Temperature dependence of absorption edge in MOCVD grown GaN

We have studied the temperature dependence of absorption edge of GaN thin films grown on sapphire substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition using optical absorption spectroscopy. A shift in absorption edge of about 55 meV has been observed in temperature range 273-343 K. We have proposed a theoretical model to find the energy gap from absorption coefficient using alpha = alpha(max) + (alpha(min) - alpha(max))/[1 + exp 2(E - E-g + KT)/KT]. Temperature dependence of band gap has also been studied by finding an appropriate theoretical fit to our data using E-g(T) = E-g(273 K) - (8.8 x 10(-4)T(2))/(483 + T) + 0.088 (Varshni empirical formula) and E-g(T) = E-g(273 K)-0.231447/[exp(362/T)-1] + 0.082 relations. It has been found that data can be fitted accurately after adding a factor similar to 0.08 in above equations. Debye temperature (483 K) and Einstein temperature (362 K) in the respective equations are found mutually in good agreement.

Liquid-phase-epitaxy-grown InAsxSb1-x/GaAs for room-temperature 8-12 mu m infrared detectors

High-quality InAsxSb1-x (0 < x <= 0.3) films are grown on GaAs substrates by liquid phase epitaxy and electrical and optical properties of the films are investigated, revealing that the films exhibit Hall mobilities higher than 2x10(4) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and cutoff wavelengths longer than 10 mu m at room temperature (RT). Photoconductors are fabricated from the films, and notable photoresponses beyond 8 mu m are observed at RT. In particular, for an InAs0.3Sb0.7 film, a photoresponse of up to 13 mu m with a maximum responsivity of 0.26 V/W is obtained at RT. Hence, the InAsxSb1-x films demonstrate attractive properties suitable for room-temperature, long-wavelength infrared detectors. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Epitaxial growth of SiC on complex substrates

Epitaxial growth of SiC on complex substrates was carried out at substrate temperature from 1200 degreesC to 1400 degreesC. Three kinds of new complex substrates, c-plane sapphire, AlN/sapphire, and GaN/AlN/sapphire, were used in this study. We obtained a growth rate in the range of 1-6 mum/h. Thick (6 mum) SIC epitaxial layers with no cracks were successfully obtained on AlN/sapphire and GaN/AlN/sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction patterns have confirmed that single-crystal SiC was obtained on these complex substrates. Analysis of optical transmission spectra of the SIC grown on sapphire substrates shows the lowest-energy gap near 2.2 eV, which is the value for cubic SiC. The undoped SIC showed n-type electrical conductivity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of In-mole-fraction in InGaAs overgrowth layer on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We have studied the optical and structural properties of InAs/GaAs QDs covered by InxGa1-xAs (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3) layer using transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and atomic force microscopy. We find that the strain reduces in the growth direction of InAs islands covered by InGaAs instead of GaAs layer. Significant redshift of PL peak energy and narrowing of PL linewidth are observed for the InAs QDs covered by 3 nm thick InGaAs layer. In addition, atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that the InGaAs islands will nucleate on top of InAs quantum dots, when 3 nm In0.3Ga0.7As overgrowth layer is deposited. This result can well explain the PL intensify degradation and linewidth increment of quantum dots with a higher In-mole-fraction InGaAs layer. The energy gap change of InAs QDs covered by InGaAs may be explained in terms of reducing strain, suppressing compositional mixing and increasing island height. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantum confinement effect in silicon quantum-well layers

The electronic states and optical transition properties of silicon quantum-well layers embedded by SiO2 layers are studied by the empirical pseudopotential homojunction model. The energy bands, wave functions, and the optical transition matrix elements are obtained for layers of thickness from 1 to 6 nm, and three oriented directions (001), (110), and (111). It is found that for Si layers in the (001) direction the energy gap is pseudodirect, for these in the (111) direction the energy gap is indirect, while for those in the (110) direction the energy gap is pseudodirect or indirect for a thickness smaller or larger than 3 nm, respectively. The optical transition matrix elements are smaller than that of diner transition, and increase with decreasing layer thickness. When the thickness of a layer is smaller than 2 nm, the Si QW layers have larger transition matrix elements. It is caused by mixing of bulk X states with the Gamma(1) state. The calculated results are compared with experimental results.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study of In2O3 thin films

In2O3 films grown by helicon magnetron sputtering with different thicknesses were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the energy range from 1.5 to 5.0 eV. Aside from one amorphous sample prepared at room substrate temperature, polycrystalline In2O3 films with cubic crystal structure were confirmed for other four samples prepared at the substrate temperature of 450 A degrees C. Excellent SE fittings were realized by applying 1 and/or 2 terms F&B amorphous formulations, building double layered film configuration models, and further taking account of void into the surface layer based on Bruggeman effective medium approximation for thinner films. Spectral dependent refractive indices and extinction coefficients were obtained for five samples. The curve shapes were well interpreted according to the applied dispersion formulas. Almost similar optical band gap values from 3.76 to 3.84 eV were obtained for five samples by Tauc plot calculation using extinction coefficients under the assumption of direct allowed optical transition mode.

