Study of the electrical and optical properties of silicon containing oxygen precipitates

The properties of n-type silicon with oxygen precipitates introduced by three-stage annealing were studied by the electron beam induced current (EBIC) method, deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), and photoluminescence (PL). The presence of extended defects with concentration of ≤10⁹ cm^?3 is revealed by the EBIC method. The concentration of electrically active defects formed in silicon due to oxygen precipitation is estimated from the EBIC contrast and is compared to that obtained from the DLTS data. Comparing the spectra of samples with oxygen precipitates with those of plastically deformed crystals, we can assume that the DLTS and PL spectra of silicon with oxygen precipitates are mainly determined by dislocations.     

Effect of contamination with iron on the electron-beam-induced current contrast of extended defects in multicrystalline silicon

The effect of contamination with iron on the recombination activity of extended defects in multicrystalline silicon has been studied by the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) technique. It has been shown that this process does not lead to the appearance of EBIC contrast of the ??3 and ??9 grain boundaries. It has been revealed that iron diffusion results in a significant increase in the contrast of dislocations introduced by plastic deformation and of traces behind the dislocations in single-crystal silicon, while the dislocation contrast in multicrystalline silicon remains practically unchanged.     

Comparison between the EBIC and XBIC contrasts of dislocations and grain boundaries

The X-ray-beam-induced current (XBIC) method is used to calculate the contrasts of dislocations and grain boundaries perpendicular to a surface as a function of the diffusion length of minority charge carriers and the X-ray probe width. The results are compared with the contrasts of the same defects determined via the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) techniques. It is demonstrated that the XBIC contrasts of grain boundaries and dislocations can be several times greater than those obtained in the EBIC mode in the case of a rather narrow X-ray beam. The XBIC contrast always exceeds that of EBIC in semiconductors with a large diffusion length even if the X-ray beam is rather wide.     

Electrical activity of dislocations: Prospects for practical utilization

The electrical activity of interfacial misfit dislocations in silicon has been examined using the electron beam induced current technique (EBIC) in a scanning electron microscope. Clean misfit dislocations, i.e. no EBIC contrast, formed during high-temperature Si(Ge) chemical vapor epitaxy were studied. These defects were subsequently decorated with known metallic impurities (Au and Ni) by diffusion at 400° C to 1130° C from a back-side evaporated layer. Qualitative analysis of the electrical activity in relation to the energy levels anticipated for the clean or decorated dislocations is presented. Of particular interest is the case of defect-induced conductivity type inversion which occurred both at the top surface and at the buried dislocated interfaces of the multilayer. The prospects for using dislocations in a beneficial manner as active elements in electronic devices are discussed.     

EBIC investigations of GaN layers prepared by epitaxial lateral overgrowth

GaN films prepared by lateral overgrowth are investigated by scanning electron microscopy in the electron beam induced current (EBIC) mode. A comparison of experimental and simulated dependences of induced current on beam energy has allowed us to determine not only the diffusion length, but also the donor concentration in different areas of a film. It has been found that the donor distribution is inhomogeneous and this inhomogeneity increases under fast neutron irradiation. This is indicative of the significant influence of structural defects on the rate of radiation defect accumulation. An anomalously slow signal decay outside the Schottky barrier has been found, which can be determined by charged defects formed at the merger boundary.     

间隙原子非线性应力感生扩散的简化弹性偶极子模型

为了阐明体心立方晶体中外应力、位错应力和八面体间隙原子相互作用的本质,从理论上解释S-K弛豫和位错对Snoek弛豫的影响,提出一个简化的含有可动位错的一维弹性偶极子格点模型,讨论位错应力场中间隙原子的非线性应力感生扩散,为进一步对实际晶体的从头数值计算奠定基础。对一维模型的计算机模拟计算,表明位错应力场使得间隙原子形成具有非线性扩散特征的缺陷Fermi-Dirac分布,并增强了Snoek效应,在Snoek峰高温侧出现一个非线性扩散Snoek型内耗峰。 关键词：     

Defect detection in solar cells via electroluminescence,LBIC, and EBIC methods

Structural defects affecting the efficiency of multicrystalline silicon solar cells are investigated by the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) mode of a scanning electron microscope and the laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) method. It is experimentally demonstrated that the LBIC technique is more sensitive to electrically active 2D defects than the EBIC approach at large values of the diffusion length and excitation-beam penetration depth. The comparison of LBIC (or EBIC) and electroluminescence images enables us to reveal the correlation between solar-cell short circuits and electrically active structural defects.     

Identification of dislocations and their influence on the recombination of charge carriers in gallium nitride

The relation between the density of etch pits revealed in GaN by etching in a KOH/NaOH eutectic and the density of dislocations determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is studied along with the relation between the density of dislocations and the density of dark spot defects observed in GaN by microcathodoluminescence (MCL) and electron-beam-induced current (EBIC). It is demonstrated that selective etching is a reliable rapid method for the determination of the type and density of dislocations in GaN in the range 10⁶–10⁸ cm^?2, while MCL and EBIC can be used for the rapid nondestructive determination of the density of dislocations in the range 10⁶–10⁸ cm^?2. It is also found that some deep electron and hole traps are related to dislocations.     

