Investigating the lateral motion of SiGe islands by selective chemical etching

SiGe islands grown by deposition of 10 monolayers of Ge on Si(0 0 1) at 740 °C were investigated by using a combination of selective wet chemical etching and atomic force microscopy. The used etchant, a solution consisting of ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide, shows a high selectivity of Ge over Si_xGe_1−x and is characterized by relatively slow etching rates for Si-rich alloys. By performing successive etching experiments on the same sample area, we are able to gain a deeper insight into the lateral displacement the islands undergo during post growth annealing.     

Effective method for preparation of oxide-free Ge2Sb2Te5 surface: An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study

Cleaning the surfaces of the as-deposited Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mixed native oxides on the as-deposited Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ surface can be easily removed by dipping Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ in de-ionized water for 1 min, while the surface morphology remains unchanged after cleaning. Native oxides only re-grow after exposure to air for more than 4 min. Although dipping in water leads to a surface layer deficient in Ge and Sb, the surface composition of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ can recover to its stoichiometric value after annealing at 200 °C in vacuum. The phase remains amorphous at room temperature after dipping in water, and changes to fcc and hcp after annealing at 100 and 220 °C, respectively.     

On the origin of the 2.2-2.3 eV photoluminescence from chemically etched germanium

The photoluminescence (PL) at ∼2.2-2.3 eV from Ge-based nanocrystalline materials is described in the literature as nanocrystal size-independent. We have observed visible luminescence from two different types of stain-etched Ge samples, one prepared after Sendova-Vassileva et al. (Thin Solid Films 255 (1995) 282) in a solution of H₂O₂:HF at 50:1 volume ratio, and the other in a solution of HF:H₃PO₄:H₂O₂ at 34:17:1 volume ratio. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, and the near edge X-ray absorption structure (XANES), indicate that the chemically etched Ge layers of the former type of samples are composed of non-stoichometric Ge oxides, i.e. GeO_x (0<x<2), and free from any Ge nanoconstructions. It is also suggested from XANES that the latter type of chemically etched Ge samples comprise 8-9 nm nanocrystals of Ge, surface-covered with mainly oxygen. Photoluminescence occurred at ∼2.3 eV for all samples. The PL behavior of the latter type of chemically etched Ge on annealing in different chemical environments (air or H) allowed us to conclude that the PL from these materials, as well as that from those Ge-based nanocrystalline materials reported in the literature, is from GeO_xs.     

Influence of deposition conditions on the optical properties of erbium-doped yttrium oxide films grown by aerosol-UV assisted MOCVD

Erbium-doped Y₂O₃ films were prepared by aerosol-UV assisted metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) at 410 °C. The effects of humidity of carrier gas and UV-assistance on their structure and optical properties were investigated on the as-deposited and thermal annealed films using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the as-deposited Er:Y₂O₃ films crystallise in the Y₂O₃ cubic structure and present a very low organic contamination when the deposition takes place under high air humidity and, even better, with UV-assistance. After annealing, two different structural phases are observed corresponding to the cubic and the monoclinic structures of Y₂O₃. The Er³⁺ luminescence analysed in the visible and IR regions, shows the classical green transitions. The best optical properties were obtained with as-deposited and annealed Er:Y₂O₃ films grown under high air humidity with UV-assistance. Under such deposition conditions, ⁴I_13/2 lifetimes was found to be 3.07 and 6.1 ms for films annealed at 800 and 1000 °C, respectively, and up-conversion phenomena were underlined. This indicates that the deposition conditions, in particular air humidity, play an important role in the luminescent properties even after annealing.     

磁控共溅射法制备的Zn2GeO4多晶薄膜结构及其光致发光研究

用射频磁控共溅射方法在不同温度的单晶硅基片上生长薄膜,然后在800℃真空环境下对薄膜进行退火处理,成功获得了结晶状态良好的Zn₂GeO₄多晶薄膜.利用X射线衍射(XRD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和原子力显微镜(AFM)对薄膜进行了结构、成分和形貌分析,研究了基片温度对三者的影响. 结果显示,当基片温度升高到400℃以上时,薄膜中的Zn₂GeO₄晶粒在(220)方向上显示出了明显的择优取向. 当基片温度在500—600℃范围内,有利于GeO₂结晶相的形成. XPS显示薄膜中存在着Zn₂GeO₄,GeO₂,GeO,ZnO四种化合态. 同时,随着基片温度的升高,晶粒尺寸增大且薄膜表面趋于平整. 薄膜的光致发光在绿光带存在中心波长为530和550nm两个峰,应该归因于主体材料Zn₂GeO₄中两个不同的Ge²⁺的发光中心. 关键词： 射频磁控溅射 2GeO₄')" href="#">Zn₂GeO₄ 荧光体     

