Electronic properties of Fibonacci quasi-periodic heterostructures

We study the electronic states of different GaAs-AlAs Fibonacci quasi-perodic heterostructures grown along the (001) direction. We employ an empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian including spin-orbit coupling together with the surface Green function matching method. We present results for the eighth Fibonacci generation formed from different building blocks. We compare these results with those of the constituent quantum wells and with those of heterostructures containing the same number of GaAs and AlAs slabs after periodic repetition of the building blocks. No Fibonacci spectrum is found in the energy regions near the conduction and valence band edges of GaAs. A selective localization of the local density of states in the GaAs layers is found for many electronic states.     

Photovoltaic properties of SnCl2Pc films and SnCl2Pc/pentacene heterostructures

The optical and photovoltaic properties of dichlorotin phthalocyanine (SnCl₂Pc) films and SnCl₂Pc/pentacene (Pn) heterostructures (HS) have been studied. Weak bands at 1.35, 1.52 and 2.05 eV have been found in absorption and modulated photoreflectance spectra of SnCl₂Pc films. These bands can be caused by the formation of charge transfer states. The low concentration of recombination centers of charge carriers has been formed on a free surface of SnCl₂Pc films. This concentration essentially decreases at air evacuation before vacuum deposition of a Pn layer. Therefore, interface with an insignificant recombination rate of charge carriers is formed for SnCl₂Pc/Pn HS.     

Atom probe tomography of nanoscale architectures in functional materials for electronic and photonic applications

Microscopy has played a central role in the advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology by enabling the direct visualization of nanoscale structure, leading to predictive models of novel physical behaviors. Electronic and photonic device technologies, whose features and performance are often improved through miniaturization, have particularly benefited from new capabilities in the characterization of material structure and composition. This paper reviews recent applications of atom probe tomography to semiconducting materials with nanoscale architectures that are designed to impart novel properties and device functionality by virtue of their shape and size. A review is necessary because rapid advances in atom probe instrumentation and analysis in the last decade have greatly expanded the utility of atom probe tomography to address scientific questions and technical questions in this area. The paper is organized in terms of the surface topologies of nanoscale architectures. We begin with nominally planar interfaces including thin film heterostructures and superlattices with open surfaces. Distinctive capabilities in the analysis of interfaces are introduced, as are challenges arising from measurement artifacts. We then discuss nanowires and nanowire heterostructures with surfaces that are closed along one dimension, for which atom probe tomography has provided unique and important understandings on the doping processes. Finally, we consider nanocrystals and quantum dots with completely closed surfaces. Along the way, current challenges and opportunities for atom probe tomography are highlighted, and the reader is directed to complementary reviews of more technical aspects of atom probe analysis.     

Deep-level Transient Spectroscopy of GaAs/AlGaAs Multi-Quantum Wells Grown on (100) and (311)B GaAs Substrates

Si-doped GaAs/AlGaAs multi-quantum wells structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (100) and (311)B GaAs substrates have been studied by using conventional deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and high-resolution Laplace DLTS techniques. One dominant electron-emitting level is observed in the quantum wells structure grown on (100) plane whose activation energy varies from 0.47 to 1.3 eV as junction electric field varies from zero field (edge of the depletion region) to 4.7 × 10⁶ V/m. Two defect states with activation energies of 0.24 and 0.80 eV are detected in the structures grown on (311)B plane. The E_c-0.24 eV trap shows that its capture cross-section is strongly temperature dependent, whilst the other two traps show no such dependence. The value of the capture barrier energy of the trap at E_c-0.24 eV is 0.39 eV.     

Investigation of the properties of indium tin oxide-organic contacts for optoelectronic applications

This paper presents some investigations on the electrical transport properties of ITO/single (double) layer organic semiconductor (m-DNB, benzil, PTCDA, Alq3) contacts in SIS-like (ITO/organic/Si) and MIS-like (ITO/organic/metal) heterostructures. The I-V characteristics have emphasised the injection properties of different contacts and the effect of space charge limited currents in correlation with the type and preparation conditions of the contacts. We have studied the influence of the type of contact (In/ITO; In/Al) on the electrical conduction in Alq3/PTCDA/Si/In heterostructure. In a planar grid contact configuration for In/Al/PTCDA/Al/In structure we have observed the effect of the low electric field on the shape of the I-V characteristic.     

Tailoring the Optical Properties of Epitaxially Grown Biaxial ZnO/Ge,and Coaxial ZnO/Ge/ZnO and Ge/ZnO/Ge Heterostructures

Heterostructures of epitaxially grown biaxial ZnO/Ge, and coaxial ZnO/Ge/ZnO and Ge/ZnO/Ge heterostructured nanowires with ideal epitaxial interfaces between the semiconductor ZnO sublayer and the Ge sublayer have been fabricated via a two‐stage chemical vapor–solid process. Structural characterization by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction indicates that both the ZnO and Ge sublayers in the heterostructures are single crystalline. A good epitaxial relationship of (100)_ZnO∥(2 0)_Ge exists at the interface between ZnO and Ge in the ZnO/Ge biaxial heterostructure. There is also an epitaxial relationship of (0 0)_ZnO∥(020)_Ge at the interface between the ZnO and Ge substructures in the coaxial ZnO/Ge/ZnO heterostructures, and a good epitaxial relationship of (0 0)_ZnO∥(0 0)_Ge at the interface between ZnO and Ge in the Ge/ZnO/Ge coaxial heterostructure. Structural models for the crystallographic relationship between the wurtzite‐ZnO and diamond‐like cubic‐Ge subcomponents in the heterostructures are given. The optical properties for the synthesized heterostructures are studied by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectra at low temperature (20 K). Excitingly, the unique biaxial and coaxial heterostructures display unique new luminescence properties. It is concluded that the ideal epitaxial interface between ZnO and Ge in the prepared heterostructures induces new optical properties. The group II–VI Ge‐based nanometer‐scale heterostructures and their interesting optical properties may inspire great interest in exploring related epitaxial heterostructures and their potential applications in lasers, gas sensors, solar energy conversion, and nanodevices in the future.     

Enhanced Emission of (In,Ga) Nitride Nanowires Embedded with Self‐Assembled Quantum Dots

We report the structure and emission properties of ternary (In,Ga)N nanowires (NWs) embedded with self‐assembled quantum dots (SAQDs). InGaN NWs are fabricated by the reaction of In, Ga and NH₃ via a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism, using Au as the catalyst. By simply varying the growth temperature, In‐rich or Ga‐rich ternary NWs have been produced. X‐ray diffraction, Raman studies and transmission electron microscopy reveal a phase‐separated microstructure wherein the isovalent heteroatoms are self‐aggregated, forming SAQDs embedded in NWs. The SAQDs are observed to dominate the emission behavior of both In‐rich and Ga‐rich NWs. Temperature‐dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicate relaxation of excited electrons from the matrix of the Ga‐rich NWs to their embedded SAQDs. A multi‐level band schema is proposed for the case of In‐rich NWs, which showed an anomalous enhancement in the PL peak intensity with increasing temperature accompanies with red shift in its peak position.