Origin of flat-band voltage sharp roll-off in metal gate/high-k/ultrathin- SiO2/Si p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor stacks

The origin of the flat band voltage roll-off (V-FB roll-off) in metal gate/high-k/ultrathin-SiO2/Si metal-oxide-semiconductor stacks is analyzed and a model describing the role of the dipoles at the SiO2/Si interface on the V-FB sharp roll-off is proposed. The V-FB sharp roll-off appears when the thickness of the SiO2 interlayer diminishes to below the oxygen diffusion depth. The results derived using our model agree well with experimental data and provide insights to the mechanism of the V-FB sharp roll-off.

The growth of ZnO on bcc-In2O3 buffer layers and the valence band offset determined by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy

This work was supported by the 863 High Technology R&D Program of China (Grant Nos. 2007AA03Z402 and 2007AA03Z451), the Special Funds for Major State Basic Research Project (973 program) of China (Grant No. 2006CB604907), and the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 60506002 and 60776015). The authors express their appreciation to Dr. Tieying Yang and Prof. Huanhua Wang (Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) for XRD measurements and helpful discussions.

Vertical structure p-type permeable metal-base organic transistors based on N,N '-diphentyl-N,N '-bis(1-naphthylphenyl)-1,1 '-biphenyl-4,4 '-diamine

In this article, vertical structure p-type permeable-base organic transistors were proposed and demonstrated. A hole-type organic semiconductor N,N-'-diphentyl-N,N-'-bis(1-naphthylphenyl)-1,1(')-biphenyl-4,4(')-diamine was used as emitter and collector. In the permeable-base transistors, the metal base was formed by firstly coevaporating Al and Ca in vacuum and then annealing at 120 degrees C for 5 min in air, followed by a thin Al deposition. These devices show a common-base current gain of near 1.0 and a common-emitter current gain of similar to 270.

Copper phthalocyanine based hybrid p-type permeable-base transistor in vertical architecture

We demonstrate the production of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) based p-type hybrid permeable-base transistors, which operate at low voltages having high common-base current gains. These transistors are prepared by evaporating a thin metal layer (Ag or Al) that acts as base on top of a Si substrate that acts as collector. In the sequence CuPc and Au are thermally sublimated to produce the emitter, constituting a quite simple device production procedure with the additional advantage of allowing higher integration due to its vertical architecture.

p-p isotype organic heterojunction and ambipolar field-effect transistors

We realized ambipolar transport behavior in field-effect transistors by using p-p isotype heterojunction films as active layers, which consisted of two p-type semiconductor materials, 2, 2'; 7', 2 ''-terphenanthrenyl (Ph3) and vanadyl-phthalocyanine (VOPc). The ambipolar charge transport was attributed to the interfacial electronic structure of Ph3-VOPc isotype heterojunction, and electrons and holes were accumulated at both sides of the narrow band-gap VOPc and the wide band-gap Ph3, respectively, which were confirmed by the capacitance-voltage relationship of metal-oxide-semiconductor diodes. The accumulation thickness of carriers was also obtained by changing the heterojunction active layer thickness. Furthermore, the results indicate that the device performance is relative to interfacial electronic structures.

Effect of surface treatment of GaN based light emitting diode wafers on the leakage current of light emitting diode devices

To form low-resistance Ohmic contact to p-type GaN, InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light emitting diode wafers are treated with boiled aqua regia prior to Ni/Au (5 nm/5 nm) film deposition. The surface morphology of wafers and the current-voltage characteristics of fabricated light emitting diode devices are investigated. It is shown that surface treatment with boiled aqua regia could effectively remove oxide from the surface of the p-GaN layer, and reveal defect-pits whose density is almost the same as the screw dislocation density estimated by x-ray rocking curve measurement. It suggests that the metal atoms of the Ni/Au transparent electrode of light emitting diode devices may diffuse into the p-GaN layer along threading dislocation lines and form additional leakage current channels. Therefore, the surface treatment time with boiled aqua regia should not be too long so as to avoid the increase of threading dislocation-induced leakage current and the degradation of electrical properties of light emitting diodes

First-principles study of defects in CuGaO2

Using the first-principles methods, we study the electronic structure, intrinsic and extrinsic defects doping in transparent conducting oxides CuGaO2. Intrinsic defects, acceptor-type and donor-type extrinsic defects in their relevant charge state are considered. The calculation result show that copper vacancy and oxygen interstitial are the relevant defects in CuGaO2. In addition, copper vacancy is the most efficient acceptor. Substituting Be for Ga is the prominent acceptor, and substituting Ca for Cu is the prominent donors in CuGaO2. Our calculation results are expected to be a guide for preparing n-type and p-type materials in CuGaO2.

High-Temperature Continuous-Wave Single-Mode Operation of 1.3 mu m p-Doped InAs-GaAs Quantum-Dot VCSELs

In this letter, we have demonstrated continuous-wave single-mode operation of 1.3-mu m InAs-GaAs quantum-dot (QD) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with p-type modulation-doped QD active region from 20 degrees C to 60 degrees C. The highest output power of 0.435mW and lowest threshold current of 1.2 mA under single-mode operation are achieved. The temperature-dependent output characteristics of QD-VCSELs are investigated. Single-mode operation with a sidemode suppression ratio of 34 dB is observed at room temperature. The critical size of oxide aperture for single-mode operation is discussed.

