Non-homogeneous SiGe-on-insulator formed by germanium condensation process

Ge condensation process of a sandwiched structure of Si/SiGe/Si on silicon-on-insulator （SOI） to form SiGe-on- insulator （SGOI） substrate is investigated. The non-homogeneity of SiGe on insulator is observed after a long time oxidation and annealing due to an increased consumption of silicon at the inflection points of the corrugated SiGe film morphology, which happens in the case of the rough surface morphology, with lateral Si atoms diffusing to the inflection points of the corrugated SiGe film. The transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the non-homogeneous SiGe layer exhibits a single crystalline nature with perfect atom lattice. Possible formation mechanism of the non-homogeneity SiGe layer is presented by discussing the highly nonuniform oxidation rate that is spatially dependent in the Ge condensation process. The results are of guiding significance for fabricating the SGOI by Ge condensation process.     

Evolution of Ge and SiGe Quantum Dots under Excimer Laser Annealing

We present different relaxation mechanisms of Ge and SiGe quantum dots under excimer laser annealing. Investigation of the coarsening and relaxation of the dots shows that the strain in Ge dots on Ge films is relaxed by dislocation since there is no interface between the Ge dots and the Ge layer, while the SiGe dots on Si0.77Ge0.23 film relax by lattice distortion to coherent dots, which results from the obvious interface between the SiGe dots and the Si0.77Ge0.23 film. The results are suggested and sustained by Vanderbilt and Wickham＇s theory, and also demonstrate that no bulk diffusion occurs during the excimer laser annealing.     

Self-assembled germanium nano-structures by laser-assisted oxidation

The investigation on the oxidation behaviour of Si自聚集锗 纳米结构 激光辅助氧化 PL光谱low-temperature oxidation, laser-assisted, nano-structure, PL spectraProject supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province, China (Grant No 3067(2004)).2005-04-202005-04-202005-10-08The investigation on the oxidation behaviour of Si1-xGex alloys （x=0.05, 0.15, and 0.25） is carried out. It is found for the first time that on the oxide film a germanium nano-cap with a thickness of 1.8-2.8nm and a few Ge nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 5.5 nm to 10 nm are formed by the low-temperatu.re laser-assisted dry oxidation of Si1-xGex substrate. A new scanning method on the decline cross-section of the multiple-layer sample is adopted to measure the layer thickness and the composition. Some new peaks in photoluminescence （PL） spectra are discovered, which could be related to the nano-cap and the nano-particles of germanium. A suitable model and several new calculating formulae with the unrestricted Hartree-Fock-Roothaan （UHFR） method and quantum confinement analysis are proposed to interpret the PL spectra and the nano-structure mechanism in the oxide.     

MBE Growth of Highly Relaxed Si0.45 Ge0.55 Films with Very Low Misfit Dislocation Density on Si （001） Substrates

We investigate the molecular-beam-epitaxy growth of highly relaxed Si0.45 Ge0.55 films with very low dislocation densities. By using the Si3N4 film as the mask material, the Si0.45Ge0.55 film can be grown on a compositionally stepwise graded SiGe buffer layer in 3 μm× 3 μm windows on a Si （001） substrate. Raman scattering spectroscopy measurement shows that more than 90% strain of the Si0.45Ge0.55 film is relaxed, and almost neither misfit dislocation lines nor etch pits of thread dislocations could be observed when the sample is etched by the modified Schimmel etchant. We suggest that the results can be explained by influence of the edge-induced strain relaxation of the epitaxial film and the edge-induced stress of the mask material.     

Quantum confinement analysis of nanostructures in oxidation of SiGe alloys

We report the investigation on the oxidation behaviour of Si_{1-x}Ge_x alloys (x=0.05, 0.15, and 0.25). It was found for the first time that a nanocap (thickness: 1.6－2.0nm) was formed on the oxide film after fast oxidation. Some new peaks in photoluminescence spectra were discovered, which could be related to the Ge nanocap, the Ge nanolayer (thickness: 0.8－1.2nm) and the Ge nanoparticles (with various diameters from 2.6nm to 7.4nm), respectively. A suitable model and several new calculating formulae combined with the Unrestricted Hartree－Fock－Roothaan (UHFR) method and quantum confinement analysis have been proposed to interpret the PL spectra and the nanostructure mechanism in the oxide and Ge segregation.     

