The diphasic nc-Si/a-Si : H thin film with improved medium-range order

A series of silicon film samples were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) near the threshold from amorphous to nanocrystalline state by adjusting the plasma parameters and properly increasing the reactions between the hydrogen plasma and the growing surface. The microstucture of the films was studied by micro-Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The influences of the hydrogen dilution ratio of silane (R-H = [H-2]/[SiH4]) and the substrate temperature (T-s) on the microstructural and photoelectronic properties of silicon films were investigated in detail. With the increase of RH from 10 to 100, a notable improvement in the medium-range order (MRO) of the films was observed, and then the phase transition from amorphous to nanocrystalline phase occurred, which lead to the formation of diatomic hydrogen complex, H-2* and their congeries. With the increase of T-s from 150 to 275 degreesC, both the short-range order and the medium range order of the silicon films are obviously improved. The photoconductivity spectra and the light induced changes of the films show that the diphasic nc-Si/a-Si:H films with fine medium-range order present a broader light spectral response range in the longer wavelength and a lower degradation upon illumination than conventional a-Si:H films. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructural and compositional characteristics of GaN films grown on a ZnO-buffered Si(111) wafer

Polycrystalline GaN thin films have been deposited epitaxially on a ZnO-buffered (111)-oriented Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The microstructural and compositional characteristics of the films were studied by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A SiO2 amorphous layer about 3.5 nm in thickness between the Si/ZnO interface has been identified by means of spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy. Cross-sectional and plan-view TEM investigations reveal (GaN/ZnO/SiO2/Si) layers exhibiting definite a crystallographic relationship: [111](Si)//[111](ZnO)//[0001](GaN) along the epitaxy direction. GaN films are polycrystalline with nanoscale grains (similar to100 nm in size) grown along [0001] direction with about 20degrees between the (1 (1) over bar 00) planes of adjacent grains. A three-dimensional growth mode for the buffer layer and the film is proposed to explain the formation of the as-grown polycrystalline GaN films and the functionality of the buffer layer. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical properties of boron-doped Si nanowires

Raman scattering and photoluminescence (PL) of boron-doped silicon nanowires have been investigated. Raman spectra showed a band at 480 cm(-1), indicating that the crystallinity of the nanowires was suppressed by boron doping. PL taken from B-doped SiNWS at room temperature exhibited three distinct emission peaks at 1.34, 1.42. and 1.47 eV and the PL intensity was much stronger than that of undoped SiNWS. The increased PL intensity should be very profitable for nano-optoelectronics. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of critical thickness on structural and optical properties of InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells

InGaN/GaN multiquantum-well (MQW) structures grown by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition on n-type GaN and capped by p-type GaN were investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, double crystal x-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent photoluminescence. For the sample with strained-layer thicknesses greater than the critical thicknesses, a high density of pure edge type threading dislocations generated from MQW layers and extended to the cap layer was observed. These dislocations result from a relaxation of the strained layers when their thicknesses are beyond the critical thicknesses. Because of indium outdiffusion from the well layers due to the anneal effect of Mg-doped cap layer growth and defects generated from strain relaxation, the PL emission peak was almost depressed by the broad yellow band with an intensity maximum at 2.28 eV. But for the sample with strained-layer thicknesses less than the critical thicknesses, it has no such phenomenon. The measured critical thicknesses are consistent with the calculated values using the model proposed by Fischer, Kuhne, and Richter. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Influence of the growth temperature of the high-temperature AlN buffer on the properties of GaN grown on Si(111) substrate

