AlGaN-Based Deep-Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes Fabricated on AlN/sapphire Template

We report on the growth and fabrication of deep ultraviolet （DUV） light emitting diodes （LEDs） on an AIN template which was grown on a pulsed atomic-layer epitaxial buffer layer. Threading dislocation densities in the AlN layer are greatly decreased with the introduction of this buffer layer. The crystalline quality of the AlGaN epilayer is further improved by using a low-temperature GaN interlayer between AlGaN and AlN. Electroluminescences of different DUV-LED devices at a wavelength of between 262 and 317nm are demonstrated. To improve the hole concentration of p-type AlGaN, Mg-doping with trimethylindium assistance approach is performed. It is found that the serial resistance of DUV-LED decreases and the performance of DUV-LED such as EL properties is improved.     

Photoresponse of the In0.3Ga0.7N metal-insulator-semiconductor photodetectors

In0.3Ga0.7N metal-insulator-semiconductor （MIS） and metal-semiconductor （MS） surface barrier photodetectors have been fabricated. The In0.3Ga0.7N epilayers were grown on sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD）. The photoresponse and reverse current-voltage characteristics of the In0.3Ga0.7N MIS and MS photodetectors were measured. A best zero bias responsivity of 0.18 A/W at 450 nm is obtained for the In0.3Ga0.7N MIS photodetector with 10 nm Si3N4 insulator layer, which is more than ten times higher than the In0.3Ga0.7N MS photodetector. The reason is attributed to the decrease of the interface states and increase of surface barrier height by the inserted insulator. The influence of the thickness of the Si3N4 insulator layer on the photoresponsivity of the MIS photodetector is also discussed.     

Effects of AlGaN/AlN Stacked Interlayers on GaN Growth on Si （111）

We report the growth of high quality and crack-free GaN film on Si （111） substrate using Al0.2Ga0.8N/AlN stacked interlayers. Compared with the previously used single AlN interlayer, the AlGaN/AlN stacked interlayers can more effectively reduce the tensile stress inside the GaN layer. The cross-sectional TEM image reveals the bending and annihilation of threading dislocations （TDs） in the overgrown GaN film which leads to a decrease of TD density.     

Characterization of tetragonal distortion in a thick Al0.2Ga0.8N epilayer with an AIN interlayer by Rutherford backscattering/channeling

An Al0.2Ga0.8N/AlN/Al0.2Ga0.8N heterostructure was grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on a sapphire （0001） substrate with a thick （〉 1 μm） GaN intermediate layer. The Al composition was determined by Rutherford backscattering （RBS）. Using the channeling scan around an off-normal [1213] axis in the （1010） plane of the Al0.2Ga0.8N layer, the tetragonal distortion eT, which is caused by the elastic strain in the epilayer, is investigated. The results show that eT in the high-quality Al0.2Ga0.8N layer is dramatically released by the AIN interlayer from 0.66% to 0.27%.     

Barrier Enhancement Effect of Postannealing in Oxygen Ambient on Ni/AIGaN Schottky Contacts

Al0.2 Ga0.8N/GaN samples are grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD） method on （0001） sapphire substrates. A 10nm-thick Ni layer is deposited on AlGaN as the transparent Schottky contact. The effect of postannealing in oxygen ambient on the electrical properties of Ni/AlGaN is studied by current-voltage- temperature （I-V-T） measurement. The annealing at a relatively low temperature of 300℃ for 90 s results in a decrease of the ideality factor from 2.03 to 1.30 and an increase of the Schottky barrier height from 0.77eV to 0.954 e V. The I-V-T analysis confirms the improvement originated from the formation of NiO, a layer with higher resistance, which could passivate the surface states of AlGaN and suppress the tunnelling current. Furthermore, the annealing also leads to an increase of the transmittance of the contacts from 57.5% to 78.2%, which would be favourable for A1GaN-based photodetectors.     

