Effect of residual stress on critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7−x thick films

YBa₂Cu₃O_x films were fabricated on 10-cm-diameter polycrystalline MgO wafers by spray pryolysis of a metal acetate solution. In-plane residual stress of the films was obtained by shadow Moiré interferometry and correlated with crack formation and critical current density. High tensile stresses (0.96 GPa) were measured at the wafer center and decreased toward the edge, which corresponded with the largest number of cracks and lowest critical current density at the wafer center. A major cause of the residual stress (0.5 GPa) was caused by a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition in YBa₂Cu₃O_x.     

Effect of trace platinum additions on the interfacial morphology of Sn–3.8Ag–0.7Cu alloy aged for long hours

While the Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) family of solders are considered good candidate as lead-free solder replacement materials, their relatively short processing history and application result in a host of materials as well as reliability problems. For good metallurgical bonding and electrical connection, a thin, even layer of intermetallic compound (IMC) is required but excessive growth of the IMC layer will cause various reliability problems. This is especially critical for miniaturized solder pitches in very large scale integration circuits. This work adopts the composite approach of adding 0.15 and 0.30 wt.% of Pt into Sn–3.8Ag–0.7Cu alloy to study the effect of these additions to the IMC layer thickness between the solder and substrate. Alloys were isothermally aged at 150 °C for up to 1000 h to observe contribution of Pt in suppressing excessive IMC growth. It was found that when more Pt was added to the alloy, the IMC layer became more even and continuous. Voids and IMC layer thickness were reduced. This is attributed to the role of Pt in replacing Cu in the solder and thus impeding excessive diffusion.     

Thickness dependence of microwave surface resistance and critical current density in Ag–YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films

Microwave surface resistance and critical current density are measured in Ag-doped YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x thin films as a function of thickness of the film. The microwave surface resistance decreases monotonically as the thickness of the film is increased to an optimum thickness of 3000 Å. Beyond this optimum thickness the microstructure of the film deteriorates and the surface resistance increases as the thickness is further increased. Critical current density also increases as the thickness of the film is increased to the optimum thickness. The decrease in the value of surface resistance and an enhancement of J_c up to optimum thickness has been explained in terms of defects formed in the films during growth.     

Microwave properties and applications of Y–Ba–Cu–O thin films grown on various substrates

Microwave properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) films grown on (100) LaAlO₃ (LAO), (110) NdGaO₃ (NGO) and (001) SrLaAlO₄ (SLAO) substrates were studied in the form of a microstrip ring resonator at temperatures above 20 K. The YBCO resonator on a SLAO substrate showed microwave properties better than or comparable to other YBCO resonators on LAO substrates. For the YBCO resonators on LAO and SLAO substrates, both Q_U and f₀ appeared to decrease as the temperature was raised. Meanwhile the resonator on a NGO substrate showed different behaviors with Q_U showing a peak at ∼70 K, which are attributed to the unique temperature dependence of the loss tangent of the NGO substrate. An X-band oscillator with a YBCO ring resonator coupled to the circuit was prepared and its properties were investigated at low temperatures. The frequency of the oscillator signal appeared to change from 7.925 GHz at 30 K to 7.878 GHz at 77 K, which was mostly attributed to the change in f₀ of the YBCO ring resonator. The signal power appeared to be more than 4.5 mW at 30 K and 2.1 mW at 77 K, respectively. At 55 K, the frequency of the oscillator signal was 7.917 GHz with the 3 dB-linewidth of 450 Hz.     

Effect of nano-Al2O3 reinforcement on the microstructure and reliability of Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu solder joints

Nanoparticle reinforced lead-free solder has previously been studied by several investigators, but few studies have evaluated its reliability. In this study, resistor chip (RC) micro joints were soldered using nano-Al₂O₃ particle reinforced Sn–Ag–Cu solder paste. The microstructure and reliability of RC micro joints having different nano-Al₂O₃ contents (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%) were investigated in detail. More than 40 solder joints for each condition were made and examined in order to achieve reliable data. The results indicated that nano-Al₂O₃ particles refined the β-Sn grain size and enlarged the eutectic area of the micro solder joints. Those nanoparticles also reduced the IMC thickness of the Ni-solder and Cu-solder interfaces. Those effects can be attributed to the poor-wetting behavior of nano-Al₂O₃ particles. The nano-Al₂O₃ reinforcement mainly enhanced the reliability of the micro solder joints, but did not affect the strength of as-soldered joints obviously. The improvement of reliability was proportional to the nano-Al₂O₃ content. The microstructure and fracture analysis indicated that the reinforcement and stability of Ni-IMC and Cu-IMC interfaces accounted for better reliability.     

