In situ nanoscale refinement by highly controllable etching of the(111) silicon crystal plane and its influence on the enhanced electrical property of a silicon nanowire

Nanoscale refinement on a(100) oriented silicon-on-insulator(SOI) wafer was introduced by using tetra-methyl-ammonium hydroxide(TMAH,25 wt%) anisotropic silicon etchant,with temperature kept at 50℃to achieve precise etching of the(111) crystal plane.Specifically for a silicon nanowire(SiNW) with oxide sidewall protection,the in situ TMAH process enabled effective size reduction in both lateral(2.3 nm/min) and vertical (1.7 nm/min) dimensions.A sub-50 nm SiNW with a length of microns with uniform triangular cross-section was achieved accordingly,yielding enhanced field effect transistor(FET) characteristics in comparison with its 100 nm-wide pre-refining counterpart,which demonstrated the feasibility of this highly controllable refinement process. Detailed examination revealed that the high surface quality ofthe(111) plane,as well as the bulk depletion property should be the causes of this electrical enhancement,which implies the great potential of the as-made cost-effective SiNW FET device in many fields.     

Optical and electrical properties of porous silicon layer formed on the textured surface by electrochemical etching

Porous silicon (PS) layers were formed on textured crystalline silicon by electrochemical etching in HF-based electrolyte. Optical and electrical properties of the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation are studied. Moreover, the influences of the initial structures and the anodizing time on the optical and electrical properties of the surfaces after PS formation are investigated. The results show that the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation present a dramatic decrease of reflectance. The longer is the anodizing time, the lower is the reflectance. Moreover, an initial surface with bigger pyramids achieved lower reflectance in short wavelength range. A minimum reflectance of 3.86 % at 460 nm is achieved for a short anodizing time of 2 min. Furthermore, the reflectance spectrum of the sample, which was etched in 3 vol.% TMAH for 25 min and then anodized for 20 min, is extremely flat and lies between 3.67% and 6.15% in the wavelength range from 400 to 1040 nm. In addition, for a short anodizing time, a slight increase in the effective carrier lifetime is observed. Our results indicate that PS layers formed on a TMAH textured surface for a short anodization treatment can be used as both broadband antireflection coatings and passivation layers for the application in solar cells.     

Optical and electrical properties of porous silicon layer formed on the textured surface by electrochemical etching

Porous silicon(PS) layers were formed on textured crystalline silicon by electrochemical etching in HF-based electrolyte.Optical and electrical properties of the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation are studied. Moreover,the influences of the initial structures and the anodizing time on the optical and electrical properties of the surfaces after PS formation are investigated.The results show that the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation present a dramatic decrease in reflectance.The longer the anodizing time is,the lower the reflectance.Moreover,an initial surface with bigger pyramids achieved lower reflectance in a short wavelength range.A minimum reflectance of 3.86%at 460 nm is achieved for a short anodizing time of 2 min.Furthermore,the reflectance spectrum of the sample,which was etched in 3 vol.%TMAH for 25 min and then anodized for 20 min,is extremely flat and lies between 3.67%and 6.15%in the wavelength range from 400 to 1040 nm.In addition,for a short anodizing time,a slight increase in the effective carrier lifetime is observed.Our results indicate that PS layers formed on a TMAH textured surface for a short anodization treatment can be used as both broadband antireflection coatings and passivation layers for the application in solar cells.     

Texturization of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells in TMAH without the addition of surfactant

Texturization of mono-crystalline silicon solar cell by chemical anisotropic etching is still a key issue due to metal ions contamination and consumption of large amount of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in a conventional mixture of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and IPA. In this study, etching was performed on (100) silicon wafers using silicon-dissolved tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solutions without addition of surfactant. Experiments were carried out in different TMAH concentration solutions at different temperatures for different etching time. The surface phenomena, etching rates, surface morphology and surface reflectance have been analyzed. Experimental results show that the resulted surface covered with uniform pyramids can be realized due to small changes of etching rates during the etching process. The etching mechanism has been explained basing on the experimental results and the theoretical considerations. It was suggested that all the components in the TMAH solutions play important roles in the etching process. Moreover, TMA+ ions may increase the wettability of the textured surface. A good textured surface can be obtained on conditions that the absorption of OH- /H2O is equilibrium with that of TMA+/SiO2(OH)22-.     