Direct atomic imaging of solid surfaces: IV. Dislocations on Au(100)

Direct observation of the metastable gold (100) 1 X 1 surface by high resolution electron microscopy provides evidence for surface Shockley partial dislocations. This result is correlated with the known 5 X 20 reconstruction to a hexagonal overlayer since the dislocations possess a pseudo-hexagonal core structure. This implies a dislocation mechanism for the phase transformation from 1 X 1 to 5 X 20. It is proposed that pipe diffusion along the dislocation cores or mass transport via dislocation glide or climb could explain the rapid atomic migration required during the phase transition from 1 X 1 to hexagonal.     

Structure and dynamics of the Frenkel-Kontorova dislocations in electroconvection in liquid crystals

The Frenkel-Kontorova instability is studied in a 1D lattice of domains formed during electroconvection in nematic liquid crystals twisted by π/2. It is found that generation of defects by such instability can be observed in this model medium. Among other things, it is shown that several types of defects with singular and nonsingular cores, as well as with a extended core, are formed in the 1D domain structure above the electroconvective instability threshold. The extended cores of dislocations are dissociated into a line, and the entire structure is isomorphic to two partial dislocations spaced by a certain distance, which are not observed in free form. Defects with a nonsingular core (zero topological index) exist owing to spiral hydrodynamic flows in convective rolls and are not observed in layers with a homogeneous orientation of molecules. It is shown that the formation of both types of defects follows the scenario of decay of dislocations with extended cores via detachment of nonsingular defects (i.e., discretely); as a result, a dislocation with a singular core is left. “Breather” defects, which are the result of periodic creation and annihilation of dislocations with a topological index of ±1, are also observed. The effect of defects on the transition from the 1D to 2D structures is considered.     

Dynamic interaction of edge dislocations with point defects and prismatic dislocation loops at high-strain-rate deformation of crystals

The motion of an ensemble of edge dislocations at high-strain-rate deformation of a crystal with a high concentration of prismatic dislocation loops and point defects has been analyzed. It has been shown that, under certain conditions, the drag of an edge dislocation by prismatic dislocation loops has the character of dry friction, and the magnitude of the drag force of the dislocation is determined by the relationship between the concentration of prismatic dislocation loops and the density of mobile dislocations. An increase in the density of mobile dislocations leads to an enhancement of their collective interaction, thus facilitating the overcoming of prismatic dislocation loops by edge dislocations. The total drag force of an edge dislocation is a nonmonotonic function of the concentration of point defects, which, under certain conditions, has a minimum.     

Evaluation of the diffusion length of minority carriers in bulk GaAs

The diffusion length of minority charge carriers has been investigated in LEC GaAs, silicon-doped with doping density N_D - N_A ranging from 10¹⁶ to 10¹⁸ cm^-3, by surface photovoltage (SPV) and electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. Au Schottky diodes have been evaporated along the diameter of wafers cut from different doping density ingots to determine the variation of minority carrier diffusion length with both the radial position on the slice and the carrier concentration. The diffusion length values obtained by optical and electron excitation enhance systematic differences, which can be explained by the different surface recombination weight in the carrier generation volume and by the injection level, too. In all the examined samples an M-shaped radial variation of the diffusion length has been observed; on the other hand, the mean value of L_p increases from 0.5 to 7 μm when the doping concentration increases. The authors correlate this distribution to the electrical inhomogeneity induced by native defects and associated recombination centres. The role of the dislocations, which induce two competitive effects, i.e. an enhanced recombination probability and a precipitate condensation, is here discussed.     

利用正电子湮没技术研究钾掺杂钨合金中的缺陷

钨合金中钾的掺杂会引入大量的缺陷,如尺寸几十纳米的钾泡、高密度的位错以及微米量级的晶粒带来的晶界等,这些缺陷的浓度和分布直接影响合金的服役性能.本文运用正电子湮没谱学方法研究钾掺杂钨合金中的缺陷信息,首先模拟计算了合金中各种缺陷的正电子湮没寿命,发现钾的嵌入对空位团、位错、晶界等缺陷的寿命影响很小;然后测量了不同钾含量掺杂钨合金样品的正电子湮没寿命谱,建立三态捕获模型,发现样品中有高的位错密度和低的空位团簇浓度,验证了钾对位错的钉扎作用,阐述了在钾泡形成初期是钾元素与空位团簇结合并逐渐长大的过程;最后使用慢正电子多普勒展宽谱技术表征了样品中缺陷随深度的均匀分布和大量存在,通过扩散长度的比较肯定了钾泡、晶界等缺陷的存在.     