同步辐射光激励的二氧化硅薄膜刻蚀研究

利用热氧化法在硅晶片上生长SiO₂薄膜，结合光刻和磁控溅射技术在SiO₂薄膜表面制备接触型钴掩模，通过掩模方法在硅表面开展了同步辐射光激励的表面刻蚀研究，在室温下制备了SiO₂薄膜的刻蚀图样.实验结果表明：在同步辐射光照射下，通入SF₆气体可以有效地对SiO₂薄膜进行各向异性刻蚀，并在一定的气压范围内，刻蚀率随SF₆气体浓度的增加而增加，随样品温度的下降而升高；如果在同步辐射光照射下，用SF₆和O₂的混合气体作为反应气体，刻蚀过程将停止在SiO₂/Si界面，即不对硅刻蚀，实现了同步辐射对硅和二氧化硅两种材料的选择性刻蚀；另外，钴表现出强的抗刻蚀能力，是一种理想的同步辐射光掩模材料. 关键词： 同步辐射刻蚀 接触型钴掩模 二氧化硅薄膜     

Plasmonics: influence of the intermediate (or stick) layer on the efficiency of sensors

This paper reports the formation of Ge nanoclusters in a multi-layer structure consisting of alternating thin films of Ge-doped silica glass and SiGe, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and post annealed at 1100 °C in N₂ atmosphere. We studied the annealed samples by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. As-deposited and annealed samples were analyzed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). TEM investigation shows that Ge nanoclusters were formed in the as-deposited SiGe layer and the SiGe layer was transformed into a silicon dioxide layer embedded with Ge nanoclusters after annealing. These nanoclusters are crystalline and varied in size. There were no clusters in the Ge-doped glass layer. Raman spectra verified the existence of crystalline Ge clusters. The positional shift of the Ge vibrational peak with the change of the focus depth indicates that the distribution of the stress applied to the Ge clusters varies with depth. SIMS measurements show clearly the dramatic O increase in the as-deposited SiGe layer after annealing. The creation of Ge nanoclusters by the combination of PECVD and annealing makes possible the application in complicated waveguide components. PACS 81.07.Bc; 78.66.Jg; 42.65.Wi     

Annealing effect on the structural and optical properties of a Cd1−xZnxS thin film for photovoltaic applications

Herein is a report of a study on a Cd_1−xZn_xS thin film grown on an ITO substrate using a chemical bath deposition technique. The as-deposited films were annealed in air at 400 °C for 30 min. The composition, surface morphology and structural properties of the as-deposited and annealed Cd_1−xZn_xS thin films were studied using EDX, SEM and X-ray diffraction techniques. The annealed films have been observed to possess a crystalline nature with a hexagonal structure. The optical absorption spectra were recorded within the range of 350-800 nm. The band gap of the as-deposited thin films varied from 2.46 to 2.62 eV, whereas in the annealed film these varied from 2.42 to 2.59 eV. The decreased band gap of the films after annealing was due to the improved crystalline nature of the material.     

Si/Gen/Si(001)异质结薄膜的掠入射荧光X射线吸收精细结构研究

利用掠入射荧光X射线吸收精细结构(XAFS)方法研究了在400℃的温度下分子束外延生长的Si/Ge_n/Si(001)异质结薄膜(n=1，2，4和8个原子层)中Ge原子的局域环境结构.结果表明，在1至2个Ge原子层(ML)生长厚度的异质结薄膜中，Ge原子的第一近邻配位主要是Si原子.随着Ge原子层厚度增加到4ML，Ge原子的最近邻配位壳层中的Ge-Ge配位的平均配位数增加到1.3.当Ge原子层厚度增加到8ML时，第一配位壳层中的Ge-Ge配位占的比例只有55%.这表明在400℃的生长条件下，Ge原子有很强的迁移到Si覆盖层的能力.随着Ge层厚度从1 增加到2，4和8ML，Ge原子迁移到Si覆盖层的量由0.5ML分别增加到1.5，2.0和3.0ML.认为在覆盖Si过程中Ge原子的迁移主要是通过产生Ge原子表面偏析来降低表面能和Ge层的应变能. 关键词： XAFS n/Si(001)异质膜')" href="#">Si/Ge_n/Si(001)异质膜 迁移效应     