利用硅纳米线测量悬臂梁结构应力方法的研究

A silicon（SiNW） nanowire device,made by the bottom-up method,has been assembled in a MEMS device for measuring stress in cantilevers.The process for assembling a SiNW on a cantilever has been introduced.The current as a function of the voltage applied to a SiNW have been measured,and the different resistances before and after cantilever releasing have been observed.A parameter,η,has been derived based on the resistances.For a fixed sample,a linear relationship between η and the stress in the cantilever has been observed;and,so,it has been demonstrated that the resistance of SiNW can reflect the variation of the cantilever stress.     

Texturization of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells in TMAH without the addition of surfactant

Etching was performed on(100) silicon wafers using silicon-dissolved tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solutions without the addition of surfactant.Experiments were carried out in different TMAH concentrations at different temperatures for different etching times.The surface phenomena,etching rates,surface morphology and surface reflectance were analyzed.Experimental results show that the resulting surface covered with uniform pyramids can be realized with a small change in etching rates during the et...     

Silicon cuboid nanoantenna with simultaneous large Purcell factor for electric dipole,magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole emission

The Purcell effect is commonly used to increase the spontaneous emission rate by modifying the local environment of a light emitter.Here,we propose a silicon dielectric cuboid nanoantenna for simultaneously enhancing electric dipole(ED),magnetic dipole(MD)and electric quadrupole(EQ)emission.We study the scattering cross section,polarization charge distribution,and electromagnetic field distribution for electromagnetic plane wave illuminating the silicon dielectric cuboid nanoantenna,from which we have identified simultaneous existence of ED,MD and EQ resonance modes in this nanoantenna.We have calculated the Purcell factor of ED,MD and EQ emitters with different moment orientations as a function of radiation wavelength by placing these point radiation source within the nanoantenna,respectively.We find that the resonances wavelengths of the Purcell factor spectrum are matching with the resonance modes in the nanoan-tenna.Moreover,the maximum Purcell factor of these ED,MD and EQ emitters is 18,150 and 118 respectively,occur-ring at the resonance wavelength of 475,750,and 562 nm,respectively,all within the visible range.The polarization charge distribution features allow us to clarify the excitation and radiation of these resonance modes as the physical ori-gin of large Purcell factor simultaneously occurring in this silicon cuboid nanoantenna.Our theoretical results might help to deeply explore and design the dielectric nanoantenna as an ideal candidate to enhance ED,MD and EQ emission simultaneously with very small loss in the visible range,which is superior than the more popular scheme of plasmonic nanoantenna.     

硅通孔中含有加速剂的电镀铜仿真

Filling high aspect ratio through silicon vias(TSVs) without voids and seams by copper plating is one of the technical challenges for 3D integration. Bottom-up copper plating is an effective solution for TSV filling. In this paper, a new numerical model was developed to simulate the electrochemical deposition(ECD) process, and the influence of an accelerator in the electrolyte was investigated. The arbitrary Lagrange-Eulerian(ALE) method for solving moving boundaries in the finite element method(FEM) was used to simulate the electrochemical process. In the model, diffusion coefficient and adsorption coefficient were considered, and then the time-resolved evolution of electroplating profiles was simulated with ion concentration distribution and the electric current density.     

