Minority-carrier transport parameters in degenerate n-type silicon

Direct measurements of the minority-hole transport parameters in degenerate n-type silicon were done by analyzing transient photocurrent in the frequency domain. Minority-hole mobility is found to increase with doping for dopings larger than 4×10¹⁹ cm^-3 . The ratio of minority-hole to majority-hole mobility is found to be about 2.8 at N_D=7.2×10¹⁹ cm^-3. The measured lifetime shows a strongly Auger-dependent mechanism. The extracted Auger coefficient at 296 K is C_n =2.22×10^-31 cm⁶-s^-1, and is in agreement with that reported on other works. Self-consistent checking is used to validate the accuracy of the measured results     

A semi-empirical model for the field-effect mobility ofhydrogenated polycrystalline-silicon MOSFETs

The quantitative relationship between field-effect mobility (μ _FE) and grain-boundary trap-state density (N_t ) in hydrogenated polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) MOSFETs is investigated. The focus is on the field-effect mobility in MOSFETs with N_t 1×10² cm^-2. It is found that reducing N_t to as low as 5×10¹¹ cm^-2 has a great impact on μ_FE. MOSFETs with the N_t of 4.2×10¹¹ cm^-2 show an electron mobility of 185 cm²/V-s, despite a mean grain size of 0.5 μm. The three principal factors that determine μ_FE, namely, the low-field mobility, the mobility degradation factor, and the trap-state density N_t are clarified     

Diffusion and noise in GaAs material and devices

The variation of the diffusion coefficient D(E) versus the electric field strength E is determined at 300 K in n-type GaAs (N_D=3×10^-17 cm^-3 ), using pulsed high-frequency noise measurements. D(E) is found to increase slightly at low field, then to decrease down to one tenth of its ohmic value near the threshold field. Long (⩾4 μm) real n⁺-n-n⁺ Gunn diodes, with an arbitrary doping profile, can be modeled. Comparisons are made, and excellent agreement is found, between experimental and theoretical characteristics of two real diodes, with notch and with gradual doping profiles. The doping profile N_D(x ) is shown to have a considerable influence on the diode behavior, in regard to the electric field profile as well as the noise characteristics. Using the impedance field method, the noise current is modeled and found to by very sensitive in the D(E) variation law, in particular in the range of 2.5-4 kV/cm. The agreement between the experimental noise and the computed noise of real diodes is quite satisfactory when using the D(E) determined     

Reduction of oxide charge and interface-trap density in MOScapacitors with ITO gates

The electrical properties of MOS capacitors with an indium tin oxide (ITO) gate are studied in terms of the number density of the fixed oxide charge and of the interface traps N_f and N _it, respectively. Both depend on the deposition conditions of ITO and the subsequent annealing procedures. The fixed oxide charge and the interface-trap density are minimized by depositing at a substrate temperature of 240°C at low power conditions and in an oxygen-rich ambient. Under these conditions, as-deposited ITO films are electrically conductive. The most effective annealing procedure consists of a two-step anneal: a 45-s rapid thermal anneal at 950°C in N₂, followed by a 30 min anneal in N₂/20% H₂ at 450°C. Typical values obtained for N_it and N_f are 4.2×10¹⁰ cm^-2 and 2.8×10¹⁰ cm^-2, respectively. These values are further reduced to 1.9×10¹⁰ cm^-2 and ≲5×10⁹ cm^-2, respectively, by depositing approximately 25 nm polycrystalline silicon on the gate insulation prior to the deposition of ITO     

GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well, long-wavelength infra-red (LWIR) detectorwith a detectivity comparable to HgCdTe

The authors achieved the first high responsitivity R_v=30000 V/W, high detectivity D*=1×10¹⁰ cm √(Hz)/W GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum-well superlattice detector which is sensitive in the long wavelength infra-red (LWIR) spectral region. This detector operates at λ=8.3 μm and at a temperature of T=77 K     

Bulk and surface properties of amorphous hydrogenated fluorinatedsilicon grown from SiF4 and H2