Effects of annealing rate and morphology of sol–gel derived ZnO on the performance of inverted polymer solar cells

The effects of annealing rate and morphology of sol–gel derived zinc oxide(ZnO)thin films on the performance of inverted polymer solar cells(IPSCs)are investigated.ZnO films with different morphologies are prepared at different annealing rates and used as the electron transport layers in IPSCs.The undulating morphologies of ZnO films fabricated at annealing rates of 10 C/min and 3 C/min each possess a rougher surface than that of the ZnO film fabricated at a fast annealing rate of 50 C/min.The ZnO films are characterized by atomic force microscopy(AFM),optical transmittance measurements,and simulation.The results indicate that the ZnO film formed at 3 C/min possesses a good-quality contact area with the active layer.Combined with a moderate light-scattering,the resulting device shows a 16%improvement in power conversion efficiency compared with that of the rapidly annealed ZnO film device.     

Effects of Substrate Temperature on Helium Content and Microstructure of Nanocrystalline Titanium Films

Helium-charged nanocrystalline titanium films have been deposited by HeAr magnetron co-sputtering. The effects of substrate temperature on the helium content and microstructure of the nanocrystalline titanium films have been studied. The results indicate that helium atoms with a high concentration are evenly incorporated in the deposited titanium films. When the substrate temperature increases from 60℃ to 350℃ while the other deposition＇parameters are fixed, the helium content decreases gradually from 38.6 at.% to 9.2at.%, which proves that nanocrystalline Ti films have a great helium storage capacity. The 20 angle of the Bragg peak of （002） crystal planes of the He-charged Ti film shifts to a lower angle and that of （100） crystal plane is unchanged as compared with that of the pure Ti film, which indicates that the lattice parameter c increases and a keeps at the primitive value. The grain refining and helium damage result in the diffraction peak broadening.     

Phase Structural Characteristics of ZrV2 Thin Film Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

The thin film metal hydride has become an emerging field of research in metal hydride batteries for its good mechanical and hydrogenation properties. ZrV2 thin films have been prepared using a dc magnetron sputtering method, and the phase structure is investigated. Only amorphous or crystalline Zr and V mixture phases are achieved when substrates are heated during either to 400℃ or to 550℃. The annealing causes segregation of Zr and V in the film induced by strain-driven diffusion and interdiffusion between substrate Mo and film elements at high temperature, which results in the formation of mixture phases ofC14, C15, Zr and V, but the content of C15 phase is not higher compared with that in the bulk material.     

Effects of annealing time on the structure,morphology, and stress of gold–chromium bilayer film

In this work, a 200-nm-thick gold film with a 10-nm-thick chromium layer used as an adhesive layer is fabricated on fused silica by the electron beam evaporation method. The effects of annealing time at 300℃ on the structure, morphology and stress of the film are studied. We find that chromium could diffuse to the surface of the film by formatting a solid solution with gold during annealing. Meanwhile, chromium is oxidized on the surface and diffused downward along the grain grooves in the gold film. The various operant mechanisms that change the residual stresses of gold films for different annealing times are discussed.     

Structural Evolution and Phase Change Properties of C-Doped Ge_2Sb_2Te_5 Films During Heating in Air

We elucidate the importance of a capping layer on the structural evolution and phase change properties of carbondoped Ge_2 Sb_2 Te_5(C-GST) films during heating in air. Both the C-GST films without and with a thin SiO_2 capping layer(C-GST and C-GST/SiO_2) are deposited for comparison. Large differences are observed between C-GST and C-GST/SiO_2 films in resistance-temperature, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,Raman spectra, data retention capability and optical band gap measurements. In the C-GST film, resistancetemperature measurement reveals an unusual smooth decrease in resistance above 110℃ during heating. Xray diffraction result has excluded the possibility of phase change in the C-GST film below 170℃. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experimental result reveals the evolution of Te chemical valence because of the carbon oxidation during heating. Raman spectra further demonstrate that phase changes from an amorphous state to the hexagonal state occur directly during heating in the C-GST film. The quite smooth decrease in resistance is believed to be related with the formation of Te-rich GeTe_(4-n) Ge_n(n = 0, 1) units above 110℃ in the C-GST film. The oxidation of carbon is harmful to the C-GST phase change properties.     