A Mach-Zehnder interferometer electro-optic switch with ultralow voltage-length product using poled-polymer/ silicon slot waveguide

By using poled-polymer/silicon slot waveguides in the active region and the Pockels effect of the poled-polymer, we propose a kind of Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) electro-optic (EO) switch operated at 1 550 nm. Structural parameters are optimized for realizing normal switching function. Dependencies of switching characteristics on the slot waveguide parameters are investigated. For the silicon strip with dimension of 170 nm×300 nm, as the slot width varies from 50 nm to 100 nm, the switching voltage can be as low as 1.0 V with active region length of only 0.17–0.35 mm, and the length of the whole device is only about 770–950 μm. The voltage-length product of this switching structure is only 0.17–0.35 V.mm, and it is at least 19–40 times smaller than that of the traditional polymer MZI EO switch, which is 6.69 V.mm. Compared with our previously reported MZI EO switches, this switch exhibits some superior characteristics, including low switching voltage, compact device size and small wavelength dependency.     

Reactive Ion Etching of ITO Transparent Electrode of TFT—AMLCD in Ar／CF4 Plasma

Ｔhe pattern of ITO transparent electrode of pixel cells in TFTAMLCD is a critical step in the manufacturing process of flat panel display devices,the development of suitable plasma reactive ion etching is necessary to achieve high resolution display.In this work we investigated the Ar/CF4 plasma etching of ITO as function of different parameters.We demonstrated the ability of this plasma to etch ITO and achieved an etching rate of about 3.73nm/min,which is expected to increase for long pumping down period,and also through addition of hydrogen in the plasma.Furthermore we described the ITO etching mechanism in Ar/CF4 plasma.The investigation of selectivity showed to be very low over silicon nitride and silicon dioxide but very high over aluminum.     

Comparison of the radiation hardness of silicon and silicon carbide

The radiation hardness of silicon carbide and silicon are compared. It is shown that one of the main characteristics of the radiation hardness of a semiconductor, the carrier removal rate V _d , strongly depends on its measurement conditions in the case of wide-gap semiconductors. A conclusion is made that comparison of the values of V _d , obtained at room temperature for SiC and Si, is not fully adequate from the physical standpoint.     

Anisotropy of the solid-state epitaxy of silicon carbide in silicon

A new method for the solid-state synthesis of epitaxial layers is developed, in which a substrate participates in the chemical reaction and the reaction product grows not on the substrate surface, as in traditional epitaxial methods, but inside the substrate. This method offers new opportunities for elastic-energy relaxation due to a mechanism operating only in anisotropic media, specifically, the attraction of point defects formed during the chemical reaction. The attracting point centers of dilatation form relatively stable objects, dilatation dipoles, which significantly reduce the total elastic energy. It is shown that, in crystals with cubic symmetry, the most favorable arrangement of dipoles is the 〈111〉 direction. The theory is tested by growing silicon carbide (SiC) films on Si (111) substrates by chemical reaction with carbon monoxide CO. High-quality single-crystal SiC-4H films with thicknesses of up to 100 nm are grown on Si (111). Ellipsometric analysis showed that the optical constants of the SiC-4H films are significantly anisotropic. This is caused not only by the lattice hexagonality but also by a small amount (about 2–6%) of carbon atoms remaining in the film due to dilatation dipoles. It is shown that the optical constants of the carbon impurity correspond to strongly anisotropic highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.     

Beyond the silicon roadmap [silicon laser cooling]

We have first developed an all-solid-state 252 nm coherent light source for laser cooling of silicon atoms. This can give an impetus to research into the manipulation of the atomic motion of silicon atoms toward nanoprocess applications. Therefore, we developed an experimental setup for silicon atom manipulation. It was found that a high-quality silicon atomic beam, useful for nanoprocess applications, is obtainable with manipulation using the coherent light source in the system. With this unique apparatus, we continue the challenge to demonstrate the spatial design of nuclear spins of the family of isotopes with laser cooling of Si.     

Anodic nitridation of silicon and silicon dioxide

Anodic nitridation of Si wafers and SiO2films in an ammonia plasma was investigated. Compositions of the anodic nitride and the anodic nitrided-oxide films were analyzed with Auger electron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering techniques. The etching and oxidation behavior as well as the interfacial, electrical conduction, and charge trapping properties were studied.     

