Sapphire evolution of the vicinal (0001) sapphire surface upon annealing in air

The evolution of a terrace-step nanostructure (TSN) on the sapphire (0001) surface misoriented by an angle of 0.1° with respect to the (\(10\bar 10\)) plane was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) at temperatures from 1273 to 1673 K. It was established that, with an increase in the annealing temperature to 1373 K, the step height attains 0.44 nm at a distance of 220 nm between steps; i.e., heating by 100 K doubles these parameters. In this case, the relief periodicity is retained. Rapid cooling of the substrate to 973 K leads to partial freezing of the surface structure, which makes it possible to observe the transition from one TSN to another. It was established that two steps coalescence upon annealing to 1373 K toward the (\(10\bar 10\)) plane, which has the lowest rigidity and, consequently, the lowest atomic density. The coalescence of two steps at a specified temperature is completed at a sufficiently large distance between the steps, at which their interaction energy is negligible. Upon further annealing of the samples above 1373 K, the steps overgrow to 1 nm; however, their periodicity is broken in this case.     

Epitaxial Growth of Nonpolar ZnO Films on Sapphire Substrates with a Terrace-Step Nanorelief

Crystallography Reports - The processes of fabrication of nonpolar (11 $$\bar {2}$$ 0) ZnO films with a thickness of up to 7.25 µm on (1 $$\bar {1}$$ 02) sapphire (Al2O3) substrates with a...     

导模法(EFG)生长大尺寸厚壁管状蓝宝石单晶

采用自行设计的导模法蓝宝石长晶装备,通过优化模具设计和长晶工艺,成功生长了内/外径分别为31/58 mm和50/65 mm,长度超过300 mm的大尺寸厚壁蓝宝石单晶圆管,无开裂多晶,无肉眼可见气泡,晶体质量优良.     

蓝宝石晶体生长过程中粘锅现象的实验研究

采用泡生法生长蓝宝石晶体的过程中,经常遇到粘锅问题.通过不同炉次的实验研究,分别分析了放肩阶段、等径生长阶段、收尾阶段等生长过程中产生粘锅的原因.指出温场的对称性是消除粘锅现象的最重要方式之一.同时,在放肩结束段及收尾阶段,为避免粘锅,可采用适当增大拉速及增加功率的措施.     

Ion-beam-induced radiation applied to investigations of thin surface layers on glass substrates

Radiation induced during ion-beam bombardment of solids by energetic ions consists mainly of characteristic lines of the spectra of excited free atoms or ions sputtered from the target. These characteristic lines can be applied for analysis of the material under investigation. A simple apparatus is described for the investigations at glass surfaces and thin film systems. Changes of concentration of a single constituent are indicated in the intensity versus time plots recorded for a single characteristics line of this constituent by changes of the intensity qualitatively. In-depth changes of the real concentration can be obtained quantitatively from the recorded intensity changes by calibration. The in-depth resolution is of the order of some tens of angstroms. The method was applied to investigate interdiffusion between the Si of a thin SiO₂ surface layer and of Pb and B within the substrate glass. Extensive investigations of the intensity/time plots obtained from Na₂ O-containing glass surface layers or bulk glasses illustrate the influence on the results due to the special disintegration processes caused by a beam of ions at the bombarded surface.     

Emergence of regular meandered step structure in simulated growth of GaN(0001) surface

Step meandering during the growth of gallium nitride crystal is studied on using kinetic Monte Carlo method. Cause of instability is identified to be the particle advection caused by the step flow. Growth process is conducted in N-rich conditions and GaN(0001) surface kinetics is modeled by setting jump probabilities for Ga atoms adsorbed at the surface. We show that at low enough temperatures and relatively high external particle fluxes periodic regular pattern of meanders is created with its wavelength inversely proportional to the particle flux. An increase of the meander amplitude saturates after some period and further crystal grow is stationary, creating “finger-like” structure. For medium fluxes regular structure of meanders builds up for low or zero value of Schwoebel barrier. For higher fluxes wavelengths of meanders become shorter than the terrace width and they start to grow independently and finally transfer the surface to a rough structure. For very low fluxes or at relatively high temperatures steps move steadily remaining their initial shapes of straight, parallel lines.     