Thin film micro-scaled cold cathode structures of undoped and Si-doped AlN grown on SiC substrate with low turn-on voltage

The field emission characteristics of the AlN thin films with micro-scaled cold cathode structures are tested in the high vacuum system. The aluminum nitride(AlN) thin films with a thickness of about 100 nm are prepared on the n-type 6H-SiC(0001) substrate at 1100°C by metal organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD) under low pressure. The I–V curves and surface micro-images of undoped and Si-doped AlN films are investigated. From the I–V and Fowler–Nordheim plots,it can be seen that the Si-doped Al N shows better field emission characteristics compared with the undoped AlN sample.The obtained turn-on field is 6.7 V/μm and the maximum emission current density is 154 m A/cm2 at 69.3 V for the Sidoped AlN film cathode after proper surface treatment. It is proposed that the relatively low electric resistivity of Si-doped Al N films is significant for electron migration to the surface region, and their rougher surface morphology is beneficial to a higher local electric field enhancement for the field emission.     

Characterization of tetragonal distortion in a thick Al_(0.2)Ga_(0.8)N epilayer with an AlN interlayer by Rutherford backscattering/channeling

An Al0.2Ga0.8N/AlN/Al0.2Ga0.8N heterostructure was grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on a sapphire(0001) substrate with a thick(> 1 μm) GaN intermediate layer. The Al composition was determined by Rutherford backscattering(RBS). Using the channeling scan around an off-normal [1213] axis in the(1010) plane of the Al0.2Ga0.8N layer, the tetragonal distortion eT, which is caused by the elastic strain in the epilayer, is investigated. The results show that eTin the high-quality Al0.2Ga0.8N layer is dramatically released by the AlN interlayer from 0.66% to 0.27%.     

Influence of adatom migration on wrinkling morphologies of AlGaN/GaN micro-pyramids grown by selective MOVPE

Ga N micro-pyramids with AlGaN capping layer are grown by selective metal–organic–vapor phase epitaxy(MOVPE). Compared with bare Ga N micro-pyramids, AlGaN/Ga N micro-pyramids show wrinkling morphologies at the bottom of the structure. The formation of those special morphologies is associated with the spontaneously formed AlGaN polycrystalline particles on the dielectric mask, owing to the much higher bond energy of Al–N than that of Ga–N. When the sizes of the polycrystalline particles are larger than 50 nm, the uniform source supply behavior is disturbed, thereby leading to unsymmetrical surface morphology. Analysis reveals that the scale of surface wrinkling is related to the migration length of Ga adatoms along the AlGaN {1ī01} facet. The migration properties of Al and Ga further affect the distribution of Al composition along the sidewalls, characterized by the μ-PL measurement.     

Analysis of the decrease of two-dimensional electron gas concentration in GaN-based HEMT caused by proton irradiation

Gallium nitride(Ga N)-based high electron mobility transistors(HEMTs)that work in aerospace are exposed to particles radiation,which can cause the degradation in electrical performance.We investigate the effect of proton irradiation on the concentration of two-dimensional electron gas(2 DEG)in Ga N-based HEMTs.Coupled Schr¨odinger’s and Poisson’s equations are solved to calculate the band structure and the concentration of 2 DEG by the self-consistency method,in which the vacancies caused by proton irradiation are taken into account.Proton irradiation simulation for Ga N-based HEMT is carried out using the stopping and range of ions in matter(SRIM)simulation software,after which a theoretical model is established to analyze how proton irradiation affects the concentration of 2 DEG.Irradiated by protons with high fluence and low energy,a large number of Ga vacancies appear inside the device.The results indicate that the ionized Ga vacancies in the Ga N cap layer and the Al Ga N layer will affect the Fermi level,while the Ga vacancies in the Ga N layer will trap the two-dimensional electrons in the potential well.Proton irradiation significantly reduced the concentration of 2 DEG by the combined effect of these two mechanisms.     

Electrical Characteristics of InGaN/AlGaN and InGaN/GaN MQW Near UV-LEDs

Electrical characteristics of In0.05 Ga0.95N/Al0.07Ga0.9aN and In0.05 Ga0.95N/GaN multiple quantum well （MQW） ultraviolet light-emltting diodes （UV-LEDs） at 400hm wavelength are measured. It is found that for InGaN/AlGaN MQW LEDs, both ideality factor and parallel resistance are similar to those of InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs, while series resistance is two times larger. It is suggested that the Al0.07Ga0.93N barrier layer did not change crystal quality and electrical characteristic of p-n junction either, but brought larger series resistance. As a result, InGaN/AlGaN MQW LEDs suffer more serious thermal dissipation problem although they show higher light output efficiency.     