Segregations and desorptions of Ge atoms in nanocomposite Si_(1-x)Ge_x films during high-temperature annealing

Nanocomposite Si_(1-x)Gex films are deposited by dual-source jet-type inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition(jet-ICPCVD).The segregations and desorptions of Ge atoms,which dominate the structural evolutions of the films during high-temperature annealing,are investigated.When the annealing temperature(Ta)is 900~℃,the nanocomposite Si_(1-x)Gex films are well crystallized,and nanocrystals(NCs)with the core-shell structure form in the films.After being annealed at 1000~℃(above the melting point of bulk Ge),Ge atoms accumulate on the surfaces of Ge-rich films,whereas pits appear on films with lower Ge content,resulting from desorption.Meanwhile,voids are observed in the films.A cone-like structure involving the percolation of the homogeneous clusters and the crystallization of NCs enhances Ge segregation.     

Various Trap States at SiGe-SiO2 Interface Formed by a Pulsed Laser

We report fabrication of low-dimensional structures in air by a pulsed laser on SiGe alloy samples in which different oxide structures are formed by laser irradiation and annealing treatment. The micro-structures on SiGe are more complex than those on Si. A series of photolumineseence （PL） emission is observed due to various trap states at the SiGe-SiO2 interface formed under different preparing conditions. The peak centre of PL emission exhibits red=shift from Si to SiGe because of narrower gap. A model for explaining the PL emission is proposed in which the trap states of the interface between some oxide and SiGe play an important role.     

Effect of CoSi2 buffer layer on structure and magnetic properties of Co films grown on Si（001） substrate

Buffer layer provides an opportunity to enhance the quality of ultrathin magnetic films.In this paper,Co films with different thickness of Co Si2buffer layers were grown on Si(001)substrates.In order to investigate morphology,structure,and magnetic properties of films,scanning tunneling microscope(STM),low energy electron diffraction(LEED),high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),and surface magneto-optical Kerr effect(SMOKE)were used.The results show that the crystal quality and magnetic anisotropies of the Co films are strongly affected by the thickness of Co Si2buffer layers.Few Co Si2monolayers can prevent the interdiffusion of Si substrate and Co film and enhance the Co film quality.Furthermore,the in-plane magnetic anisotropy of Co film with optimal buffer layer shows four-fold symmetry and exhibits the two-jumps of magnetization reversal process,which is the typical phenomenon in cubic(001)films.     

Effects of Different Dispersion Methods on the Microscopical Morphology of TiO2 Film

Nanocrystalline porous TiO2 films were prepared on conducting glass supports （ITO） by processed commercial TiO2 nanometre powder （P25）. Three methods of physical dispersing for TiO2 powder, i.e. grinding, magnetic stirring, sonicleaning, were used to disperse TiO2 nanometre powder. Surface morphologies of TiO2 films were observed by optic-microscope and SEM. It is found that the surface morphologies of TiO2 films are determined not only by the dispersing methods but also by the percentage of TiO2 powder in the dispersing system. Different film morphologies can be obtained under the same preparation condition but with different dispersing methods. A lot of cracks exist on the film surface for which the TiO2 slurry is dispersed by grinding. Magnetic stirring leads to some white points and micro-holes on the film surface. Only a few of micro-holes can be observed on the film surface, in which the TiO2 slurry is dispersed by sonicleaning. Different surface morphologies can also be found with different thicknesses of TiO2 films. Different film thicknesses are due to different percentages of TiO2 powder in the slurry. The related mechanism leading to different features of the surface morphologies for the TiO2 films is discussed.     

Highly Strained Si Films with Ultra-low Dislocation Density Grown on Virtual Substrates of Thin Thickness

By using compositionally graded SiGe films as virtual substrates, tensile strained Si films with the strain of 1.5% and the threading dislocation density less than 1.0 × 10^5 cm-2 are successfully grown in micron size windows by molecular beam epitaxy （MBE）. The thickness of the virtual substrates was only 33Onto. On the surface of the s-Si films no cross-hatched lines resulting from misfit dislocations could be observed. We attribute these results to the edge-induced strain relaxation of the epitaxial films in windows, and the patterned virtual substrates with compositionally graded SiGe films.     