The dependence of the surface energy of regular clusters and small crystallites on the particle size

Whereas in the case of liquids the theories on the dependence of the surface energy on the particle size are uniform in general, describing a decrease of σ with decreasing particle size, in the case of small solid particles also a dependence with the inverse sign has been assumed in the literature. Equations of the size dependence of σ and γ are derived for icosahedral and cuboctahedral clusters of noble gases considering interactions only with next neighbours. It will be shown that the character of the size dependence is dominated by the choice of the position of the dividing surface. Compared to that, such equations are derived also for ion crystallites. The resulting differences can be explained by the differences in structure and bonding.     

游离碳化硅磨粒辅助的蓝宝石固结磨料研磨研究

采用两种铜粉添加量的FAP,探索游离碳化硅磨料含量对蓝宝石研磨材料去除率和工件表面粗糙度的影响.结果表明:使用相同的研磨液时,铜粉含量高的FAP材料去除率大,表面粗糙度Ra差别不明显;使用相同的研磨垫时,材料去除率随研磨液中碳化硅浓度的增加而增加,FAP的自修正特性随碳化硅浓度的提高而改善.     

Study of LiNbO3 single crystals with a regular domain structure by piezoresponse force microscopy

Lithium niobate crystals with a regular domain structure have been studied by piezoresponse force microscopy. The period of regular domains and the domain-wall width (w = 45 nm) have been calculated for Z- and Y-cut crystals based on an analysis of two-dimensional images of the domain-structure piezoresponse. It is shown that for the Y-cut crystal, both positive and negative domain boundaries can be identified when recording the lateral component of piezoresponse.     

水平结晶法生长蓝宝石晶体的热交换研究

本文通过综合处理结晶设备内部(含有晶体的容器里)和外部(设备的工作空间:加热件和热绝缘)的热交换问题,给出了对不同类型结晶设备热系统的计算研究.数学模型计算的结果与用水平定向结晶设备生长蓝宝石板的实验作了比较,描述了实验发现的温场突变现象,并就水平定向生长蓝宝石晶体分析了它产生的可能原因.给出了模型准确性和应用范围的结论.     

Growth surface topography of kaolinite-group minerals and their simulation based on the regular sequence of enantiomorphic layers

The regularities of manifestation of polytypism in a number of kaolinite-group minerals (kaolinite, dickite, halloysite, and nacrite) have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and vacuum decoration. Growth patterns of elementary layers with a thickness of 7 Å, individual for each polytype, were observed on (001) faces of microcrystals. Specific features of the growth patterns of polytypes have been revealed by comparing them with simulated patterns constructed based on a packing of regularly alternating right- and left-handed (enantiomorphic) kaolinite layers. The new approach to the consideration of the polytypism of kaolinite minerals is substantiated by the absence of symmetry elements in the 7-Å-thick layer, which determines their structure; the formation of enantiomorphic forms of kaolinite; the presence of grazing-reflection planes in the growth patterns; and the structure of polytypes with a two-layer period. Packing of enantiomorphic layers may yield eight structures, two of which correspond to the right- and left-handed forms of kaolinite, one is for dickite, two are for halloysite, and three are for nacrite. It is shown that the simulated and real growth patterns of these minerals are in good correspondence.     

Effects of Inelastic Electron Scattering on Supersmooth Sapphire Surface with Au and Pt Nanolayers

Crystallography Reports - A comparative study of the inelastic electron scattering on supersmooth surfaces of sapphire single crystals, including those with gold and platinum nanolayers, was...     

Plasmonic Features in the Absorption Spectrum of a Monodisperse Ensemble of Gold Nanoislands on Sapphire

Plasmonic features in the absorption spectrum of a monodisperse ensemble of gold nanoislands on a sapphire substrate are considered. An explanation of the long-wavelength and UV bands in the absorption spectrum of the sample is proposed. The long-wavelength feature is interpreted as a consequence of surface plasmon polariton excitation under coherent scattering from a regular lattice of gold particles on sapphire, and the short-wavelength feature is considered to be a plasmon resonance, localized on individual gold nanoparticles.     

Grazing-incidence dynamic X-ray diffraction from a crystal with a shaped surface

The dynamic grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction from a crystal with a shaped surface in the form of one-dimensional submicron grating has been investigated. The interaction between the specularly reflected and diffracted waves and grating harmonics is taken into account for noncoplanar diffraction under the conditions of total external reflection. It is shown that this approximation exhibits good convergence in the number of harmonics taken into account. The influence of the angular divergence of the incident beam on the rocking-curve shape is shown.     

