of the dielectric function was reconstructed. A model describing the optical response of amorphous carbon was developed on the basis of the hypothesis that there are fluctuations of the sp² fragment sizes in the allotropic composition of amorphous carbon. The optical gap E_g in both types of material is accounted for by the presence of fragments of critical size. Experimental data were used to reconstruct, with the use of model parameters, the energy dependence of the density of states in the ground and excited bands, and the plasma frequencies for electrons involved in optical transitions are found. It is shown that the bands of both the ground and excited states are inhomogeneously broadened sets of levels, which are symmetrical about the Fermi level. The behavior of the model parameters E_g and E_G (energy corresponding to the peak of the Gaussian distribution) and the plasma frequency with annealing temperature shows, for materials of both types, a substantial rise in the size and number of critical fluctuations with increasing temperature.     

Specific features of electrical properties of the In<Subscript>x</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>N alloy

Temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient and resistivity of the In_xGa_{1 ? x} N alloys (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are investigated. It is found that, at x ≤ 0.4, the temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient and resistivity have the activation-related portion. The activation energy depends linearly on the In content in the alloy. At x ≈0.5, the activation portion vanishes. The main scattering mechanism depends on the temperature, on the defect density in the film (this density is largely determined by the used intermediate GaN layers), and on the alloy composition x.     

Study of photocapacitance in diodes fabricated from silicon doped with vanadium

The levels of vanadium in the band gap of n-and p-Si were determined using photocapacitance measurements. It is shown that vanadium introduces levels only in the upper half of the band gap of n-Si; these levels have ionization energies of about E _c ?0.21 eV, E _c ?0.32 eV, and E _c ?0.52 eV. By contrast, V levels are located both in the upper and lower halves of the p-Si band gap: E _c ?0.26 eV, E _v +0.52 eV, E _v +0.42 eV, and E _v +0.31 eV. It is ascertained that the photoionization cross sections of all vanadium levels are larger for electrons than for holes. It is shown that the concentration of electrically active vanadium centers in n-and p-Si depends on both the concentration of shallow-level impurities and the time of vanadium diffusion into Si.