Influence of patterning on the nucleation of Ge islands on Si and SiO2 surfaces

Surface patterning is expected to influence the nucleation site of deposited nanostructures. In the present study, clean Si and SiO₂ surfaces were patterned by a nanolithographic process using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Ge was evaporated in ultra high vacuum at 873 K on these substrates, resulting in the formation of island arrays. Based on scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy images, a statistical analysis was performed in order to highlight the effect of patterning on the size distribution of islands compared to a non-patterned surface. We find that the self-organization mechanism on patterned substrates results in a very good arrangement and positioning of Ge nanostructures, depending on growth conditions and holes distance, both on Si and SiO₂ surfaces.     

Annealing effects on the structure and electrical characteristics of amorphous Er2O3 films

Amorphous Er 2 O 3 films are deposited on Si (001) substrates by using reactive evaporation.This paper reports the evolution of the structure,morphology and electrical characteristics with annealing temperatures in an oxygen ambience.X-ray diffraction and high resolution transimission electron microscopy measurement show that the films remain amorphous even after annealing at 700 C.The capacitance in the accumulation region of Er 2 O 3 films annealed at 450 C is higher than that of as-deposited films and films annealed at other temperatures.An Er 2 O 3 /ErO x /SiO x /Si structure model is proposed to explain the results.The annealed films also exhibit a low leakage current density (around 1.38 × 10 4 A/cm 2 at a bias of 1 V) due to the evolution of morphology and composition of the films after they are annealed.     

Effects of carbon doping on chemical states of amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5, measured with synchrotron radiation

We fabricated and analyzed the chemical states of carbon-doped (5.2–13.2 at.%) Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin films on Si substrates using high-resolution, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation. Thin films were completely amorphous and their phase-change temperature was 150 °C higher than for un-doped GST. As the carbon doping concentration increased, new chemical states of Ge 3d with 29.9 eV and C 1s with 283.7 eV core-levels were observed. The doped carbon was bonded only with Ge in GST and doping was saturated at 8.7 at.%.     

Fabrication and characteristics of high-K HfO2 gate dielectrics on n-germanium

This paper reports that the high-K HfO2 gate dielectrics are fabricated on n-germanium substrates by sputtering Hf on Ge and following by a furnace annealing. The impacts of sputtering ambient, annealing ambient and annealing temperature on the electrical properties of high-K HfO2 gate dielectrics on germanium substrates are investigated. Experimental results indicate that high-K HfO2 gate dielectrics on germanium substrates with good electrical characteristics are obtained, the electrical properties of high-K HfO2 gate dielectrics is strongly correlated with sputtering ambient, annealing ambient and annealing temperature.     

氮掺杂Ge2Sb2Te5相变存储器的多态存储功能

通过反应溅射的方法，制备了N掺杂的Ge₂Sb₂Te₅(N-GST)薄膜，用作相变存储器的存储介质.研究表明，掺杂的N以GeN的形式存在，不仅束缚了Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST)晶粒的长大也提高了GST的晶化温度和相变温度.利用N-GST薄膜的非晶态、晶态面心立方相和晶态六方相的电阻率差异，能够在同一存储单元中存储三个状态，实现相变存储器的多态存储功能. 关键词： 相变存储器 多态存储 N掺杂 2Sb₂Te₅')" href="#">Ge₂Sb₂Te₅     

掺纳米锗氧化硅的发光性能研究

由溶胶/凝胶法制备得到的GeO₂/SiO₂玻璃在700 ℃的条件下经H₂还原,得到具有奇特光致发光性质的Ge/SiO₂玻璃,该玻璃在室温条件下用246 nm（5.01 eV）的光激发时,能发射出很强的 392 nm（3.12 eV）、较强的 600 nm（2.05 eV）和次强的770 nm（1.60 eV） 的荧光.利用X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）及透射电镜（TEM）实验证明,该玻璃能够发射3种不 关键词： 2')" href="#">Ge/SiO₂ Ge纳米晶粒 溶胶/凝胶法 光致发光     