A detailed study of the growth of amorphous hydrogenated fluorinated silicon (a-Si:H, F) from a DC glow discharge in SiF₄ and H₂ is discussed. The electrical properties of the films can be varied over a very wide range. The bulk properties of the best films that were measured included an Urbach energy E_u =43 meV, a deep-level defect density N_s=1.5×10¹⁵ cm^-3, and a hole drift mobility of 8×10^-3 cm² V^-1 s^-1, which reflects a characteristic valence band energy of 36 meV. It was found that E_u, N _s, and the density of surface states N_ss are related to each other. Under the deposition condition of the films with the best bulk properties, N_ss reaches its highest value of 1×10¹⁴ cm^-2. It is suggested that in growth from SiF₄/H₂, the density of dangling bonds at the growing surface is very sensitive to the deposition conditions     

Minority-carrier transport parameters in n-type silicon

Minority-carrier diffusion length L, lifetime τ, and diffusion coefficient D in n-type Si are measured at 296 K in the doping range from 10¹⁸ cm^-3 to 7×10¹⁹ cm^-3. The measurement is based on a lateral collection of carriers generated by a spatially uniform light. The distance between the illumination edge and the collection junction is defined by photolithography. This allows simultaneous and independent determination of all transport parameters in the same material. A self-consistency and accuracy check is provided by the relation L ²=Dτ. Details of experimental procedures are described. Empirical best-fit relations for the three parameters are given. The extraction of lifetime and diffusion coefficient was done in the frequency domain, which allows for straightforward elimination of parasitic effects in the nanosecond and subnanosecond range     

Polysilicon emitter p-n-p transistors

In-situ boron-doped polysilicon has been used to form the emitter in p-n-p transistors. Various polysilicon deposition conditions, interface preparation treatments prior to deposition, and post-deposition anneals were investigated. Unannealed devices lacking a deliberately grown interfacial oxide gave effective emitter Gummel numbers G_E of 7-9×10^-12s cm^-4 combined with emitter resistances R_E of approximately 8 μΩcm². Introduction of a chemically grown interfacial oxide increased G_E to 2×10 ¹⁴s cm^-4, but also raised R_E by a factor of three. Annealing at 900°C following polysilicon deposition raised G_E values for transistors lacking deliberate interfacial oxide to approximately 6×10¹³s cm^-4, but had little effect of G_E for devices with interfacial oxide. Both types of annealed devices gave R_E values in the range 1-2 μΩcm²     

The sublinear relationship between index change and carrier densityin 1.5 and 1.3 μm semiconductor lasers

The carrier-induced index change was measured using a novel injection-reflection technique in combination with differential carrier lifetime data. The observed relation between index change and injected carrier density at bandgap wavelength is nonlinear and is approximately given by δn_act=-6.1×10^-14 ( N)^0.66 for a 1.5-μm laser and δn _act=-1.3×10^-14 (N)^0.68 for a 1.3-μm laser. The carrier-induced index change for a 1.3-μm laser at 1.53-μm wavelength is smaller and is given by δn _act=-9.2×10^-16 (N)^0.72      

Comments, with reply, on `Impact ionization in GaAs MESFETs' by K.Hui, et al

In the above-named work (see ibid., vol.11, p.113-15, March 1990), Hui et al. proposed a method to measure impact ionization current in GaAs MESFETs and evaluated the impact ionization coefficient α_n in GaAs. For electric fields greater than approximately 1.5×10⁵ V-cm^-1, α_n can be fitted to the equation α_n=4.0×10 ⁶×exp (-2.3×10⁶/E). In the present work, the commenters performed careful measurements of gate current I_g in GaAs MESFET devices similar to those used by Hui et al., and they show that the ionization coefficient still fits the above equation down to α_n=10^-4 cm^-1 . These results extend the previous data by three orders of magnitude. In a reply, the original authors affirm that the commenters have significantly improved the accuracy of the data previously presented     

Emission cross sections and spectroscopy of Ho3+ laserchannels in KGd(WO4)2 single crystal

