Design of flat-band AlGaAs heterojunction Bragg reflectors

Bragg reflectors using periodic AlGaAs heterojunction layers can be built into a light emitting diode to reduce the absorption in the substrate, or into a laser diode to form a cavity. In this paper, a numerical model for the design of low resistance flat-band p-type or n-type graded heterojunction reflectors is presented. It computes the required doping profile to achieve a flat conduction band or valence band across a graded junction, such that the reflector will add minimum series resistance to the devices     

原位As掺杂p型碲镉汞薄膜的制备研究

非本征p 型掺杂碲镉汞材料可以有效克服少子寿命偏低等问题,提高长波和甚长波红外焦平面器件的性能。本文重点阐述了As 掺杂实现p型掺杂的基础性原理,以及其制备方法,为p-on-n碲镉汞材料器件研究提供依据。     

Si基HgCdTe变面积光伏探测器的变温特性研究

通过变面积Si基HgCdTe器件变温I-V测试和暗电流特性拟合分析,研究了不同偏压下n-on-p型Si基HgCdTe光伏器件的暗电流成分与Si基HgCdTe材料少子扩散长度和少子寿命随温度的变化规律.在液氮温度下,随着反向偏压的增大器件的表面漏电流在暗电流中所占比重逐渐增加.在零偏压下,当温度低于200 K时材料的少子...     

The minority carrier lifetime in doped and undoped p-type Hg0.78Cd0.22Te liquid phase epitaxy films

This paper will describe: (1) the first comparative study of recombination mechanisms between doped and undoped p-type Hg_1-xCd_xTe liquid phase epitaxy films with an x value of about 0.22, and (2) the first determination of τ_A7 ⁱ/τ_A1 ⁱ ratio by lifetime’s dependence on both carrier concentration and temperature. The doped films were either copper- or gold-doped with the carrier concentration ranging from 2 x 10¹⁵ to 1.5 x 10¹⁷ cm^-3, and the lifetime varied from 2 μs to 8 ns. The undoped (Hg-vacancy) films had a carrier concentration range between 3 x 10¹⁵ and 8 x 10¹⁶ cm^-3, and the lifetime changed from 150 to 3 ns. It was found that for the same carrier concentration, the doped films had lifetimes several times longer than those of the undoped films, limited mostly by Auger 7 and radiative recombination processes. The ineffectiveness of Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination process in the doped films was also demonstrated in lifetime vs temperature curves. The important ratio of intrinsic Auger 7 lifetime to intrinsic Auger 1 lifetime, τ_A7 ⁱ/τ_A1 ⁱ, was determined to be about 20 from fitting both concentration and temperature curves. The reduction of minority carrier lifetime in undoped films can be explained by an effective SRH recombination center associated with the Hg vacancy. Indeed, a donor-like SRH recombination center located at midgap (E_v+60 meV) with a capture cross section for minority carriers much larger than that for majority carriers was deduced from fitting lifetime vs temperature curves of undoped films.     

Electrical properties of manganese doped Ga1−xInxAs grown by liquid phase epitaxy

Mn-doped Ga_1?xIn_xAs crystals (0 < x < 0.25) have been grown by the LPE technique, and the doping characteristics and electrical properties of the layers have been studied by Hall measurement. The distribution coefficient of Mn has been found to depend on the substrate orientation. The acceptor enerby level is about 77 meV and is comparable to that of Mn-doped GaAs. p-n junction diodes with high InAs compositions, grown using the step grading technique, showed a diode factor of 2. Electron diffusion lengths greater than 3μm have been measured in these Mn doped layers.     

Laser beam induced current imaging of reactive ion etching induced n-type doping in HgCdTe

The nondestructive optical characterization technique of laser beam induced current (LBIC) has been used to illustrate the effects of reactive ion etching (RIE) of mid-wavelength infrared n-type HgCdTe. RIE may be used as a method of n-p junction formation, as a means of forming n⁺ ohmic contacts to wider bandgap HgCdTe, or for mesa isolation etching of epilayers for HgCdTe detectors and emitters. Along with experimental measurements of the LBIC phenomena, this paper introduces the simulation of LBIC signals using a commercial semiconductor device modeling package. A number of LBIC maps are presented for different wafer processing conditions, with the results being explained using the simulation software. The experimental and calculated results bring to light a number of previously unreported characteristics associated with the LBIC phenomena, including the effect of junction depth, temperature, and grading of the junction region. In addition to the LBIC technique confirming the presence of an n⁺ region after RIE processing, it also provides information regarding the depth of the n⁺ region and lateral extent of the doping.     

