MBE InAs quantum dots grown on metamorphic InGaAs for long wavelength emitting

GaAs-based InAs quantum dots using InGaAs composition-graded metamorphic layers have been investigated by molecular beam epitaxy. Emission with the wavelength similar to 1.5 mu m from the dots was obtained at room temperature with the relatively large full width at half maximum. The emission wavelength is relatively stable when subjected to fast annealing. The number density of dots reached similar to 6 x 10(10) cm(-2). Undulated morphology was observed on the surface of the sample, which has some influence on the dot size and distribution. In epilayers, misfit dislocations were confined within the step-graded InGaAs metamorphic buffer layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High quality microcrystalline Si films by hydrogen dilution profile

Novel hydrogen dilution profiling (HDP) technique was developed to improve the uniformity in the growth direction of mu c-Si:H thin films prepared by hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). It was found that the high H dilution ratio reduces the incubation layer from 30 nm to less than 10 nm. A proper design of hydrogen dilution profiling improves the uniformity of crystalline content, X-c, in the growth direction and restrains the formation of micro-voids as well. As a result the compactness of mu c-Si:H films with a high crystalline content is enhanced and the stability of mu c-Si:H thin film against the oxygen diffusion is much improved. Meanwhile the HDP mu c-Si:H films exhibit the low defect states. The high nucleation density from high hydrogen dilution at early stage is a critical parameter to improve the quality of mu c-Si:H films. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Structural and optical properties of violet InGaN/AlInGaN light-emitting diodes grown by MOCVD

High-performance violet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with InGaN/AlInGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) active regions were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The interface flatness of the InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs and the emission efficiency of the LED are firstly improved with increasing Al content in the AlInGaN barrier layer, and then degraded as Al content increases further, being optimal when Al content is 0.12. Similarly, the result is optimized if the indium content is approximately 2.5% in the AlInGaN barrier layer. The mechanisms which have influences on the radiative efficiency when the Al content increases are discussed. A high output power of 7.3 mW for the violet LED at 20 mA current has been achieved. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strain evolution in GaN layers grown on high-temperature AlN interlayers

The strain evolution of the GaN layer grown on a high-temperature AlN interlayer with GaN template by metal organic chemical vapor deposition is investigated. It is found that the layer is initially under compressive strain and then gradually relaxes and transforms to under tensile strain with increasing film thickness. The result of the in situ stress analysis is confirmed by x-ray diffraction measurements. Transmission electron microscopy analysis shows that the inclination of edge and mixed threading dislocations rather than the reduction of dislocation density mainly accounts for such a strain evolution. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Material growth and device fabrication of highly strained InGaAs/InGaAsP long wavelength distributed feedback lasers

1.6-1.7 mu m highly strained InGaAs/InGaAsP distributed feedback lasers was grown and fabricated by low pressure mentalorganic chemical vapor deposition. High quality highly strained InGaAs/InP materials were obtained by using strain buffer layer. Four pairs of highly strained quantum wells were used in the devices and carrier blocking layer was used to improve the temperature characteristics of the devices. The uncoated 1.66 mu m and 1.74 mu m lasers with ridge wave guide 3 mu m wide have low threshold current (< 15mA) and high output power (> 14mW at 100mA). In the temperature range from 10 degrees C to 40 degrees C, the characteristic temperature T-0 of the 1.74 mu m laser is 57K, which is comparable to that of the 1.55 mu m-wavelength InGaAsP/InP-DFB laser.

Effect of GaAS(100) 2 degrees surface misorientation on the formation and optical properties of MOCVD grown InAs quantum dots

The influence of GaAS(1 0 0)2 degrees substrate misorientation on the formation and optical properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) has been studied in compare with dots on exact GaAs(1 0 0) substrates. It is shown that, while QDs on exact substrates have only one dominant size, dots on misoriented substrates are formed in lines with a clear bimodal size distribution. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements show that QDs on misoriented substrates have narrower FWHM, longer emission wavelength and much larger PL intensity relative to those of dots on exact substrates. However, our rapid thermal annealing (RTA) experiments indicate that annealing shows a stronger effect on dots with misoriented substrates by greatly accelerating the degradation of material quality. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Electro-optic coefficients of Si0.75Ge0.25/Si/Si0.5Ge0.5 asymmetric superlattice measured by polarization-maintaining fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer

Ten-period 5.5 nm Si0.75Ge0.25/10.3 nm Si/2.5 nm Si0.5Ge0.5 trilayer asymmetric superlattice was prepared on Si (001) substrate by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition at 500 degrees C. The stability of Mach-Zehnder interferometer was improved by utilizing polarization-maintaining fibers. According to the electro-optic responses of the superlattice with the light polarization along [110] and [-110], respectively, both electro-optic coefficients gamma(13) and gamma(63) of such asymmetric superlattice were measured. gamma(13) and gamma(63) are 2.4x10(-11) and 1.3x10(-11) cm/V, respectively, with the incident light wavelength at 1.55 mu m. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Diode-end-pumped passively CW mode-locked Nd : YLF laser by the LT-In0.25Ga0.75As absorber

We have demonstrated a self-staring passively continuous-wave mode-locked diode end-pumped Nd:YLF laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror of single-quantum-well (In0.25Ga0.75As) grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition technique at low temperature. The saturable absorber was used as nonlinear absorber and output coupler simultaneously. Stable pulse duration of 3 ps has been achieved at the repetition rate of 98 MHz. The average output power was 530 mW at 1053 nm under the incident pump power of 10 W, corresponding to the peak power of 1.8 kW and pulse energy of 5.4 nJ.