The spectroscopic properties of Ho³⁺ laser channels in KGd(WO₄)₂ crystals have been investigated using optical absorption, photoluminescence, and lifetime measurements. The radiative lifetimes of Ho³⁺ have been calculated through a Judd-Ofelt (JO) formalism using 300-K optical absorption results. The JO parameters obtained were Ω₂=15.35×10^-20 cm², Ω ₄=3.79×10^-20 cm², Ω₆ =1.69×10^-20 cm². The 7-300-K lifetimes obtained in diluted (8·10¹⁸ cm^-3) KGW:0.1% Ho samples are: τ(⁵F₃)≈0.9 μs, τ( ⁵S₂)=19-3.6 μs, and τ(⁵F₅ )≈1.1 μs. For Ho concentrations below 1.5×10²⁰ cm^-3, multiphonon emission is the main source of non radiative losses, and the temperature independent multiphonon probability in KGW is found to follow the energy gap law τ_ph ^-1(0)=βexp(-αΔE), where β=1.4×10^-7 s^-1, and α=1.4×10³ cm. Above this holmium concentration, energy transfer between Ho impurities also contributes to the losses. The spectral distributions of the Ho³⁺ emission cross section σ_EM for several laser channels are calculated in σ- and π-polarized configurations. The peak a σ_EM values achieved for transitions to the ⁵I₈ level are ≈2×10^-20 cm² in the σ-polarized configuration, and three main lasing peaks at 2.02, 2.05, and 2.07 μm are envisaged inside the ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ channel     

Reduction of the current gain of the n-p-n transistor component ofa thyristor due to the doping concentration of the p-base

The reduction of the current amplification factor of a wide-base transistor, with growing doping concentration in the base region, is investigated. A method for the determination of the minority-carrier lifetime τ_n in the base region and the emitter Gummel number G_e is developed. The method is based on transistor structures differing only in the base width. It was found that the lifetime τ_n decreases according to the power law τ_n~N^-0.45_A. This result is analyzed for different recombination processes. Good agreement is obtained if shallow impurities acting as recombination centers are assumed. The injection-limited current gain β_γ decreases significantly with an increase in the total number of the doping concentration of the base, reaches a broad maximum, and then falls slowly. The maximum value of G_e is found to be 1.1×10¹⁴ cm^-4-s in good agreement with theoretical results. Finally, the contribution of the injection efficiency γ and the transport factor α_T to the current gain α are determined. It is found that α is limited mainly by the injection efficiency γ     

Electron transport in 0.15-μm gate In0.52Al0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As HEMT

Magneto-transport and cyclotron resonance measurements were made to determine directly the density, mobility, and the effective mass of the charge carriers in a high-performance 0.15-μm gate In_0.52 Al_0.48As/In_0.53Ga_0.47As high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) at low temperatures. At the gate voltage V_G=0 V, the carrier density n _g under the gate is 9×10¹¹ cm^-2, while outside of the gate region n_g=2.1×10¹² cm^-2. The mobility under the gate at 4.2 K is as low as 400 cm²/V-s when V_G<0.1 V and rapidly approaches 11000 cm²/V-s when V_G>0.1 V. The existence of this high mobility threshold is crucial to the operation of the device and sets its high-performance region in V_G>0.1 V     

The influence of the film-substrate interface on the defect densityand other properties of sputter-deposited amorphous hydrogenated silicon

The properties of sputter-deposited amorphous hydrogenated silicon have been found to vary considerably as a function of the film thickness for d<1 μm. This behavior can be interpreted as follows. The defect density decreases exponentially from 2×10¹⁷ cm^-3 at the substrate interface to values below 10¹⁶ cm^-3 in the bulk. A corresponding change in the Urbach energy E₀ indicates that structural inhomogeneities are the reason for the change of the density of states. As a consequence, the ημτ product drops by four orders of magnitude from 1 to 0.01 μm. With electron spin resonance measurements, additional defects that are directly located at the interface are detected. These additional defects might be caused by the creation of a-Si dangling bond-like defects on the surface of the SiO ₂ substrate due to the sputter process     

Yttrium oxide/silicon dioxide: a new dielectric structure forVLSI/ULSI circuits

Electrical characteristics of Al/yttrium oxide (~260 Å)/silicon dioxide (~40 Å)/Si and Al/yttrium oxide (~260 Å)/Si structures are described. The Al/Y₂O₃/SiO₂/Si (MYOS) and Al/Y₂ O₃/Si (MYS) capacitors show very well-behaved I-V characteristics with leakage current density <10^-10 A/cm² at 5 V. High-frequency C- V and quasistatic C-V characteristics show very little hysteresis for bias ramp rate ranging from 10 to 100 mV/s. The average interface charge density (Q_f+Q _it) is ~6×10¹¹/cm² and interface state density D_it is ~10¹¹ cm^-2-eV^-1 near the middle of the bandgap of silicon. The accumulation capacitance of this dielectric does not show an appreciable frequency dependence for frequencies varying from 10 kHz to 10 MHz. These electrical characteristics and dielectric constant of ~17-20 for yttrium oxide on SiO₂/Si make it a variable dielectric for DRAM storage capacitors and for decoupling capacitors for on-chip and off-chip applications     

