Structural and magnetic properties of GaN:Sm:Eu films fabricated by co-implantation method

Diluted-magnetic GaN:Sm:Eu films have been fabricated by co-implantation of Sm and Eu ions into c-plane (0001) GaN films and a subsequent annealing process. The structural, morphological and magnetic characteristics of the samples have been investigated by means of high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The XRD and AFM analyses show that the annealing process can effectively recover the crystalline degradation caused by implantation. Compared with GaN:Sm films, more defects have been introduced into GaN:Sm:Eu films due to the Eu implantation process. According to the SQUID analysis, GaN:Sm:Eu films exhibit clear room-temperature ferromagnetism. Moreover, GaN:Sm:Eu films show a lower saturation magnetization (Ms) than GaN:Sm films.

REDUCTION OF CRYSTALLINE DISORDER IN MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY GAAS ON SI BY MEV ION-IMPLANTATION AND SUBSEQUENT ANNEALING

Molecular beam epitaxy GaAs films on Si, with thicknesses ranging from 0.9-2.0-mu-m, were implanted with Si ions at 1.2-2.6 MeV to doses in the range 10(15)-10(16) cm-2. Subsequent rapid infrared thermal annealing was carried out at 850-degrees-C for 15 s in a flowing N2 atmosphere. Crystalline quality was analyzed by using Rutherfold backscattering/channeling technique and Raman scattering spectrometry. The experimental results show that the recrystallization process greatly depends on the dose and energy of implanted ions. Complete recrystallization with better crystalline quality can be obtained under proper implantation and subsequent annealing. In the improved layer the defect density was much lower than in the as-grown layer, especially near the interface.

IMPLANTATION ENERGY SELECTION IN MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY GAAS FILMS ON SI SUBSTRATES

GaAs films made by molecular beam epitaxy with thicknesses ranging from 0.9 to 1.25-mu-m on Si have been implanted with Si ions at 1.2 MeV to dose of 1 x 10(15)/cm2. A rapid infrared thermal annealing and white light annealing were then used for recrystallization. Crystalline quality was analysed by using backscattering channeling technique with Li ion beam of 4.2 MeV. The experimental results show that energy selection is important for obtaining better and uniform recrystallized GaAs epilayers.

COMPARISON OF PROPERTIES OF SOLID-PHASE EPITAXIAL SILICON-ON-SAPPHIRE FILMS RECRYSTALLIZED BY RAPID THERMAL ANNEALING AND FURNACE ANNEALING

Chemically vapour deposited silicon on sapphire (SOS) films 0.25 mu m thick were implanted with Si-28(+) and recrystallized in solid phase by furnace annealing (FA) and IR rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in our laboratory. An improvement in crystalline quality can be obtained using both annealing procedures. After FA, it is hard to retain the intrinsic high resistivity value(10(4)-10(5) Ohm cm) observed in as-grown SOS films, so the improvement process cannot be put to practical use effectively. However, it is demonstrated that by properly adjusting the implantation and RTA conditions, significant improvements in both film quality and film autodoping can be accomplished. This work describes a modified double solid phase epitaxy process in which the intrinsic high resistivities of the as grown SOS films are retained. The mechanism of suppression of Al autodoping is discussed.

Characterization of diphasic nc-Si/a-Si : H thin films and solar cells

Hydrogenated silicon films with diphasic structure have been prepared by using a new regime of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in the region adjacent to the phase transition from amorphous to crystal. line state. The photoelectronic and microstructural properties of the films have been characterized by the constant photocurrent method (CPM), Raman scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In comparison with typical hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), these diphasic films with a crystalline fraction less than 0.3 show a similar optical absorption coefficient, lower deep-defect densities and higher stability upon light soaking. By using the diphasic nc-Si/a-Si films a p-i-n junction solar cell has been prepared With an initial efficiency of 8.51 % and a stabilized efficiency of 8.02 % on an area of 0.126 cm(2) (AM1.5, 100 mW/cm(2)).

High quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon films with significantly improved stability

High quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films have been prepared by a simple "uninterrupted growth/annealing" plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique, combined with a subtle boron-compensated doping. These a-Si:H films possess a high photosensitivity over 10(6), and exhibit no degradation in photoconductivity and a low light-induced defect density after prolonged illumination. The central idea is to control the growth conditions adjacent to the critical point of phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state, and yet to locate the Fermi level close to the midgap. Our results show that the improved stability and photosensitivity of a-Si:H films prepared by this method can be mainly attributed to the formation of a more robust network structure and reduction in the precursors density of light-induced metastable defects.