Effects of Cu on the interfacial reactions between Sn–8Zn–3Bi–xCu solders and Cu substrate

The microstructure, thermal property, and interfacial reaction with Cu substrate of Sn–8Zn–3Bi–xCu (x = 0, 0.5, 1) lead-free solders were investigated in this work. Cu–Zn intermetallics formed in the solder matrix and the melting temperature increases slightly with Cu addition. After soldering at 250 °C for 90 s, a flat Cu₅Zn₈ layer and a scallop CuZn₅ layer formed at the interfaces of all samples. The CuZn₅ intermetallic compound (IMC) transformed to Cu₅Zn₈ IMC with longer reaction time due to the diffusion of Cu atoms from Cu substrate. The interfacial IMC layer grew thicker with the reaction time following a parabolic law which suggested the interfacial reactions were diffusion controlled. The calculation results show that the activation energy of IMC growth for Cu-containing solders is larger than that of Sn–8Zn–3Bi solder, which demonstrated that a small amount of Cu addition to the solder can effectively suppressed the growth of the interfacial IMC.     

Temperature dependence of the threshold current density in semiconductor lasers (λ = 1050–1070 nm)

The temperature dependences of the threshold current density and threshold concentration in semiconductor lasers based on MOVPE-grown asymmetric separate-confinement heterostructures with an extended waveguide have been studied (wavelengths ?? = 1050?C1070). It is shown that the temperature dependence of the threshold current density in semiconductor lasers becomes markedly stronger at above-room temperatures, which is due to temperature-induced carrier delocalization into the waveguide layers of a laser heterostructure. It was found that the sharp decrease in the thermal stability of the threshold current density with increasing temperature correlates with the coincidence of the Fermi level with the conduction-band bottom of the waveguide layer in the laser heterostructure. It is experimentally demonstrated that an increase in the energy depth and number of quantum wells in the active region of a semiconductor laser improves the thermal stability of the threshold current density. It is demonstrated that the characteristic parameter T ₀ attains a value of 220 K in the temperature range from ?20 to +70°C.     

Effect of the Phase Composition and Local Crystal Structure on the Transport Properties of the ZrO2–Y2O3 and ZrO2–Gd2O3 Solid Solutions

Russian Microelectronics - The results of investigating the crystal structure, ionic conductivity, and local structure of the (ZrO2)1 –x(Gd2O3)x and (ZrO2)1 –x(Y2O3)x (x = 0.04, 0.08,...     

Effect of small Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu additions on the structure and properties of Sn–9Zn solder in ball grid array packages

Sn–9Zn with various additions of Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu powder was prepared by mechanically dispersing different weight percentages (1, 3, 5 and 7) of Sn–Ag–Cu powder into Sn–9Zn solder paste. In the Sn–Zn solder, scallop-shaped AuZn₃ intermetallic compound was found at the interfaces. On the other hand, in the Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu content solders, an additional ε-AgZn₃ intermetallic compound layer was found to be well adhered on the top surface of the AuZn₃ layer and the ε-AgZn₃ layer thickness increased with the number of reflow cycles. In addition, fine spherical-shaped ε-AgZn₃ intermetallic compound particles as well as an acicular-shaped Zn-rich phase was clearly observed in the β-Sn matrix. On increasing the Sn–Ag–Cu content, the shear load was increased from 1.80 to 2.03 kg after one reflow cycle. In the Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu content solders, the fracture surfaces exhibited typical ductile behavior with very rough dimpled surfaces while the fracture surface in the Sn–Zn solder gave fractures with a brittle appearance. In the fracture surface of the Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu content solders, some dimples were clearly observed associated with the formation of spherical-shaped ε-AgZn₃ intermetallic compound particles.     

Effects of annealing technique and TiO2 seed layer on the phase composition of 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.3PbTiO3 film

The lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN–PT) thin films with and without the TiO₂ seed layer were prepared by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates. The films were treated by two-step annealing and normal annealing with rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The effects of two-step annealing and the TiO₂ seed layer on the phase composition of PMN–PT films were studied. The results show that the PMN–PT film with TiO₂ seed layer can gain a pure perovskite phase with a high (1 0 0) preferential orientation after the two-step annealing technique.     

Processing and physical properties of single phase Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 and (Tl0.5Pb0.5)Sr2−xBaxCa2Cu3O9 superconductors

Single phase Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (2212) superconductors with T_c of 97 K were obtained by a two-step synthesis. Prolonged annealing at 860°C in the second step of the synthesis resulted in a higher T_c, at the expense of the growth of an impurity trilayer 2223 phase in the form of stacking faults in the 2212 phase. Nearly single phase (Tl_0.5Pb_0.5)Sr_2−xBa_xCa₂Cu₃O₉) (1223) samples were obtained in a single air-sintering step. Replacement of Sr by Ba is necessary to grow the 1223 phase. Samples with x=0.75 displayed T_c as high as 117 K with a superconducting volume fraction over 50%.     