Photoelectric characteristics of silicon carbide–silicon structures grown by the atomic substitution method in a silicon crystal lattice

Data obtained in an experimental study of the photoelectric characteristics of silicon–silicon carbide structures grown by the atomic substitution method on silicon (100) and (111) substrates are presented. It is found that the maximum sunlight conversion efficiency of a silicon–silicon carbide (silicon carbide–silicon) heterojunction is 5.4%. The theory of dilatation dipole formation upon synthesis by the atomic substitution method is used to account for the mechanism of electrical barrier formation at the silicon–silicon carbide interface.     

Using the temperature-dependent photovoltage to investigate porous silicon/silicon structures

Structures based on porous silicon por-Si/p-Si, both freshly prepared by chemical etching and aged, exhibit a temperature-dependent photovoltage at high levels of electron-hole pair generation by pulse trains of red and white light. These structures are investigated by measuring this photovoltage, which is shown to consist of two components: a photovoltage generated in p-Si, and an oppositely directed photovoltage that appears in por-Si, characterized by trapping of nonequilibrium holes at the surface of por-Si nanocrystals during the period of illumination by the first pulse of white light. For aged structures capture of electrons in the oxide of the por-Si is also observed. The concentration of interface electronic states and electron traps at the interface of p-Si with por-Si is determined by measuring the photovoltage induced by pulses of red light. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 33, 1330–1333 (November 1999)     

Changes in properties of a 〈porous silicon〉/silicon system during gradual etching off of the porous silicon layer

Scanning electron microscopy has shown etching of a porous silicon layer in an HF solution to be irregular. The intensity of porous silicon photoluminescence significantly decreases during gradual etching off, and its peak initially shifts to shorter and then to longer wavelengths. Under red-light pulse excitation, photo-voltage measurements have shown that the boundary potential ?_s of the p-Si substrate is positive, and ?_s grows with the etching time and as the temperature decreases from 300 to 200 K. At T<230 K, the photomemory of ?_s caused by nonequilibrium electron capture by p-Si boundary traps is observed. The concentration of shallow traps and boundary electron states in p-Si increases as porous silicon is etched. At T<180 K, the system of boundary electron states is rearranged. Photovoltage measurements with white-light pulses have revealed electron capture at oxide traps of aged porous silicon.     

Influence of oxygen on the ion-beam synthesis of silicon carbide buried layers in silicon

The properties of silicon structures with silicon carbide (SiC) buried layers produced by high-dose carbon implantation followed by a high-temperature anneal are investigated by Raman and infrared spectroscopy. The influence of the coimplantation of oxygen on the features of SiC buried layer formation is also studied. It is shown that in identical implantation and post-implantation annealing regimes a SiC buried layer forms more efficiently in CZ Si wafers or in Si (CZ or FZ) subjected to the coimplantation of oxygen. Thus, oxygen promotes SiC layer formation as a result of the formation of SiO_x precipitates and accommodation of the volume change in the region where the SiC phase forms. Carbon segregation and the formation of an amorphous carbon film on the SiC grain boundaries are also discovered. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 32, 1414–1419 (December 1998)     

Improved implementation of the silicon cochlea

The original `Analog electronic cochlea' of R.F. Lyon and C.A. Mead (Trans. Acoust., Speech, Signal Processing, vol.36, no.7, p.1119-34, 1988) used a cascade of second-order filter sections in subthreshold analog VLSI to implement a low-power, real-time model of early auditory processing. Experience with many silicon-cochlea chips has allowed the identification of a number of important design issues, namely dynamic range, stability, device mismatch, and compactness. In this, paper, the original design is discussed in light of these issues, and circuit and layout techniques are described which significantly improve its performance, robustness, and efficiency. Measurements from test chips verify the improved performance