Electrical characteristics of rectifying polycrystalline silicon/silicon carbide heterojunctions

This paper presents a study of the rectifying properties of heavily doped polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) on 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC). Current properties and barrier heights were found using analysis of the heterojunction. This revealed that Schottky analysis would be valid for the large barrier height devices. Isotype and an-isotype devices were fabricated on both p-type and n-type SiC and the electrical characteristics were investigated using capacitance vs voltage measurements, current vs voltage measurements (I-V), and temperature I-V measurements. Extraction of the barrier height, built-in potential, and Richardson constant were made and then compared to theoretical values for the heterojunction. Temperature I-V measurements demonstrated that the current transport mechanism is thermionic emission, confirming the validity of the Schottky diode model. The I-V characteristics show near ideal diode rectifying behavior and the capacitance-voltage characteristics show ideal junction space charge modulation for all polysilicon/SiC combinations. These experimental results match well with heterojunction band-offset estimated barrier heights and demonstrate that the barrier height of the polysilicon/4H SiC interface may be controlled by varying the polysilicon doping type.     

Diffusion length measurements in p-HgCdTe using laser beam induced current

The minority carrier diffusion length in p-HgCdTe is a key indicator of material quality and gives an indication of n-on-p diode performance when the zero bias resistance is diffusion limited. We present results of a temperature dependent study of diffusion length in p-HgCdTe using laser beam induced current (LBIC). Carriers are collected by a p-n junction formed using standard diode junction formation conditions, and thus not necessarily extending to the substrate. Two-dimensional modeling is used to examine the validity of results obtained using this geometry, as compared to the more standard diffusion length test structure geometries, which are harder to fabricate. The temperature dependence of the diffusion length can be compared with theoretical models to determine the dominant recombination mechanisms.     

Correlation of laser-beam-induced current with current-voltage measurements in HgCdTe photodiodes

Laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) is being investigated as an alternative to electrical measurements of individual photodiodes in a two-dimensional array. This is possible because LBIC only requires two electrical contacts to an array and the two-dimensional scanning of a focused laser beam across the array to image the entire array. The measured LBIC profiles, obtained from linear arrays of HgCdTe photodiodes, will be used to study the uniformity of photodiodes in the array and to extract the R₀A of the photodiodes. It will be shown that the shape of the LBIC signal is correlated to the electrical performance of the photodiode, with R₀A related to the spreading length of the photodiodes. Linear arrays of n-on-p, mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long wave-length infrared (LWIR) devices were formed in liquid-phase epitaxy HgCdTe epilayers using a plasma junction-formation technique. The LBIC profiles were measured on each of the devices at various temperatures. For the MWIR devices, the extracted spreading length shows no correlation with R₀A. However, the LBIC signal does detect nonuniform devices within the array. For the case of the LWIR devices, the spreading length is extracted as a function of temperature, with the R₀A subsequently calculated from the spreading length. The calculated R₀A, obtained without requiring contact to each photodiode in the array, agrees well with electrical measurements. Asymmetry of the LBIC signals for certain devices in the arrays is shown to be a result of localized leakage at the photodiode junction or from the contact pads through the passivation layers. These results are confirmed by numerical modeling of the device structures.     

Electron beam-induced current investigation of GaN Schottky diode

In this article, we report the electron beam-induced current (EBIC) measurements in a GaN Schottky diode performed in the line-scan configuration. A theoretical model with an extended generation source was used to accurately extract some minority carrier transport properties of the unintentionally doped n-GaN layer. The minority hole diffusion length is found to increase from ∼0.35 μm near the junction to ∼1.74 μm at the bulk regions. This change is attributed to an increase of the carrier lifetime caused by the polarization effects, which are preponderant in this component. For depth distances exceeding 0.65 μm, it is shown that the measured current is produced by the reabsorption recombination radiation process. This corresponds to an absorption coefficient of 0.178 μm⁻¹, in good agreement with the optical absorption measurement.     