Investigation of dislocations in 8circ off-axis 4H-SiC epilayer

This paper reports that the etching morphology of dislocations in 8^circ off-axis 4H-SiC epilayer is observed by using a scanning electronic microscope. It is found that different types of dislocations correspond with different densities and basal plane dislcation (BPD) array and threading edge dislocation (TED) pileup group lie along some certain crystal directions in the epilayer. It is concluded that the elastic energy of threading screw dislocations (TSDs) is highest and TEDs is lowest among these dislocations, so the density of TSDs is lower than TEDs. The BPDs can convert to TEDs but TSDs can only propagate into the epilyer in spite of the higher elastic energy than TEDs. The reason of the form of BPDs array in epilayer is that the big step along the basal plane caused by face defects blocked the upstream atoms, and TEDs pileup group is that the dislocations slide is blocked by dislocation groups in epilayer.     

Dislocations in high-purity germanium and its relation to γ-ray detector performance

The presence of dislocations in high-purity germanium influences the resolution of radiation detectors made from it. The four dislocation types found with electron microscopy are studied by DLTS to understand their influence on trapping in a -ray detector. Only three DLTS bands were found in commercially produced material.Statistical correlation with the detector resolution reported by various detector manufacturers finally yielded useful specifications with respect to the crystallographic perfection to be met in detector grade HP-Ge. The specification limits are discussed in view of the DLTS data.Work performed with financial support from the IWONL     

Electrical activities of stacking faults and partial dislocations in 4H-SiC homoepitaxial films

The electrical activities of stacking faults (SFs) and partial dislocations in 4H-SiC homoepitaxial films were investigated by using the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) technique. The basal plane dislocation was dissociated into Si_(g) 30^° and C_(g) 30^° partials under electron-beam irradiation, with a SF formed in between. The SF shows bright contrast at RT and dark contrast at 50 K in EBIC images. The reasons were discussed according to the quantum-well state of SF. C_(g) 30^° partial is always more electrically active than Si_(g) 30^° partial at each specific accelerating voltage. The EBIC contrasts of those two partials were discussed with the number of recombination centers.     

Exposure of defects in GaN by plasma etching

The effect of plasma exposure to n-type GaN surfaces has been examined. Etch pits are formed as a result of preferential sputtering at the sites of threading dislocations. Dark spots which are visible before plasma exposure can be attributed to screw dislocations, while those that emerge after plasma exposure are edge dislocations. The optimum condition for revealing defects clearly is derived, and has been adopted for the study of dislocations in a series of GaN epilayers grown under different conditions. A distinct trend in the dislocation density can be observed as the dopant concentration of the film varies. PACS 61.72.Ff; 68.37.Tj     

Study of dislocation EBIC image width in GaN films and GaN based structures

The width of dislocation EBIC images in GaN films and GaN based light-emitting structures has been measured. The obtained data have been compared with the diffusion length and the depth of the space charge region boundary and a correlation between these values has been found. It has been shown that the dislocation image’s width in semiconductors with the submicron diffusion length could be used for the estimation of diffusion length values.     

Dynamics of kinks on dislocations in SiGe single crystals

The method of intermittent pulse loading is used for obtaining the dependences of the mean free path of individual dislocations in SiGe single crystals with various concentration of Ge (0–5.5 at. %) on the duration of loading pulses and time intervals between them. It is found that these dependences change qualitatively upon an increase in the Ge concentration. It is shown that the motion of dislocations in SiGe crystals under small shear stresses is characterized by a nonlinear drift of kinks and the formation of superkinks. A theory of the motion of dislocations under the action of intermittent pulse loading under the conditions of heterogeneous kink dynamics is developed. Extended quasi-one-dimensional defects repeating the shape of a part of a segment of a moving dislocation are discovered in SiGe crystals containing 0.96 at. % Ge. The mechanism of formation of such defects as the result of the shedding of a part of the impurity atmosphere by a dislocation segment during overcoming of a local obstacle is proposed.     

体心立方金属钽Ⅱ型裂纹尖端缺陷萌生的多尺度分析

本文采用多尺度准连续介质法(quasi-continuum method, QC)模拟体心立方(body-centered-cubic, bcc)金属钽(Ta)Ⅱ型裂纹尖端位错的形核与发射过程,获得位错发射位置与应力强度因子关系曲线,分析裂纹尖端缺陷萌生过程,研究全位错分解以及扩展位错形成机理. 位错活动在不同阶段表现出不一致的特征,新位错的发射对于位错运动具有促进作用. 研究表明,裂纹扩展初始阶段首先萌生点缺陷,点缺陷随着加载强度增加会萌生新的点缺陷,点缺陷最终运动到边界,导致Ⅱ型断裂破坏. 在全位错发射之前有不全位错的形核与发射表明全位错的分解分步进行,从势能曲线上来看,也就是两个极小值点的形成机理不同. 关键词： 多尺度 准连续介质法 Ⅱ型裂纹 扩展位错