Ultra-flat InP substrates produced using a chemo-mechanical polishing technique

One of the factors that may control the ultimate performance of semiconductor opto-electronic devices is that of substrate flatness. This communication discussed the main principles involved in improving the flatness of wafers polished using chemo-mechanical techniques. Results are presented for the polishing of InP using a solution of bromine in methanol. At low bromine concentrations ( <1%) the micro-roughness of the surface was reduced to <1 nm over a lateral spacing of 25 μm.     

Dynamic aging of dislocations in materials with a high crystalline relief: Competition between diffusion and impurity entrainment

A model of the dynamic interaction of dislocations with the impurity subsystem of crystals that have a high lattice potential relief (Peierls barriers) has been developed. It is shown that the microscopic structure of migration barriers for impurities near a dislocation core may cause qualitatively different behavior of the impurity atmosphere on a moving dislocation. It is justified that the impurity kinetics during atmosphere formation includes two stages. The first (initial) stage is fast and significantly nonequilibrium; it is followed by the second stage, characterized by a slower approach to equilibrium. The initial stage manifests itself at a sufficiently fast dislocation motion and may lead to an anomalous increase in the driving force (or the yield strength of the material) with an increase in the temperature in some range. Blocking of the dislocation motion by impurities may cause inverse brittle-ductile transition, which is observed in some materials with an increase (rather than the usual decrease) in temperature.     

R面、C面蓝宝石上生长的InGaN多层量子点的发光性质研究

采用表面钝化和MOCVD低温生长在蓝宝石(0001)面(即C面)和蓝宝石(1102)面(即R面)上形成了InGaN量子点,并构成了该量子点的多层结构.原子力显微镜测试的结果表明单层InGaN量子点平均宽约40nm,高约15nm;而多层量子点上层的量子点则比单层的InGaN量子点大.R面蓝宝石衬底上生长的InGaN量子点和C面蓝宝石衬底上生长的InGaN量子点相比,其PL谱不仅强度高,而且没有多峰结构.这是由于在C面蓝宝石衬底上生长的InGaN/GaN多层量子点沿生长方向[0001]存在较强的内建电场,而在R面蓝宝石衬底上得到的多层量子点沿着生长方向[1120]没有内建电场.InGaN量子点变温光致发光(PL)谱研究发现量子点相关的峰有快速红移现象,这是量子点系统所特有的PL谱特征.用在R面蓝宝石上生长的InGaN量子点作有源层有望避免内建电场的影响,得到高量子效率且发光波长稳定的发光器件.     

Analysis of stress distribution in semiconductor substrates with film edges

Assuming a relaxing film stress in the edge region and a resulting superposition of partial surface stresses, the respective stress distribution in the crystal is calculated. For practical estimates of the stress values an approximate solution is given. The results are discussed with respect to the generation of defects at film edges.     

利用辐射加热炉进行蓝宝石及其它高温氧化物的热物理和光学性能的研究

本文描述了一种特大的实验装置-辐射加热炉,获得了蓝宝石和其它高温氧化物在固相、液相时的光学、热学和物理性能.该装置和相应的技术使得在高于3500K温度下研究这些材料的粘度、熔点、热导率、发射率和吸收系数成为可能,并以此得到了高温下蓝宝石的分子热传导系数,以及不同降温速率下蓝宝石的过冷情况.此外,介绍了一种复合氧化物材料MgO-Al2O3-HfO在宽波段范围内的反射率.本文所给出的数据对于从事晶体和高温陶瓷方面研究的专家学者将很有用处.     

Epitaxy of CdTe on sapphire substrates with titanium buffer layers

The formation of a developed electrical relief on the sapphire substrate surface is investigated. A technique is proposed for introducing Ti⁴⁺ impurity atoms into the sapphire crystal lattice by depositing titanium layers with a thickness of about 5 nm and their annealing in air (oxidizing atmosphere) to a temperature of 1400°C. It is shown that this preliminary treatment of the sapphire substrate surface results in epitaxial growth of (111) СdTe films parallel to the sapphire (0001) plane at a temperature of 350°C.