Semiconductor‐Based Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting at the Limit of Very Wide Depletion Region

In semiconductor‐based photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, carrier separation and delivery largely relies on the depletion region formed at the semiconductor/water interface. As a Schottky junction device, the trade‐off between photon collection and minority carrier delivery remains a persistent obstacle for maximizing the performance of a water splitting photoelectrode. Here, it is demonstrated that the PEC water splitting efficiency for an n‐SrTiO₃ (n‐STO) photoanode is improved very significantly despite its weak indirect band gap optical absorption (α < 10⁴ cm^?1), by widening the depletion region through engineering its doping density and profile. Graded doped n‐SrTiO₃ photoanodes are fabricated with their bulk heavily doped with oxygen vacancies but their surface lightly doped over a tunable depth of a few hundred nanometers, through a simple low temperature reoxidation technique. The graded doping profile widens the depletion region to over 500 nm, thus leading to very efficient charge carrier separation and high quantum efficiency (>70%) for the weak indirect transition. This simultaneous optimization of the light absorption, minority carrier (hole) delivery, and majority carrier (electron) transport by means of a graded doping architecture may be useful for other indirect band gap photocatalysts that suffer from a similar problem of weak optical absorption.     

Influence of dislocations on the DC characteristics of AlGaAs/GaAsheterojunction bipolar transistors

The influence of dislocations on the minority electron lifetime in p-type GaAs layers and on AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs has been investigated. The minority electron lifetime in 1×10¹⁹/cm³ doped p-GaAs decreases significantly when the dislocation density is greater than 10⁷/cm². This result agrees well with analysis of carrier transport in highly dislocated material. Current gain reduction in HBTs with high dislocation density is found to be due to two effects: reduction of the electron lifetime in the base layer and an increase of the recombination current in the emitter-base junction depletion region. These two effects are comparable in reducing the current gain     

A method for determining the emitter and base lifetimes in p-n junction diodes

A method is described that provides an experimental means for the first time to separate and determine the emitter and base lifetimes in a p-n diode after the junction has been fabricated. In the method, several static and transient measurements are analyzed using physical models of the diode characteristics. To illustrate the method, diffused silicon diodes are fabricated having substrate (base) impurity concentrations ranging from 10¹⁴to nearly 10¹⁷phosphorous atoms per cubic centimeter. The results show an emitter lifetime that is much smaller than the base lifetime in the diode having the highest base doping concentration. In this diode, the recombination current from the emitter is 65 percent of the recombination current from the base, demonstrating the significance of the emitter in governing the static current-voltage dependence. The importance of emitter recombination to the transient characteristics is also demonstrated. The paper emphasizes the techniques by which the base and emitter lifetimes are distinguished. It also demonstrates the need for carefully basing the quantitative analysis of the measurements on the underlying diode physics. The method described here applies not only to p-n diodes but also to junction solar cells and transistors.     

Passivation of HgCdTe p-n diode junction by compositionally graded HgCdTe formed by annealing in a Cd/Hg atmosphere

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is being widely used for passivating the HgCdTe p-n diode junction. Instead of CdTe, we tried a compositionally graded HgCdTe as a passivation layer that was formed by annealing an HgCdTe p-n junction in a Cd/Hg atmosphere. During annealing, Cd diffuses into HgCdTe from the Cd vapor, while Hg diffuses out from HgCdTe, forming compositionally graded HgCdTe at the surface. The Cd mole fraction at the surface was constant regardless of the annealing temperature in the range of 250–350°C. Capacitance versus voltage (C-V) curves for p-type HgCdTe that were passivated with compositionally graded HgCdTe formed by Cd/Hg annealing at 260°C showed a smaller flat-band voltage than the one passivated by thermally deposited CdTe, indicative of the better quality of the passivation. A long-wave infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe p-n junction diode passivated by compositionally graded HgCdTe showed about a one order of magnitude smaller R_dA value than the one passivated by thermally deposited CdTe, confirming the effectiveness of the compositionally graded HgCdTe as a passivant.     

HgCdTe器件中pn结结区扩展的表征方法

报道了液氮温度下激光束诱导电流(LBIC)和I-V测试两种在HgCdTe器件中pn结结区扩展的表征方法.通过LBIC和I-V测试,发现了p型HgCdTe材料中由B+离子注入成结和干法刻蚀成结对材料造成的损伤使得有效结区范围大于注入和刻蚀面积,并获得n区横向扩展.同时,通过对比,相互印证两种方法得到的测试结果一致.     