Nanocrystalline silicon films with high conductivity and the application for PIN solar cells

Intrinsic nanocrystalline silicon films (nc-Si:H) were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Films' microstructures and characteristics were studied with Raman spectroscopy and Atom Force Microscope (AFM). The electronic conductivity of nc-Si:H films was found to be 4.9 x 10(0)Omega(-1) cm(-1), which was one order of magnitude higher than the reported 10(-3)-10(-1)Omega(-1)cm(-1). And PIN solar cells with nc-Si:H film as intrinsic thin-layer (ITO/n(+)-nc-Si:H/i-nc-Si:H/p-c-Si/Ag) were researched. The cell's performances were measured, the open-circuit voltage V-oc was 534.7 mV, short-circuit current I-sc was 49.24 mA (3 cm(2)) and fill factor FF was 0.4228. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of edge dislocations and intentional Si doping on the electron mobility of n-type GaN films

The effects of dislocations and Si doping on the electrical properties of n-type GaN grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are investigated. It is found that both electron mobility and carrier concentration are strongly influenced by edge dislocations. A moderate Si doping during the GaN growth improves the electron mobility, but the best doping effect depends on the dislocation density of the sample. High quality about 4-mu m-thick MOCVD-grown GaN film with a room temperature electron mobility as high as 1005 cm(2)/V s is obtained by optimizing growth conditions. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Reduction of dislocations in GaN epilayer grown on Si (111) substrates using a GaN intermedial layer

GaN intermedial layers grown under different pressures are inserted between GaN epilayers and AlN/Si(111) substrates. In situ optical reflectivity measurements show that a transition from the three-dimensional (3D) mode to the 2D one occurs during the GaN epilayer growth when a higher growth pressure is used during the preceding GaN intermedial layer growth, and an improvement of the crystalline quality of GaN epilayer will be made. Combining the in situ reflectivity and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, it is suggested that the lateral growth at the transition of growth mode is favourable for bending of dislocation lines, thus reducing the density of threading dislocations in the epilayer.

Transport phenomena in radial flow MOCVD reactor with three concentric vertical inlets

Transport phenomena in radial flow metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor with three concentric vertical inlets are studied by two-dimensional numerical modeling. By varying the parameters such as gas pressure, flow rates combination of multi-inlets, geometric shapes and sizes of reactor and flow distributor, temperatures of susceptor and ceiling, and susceptor rotation, the corresponding velocity, temperature, and concentration fields inside the reactor are obtained; the onset and change of flow recirculation cells under influences of those parameters are determined. It is found that recirculation cells, originated from flow separation near the bend of reactor inlets, are affected mainly by the reactor height and shape, the operating pressure, the flow rates combination of multi-inlets, and the mean temperature between susceptor and ceiling. By increasing the flow rate of mid-inlet and the mean temperature, decreasing the pressure, maintaining the reactor height below certain criteria, and trimming the bends of reactor wall and flow distributor to streamlined shape, the recirculation cells can be minimized so that smooth and rectilinear flow prevails in the susceptor region, which corresponds to smooth and rectilinear isotherms and larger reactant concentration near the susceptor. For the optimized reactor shape, the reactor size can be enlarged to diameter D = 40 cm and height H = 2 cm without flow recirculation. The susceptor rotation over a few hundred rpm around the reactor central axis will induce the recirculation cell near the exit and deflect the streamlines near the susceptor, which is not the case for vertical reactors. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Defect influence on luminescence efficiency of GaN-based LEDs

Wafers with normal light-emitting diode structure were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition system. The pressure and temperature were varied during growth of buffer layer in order to grow different types of epilayers. The cathodoluminescence results show that the interface distortion of quantum well plays an important role in radiant efficiency. The electroluminescence detections indicate that the dislocations also influence the external quantum efficiency by lowering the electron injection efficiency. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light-induced changes in diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells

A series of diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells was prepared using different hydrogen dilution ratios of silane by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD). It was observed that after light soaking the open circuit voltage (V-oc) of the diphasic solar cells increased, while that of amorphous silicon solar cells decreased. Raman scattering spectroscopy was performed on the series of diphasic silicon films before and after light soaking. It was found that after light soaking the nanostruclures in the diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films were changed. Both the grain sizes and grain volume fraction reduced, while the grain boundary components increased. These results provide experimental evidence for the conjecture that the light-induced increase in V-oc of the diphasic nanocrystalline solar cells might be induced by the changes in the nanostructure of the intrinsic layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterojunction solar cells with n-type nanocrystalline silicon emitters on p-type c-Si wafers

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) n-layers have been used to prepare heterojunction solar cells on flat p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers. The nc-Si:H n-layers were deposited by radio-frequency (RF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and characterized using Raman spectroscopy, optical transmittance and activation energy of dark-conductivity. The nc-Si:H n-layers obtained comprise fine grained nanocrystallites embedded in amorphous matrix, which have a wider bandgap and a smaller activation energy. Heterojunction solar cells incorporated with the nc-Si n-layer were fabricated using configuration of Ag (100 nm)/1T0 (80 nm)/n-nc-Si:H (15 nm)/buffer a-Si:H/p-c-Si (300 mu m)/Al (200 nm), where a very thin intrinsic a-Si:H buffer layer was used to passivate the p-c-Si surface, followed by a hydrogen plasma treatment prior to the deposition of the thin nanocrystalline layer. The results show that heterojunction solar cells subjected to these surface treatments exhibit a remarkable increase in the efficiency, up to 14.1% on an area of 2.43 cm(2). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.