Hyperfine characterization of Bi1.9Te0.1SrNb1.9Hf0.1O9

The Aurivillius type oxide Bi_1.9Te_0.1SrNb_1.9Hf_0.1O₉ has been studied by Perturbed Angular Correlations spectroscopy using ¹⁸¹Ta probes. The spin precession curves were measured from room temperature up to 873 K. Two sites are occupied by probes and the temperature dependence of both indicates a continuous phase transition at about 625 K. One site is ordered while the other is disordered. This situation is analyzed in terms of simple models already applied to perovskites. The transition temperature of the solid solution Bi_2−xTe_xSrNb_2−xHf_xO₉ (with 0≤x≤0.5) shows a strong dependence on composition.     

X-ray study of phase transitions in the system of solid solutions K2Pb4Nb10O30-Na2Pb4Nb10O30-K6W4Nb6O30

Boundaries of morphotropic phase transitions region in the system of solid solutions K₂Pb₄Nb₁₀O₃₀-Na₂Pb₄Nb₁₀O₃₀-K₆W₄Nb₆O₃₀ with the structure of the tetragonal tungsten bronze have been specified. Presence of the second morphotropic phase transition, perpendicular to the first one has been revealed. The temperature dependences of the structural parameters of some compounds have been investigated. The compounds with high values of Curie temperatures and working temperatures have been obtained.     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of Fe2O3-doped (Na0.5K0.5)0.96Li0.04Nb0.86Ta0.1Sb0.04O3 lead-free ceramics

The effect of a small amount Fe₂O₃ (0.1-2 mol%) doping on the electrical properties of (Na_0.5K_0.5)_0.96Li_0.04Nb_0.86Ta_0.1Sb_0.04O₃ (NKLNTS) ceramics was investigated. It was found that the B-site substitution of Fe³⁺ does not change the crystal structure within the studied doping level and all modified ceramics have a pure tetragonal perovskite structure at room temperature. The addition of Fe₂O₃ can promote the sintering of NKLNTS ceramics, and simultaneously cause the grain growth so that Fe³⁺-doped NKLNTS compositions show degraded densification at higher doping level. Furthermore, the dielectric properties of the NKLNTS ceramics do not show a significant change by Fe₂O₃ doping. However, the addition of Fe₂O₃ was found to have a significant influence on the electric fatigue resistance and the durability against water. The presence of oxygen vacancies caused by the replacement of Fe³⁺ for B-site ions makes the NKLNTS ceramics harder.     

Structure and magnetic order in La0.7Ca0.3Mn0.5Co0.5O3 and La0.8Sr0.2Mn0.5Co0.5O3 perovskites

In this paper we report the study of the perovskites La_0.7Ca_0.3Mn_0.5Co_0.5O₃ and La_0.8Sr_0.2Mn_0.5Co_0.5O₃ by neutron powder diffraction at various temperatures and magnetization measurements in zero applied field and at low cooling regimes. The replacement of half Mn by Co in La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ and La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ destroys their long-range ferromagnetism exhibiting a cluster glass ferromagnetic order similar to the one observed in many cobaltites.     

EPR and magnetic properties of MgO-CaO-SiO2-P2O5-CaF2-Fe2O3 glass-ceramics

Glass-ceramics have been derived from 4.5MgO(45−x)CaO34SiO₂16P₂O₅0.5CaF₂xFe₂O₃ (x=5, 10, 15, 20 wt%) glasses by heat treatment. Room temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χ) of the glass-ceramics have been obtained. The EPR absorption line centered at g≈4.3 disappeared at higher concentrations of iron oxide. The intensity and line width of the EPR absorption line centered at g≈2.1 increased as the iron oxide concentration was increased. Temperature-dependent magnetization of samples with low iron oxide content revealed ferrimagnetic as well as paramagnetic contributions. Information about the structural changes involving iron ions, their valence state and the type of magnetic interactions between the Fe ions as a function of composition was obtained using EPR and χ studies.     