Modeling and measurement of minority-carrier lifetime versus doping in diffused layers of n+-p silicon diodes

The results of minority-carrier lifetime measurements in heavily phosphorus-doped n⁺diffused layers of p-n junction diodes using a spectral response technique are reported in this paper. Exact modeling of current-flow equations, modified to include bandgap reduction due to high carrier concentration and Auger recombination, is used to compute the dependence of diffused-layer photocurrent Jpthon the incident light energy and intensity. The photocurrent in the diffused layer is also obtained by subtracting the theoretical value of the space charge and uniformly doped p-region component from the experimentally measured photocurrent of the diode at each wavelength. Note that all calculated values based on light intensity include computed transmittance/reflectance through the oxide layer at each wavelength. The comparison of the values of Jpthwith Jpexp, using nonlinear least square techniques, then directly gives the lifetime profile in the diffused layer. A simple expression is given for lifetime as a function of doping which may be used in modeling and prediction of device performance. Using this experimental technique it was found that the lifetime in the diffused layer is an order of magnitude less than that corresponding to uniformly doped bulk-silicon values and is very much process dependent; its value being 3.72 × 10^-11s for surface concentration of 3.0 × 10²⁰cm^-3and increases to 2.9 × 10^-8s at doping concentration of 1.0 × 10¹⁷cm^-3.     

Characteristics of silicon p-n junctions formed by sodium and cesium ion bombardment

Silicon n-p junction rectifiers and photodiodes have been formed by sodium and cesium ion bombardment of acceptor doped silicon. The devices formed by this new technique are well described by present junction theory. The position of the dominant recombination centers, near the intrinsic Fermi level, and a mean carrier recombination lifetime in the depletion region may thus be deduced from the forard current-voltage characteristics. The mean recombination lifetime may be near that found in diffused junctions. Capacitance measurements indicate the presence of an effective region of nearly linear impurity grading near the junction. Reverse breakdown measurements give values consistent with this conclusion. The spectral dependence of the photodiode response is characteristic of thin junction structures.     

Simultaneous impurity doping with Zn and Se in AlGaInP by MOVPE

We studied the simultaneous doping with zinc and selenium in AlGaInP by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. We measured the dependence of zinc and selenium incorporation on substrate orientation from (100) to (311)A faces, showing that the simultaneously doped layer becomes n-type on the (100) face and p-type on the (311)A face. The simultaneously doped layer was examined by photoluminescence, capacitance-voltage, Hall, and secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis. We showed that the simultaneously doped layers have good electrical conduction characteristics and optical qualities for cladding layers in optical devices. We also demonstrated a lateral p-n junction on a patterned substrate.     

Minority carrier lifetime in doped and undoped epitaxially grown n-type CdxHg1−xTe

The performance of infrared detectors made from Cd_xHg_1-xTe (CMT) is related to the lifetime of minority carriers in the material. Both photoconductive and photovoltaic devices require long lifetimes for high performance. This paper compares lifetime measurements on epitaxially grown CMT layers which have been isothermally annealed to minimize the vacancy concentration and are n-type due to native defects, residual impurities, or deliberately added dopants. Layers grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been considered, in all cases the same measurement system was used under the same low injection conditions. All layers were of compositions required for operation in the 8 to 14 μm wavelength range. Comparisons have been made between undoped and indium doped LPE layers and undoped and iodine doped MOVPE layers. It was hoped that a deliberately introduced donor impurity would give better control of the n-type properties. The effect of passivation on the measurement of lifetime has also been considered, the results showing that a surface with a native oxide is required to obtain the true bulk lifetime as has been seen previously for bulk material.     

激光束诱导电流在HgCdTe双色探测器工艺检测中的应用

报道了激光束诱导电流（LBIC）在碲镉汞（HgCdTe）红外双色探测器工艺检测中的应用.通过LBIC测试,发现p型HgCdTe材料由B＋离子注入损伤形成的n区面积大于其注入面积,并获得n区横向的精确分布.同时,运用LBIC,获得了p型HgCdTe材料因不同能量的等离子体干法刻蚀诱导的刻蚀台面侧壁工艺损伤形成的n区横向分布,并得到了n区横向宽度与等离子体能量的关系.