THEORY OF THE ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE OF POROUS SI

A theoretical model for the electronic structure of porous Si is presented. Three geometries of porous Si (wire with square cross section, pore with square cross section, and pore with circular cross section) along both the [001] and [110] directions are considered. It is found that the confinement geometry affects decisively the ordering of conduction-band states. Due to the quantum confinement effect, there is a mixing between the bulk X and GAMMA states, resulting in finite optical transition matrix elements, but smaller than the usual direct transition matrix elements by a factor of 10(-3). We found that the strengths of optical transitions are sensitive to the geometry of the structure. For (001) porous Si the structure with circular pores has much stronger optical transitions compared to the other two structures and it may play an important role in the observed luminescence. For this structure the energy difference between the direct and the indirect conduction-band minima is very small. Thus it is possible to observe photoluminescence from the indirect minimum at room temperature. For (110) porous Si of similar size of cross section the energy gap is smaller than that of (001) porous Si. The optical transitions for all three structures of (110) porous Si tend to be much stronger along the axis than perpendicular to the axis.

Quantum confinement effect in thin quantum wires

The electronic states and optical transition properties of three semiconductor wires Si? GaAs, and ZnSe are studied by the empirical pseudopotential homojunction model. The energy levels, wave functions, optical transition matrix elements, and lifetimes are obtained for wires of square cross section with width from 2 to 5 (root 2a/2), where a is the lattice constant. It is found that these three kinds of wires have different quantum confinement properties. For Si wires, the energy gap is pseudodirect, and the wave function of the electronic ground state consists mainly of four bulk Delta states. The optical transition matrix elements are much smaller than that of a direct transition, and increase with decreasing wire width. Where the width of wire is 7.7 Angstrom, the Si wire changes from an indirect energy gap to a direct energy gap due to mixing of the bulk Gamma(15) state. For GaAs wires. the energy gap is also pseudodirect in the width range considered, but the optical transition matrix elements are larger than those of Si wires by two orders of magnitude for the same width. However, there is no transfer to a direct energy gap as the wire width decreases. For ZnSe wires, the energy gap is always direct, and the optical transition matrix elements are comparable to those of the direct energy gap bulk semiconductors. They decrease with decreasing wire width due to mixing of the bulk Gamma(1) state with other states. All quantum confinement properties are discussed and explained by our theoretical model and the semiconductor energy band structures derived. The calculated lifetimes of the Si wire, and the positions of photoluminescence peaks, are in good agreement with experimental results.

Epitaxial growth of SiC on complex substrates

Epitaxial growth of SiC on complex substrates was carried out at substrate temperature from 1200 degreesC to 1400 degreesC. Three kinds of new complex substrates, c-plane sapphire, AlN/sapphire, and GaN/AlN/sapphire, were used in this study. We obtained a growth rate in the range of 1-6 mum/h. Thick (6 mum) SIC epitaxial layers with no cracks were successfully obtained on AlN/sapphire and GaN/AlN/sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction patterns have confirmed that single-crystal SiC was obtained on these complex substrates. Analysis of optical transmission spectra of the SIC grown on sapphire substrates shows the lowest-energy gap near 2.2 eV, which is the value for cubic SiC. The undoped SIC showed n-type electrical conductivity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying robustness and dissipation cost of yeast cell cycle network: The funneled energy landscape perspectives

We study the origin of robustness of yeast cell cycle cellular network through uncovering its underlying energy landscape. This is realized from the information of the steady-state probabilities by solving a discrete set of kinetic master equations for the network. We discovered that the potential landscape of yeast cell cycle network is funneled toward the global minimum, G1 state. The ratio of the energy gap between G1 and average versus roughness of the landscape termed as robustness ratio ( RR) becomes a quantitative measure of the robustness and stability for the network. The funneled landscape is quite robust against random perturbations from the inherent wiring or connections of the network. There exists a global phase transition between the more sensitive response or less self-degradation phase leading to underlying funneled global landscape with large RR, and insensitive response or more self-degradation phase leading to shallower underlying landscape of the network with small RR. Furthermore, we show that the more robust landscape also leads to less dissipation cost of the network. Least dissipation and robust landscape might be a realization of Darwinian principle of natural selection at cellular network level. It may provide an optimal criterion for network wiring connections and design.