Dielectric relaxation and giant dielectric constant of Nb-doped CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics under dc bias voltage

CaCu3Ti(4-x)Nb(x)O(12) (x = 0, 0.01, 0.08, 0.2) ceramics were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The ceramics showed the body-centered cubic structure without any foreign phases and the grain size decreases with Nb doping. Two Debye-type relaxations were observed for the Nb-doped samples at low frequency and high frequency, respectively. The complex electric modulus analysis revealed that the surface layer, grains and grain boundaries contributed to the dielectric constant. The low-frequency dielectric constant relative to the surface layer decreased to a minimum and then increased with the dc bias voltage at 100 Hz, which were well explained in terms of a model containing two metal oxide semiconductors in series, confirming the surface layer in the ceramics. The shift voltage V-B corresponding to the minimal capacitance increased with increase of the composition x. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of techniques of implanting nitrogen into buried oxide on the characteristics of partially depleted SOIPMOSFET

Effects of techniques of implanting nitrogen into buried oxide on the characteristics of the partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (PMOSFETs) have been studied with three different nitrogen implantation doses, 8 x 10(15), 2 x 10(16), and 1 x 10(17) cm(-2). The experimental results show that this technology can affect the threshold voltage, channel hole mobility and output characteristics of the partially depleted SOI PMOSFETs fabricated with the given material and process. For each type of the partially depleted SOI PMOSFET with nitrided buried oxide, the absolute value of the average threshold voltage increases due to the nitrogen implantation. At the same time, the average channel hole mobility decreases because of the nitrogen implantation. In particular, with the high nitrogen implantation doses, the output characteristic curves of the tested transistors present a distinct kink effect, which normally exists in the characteristic output curves of only partially depleted SOI NMOSFETs.

Nanostructure in the p-layer and its impacts on amorphous silicon solar cells

The open circuit voltage (V-oc) of n-i-p type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells has been examined by means of experimental and numerical modeling. The i- and p-layer limitations on V-oc are separated and the emphasis is to identify the impact of different kinds of p-layers. Hydrogenated protocrystalline, nanocrystalline and microcrystalline silicon p-layers were prepared and characterized using Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), optical transmittance and activation energy of dark-conductivity. The n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells incorporated with these p-layers were comparatively investigated, which demonstrated a wide variation of V-oc from 1.042 V to 0.369 V, under identical i- and n-layer conditions. It is found that the nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) p-layer with a certain nanocrystalline volume fraction leads to a higher V-oc. The optimum p-layer material for n-i-p type a-Si:H solar cells is not found at the onset of the transition between the amorphous to mixed phases, nor is it associated with a microcrystalline material with a large grain size and a high volume fraction of crystalline phase. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructure in the p-layer and its impacts on amorphous silicon solar cells

The open circuit voltage (V-oc) of n-i-p type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells has been examined by means of experimental and numerical modeling. The i- and p-layer limitations on V-oc are separated and the emphasis is to identify the impact of different kinds of p-layers. Hydrogenated protocrystalline, nanocrystalline and microcrystalline silicon p-layers were prepared and characterized using Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), optical transmittance and activation energy of dark-conductivity. The n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells incorporated with these p-layers were comparatively investigated, which demonstrated a wide variation of V-oc from 1.042 V to 0.369 V, under identical i- and n-layer conditions. It is found that the nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) p-layer with a certain nanocrystalline volume fraction leads to a higher V-oc. The optimum p-layer material for n-i-p type a-Si:H solar cells is not found at the onset of the transition between the amorphous to mixed phases, nor is it associated with a microcrystalline material with a large grain size and a high volume fraction of crystalline phase. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PHOTOEMISSION-STUDY ON THE SNO2/P A-SICX-H INTERFACE

Ultraviolet and X-ray photoemission spectroscopies (UPS and XPS) have been employed to SnO2 and its interface with P-type a-SiCx:H. The HeI valence band spectra of SnO2 show that the valence band maximum (VBM) shifts from 4.7 eV to 3.6 eV below the Fermi level (E(F)), and the valence band tail (VBT) extends up to the E(F), as a consequence of H-plasma treatments. The work function difference between SnO2 and P a-SiCx:H is found to decrease from 0.98 eV to 0.15 eV, owing to the increase of the work function of the treated SnO2. The reduction of SnO2 to metallic Sn is also observed by XPS profiling, and it is found that this leads to a wider interfacial region between the treated SnO2 and the successive growth of P a-SiCx:H.

Surface potential images of polycrystalline organic semiconductors obtained by Kelvin probe force microscopy

P-type copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and n-type hexadecafluorophthalocyanina-tocopper (F16CuPc) polycrystalline films were investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Topographic and corresponding surface potential images are obtained simultaneously. Surface potential images are related with the local work function of crystalline facets and potential barriers at the grain boundaries (GBs) in organic semiconductors. Based on the spatial distribution of surface potential at GBs, donor- and acceptor-like trapping states in the grain boundaries (GBs) of p-CuPc and n-F16CuPc films are confirmed respectively.