Columnar microstructure of nanocrystalline Ga1-xMnxN films deposited by reactive sputtering

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Structural and vibrational analysis of nanocrystalline Ga1-xMnxN films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

The structural and vibrational properties of nanocrystalline Ga1-xMnxN films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering were analyzed in a wide composition range (0 < x < 0.18). The films were structurally characterized using x-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement. The corresponding vibrational properties were investigated using micro-Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The films present a high crystallized fraction, crystallites having wurtzite structure, and high orientation texture with the c axis oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface. Rietveld analysis indicates that Mn atoms are incorporated substitutionally into Ga positions and show that the ionic character of cation-N bonds along the c axis is favored by the Mn incorporation. No evidence for Mn segregation or Mn rich phases was found in the composition range analyzed. Micro-Raman scattering spectra and infrared absorption experiments showed progressive changes with the increase of x and monotonic shifts of the GaN TO and LO peaks to lower frequencies. The structural and vibrational analyses are compared and the influence of Mn on the static and dynamic properties of the lattice is analyzed. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Nanocrystalline Ga1-xMnxN films grown by reactive sputtering

The growth of nanocrystalline Ga1-zMnxN (0.00 <= x <= 0.18) films grown by reactive RF-magnetron sputtering is focused here for the first time. The films were grown in a N-2 atmosphere by co-sputtering technique using a Ga target covered with small pieces of Mn onto c-GaAs (10 0), c-Si (10 0) and amorphous SiO2 substrates maintained at 500 K. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments did not show any evidence for Mn segregation within the studied composition range. EDX measurements show that the Mn concentration is increased monotonically with the fraction of the target area covered by Mn. The XRD characterization show that the films are nanocrystalline, the crystallites having mean grain sizes in the 15-19 nm range and wurtzite structure with preferential growth orientation along the c-axis direction. The lattice parameters of alpha-GaN (a and c) increase practically linearly with the increase of Mn incorporation. The changes in the structural properties of our films due to the Mn incorporation are similar to those that occur in ferromagnetic GaMnN single-crystal films. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estudo teórico das propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas do GaN e do semicondutor magnético Ga1-xMnxN no bulk e na superfície

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

Análise da deposição de filmes finos semicondutores de GaN e GaN e Ga1-xMnxN preparados por sputtering reativo

Thin films of Ga1-xMnxN have great interest in its potential for control of electron spin (spintronics), in most cases this material is synthesized by techniques that have a high degree of control the deposition parameters, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and deposition of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The sputtering technique is an alternative route to produce such materials. Here we study the film deposition Ga1-xMnxN by reactive sputtering technique and apply enhancements such as a glove box, a residual gas analyzer and temperature control system, in order to growth films epitaxially using an analysis of the preconditions of films analyzed by spectroscopic techniques and microscopic. These procedures helped to improve the technique of deposition by cleaning substrates in an inert environment, and by the analysis of trace gases and heating the substrate holder as explained in the literature. Through the applications and comparisons it can be pointed out that the technique has the advantage of its simplicity and relatively low cost compared to MBE and MOCVD, but produces polycrystalline material

Magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline GaMnN films deposited by reactive sputtering

The magnetic characteristics of Ga1-xMnxN nanocrystalline films (x = 0.08 and x = 0.18), grown by reactive sputtering onto amorphous silica substrates (a-SiO2), are shown. Further than the dominant paramagnetic-like behaviour, both field- and temperature-dependent magnetization curves presented some particular features indicating the presence of secondary magnetic phases. A simple and qualitative analysis based on the Brillouin function assisted the interpretation of these secondary magnetic contributions, which were tentatively attributed to antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Propriedades estruturais, ópticas e magnéticas de filmes de GaMnN

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudo das propriedades ópticas e vibracionais de filmes de GaN dopados com Mn elaborados por RF Magnetron Sputtering Reativo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Compositional control of the electrical transport properties in the new series of thiospinels Ga1-xGexV4S8-delta (0 <=x<=1)

A new series of non-stoichiometric sulfides Ga1−xGexV4S8−δ (0≤x≤1; δ≤0.23) has been synthesized at high temperatures by heating stoichiometric mixtures of the elements in sealed quartz tubes. The samples have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, SQUID magnetometry and electrical transport-property measurements. Structural analysis reveals that a solid solution is formed throughout this composition range, whilst thermogravimetric data reveal sulfur deficiency of up to 2.9% in the quaternary phases. Magnetic measurements suggest that the ferromagnetic behavior of the end-member phase GaV4S8 is retained at x≤0.7; samples in this composition range showing a marked increase in magnetization at low temperatures. By contrast Ga0.25Ge0.75V4S8−δ appears to undergo antiferromagnetic ordering at ca. 15 K. All materials with x≠1 are n-type semiconductors whose resistivity falls by almost six orders of magnitude with decreasing Ga content, whilst the end-member phase GeV4S8−δ is a p-type semiconductor. The results demonstrate that the physical properties are determined principally by the degree of electron filling of narrow-band states arising from intracluster V–V interactions.