Electrical properties of Si p+-n junctions for sub-0.25μm CMOS fabricated by Ga FIB implantation

p⁺-n junction diodes for sub-0.25-μm CMOS circuits were fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) Ga implantation into n-Si (100) substrates with background doping of N_b=(5-10)×10 ¹⁵ and N_b⁺=(1-10)×10¹⁷ cm^-3. Implant energy was varied from 2 to 50 keV at doses ranging from 1×10¹³ to 1×10¹⁵ cm^-2 with different scan speeds. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was performed at either 600 °C or 700°C for 30 s. Diodes fabricated on N_b⁺ with 10-keV Ga⁺ exhibited a leakage current (^I_R) 100× smaller than those fabricated with 50-keV Ga⁺. Tunneling was determined to be the major current transport mechanism for the diodes fabricated on N_b⁺ substrates. An optimal condition for I_R on N_b⁺ substrates was obtained at 15 keV/1×10¹⁵ cm^-2. Diodes annealed at 600°C were found to have an I_R 1000× smaller than those annealed at 700°C. I-V characteristics of diodes fabricated on N_b substrates with low-energy Ga⁺ showed no implant energy dependence. I-V characteristics were also measured as a function of temperature from 25 to 200°C. For diodes implanted with 15-keV Ga ⁺, the cross-over temperatures between I_diff and I_g-r occurred at 106°C for N_b ⁺ and at 91°C for N_b substrates     

Electrical characterisation of Si-dopedGaAs0.5Sb0.5 on InP grown by molecular beamepitaxy

Between the growth temperatures of 490-520°C Si-doped GaAs_0.5Sb_0.5 changes from 1×10¹⁷ cm^-3 n-type to 2×10¹⁷ cm^-3 p-type. The scattering mechanisms of the n and p-type epilayers are investigated. The reproducibility and potential applications of the observed conduction type change are demonstrated by the fabrication of a pn diode     

Molecular-beam growth of homoepitaxial InSb photovoltaic detectors

Molecular-beam epitaxy has been used for the first time to fabricate np junctions in InSb grown onto p-type InSb (100) substrates. Diodes formed by the epitaxial growth of a silicon-doped layer on undoped homoepitaxial material exhibited a bulk generation-recombination-limited R₀A value of 10⁵ Ω cm² and D_λpk * of 3×10¹² cm Hz^1/2 W^-1 at liquid nitrogen temperature     

The inductance matrix of a multiconductor transmission line inmultiple magnetic media

A simple relationship between the inductance matrix and the auxiliary capacitance matrix is given. For a multiconductor transmission line consisting of N_c conducting cylinders in inhomogeneous media consisting of N_d homogeneous regions with permeabilities μ_i and permittivities ϵ _i, the inductance matrix [L] for the line is obtained by solving the magnetostatic problem of N_c conductors in N_d regions with permeabilities μ _i. The capacitance matrix [C] for the line is obtained by solving the electrostatic problem of N_c conductors in N_d regions with permittivities ϵ _i. It is shown that [L]=μ₀ϵ₀[C^'] ^-1, where [C^'] is the capacitance matrix of an auxiliary electrostatic problem of N_c conductors in N_d regions with relative permittivities set equal to the reciprocals of the relative permeabilities of the magnetostatic problem, i.e. ϵ^' _i/ϵ₀=μ₀/μ_i     

Doubly strainedIn0.41Al0.59As/n+-In0.65Ga0.35As HFET with high breakdown voltage

An In_0.41Al_0.59As/n⁺-In_0.65 Ga_0.35As HFET on InP was designed and fabricated, using the following methodology to enhance device breakdown: a quantum-well channel to introduce electron quantization and increase the effective channel bandgap, a strained In_0.41Al_0.59As insulator, and the elimination of parasitic mesa-sidewall gate leakage. The In_0.65Ga_0.35As channel is optimally doped to N_D=6×10¹⁸ cm^-3. The resulting device (L_g=1.9 μm, W_g =200 μm) has f_t=14.9 GHz, f_max in the range of 85 to 101 GHz, MSG=17.6 dB at 12 GHz V_B=12.8 V, and I_D(max)=302 mA/mm. This structure offers the promise of high-voltage applications at high frequencies on InP