TIME RESOLVED REFLECTIVITY MEASUREMENTS APPLIED TO RAPID ISOTHERMAL ANNEALING OF ION IMPLANTED SILICON.

The annealing of ion implantation damage in silicon by rapid isothermal heating has been monitored by the time resolved reflectivity (TRR) method. This technique was applied simultaneously at a wavelength of 632. 8nm and also at 1152nm, where the optical absorption coefficient of silicon is less. The two wavelength method simplifies the interpretation of TRR results, extends the measurement depth and allows good resolution of the position of the interface between amorphous and crystalline silicon. The regrowth of amorphous layers in silicon, created by self implantation and implanted with electrically active impurities, was observed. Regrowth in rapid isothermal annealing occurs during the heating up stage of typical thermal cycles. Impurities such as B, P, and As increase the regrowth rate in a manner consistent with a vacancy model for regrowth. The maximum regrowth rate in boron implanted silicon is limited by the solid solubility.

Mode control in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers by post-processing using focused ion-beaih etching

Single-mode emission is achieved in previously multimode gain-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) by localized modification of the mirror reflectivity using focused ion-beam etching. Reflectivity engineering is also demonstrated to suppress transverse mode emission in an oxide-confined device, reducing the spectral width from 1.2 nm to less than 0.5 nm.

Mechanism of polarization pinning in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers using focused ion beam etching

Photoluminescence experiments have identified strain as the origin for polarization pinning in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers post-processed by focused ion beam etching. Theoretical models were applied to deduce the strain in devices. Post-annealing was used to optimize polarization pinning.

High power laser with integrated lens using focused ion beam etching

In this study, a collimating lens is introduced at the output facet of a tapered waveguide laser to compensate for the divergence of the optical mode. The collimating lens is shown to enhance the laser efficiency while simultaneously reducing the far field divergence.

Preparation of tetrahedral amorphous carbon films by filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition

Tetrahedrally bonded amorphous carbon (ta-C) and nitrogen doped (ta-C:N) films were obtained at room temperature in a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) system incorporating an off-plane double bend (S-bend) magnetic filter. The influence of the negative bias voltage applied to substrates (from -20 to -350 V) and the nitrogen background pressure (up to 10-3 Torr) on film properties was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR). The ta-C films showed sp3 fractions between 84% and 88%, and mass densities around 3.2 g/cm3 in the wide range of bias voltage studied. In contrast, the compressive stress showed a maximum value of 11 GPa for bias voltages around -90 V, whereas for lower and higher bias voltages the stress decreased to 6 GPa. As for the ta-C:N films grown at bias voltages below -200 V and with N contents up to 7%, it has been found that the N atoms were preferentially sp3 bonded to the carbon network with a reduction in stress below 8 GPa. Further increase in bias voltage or N content increased the sp2 fraction, leading to a reduction in film density to 2.7 g/cm3.

Focused ion beam etching of GaN

We have investigated the use of focused ion beam (FIB) etching for the fabrication of GaN-based devices. Although work has shown that conventional reactive ion etching (RIE) is in most cases appropriate for the GaN device fabrication, the direct write facility of FIB etching - a well-established technique for optical mask repair and for IC failure analysis and repair - without the requirement for depositing an etch mask is invaluable. A gallium ion beam of about 20nm diameter was used to sputter GaN material. The etching rate depends linearly on the ion dose per area with a slope of 3.5×10 -4μm3/pC. At a current of 3nA, for example, this corresponds to an etch rate of 1.05μm3/s. Good etching qualities have been achieved with a side wall roughness significantly below 0.1μm. Changes in the roughness of the etched surface plane stay below 8nm.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes growth using self-assembled Ni nanoparticles produced by ion implantation

An alternative method for seeding catalyst nanoparticles for carbon nanotubes and nanowires growth is presented. Ni nanoparticles are formed inside a 450 nm SiO2 film on (100) Si wafers through the implantation of Ni ions at fluences of 7.5×1015 and 1.7×1016 ions.cm-2 and post-annealing treatments at 700, 900 and 1100°C. After exposed to the surface by HF dip etching, the Ni nanoparticles are used as catalyst for the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. © 2007 Materials Research Society.