Disorder effects produced by the Mn and H incorporations on the optical absorption edge of Ga1-xMnxAs:H nanocrystalline films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Thermodynamic and electronic study of Ga-1 _ xMnxN films. A theoretical study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Stoichiometry unbalance and photoluminescence emission in Ga1-XAsX films prepared by flash evaporation

Both narrow and broad photoluminescence bands were observed in Ga1-XAsX films prepared by flash evaporation of polycrystalline GaAs containing native C impurities. The observed narrow crystalline-like bands are similar to band-to-band and C acceptor impurity emissions in crystalline GaAs. The narrow bands are evidence that the As excess favors the PL active GaAs crystallite formation in films deposited onto silicon (10 0) substrate, even when the As excess is very large (X = 0.84). This favoring is not observed in twin samples grown on silica glass substrates nor on Ga rich samples, indicating the important role of the combined effect of the As excess and Si substrate in the GaAs crystallite formation. The broad amorphous-like bands were observed in Ga rich and in moderately As rich samples. The photoluminescence emission is compared with the microstructure of the material as determined from the micro-Raman, absorption edge and reflectance measurements. The volume fraction of the crystallites formed is small and PL emission indicates that the crystallite electronic quality is much better than the ones formed heat treating films grown on silica glass substrates. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The evolution of arsenic excess induced by thermal annealing in arsenic-rich Ga1-xAsx films

The evolution of As excess in As-rich Ga1-xAsx films is analyzed for distinct As concentrations and different annealing temperatures. Initially the samples are amorphous and crystallize partially after thermal annealing. The formation of both amorphous and crystalline As clusters is examined by micro-Raman and X-ray diffraction analysis. When highly and moderately unbalanced materials are compared, differences are clearly observed concerning the crystallization temperature and the migration kinetics of the As excess. These differences are explained by the fort-nation of As precipitates around the GaAs crystallites in the moderately unbalanced material, contrasting with the migration of the As excess to the film surface in the highly unbalanced material.

Light and thermal excitation of depolarization current in indirect bandgap Alx Ga1-xAs

Monochromatic light excitation in conjunction with thermally stimulated depolarization current measurements are applied to indirect bandgap AlxGa1-xAs. The obtained average activation energy for dipole relaxation is in very close agreement with the DX center binding energy. Monochromatic light induces state transition in the defect and makes possible the identification of dipoles observed in the dark. Charge relaxation currents are destroyed by photoionization of Al0.5Ga0.5As using either 647 nm Kr+ or 488 nm Ar+ laser lines, which are above the DX center threshold photoionization energy. It suggests that correlation may exist among charged donor states DX--d+. Sample resistance as a function of temperature is also measured in the dark and under illumination and shows the probable X valley effective mass state participation in the electron trapping. Ionization with energies of 0.8 eV and 1.24 eV leads to striking current peak shifts in the thermally stimulated depolarization bands. Since vacancies are present in this material, they may be responsible for the secondary band observed in the dark as well as participation in the light induced recombination process.

Storage moduli, loss moduli and damping factor of GaAs and Ga1-xMnxAs thin films using DMA 2980

The spin injector part of spintronic FET and diodes suffers from fatigue due to rising heat on the depletion layer. In this study the stiffness of Ga1-xMnxAs spin injector in terms of storage modulus with respect to a varying temperature, 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C was determined. It was observed that the storage modulus for MDLs (Manganese Doping Levels) of 0%, 1% and 10% decreased with increase in temperature while that with MDLs of 20% and 50% increase with increase in temperature. MDLs of 20% and 50% appear not to allow for damping but MDLs <= 20% allow damping at temperature range of 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C. The magnitude of storage moduli of GaAs is smaller than that for ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs systems. The loss moduli for GaAs were found to reduce with increase in temperature. Its magnitude of reducing gradient is smaller than Ga1-xMnxAs systems. The two temperature extremes show a general reduction in loss moduli for different MDLs at the study temperature range. From damping factor analysis, damping factors for ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs was found to increase with decrease in MDLs contrary to GaAs which recorded the largest damping factor at 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C Hence, MDL of 20% shows little damping followed by 50% while MDL of 0% has the most damping in an increasing trend with temperature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.