Comparison of structures of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thermoelectric materials, obtained by the hot-pressing and spark plasma sintering methods

A comparative analysis of structures of compact samples of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ thermoelectric materials, obtained by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) and traditional hot-pressing methods, was performed by the X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy methods. It is shown that the spark plasma sintering method failed to obtain structure sizes smaller than the hot-pressing method. However, the sintering quality, characterized by the absence of pores and cracks, and sizes of fragments of the fractured surface, is higher at comparable temperatures in the samples obtained by the SPS-method.     

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of nonplanar autoepitaxial silicon layers

We describe a method to study the structure of semiconductor autoepitaxial layers grown in the form of closed cylinders on the external side surface of hollow cylindrical single-crystal substrates. We compare the values of dislocation density in the structure of nonplanar layers obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (measurements of rocking curves) and by the etch pit method in the [111] plane. The results of singlecrystal X-ray diffraction analysis of nonplanar autoepitaxial silicon layers are shown to be reliable.     

Calculating Dispersion of Air Pollutants in Mines

Journal of Mining Science - The reference sources on calculation of toxic gas and dust flows in systems of mine roadways are reviewed. It is shown that the calculation should take into account...     

Studies of deep centers in dilute GaAsN and InGaAsN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Deep levels spectra DLTS, 77 K photoluminescence (PL) spectra and photosensitivity were measured for GaAsN and InGaAsN films with low N and In concentration grown by molecular beam epitaxy and in GaAs films grown on GaAsN buffer. It is shown that the bandedge luminescence intensity is greatly decreased in GaAsN, GaAs/GaAsN and particularly in InGaAsN structures compared to the homoepitaxial GaAs. Comparison of the DLTS and PL spectra strongly suggests that the main recombination center in such films is the EL3-like electron trap whose concentration greatly increases upon In and N incorporation into the solid solution. Based on published results the trap is associated with substitutional oxygen on As site and the results are discussed in view of such possible assignment.     

Interface properties and deep levels in InGaAsN/GaAs and GaAsN/GaAs heterojunctions

Interface properties of dilute slightly lattice mismatched GaAsN/GaAs (0.35 at.% N) and closely lattice matched InGaAsN (1 at.% In, 0.35 at.% N) heterojunctions (HJs) were studied by means of capacitance–voltage profiling, deep levels transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and current–voltage measurements. It is found that the lattice matched HJs show no electrical breakdown when the space charge region crosses the interface. The carrier concentration profiles in such HJ show, as expected, the accumulation region on the low-bandgap side and the depletion region on the high-bandgap side of the HJ. This is not the case for the GaAsN/GaAs (GaAsN layer on top) and the GaAs/GaAsN (GaAs layer on top) HJ. The density of deep traps in GaAsN, InGaAsN films and in GaAs films grown on GaAsN underlayers was very much higher than in epitaxial GaAs films. The dominant deep centers were the EL6 and the EL3 electron traps. The interface regions of the GaAs/GaAsN and the InGaAsN/GaAs HJs were shown to be enriched by EL3 traps, while for the GaAsN/GaAs HJ those regions were enriched by EL6 traps which was associated with the former films being Ga-rich and thus facilitating incorporation of oxygen on As sites.