Energy landscape theory, funnels, specificity, and optimal criterion of biomolecular binding

We study the nature of biomolecular binding. We found that in general there exists several thermodynamic phases: a native binding phase, a non-native phase, and a glass or local trapping phase. The quantitative optimal criterion for the binding specificity is found to be the maximization of the ratio of the binding transition temperature versus the trapping transition temperature, or equivalently the ratio of the energy gap of binding between the native state and the average non-native states versus the dispersion or variance of the non-native states. This leads to a funneled binding energy landscape.

Polymer waveguide and VCSEL array multi-physics modelling for OECB based optical backplanes [opto-electrical circuit boards]

The deployment of OECBs (opto-electrical circuit boards) is expected to make a significant impact in the telecomm switches arena within the next five years. This will create optical backplanes with high speed point-to-point optical interconnects. The crucial aspect in the manufacturing process of the optical backplane is the successful coupling between VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) device and embedded waveguide in the OECB. The results from a thermo-mechanical analysis are being used in a purely optical model, which solves optical energy and attenuation from the VCSEL aperture into, and then through, the waveguide. Results from the modelling are being investigated using DOE analysis to identify packaging parameters that minimise misalignment. This is achieved via a specialist optimisation software package. Results from the thermomechanical and optical models are discussed as are experimental results from the DOE.

VCSEL to waveguide coupling for optical backplanes

Hybrid OECB (Opto-Electrical Circuit Boards) are expected to make a significant impact in the telecomm switches arena within the next five years, creating optical backplanes with high speed point-to-point optical interconnects. The critical aspect in the manufacture of the optical backplane is the successful coupling between VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) device and embedded waveguide in the OECB. Optical performance will be affected by CTE mismatch in the material properties, and manufacturing tolerances. This paper will discuss results from a multidisciplinary research project involving both experimentation and modelling. Key process parameters are being investigated using Design of Experiments and Finite Element Modelling. Simulations have been undertaken that predict the temperature in the VCSEL during normal operation, and the subsequent misalignment that this imposes. The results from the thermomechanical analysis are being used with optimisation software and the experimental DOE (Design of Experiments) to identify packaging parameters that minimise misalignment. These results are also imported into an optical model which solves optical energy and attenuation from the VCSEL aperture into, and then through, the waveguide. Results from the thermomechanical and optical models will be discussed as will the experimental results from the DOE.

Phase-resolved emission spectroscopy of a hydrogen rf discharge for the determination of quenching coefficients

Collisional effects can have strong influences on the population densities of excited states in gas discharges at elevated pressure. The knowledge of the pertinent collisional coefficient describing the depopulation of a specific level (quenching coefficient) is, therefore, important for plasma diagnostics and simulations. Phase resolved optical emission spectroscopy (PROES) applied to a capacitively coupled rf discharge excited with a frequency of 13.56 MHz in hydrogen allows the measurement of quenching coefficients for emitting states of various species, particularly of noble gases, with molecular hydrogen as a collision partner. Quenching coefficients can be determined subsequent to electron-impact excitation during the short field reversal phase within the sheath region from the time behavior of the fluorescence. The PROES technique based on electron-impact excitation is not limited â?? in contrast to laser techniques â?? by optical selection rules and the energy gap between the ground state and the upper level of the observed transition. Measurements of quenching coefficients and natural fluorescence lifetimes are presented for several helium (3 1S,4 1S,3 3S,3 3P,4 3S), neon (2p1 ,2p2 ,2p4 ,2p6), argon (3d2 ,3d4 ,3d18 and 3d3), and krypton (2p1 ,2p5) states as well as for some states of the triplet system of molecular hydrogen.

Optical follow-up of GRB 970508

We report on the results of optical follow-up observations of the counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 970508, starting 7 hr after the event. Multicolor U-, B-, V-, R-c-, and I-c-band observations were obtained during the first three consecutive nights. The counterpart was monitored regularly in R-c, until similar to 4 months after the burst. The light curve after the maximum follows a decline that can be fitted with a power law with exponent alpha = -1.141 +/- 0.014. Deviations from a smooth power-law decay are moderate (rms = 0.15 mag). We find no flattening of the light curve at late times. The optical afterglow fluence is a significant fraction, similar to 5%, of the GRB fluence. The optical energy distribution can be well represented by a power law, the slope of which changed at the time of the maximum (the spectrum became redder).