Heteroepitaxial growth and annealing of gamma-Al2O3 thin films on silicon

The gamma-Al2O3 films were grown on Si (100) substrates using the sources of TMA (Al (CH3)(3)) and O-2 by very low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (VLP-CVD). It has been found that the gamma-Al2O3 film has a mirror-like surface and the RMS was about 2.5nm. And the orientation relationship was gamma-Al2O3(100)/Si(100). The thickness uniformity of gamma-Al2O3 films for 2-inch epi-wafer was less than 5%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) results show that the crystalline quality of the film was improved after the film was annealed at 1000degreesC in O-2 atmosphere. The high-frequency C-V and leakage current of Al/gamma-Al2O3/Si capacitor were also measured to verify the annealing effect of the film. The results show that the dielectric constant increased from 4 to 7 and the breakdown voltage for 65-nm-thick gamma-Al2O3 film on silicon increases from 17V to 53V.

Structural evaluation of polycrystalline silicon thin films by hot-wire-assisted PECVD

Tungsten wires were introduced into a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system as a catalyzer: we name this technique 'hot-wire-assisted PECVD' (HW-PECVD). Under constant deposition pressure (p(g)), gas flow ratio and catalyzer position, the effects of the hot wire temperature (T-f) on the structural properties of the poly-Si films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Compared with conventional PECVD, the grain size, crystalline volume fraction (X-e) and deposition rate were all enhanced when a high T-f was used. The best poly-Si film exhibits a preferential (220) orientation, with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.2 degrees. The Si-Si TO peak of the Raman scattering spectrum is located at 519.8 cm(-1) with a FWHM of 7.1 cm(-1). The X-c is 0.93. These improvements are mainly the result of promotion of the dissociation of SiH4 and an increase in the atomic H concentration in the gas phase. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Fracture of colloidal single-crystal films fabricated by controlled vertical drying deposition

Controlled vertical drying deposition method was used to make high-quality single crystal close-packed colloidal films formed of different radii polystyrene latex spheres on glass substrates coming from a low concentration water suspension (0.1% volume fraction). Regardless of the spheres radii the film thickness was about 6.3 microns. However, cracks destroyed the crystalline film structure during the colloidal film growth. The effect of particle radius (85-215 nm range) on film cracking was systematically studied using in situ optical fracture monitoring. Primary parallel cracks run along the vertical growth direction, later followed by secondary branched cracks in-between the primary cracks due to residual water evaporation. Quantitative theoretical relationship between the cracks spacing and particles radius was derived and shows good agreement with experimental observations. Normalized cracks spacing is related to a reciprocal ratio of the dimensionless particle radius.

Crystalline organic superlattice

Highly crystalline organic superlattice has great potential for providing innovative function in organic devices. With studies of the structure and fundamental electronical properties, we have demonstrated the phathalocynine organic superlattice, which is a structure composed of periodically alternating crystalline layers of H2Pc and F16CuPc. A periodical crystal structure and electronic structure appear in this organic superlattice system. High density of mobile electrons and holes distribute periodically in F16CuPc and H2Pc layers, respectively, leading to a significant change in intrinsic properties of organic semiconductors.

The first liquid crystalline phthalocyanine derivative capable of edge-on alignment for solution processed organic thin-film transistors

Tetraoctyl-substituted vanadyl phthalocyanine (OVPc4C8) as a new NIR-absorbing discotic liquid crystalline material can form highly ordered thin films with edge-on alignment of the molecules and molecular packing mode identical to that in the phase II of OVPc for solution processed OTFTs with mobility up to 0.017 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).

Novel spiro-fluorenes from tandem radical addition for liquid crystalline monodisperse conjugated oligomers

3'-Nonafluorobutylmethyl-4'-methyl-spiro[cyclopentyl-9,1']fluorenes were successfully synthesized via tandem radical-addition reactions between 9,9-diallylfluorenes and perfluorobutyl iodide in the presence of a radical initiator followed by reduction under mild conditions. Single crystal analysis indicates that two substituents at 3,4-positions of cyclopentane are in a maleinoid form. Accordingly, four oligo(fluorene-co-bithiophene)s with the same molecular length of similar to 10 nm (7 fluorene units and 12 thiophene units) containing one to three novel spiro-fluorene units were synthesized.