Strain modification in epitaxial 2H-AlN layers on 3C-SiC/Si(111) pseudo-substrates

Optical measurements are used to investigate the crystalline quality and the stress in thin AlN layers; these thin films are grown on cubic silicon carbide layers which are in turn grown on silicon (111) substrates. Different Ge amounts were deposited at the silicon substrate in order to reduce the lattice parameters mismatch between Si and SiC grown layers. The residual stress of the hexagonal AlN layers is derived from the phonon frequency shifts of the E₁(TO) phonon mode. The crystalline quality of AlN films is investigated by considering the intensity of E₁(TO) mode of the 2H-AlN and its full width of the half maximum (FWHM). Ge deposition at low temperature 325 °C, before the carbonization process leads to an improved crystalline quality and a reduced residual stress in the AlN/SiC/Si heterostructures. The best crystalline quality and the lowest stress value are found in the case where 1ML Ge amount was predeposited. The E₁(TO) mode, phonon frequency shifts-down by 3 cm^? 1/GPa with respect to an unstrained layer. The obtained values for the phonon deformation are in reasonable agreement with theoretical calculations.     

Localized Collection of Airborne Analytes: A Transport Driven Approach to Improve the Response Time of Existing Gas Sensor Designs

The detection of single binding has been a recent trend in sensor research introducing various sensor designs where the active sensing elements are nanoscopic in size. Currently, transport and collection of airborne analytes for gas sensors is either diffusion based or non‐localized and it becomes increasingly unlikely for analytes to interact with sensing structures where the active area is shrunk, trading an increased sensitivity with a slow response time. This report introduces a corona discharge based analyte charging method and an electrodynamic nanolens based analyte concentration concept to effectively transport airborne analytes to sensing points to improve the response time of existing gas sensor designs. Localized collection of analytes over a wide range, including microscopic particles, nanoparticles, and small molecules, is demonstrated. In all cases, the collection rate is several orders of magnitudes higher than in the case where the collection is driven by diffusion. The collection scheme is integrated on an existing SERS (surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy) based sensor. In terms of response time, the process is able to detect analytes at 9 ppm (parts per million) within 1 s. As a comparison, 1 h is required to reach the same signal level when diffusion‐only‐transport is used.     

High-temperature high-dose implantation of N+ and Al+ ions in 6H-SiC

A series of experimental and theoretical investigations has been initiated for 6H-SiC samples sequentially implanted with high doses of N⁺(65 keV) + N⁺(120 keV)+Al⁺(100 keV)+Al⁺(160 keV) ions at temperatures between 200 and 800 °C. Nitrogen and carbon distribution profiles are measured by ERD and structural defect distributions are measured by Rutherford backscattering with channeling. A comparison between the experimental data and the results of computer simulation yields a physical model to describe the relaxation processes of the implanted SiC structure, where the entire implanted volume is divided into regions of different depth, having different guiding kinetics mechanisms. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 23, 6–14 (August 26, 1997)     

Transport properties of graphene films grown by thermodestruction of SiC (0001) surface in argon medium

We present the results of investigations of the transport properties of graphene films obtained by thermodestruction of a 4H-SiC (0001) surface in argon. The charge-carrier concentration in the graphene layer was within 7 × 10¹¹–1 × 10¹² cm^–2, and the maximum mobility of electrons approached 6000 cm²/(V · s). The achieved parameters of mobility are close to theoretical values calculated for graphene films with intrinsic conductivity on the Si face of SiC at Т = 300 К in the absence of intercalated hydrogen.

     

Transformation of the buffer layer grown on 4H-SiC to single-layer graphene by ex situ hydrogen intercalation

Abstract

The buffer layer samples grown on the Si-face of the 4H- and 6H-SiC substrates were heated in a hydrogen flow at different temperatures (600–900?°C) and heating times (40–60?min) in order to obtain quasi-freestanding monolayer graphene. Their structural properties were characterized before and after heating by using the methods of Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and low-energy electron diffraction. The dependence of the degree of coverage of the sample with quasi-freestanding graphene and the number of defects in the resulting films on the heating temperature was studied. As a result of optimization of the technological parameters, it is shown that the highest quality of the resulting quasi-freestanding graphene can be achieved by using the following parameters: heating time of 40?minutes and temperature of 800?°C.     

Investigation of a single-layer EBC deposited on SiC/SiC CMCs: Processing and corrosion behaviour in high-temperature steam

Two rare earth monosilicates (Yb₂SiO₅, and Lu₂SiO₅) were deposited using a low-cost coating application method to produce a single-layer coating. RE- oxides slurries were dip coated on oxidised CMC samples and subsequently heat treated at high temperature to ensure reaction between SiO₂ and RE-oxides to form the RE-monosilicate. A single, continuous, homogeneous thick coating of 25 μm was obtained. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed formation of, RE-monosilicates in Yb and Lu silicate systems. Coated samples were exposed to 90% H₂O static steam environment at 1350 °C for 25, 50, 100, and 150 h. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated that both coatings adhered strongly to the substrate. Coating thickness reduced from 22 μm to 11 μm for Yb-coating and 13 to 4 μm for Lu-coating with increasing corrosion time from 25 to 150 h, however there was no significant attack of the CMC for all steam exposure times.     

The transition from 2D to 3D nanoclusters of silicon carbide on silicon

We have evaluated the critical average distance between the nanoclusters of silicon carbide grown by molecular beam epitaxy on silicon and estimated the time of the transition from two-to three-dimensional growth.