Gibbs random fields on a lattice: Definitions,existence, uniqueness,and phase transitions (a review of proceedings of the seminar on statistical physics at the faculty of mechanics and mathematics of the Moscow state university in 1962–1994)

The Moscow Grand Seminar on Statistical Physics is one of the first seminars in the world devoted to rigorous methods in statistical physics. The achievements of the seminar can be appreciated in full measure from publications by the leaders of the seminar (R.L. Dobrushin, V.A. Malyshev, R.A. Minlos, Ya.G. Sinai). This paper presents a review (far from complete) of the proceedings of the seminar. The emphasis is made on the fundamental definitions and most important results.     

Impact of Ni concentration on the intermetallic compound formation and brittle fracture strength of Sn–Cu–Ni (SCN) lead-free solder joints

Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn are common intermetallic compounds (IMCs) found in Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) lead-free solder joints with OSP pad finish. People typically attributed the brittle failure to excessive growth of IMCs at the interface between the solder joint and the copper pad. However, the respective role of Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn played in the interfacial fracture still remains unclear. In the present study, various amounts of Ni were doped in the Sn–Cu based solder. The different effects of Ni concentration on the growth rate of (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅/Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn were characterized and compared. The results of characterization were used to evaluate different growth rates of (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn under thermal aging. The thicknesses of (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅/Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn after different thermal aging periods were measured. High speed ball pull/shear tests were also performed. The correlation between interfacial fracture strength and IMC layer thicknesses was established.     

Ag Doping Effects on the Microstructure,Morphology, Optical,and Luminescence Properties of Sol–Gel-Deposited ZnO Thin Films

Semiconductors - A sol–gel dip-coating process is used to prepare highly c-axis-oriented thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) on glass substrates. The effects of moderate Ag doping (Ag:Zn <...     

The effect of gold doping on the threshold voltage,Hall mobility,gain, and current noise of M.O.S. transistors†

Gold doping of the silicon substrate has been used to control the threshold voltage of ‘p’ channel M.O.S. transistors. The influence of the gold doping on the Hull mobility, gain, and noise performance of the devices has been investigated.     

Effects of lanthanum and sodium on the structural,optical and hydrophilic properties of sol–gel derived ZnO films: A comparative study

The technological applications of the transparent ZnO films could be broadened via incorporation of small amounts of some special elements. In this work, the optical and surface properties of the spin coated Zn_1−xM_xO films (M=Na or La and x≤0.075) grown on glass substrates, are reported. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, all films consist of a single phase with a hexagonal structure and the ZnO crystallites are preferentially oriented towards (002) direction. The plane surface of the pure ZnO film turned to be wrinkle network structure after Na and La addition. The reflectance (R%) of the films decreased after Na doping and significantly increased with increasing La content. The optical band gap of pure ZnO is 3.26 eV and red-shifted after Na and La incorporation. The dependence of the refractive index and film's wettability on the structural and morphological changes are reported. The obtained results of these two systems are compared with those of similar materials and some expected applications are explored.     

Wetting Behavior of Ternary Au-Ge-X (X = Sb, Sn) Alloys on Cu and Ni

Au-Ge-based alloys are potential substitutes for Pb-rich solders currently used for high-temperature applications. In the present work, the wetting behavior of two Au-Ge-X (X = Sb, Sn) ternary alloys, i.e., Au-15Ge-17Sb and Au-13.7 Ge-15.3Sn (at.%), in contact with Cu and Ni substrates has been investigated. Au-13.7Ge-15.3Sn alloy showed complete wetting on both Cu and Ni substrates. Total spreading of Au-15Ge-17Sb alloy on Cu was also observed, while the final contact angle of this alloy on Ni was about 29°. Pronounced dissolution of Cu substrates into the solder alloys investigated was detected, while the formation of Ni-Ge intermetallic compounds at the interface of both solder/Ni systems suppressed the dissolution of Ni into the solder.     

Surface second harmonic generation in the characterization of anodic sulphide and oxide films on Hg1−xCdxTe (MCT)

Rotation anisotropy by second harmonic generation (SHG) is carried out on epitaxial Hg_1−xCd_xTe (MCT) and oxide- and sulphide-covered MCT surfaces and shows the fourfold symmetry pattern expected from the {100} surface (C_4v symmetry). The uneven nature of the four peaks confirm the vicinal surface obtained from the growth of the MCT on GaAs {100} substrate orientated 4° toward the 〈110〉 direction. The increase in the SH intensity observed for the oxide-covered MCT surface is associated with charge accumulation at the MCT/oxide interface since the oxide is centrosymmetric and cannot generate SH. The CdS layer on the other hand is strongly nonlinear active and generation here comes from a composite of one noncentrosymmetric layer on top of another. This leads to interactions in the observed SH arising from the coupling depths (∼40 nm) at the two interfaces and from the coherence length (∼1200 nm) in the CdS layer. The in-situ SHG measurements during the growth of the anodic oxide and sulphide layers would suggest that a species, most likely HgTe is embedded in the anodic layer during the initial stages and absorbs the SH radiation at 532 nm. The rotational anisotropy of the sulphide-covered MCT surface confirms that the CdS layer formed maintains the cubic closed pack symmetry of the underlying MCT.