We have studied the influence of the growth temperature of the high-temperature (HT) AIN buffer layer on the properties of the GaN epilayer which was grown on Si(111) substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). It was found that the crystal quality of the GaN epilayer strongly depends on the growth temperature of the HT-AIN buffer. The growth temperature of the AIN buffer to obtain high-quality GaN epilayers lies in a narrow window of several tens of degrees. When the temperature is lower than a certain temperature range, the appearance of AIN polycrystals results in the deterioration of the crystal quality of the AIN buffer layer, which is greatly disadvantageous to the coalescence of the GaN epilayer. Although the AIN buffer's crystal quality is improved as the growth temperature increases, the Si outdiffusion from the substrate is also enhanced when the temperature is higher than a certain temperature range, which will demolish the subsequent growth of the GaN epilayer. Therefore, there exists an optimum growth temperature range of the AIN buffer around 1080degreesC for the growth of high-quality GaN epilayers. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence study of InGaN/GaN quantum dots grown on passivated GaN surface

We have measured photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolve photoluminescence (TRPL) from InGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs) grown on passivated GaN surfaces by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Strong PL emission was observed from the QDs structure even at room temperature. By comparing the PL and TRPL dependence on temperature, a significant difference between the QD and wetting layer emissions was revealed. The QD emission is characterized by a strong exciton localization effect, which leads to a larger thermal activation energy, a nearly constant radiative lifetime independent of temperature and an unusual temperature behavior of the PL peak energy. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of V/III ratio on InGaAs and InP grown at low temperature by LP-MOCVD

Effects of V/III ratio on heavily Si doped InGaAs and InP were studied using low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) at a growth temperature of 550degreesC. In InGaAs, as the V/III ratio decreases from 256 to 64, the carrier concentration increases from 3.0 x 10(18) to 5.8 x 10(18) cm(-3), and the lattice mismatch of InGaAs to InP was observed to vary from -5.70 x10(-4) to 1.49 x 10(-3). In InP, when the V/III ratio decreases from 230 to 92, the same trend as that in Si doped InGaAs was observed that the carrier concentration increases from 9.2 x 10(18) to 1.3 x 10(19) cm(-3). The change of AsH3 was found to have stronger effect on Si incorporation in InGaAs at lower growth temperature than at higher growth temperature. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the N/Al ratio of AlN buffer on the crystal properties and stress state of GaN film grown on Si(111) substrate

The effect of the N/Al ratio of AlN buffers on the optical and crystal quality of GaN films, grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on Si(111) substrates, has been investigated. By optimizing the N/Al ratio during the AlN buffer, the threading dislocation density and the tensile stress have been decreased. High-resolution X-ray diffraction exhibited a (0002) full-width at half-maximum as low as 396 acrsec. The variations of the tensile stress existing in the GaN films were approved by the redshifts of the donor bound exiton peaks in the low-temperature photoluminescence measurement at 77 K. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural and optical properties of quaternary AlInGaN epilayers grown by MOCVD with various TMGa flows

AlInGaN quaternary epilayers have been grown with various TMGa flows by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition to investigate the influence of growth rate on the structural and optical properties. Triple-axis X-ray diffraction measurements show AlInGaN epilayers have good crystalline quality. Photolummescence (PL) measurements show that the emission intensity of AlInGaN epilayers is twenty times stronger than that of AlGaN epilayer with comparable Al content. V-shaped pits are observed at the surface of AlInGaN epilayers by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). High growth rate leads to increased density and size of V-shaped pits, but crystalline quality is not degraded. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-step growth of ZnO from film to vertically well-aligned nanorods and the morphology-dependent Raman scattering

We observed a transition from film to vertically well-aligned nanorods for ZnO grown on sapphire (0001) substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. A growth mechanism was proposed to explain such a transition. Vertically well-aligned homogeneous nanorods with average diameters of similar to 30, 45, 60, and 70 nm were grown with the c-axis orientation. Raman scattering showed that the E-2 (high) mode shifted to high frequency with the decrease of nanorod diameters, which revealed the dependence of nanorod diameters on the stress state. This dependence suggests a stress-driven diameter-controlled mechanism for ZnO nanorod arrays grown on sapphire (0001) substrates. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

The compact microcrystalline Si thin film with structure uniformity in the growth direction by hydrogen dilution profile