Synthesis and crystallographic studies of garnet-type AgCa2Mn2V3O12 and NaPb2Mn2V3O12

High-purity powder specimens of AgCa₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂ and NaPb₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂ have been successfully synthesized by solid-state chemical reaction. The Rietveld refinements from X-ray powder diffraction data verified that these compounds have the garnet-type structure (space group , No. 230) with the lattice constant of a=12.596(2) Å for AgCa₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂ and a=12.876(2) Å for NaPb₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂. Calculation of the bond valence sum supported that Mn is divalent and V is pentavalent in these garnets. Estimation of the quadratic elongation and the bond angle variance showed that the distortions of the MnO₆ octahedra and the VO₄ tetrahedra are significantly suppressed. Our new results of AgCa₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂ and NaPb₂Mn₂V₃O₁₂ are compared to those of AgCa₂M₂V₃O₁₂ and NaPb₂M₂V₃O₁₂ (M=Mg, Co, Ni, Zn).     

Magnetic susceptibility of vanadium garnets NaPb2Co2V3O12 and NaPb2Ni2V3O12

Vanadium garnets NaPb₂Co₂V₃O₁₂ and NaPb₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂ have been successfully synthesized. The X-ray diffraction experiments indicate that these compounds have the garnet structure of cubic symmetry of space group with the lattice constant of 12.742 Å (NaPb₂Co₂V₃O₁₂) and 12.666 Å (NaPb₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂), respectively. The magnetic susceptibility of NaPb₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂ shows the Curie-Weiss paramagnetic behavior between 4.2 and 350 K. The effective magnetic moment μ_eff of NaPb₂Ni₂V₃O₁₂ is 3.14 μ_B due to Ni²⁺ ion at A-site and the Weiss constant is −3.67 K (antiferromagnetic sign). For NaPb₂Co₂V₃O₁₂, the simple Curie-Weiss law cannot be applicable. The ground state is the spin doublet and the first excited state is spin quartet , according to Tanabe-Sugano energy diagram on the basis of octahedral crystalline symmetry. This excited spin quartet state just a bit higher than ground state influences strongly the complex temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility for NaPb₂Co₂V₃O₁₂.     

Structural study of the Lu2Si2O7-Sc2Si2O7 system

Different compositions in the Lu₂Si₂O₇-Sc₂Si₂O₇ system have been synthesized following the ceramic method. All XRD patterns are compatible with the thortveitite structure (β-RE₂Si₂O₇ polymorph). Unit cell parameters change linearly with composition, which indicates a complete solid solubility of Sc₂Si₂O₇ in Lu₂Si₂O₇. ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra show a decrease of the ²⁹Si chemical shift with increasing Sc content. A correlation reported in the literature to predict ²⁹Si chemical shifts in silicates is applied here to obtain the theoretical variation in ²⁹Si chemical shift values in the system Lu₂Si₂O₇-Sc₂Si₂O₇ and the results compare favourably with the values obtained experimentally. The FWHM values of the ²⁹Si MAS NMR curves indicate a random distribution of Lu and Sc in the structure of the intermediate members. Finally, the IR study of the system confirms the solubility of Sc₂Si₂O₇ in Lu₂Si₂O₇, showing the splitting of several modes in the intermediate members and a linear shift of the frequency on going from one end-member to the other.     

Low temperature electrical conductivity and magnetoconductivity of Fe39Ni39Mo4Si6B12 and Co58Ni10Fe5Si11B16 metallic glass alloys

A detailed study on the weak localization phenomenon vis-a-vis electron-electron interaction effects in magnetic metallic glasses has been carried out. We measured the electrical conductivity and magnetoconductivity within the temperature range 1.8≤T≤300K. A maximum on the conductivity versus temperature curve exists atT=T _m. The conductivity was observed to follow aT ^1/2 law forT<T _m andT ² law forT>T _m. Magnetoconductivity data of these alloys indicate the prominence of electron-electron interaction at low temperatures. The authors have determined the inelastic scattering field and spin-orbit scattering field from the magnetoconductivity data. The inelastic scattering field obeys aT ^p law (p=2) at low temperatures.