A general surface-treatment-free approach to fabrication of alignment layers using a super-aligned carbon nanotube film template

<正>We develop a general approach to the fabrication of films with unidirectional grooves,such as silicon nitride, silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide,in which the surface is not required to be treated.Super-aligned carbon nanotube (SACNT) film may be used as a template and as sacrificial layer,which is subsequently removed by heating in an atmosphere of air.The unidirectional morphology of the SACNT film turns into a desired film,which is found to possess the ability to align liquid crystal molecules.This approach also features high efficiency,low cost and easy scaling-up for mass production.     

Influence of Ambient Atmosphere on the Plasmon Resonance Absorption of Ag／SiOx（0≤x≤2） Nanocomposite Film

Nanocomposite films consisting of nanosized Ag particles embedded in partially oxidized amorphous Si-containing matrices were prepared by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering deposition.We studied the influence of ambient atmosphere during the preparation and heat-treatment of Ag/SiOx(0≤x≤2) nanocomposite film on its optical absorption properties.We found that the plasmon resonance absorption peak shifts to shorter wavelengths with the increasing oxygen content in the SiOx matrix.The analysis indicates that the potential barrier between Ag nanoparticles and SiOx matrix increases with the increasing x value,which will induce the surface resonance state to shift to higher energy.The electrons in the vicinity of the Fermi level of Ag nanoparticles must absorb more energy to be transferred to the surface resonance state with the increasing x value.It was also found that the plasmon resonance absorption peaks of the samples annealed in different ambient atmospheres are located at about the same position.This is because the oxidation surface layer is dense enough to prevent the oxygen from peretration into the sample to oxidize the silicon in the inner layer.     

Improvement in the electrical performance and bias-stress stability of dual-active-layered silicon zinc oxide/zinc oxide thin-film transistor

Si-doped zinc oxide(SZO) thin films are deposited by using a co-sputtering method,and used as the channel active layers of ZnO-based TFTs with single and dual active layer structures.The effects of silicon content on the optical transmittance of the SZO thin film and electrical properties of the SZO TFT are investigated.Moreover,the electrical performances and bias-stress stabilities of the single- and dual-active-layer TFTs are investigated and compared to reveal the effects of the Si doping and dual-active-layer structure.The average transmittances of all the SZO films are about 90% in the visible light region of 400 nm-800 nm,and the optical band gap of the SZO film gradually increases with increasing Si content.The Si-doping can effectively suppress the grain growth of ZnO,revealed by atomic force microscope analysis.Compared with that of the undoped ZnO TFT,the off-state current of the SZO TFT is reduced by more than two orders of magnitude and it is 1.5 × 10~(-12) A,and thus the on/off current ratio is increased by more than two orders of magnitude.In summary,the SZO/ZnO TFT with dual-active-layer structure exhibits a high on/off current ratio of 4.0 × 10~6 and superior stability under gate-bias and drain-bias stress.     

Equivalent oxide thickness scaling of Al2O3/Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with ozone post oxidation

Aluminum-oxide films deposited as gate dielectrics on germanium （Ge） by atomic layer deposition were post oxidized in an ozone atmosphere. No additional interfacial layer was electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected by the high-resolution cross-sectional transmission measurements made after the ozone post oxidation （OPO） treatment. Decreases in the equivalent oxide thickness of the OPO-treated Al2O3/Ge MOS capacitors were confirmed. Furthermore, a continuous decrease in the gate leakage current was achieved with increasing OPO treatment time. The results can be attributed to the film quality having been improved by the OPO treatment.     

Calculation of Specific Heat for Aluminium Thin Films

We employ Prasher＇s non-dimensional form to analyse the size effects on specific heat of Al thin films. Compared the calculation results of pure aluminium film with the experimental data, it is found that the reduction of phonon states is not the main reason of the size effect on the specific heat Al thin films with thickness from lOnm to 37Onm. However, the Al thin film in air usually has an oxidation layer and the specific heat of the layer is smaller than Al. By including the contribution of the oxidation layer to the thin-film specific heat, the calculation results are much closer to the experimental data. This may be a possible reason of the size effects on specific heat of Al thin films.