Growth of Sn(O,S)2 buffer layers and its application to Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

Sn-based thin films as new buffer layer for Cd-free Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cells were developed. The Sn(O,S)₂ films were formed on CIGS substrates by chemical bath deposition from an alkaline ammonia solution by reacting tin(IV) chloride with thiourea. Optimization of the growth process allowed the smooth and conformal coverage of the films on the CIGS substrates with a thickness of 20 nm that was a self-limited thickness in the chemical bath deposition process. XPS analysis revealed that the as-deposited films contained Sn–O, Sn–OH, and Sn–S bondings and the ratio of Sn–S bonding to Sn–O bonding was 0.3. The CIGS solar cell fabricated with a 20-nm thick Sn(O,S)₂ buffer layer had the best efficiency of 11.5% without AR coating. The open circuit voltage, short circuit current, and fill factor were 0.55 V, 34.4 mA/cm², and FF = 0.61, respectively. The open circuit voltage and fill factor were low compared to the conventional CIGS solar cell with a 50-nm thick CdS buffer due to too thin Sn(O,S)₂ buffer layer.     

Evidence of GeO volatilization and its effect on the characteristics of HfO2 grown on Ge substrate

HfO₂ films are deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using tetrakis ethylmethylamino hafnium (TEMAH) as the hafnium precursor, while O₃ or H₂O is used as the oxygen precursor. After annealing at 500℃ in nitrogen, the thickness of Ge oxide's interfacial layer decreases, and the presence of GeO is observed at the H₂O-based HfO₂ interface due to GeO volatilization, while it is not observed for the O₃-based HfO₂. The difference is attributed to the residue hydroxyl groups or H₂O molecules in H₂O-based HfO₂ hydrolyzing GeO₂ and forming GeO, whereas GeO is only formed by the typical reaction mechanism between GeO₂ and the Ge substrate for O₃-based HfO₂ after annealing. The volatilization of GeO deteriorates the characteristics of the high-κ films after annealing, which has effects on the variation of valence band offset and the C–V characteristics of HfO₂/Ge after annealing. The results are confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical measurements.     

Properties of deep etched trenches in silicon: Role of the angular dependence of the sputtering yield and the etched species redeposition

A Monte-Carlo etching simulation code modelling the temporal evolution of a silicon substrate submitted to a SF₆/O₂ plasma mixture was developed to complete and improve the experimental results found in an induced coupled plasma reactor (ICP). It reproduces the different plasma-surface interaction mechanisms occurring during this kind of process, predicts the trench profile evolution, calculates the etching rates and gives the chemical composition on the sidewalls. It is also a powerful tool for scientific investigation, with the possibility to add and test new surface processes, which cannot be directly controlled or measured by experiments. The object of this article is to investigate the role of two of them: the angular dependence of the sputtering yield and the redeposition of the sputter products. The study is focused on their topographic and kinetic consequences, and reveals that these mechanisms can explain some common defects appearing like microtrenching and faceting.     

A chemical lithography route to Bi2S3 nanotubes

Two different semiconducting bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) nanostructures (feather-like Bi₂S₃ nanotubes and fiber-like Bi₂S₃ nanotubes) with diameters around 50-60 nm and lengths about tens of micrometers were prepared successfully by a chemical lithography route. The results indicated that the employment of polyvinylpyrrolidone led to the precursor with feather-like morphology and the acid had ripening effect on and etching action to the ultimate formation of the fiber-like Bi₂S₃ nanotubes. The photoluminescence spectra of two different Bi₂S₃ nanostructures revealed that the relative position of emission peaks was influenced by the thin edges of the feather-like nanotubes due to the quantum-confinement effect.     

Preparation, structure and photo-catalytic performances of hybrid Bi2SiO5 modified Si nanowire arrays

Bi₂SiO₅ modified Si nanowire array films were fabricated as photo-catalysts via dip-coating Bi(NO₃)₃ on silver-assisted electroless wet chemical etching Si nanowires and subsequently annealing. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results of photocatalytic experiments indicated that the Bi₂SiO₅ modified Si nanowire arrays benefit the improvement for efficient electron-hole separation and photo-catalytic stability, thereby possessing superior photo-degradation performance. These hybrid nanowire arrays will be promising materials for photo-catalysts and degradation agents.