The hydrogen dilution profiling (HDP) technique has been developed to improve the quality and the crystalline uniformity in the growth direction of mu c-Si:H thin films prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition. The high H dilution in the initial growth stage reduces the amorphous transition layer from 30-50 to less than 10 nm. The uniformity of crystalline content X-c in the growth direction was much improved by the proper design of hydrogen dilution profiling which effectively controls the nonuniform transition region of Xc from 300 to less than 30 nm. Furthermore, the HDP approach restrains the formation of microvoids in mu c-Si: H thin films with a high Xc and enhances the compactness of the film. As a result the stability of mu c-Si: H thin films by HDP against the oxygen diffusion, as well as the electrical property, is much improved. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Improved DC and RF performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs grown by MOCVD on sapphire substrates

High-quality AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on 2-in. sapphire substrates. Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) mobility of 1410 cm(2)/Vs and concentration of 1.0X10(13) CM-2 are obtained at 295 K from the HEMT structures, whose average sheet resistance and sheet resistance uniformity are measured to be about 395 Omega/sq and 96.65% on 2-in. wafers, respectively. AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with 0.8 mu m gate length and 0.2 mm gate width were fabricated and characterized using the grown HEMT structures. Maximum current density of 0.9 A/ mm, peak extrinsic transconductance of 290 mS/mm, unity cutoff frequency (f(T)) of 20 GHz and maximum oscillation frequency (f(max) of 46 GHz are achieved. These results represent significant improvements over the previously fabricated devices with the same gate length, which are attributed to the improved performances of the MOCVD-grown HEMT structures. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lateral phase separation in AlGaN grown on GaN with a high-temperature AIN interlayer

The influences of a high-temperature (HT) AlN interlayer (IL) on the phase separation in crack-free AlGaN grown on GaN have been studied. The depth-dependent cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra indicate a relatively uniform Al distribution in the growth direction, but the monochromatic CL images and the CL spectra obtained by line scan measurements reveal a lateral phase separation in AlGaN grown on relatively thick HT-AlN ILs. Moreover, when increasing the thickness of HT-AlN IL, the domain-like distribution of the AlN mole fraction in AlGaN layers is significantly enhanced through a great reduction of the domain size. The morphology of mesa-like small islands separated by V trenches in the HT-AlN IL, and the grain template formed by the coalescence of these islands during the subsequent AlGaN lateral overgrowth, are attributed to be responsible for the formation of domain-like structures in the AlGaN layer. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Quasi-aligned ZnO nanotubes grown on Si substrates

Quasi-aligned ZnO nanotubes have been grown on silicon substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition without using any catalyst. Two kinds of ZnO nanotubular structures were found: Nanotubes with single walls and nanotubes with double walls. The nanotubes were grown along the [001] direction. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements of the ZnO nanotubes indicate strong ultraviolet emission and weak green emission. A new growth mode for these ZnO nanotubes is proposed, which can be used to prepare other nanotubular structures. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Study on the thermal stability of InN by in-situ laser reflectance system

The thermal stability of InN in the growth environment in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was systematically investigated in situ by laser reflectance system and ex situ by morphology characterization, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that InN can withstand isothermal annealing at temperature as high as 600 degrees C in NH3 ambient. While in N-2 atmosphere, it will decompose quickly to form In-droplets at least at the temperature around 500 degrees C, and the activation energy of InN decomposition was estimated to be 2.1 +/- 0.1 eV. Thermal stability of InN when annealing in NH3 ambient during temperature altering would be very sensitive to ramping rate and NH3 flow rate, and InN would sustain annealing process at small ramping rate and sufficient supply of reactive nitrogen radicals. Whereas In-droplets formation was found to be the most frequently encountered phenomenon concerning InN decomposition, annealing window for conditions free of In-droplets was worked out and possible reasons related are discussed. In addition, InN will decompose in a uniform way in the annealing window, and the decomposition rate was found to be in the range of 50 and 100 nm/h. Hall measurement shows that annealing treatment in such window will improve the electrical properties of InN. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.