Search for magnetic interaction in In doped AlN using perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy

The possible presence of a large magnetic field due to spin polarization of a Cd nucleus (decay product of ¹¹¹In) at an Al substitutional site in AlN is investigated with perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. The PAC spectra of ¹¹¹In/¹¹¹Cd in AlN show two probe environments: a weak quadrupole interaction (quadrupole interaction constant, $\nu _{\rm Q}^{\,\,\,\rm lattice} = 30$  MHz) due to ¹¹¹In probes at a defect free Al substitutional site and an unknown large interaction ( $\nu _{\rm Q}^{\,\,\,\rm complex} = 300$  MHz) tentatively attributed to a nearest neighbour pair between ¹¹¹In and a nitrogen vacancy (V_N) aligned along the c-axis. Surprisingly, in density functional theory (DFT) calculations, such a large electric field gradient (EFG) could not be reproduced. However, an inclusion of spin polarization in the calculations indicates a strong magnetic field at ~50 % of the ¹¹¹In/¹¹¹Cd site. An attempt to verify the presence of the strong magnetic field and to explain the origin of the strong interaction is made. Orientation measurements show, the large interaction is not characterised by a magnetic interaction and is predominantly due to the EFG. However, in the presence of an external magnetic field, the strong interaction probe environment becomes more uniform and the EFG increases by ~10 %. This definitely hints towards some sort of magnetic interaction at the strong interaction probe site.     

Electric field gradients of acceptor–donor pairs in semiconductors

The interaction between substitutional and interstitial donors and single or double acceptors in Si, GaAs, InP, and InAs has been studied by perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy (PAC). For the case of Si, complex formation between substitutional donors (As, P) and different radioactive acceptors (¹¹¹In, ¹¹¹Cd, ¹¹⁷Cd) has been observed. The formation of Cd–hydrogen pairs using either ¹¹¹Cd or ¹¹⁷Cd is discussed for GaAs, InP, and InAs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hyperfine interactions at R and In sites in RNiIn (R = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho) compounds measured by perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy

Perturbed gamma–gamma angular correlation (PAC) technique was used to measure the magnetic hyperfine field (mhf) in RNiIn (R = Gd, Dy, Tb, Ho) intermetallic compounds using the ¹¹¹In→¹¹¹Cd and ¹⁴⁰La→¹⁴⁰Ce probe nuclei. The PAC spectra for ¹¹¹Cd measured above magnetic transition temperature show a major fraction with a well defined quadrupole interaction for all compounds except GdNiIn where a single frequency was observed. PAC measurements below T _C showed a combined electric quadrupole plus magnetic dipole interaction for ¹¹¹Cd probe at In sites, and a pure magnetic interaction for ¹⁴⁰Ce at R sites. The temperature dependence of mhf measured with ¹⁴⁰Ce at R sites shows that the values of fields drop to zero at temperatures around the expected T _C for each compound. However, in the measurements with ¹¹¹Cd at In sites, the mhf values become zero at temperatures which are smaller than T _C . The difference between the temperatures at which mhf is zero for ¹⁴⁰Ce and ¹¹¹Cd probes correlates with T _C . For each compound this difference decreases with T _C . The results are discussed in terms of the RKKY model for magnetic interactions and the existence of two magnetic systems, with distinct exchange interaction energies due to different types of atomic layers in these compounds.     

Impacts of fluorine on GaN high electron mobility transistors: Theoretical study

We investigate the role of fluorine (F) in GaN‐based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with first principle calculations. Formation energy calculations of F in GaN and AlN reveal that energetically favored interstitial F (F_i) and substitutional F at N sites (F_N) could play important roles in the performance of HEMTs. F_i is responsible for positive threshold voltage (V_th) shift by forming F^– anion and depleting 2DEG carriers. The degradation of device performance at high temperature is ascribed to the defect energy state near conduction band edge of F_N. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic hyperfine fields at Gd and in sites in GdPdIn compound

Perturbed gamma-gamma angular correlation (PAC) technique was used to measure the hyperfine interactions in the intermetallic compound GdPdIn using ¹¹¹In→ ¹¹¹Cd and ¹⁴⁰La→ ¹⁴⁰Ce probe nuclei at the In and Gd sites, respectively. The PAC results for ¹¹¹Cd show two well-defined electric quadrupole frequencies above T _C assigned to probes occupying Gd and In sites, with ~50% of site occupation each. The fraction corresponding to In sites increases with temperature reaching 95% around 500 K. Below T _C the measurements for ¹¹¹Cd probe showed combined electric quadrupole plus magnetic dipole interaction with sharp increase in the magnetic field below around 80 K. A pure magnetic interaction with lower hyperfine field values was observed at the Gd sites occupied by ¹⁴⁰Ce below 100 K.     

Growth of Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> by furnace oxidation of GaN studied by perturbed angular correlations

Ga₂O₃ is a promising material for use in “solar-blind” UV-detectors which can be produced efficiently by oxidation of GaN. In this study we focus on the evolution of the oxide layer when GaN is heated in air. The experimental method applied is the perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy of γ-rays emitted by radioactive nuclides, here ¹¹¹Cd and ¹⁸¹Ta, whose parent nuclei are ion implanted into films of GaN grown on sapphire. As the emission pattern for nuclei in GaN is clearly distinct from that of nuclei in Ga₂O₃, the fraction of probe nuclei in the oxide layer can be directly measured and allows to follow the time dependent growth of the oxide on a scale of less than 100 nm. Additional measurements were carried out with the oxidized sample held at fixed temperatures in the temperature range from 19 K to 973 K showing transitions between the hyperfine interactions of ¹¹¹Cd in the oxide matrix both at high and low temperatures. A model for these transitions is proposed.     

Semiconductors with structurally determined vacancies – PAC studies

Ternary semiconductors of type □A^IIB ₂ ^III C ₄ ^VI with an ordered array of vacancies were investigated by PAC. Thereby the six probes ¹¹¹Cd, ¹¹⁷Cd(¹¹⁷In), ¹¹¹In(¹¹¹Cd), ¹¹¹Ag(¹¹¹Cd), ⁷⁷Br(⁷⁷Se) and ⁷⁷Kr(⁷⁷Br) were applied. The positions of the different probes are determined and the corresponding electric field gradients by the WIEN 95 code calculated. By ¹¹¹Ag(¹¹¹Cd)-probes the vacancies could be substituted. The electronic charge density distributions are discussed. At elevated temperatures the substances show order–disorder transitions. As compared to the X-ray diffraction patterns the beginning of disorder is observed by PAC at distinctly lower temperatures. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hyperfine interactions of 111Cd in TiO2 (Rutile) studied by perturbed angular correlations

The time-differential perturbed angular correlation for ¹¹¹Cd nuclei has been measured after ¹¹¹In implantation into polycrystalline TiO₂. The observed perturbation functions are characterized by a well-defined electric field gradient with the quadrupole coupling constant ν_Q = 105(1) MHz and the asymmetry parameter η = 0.18(1). We attribute these hyperfine parameters to ¹¹¹Cd on the (distorted) substitutional cation site in rutile. The PAC results are compared with those in SnO₂ rutile as well as with X-ray diffraction, RBS channeling experiments and point charge model calculations including relaxation of the probe atom surrounding.     

Hyperfine interactions of111Cd in ion-implanted face centered cubic cobalt

The magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole hyperfine interactions of¹¹¹Cd probes in fcc cobalt after implantation of radioactive¹¹¹In⁺ ions have been investigated by PAC measurements with fast BaF₂ detectors. Six different sites of the probe atoms could be distinguished and characterized by their hyperfine parameters and annealing behaviour. Besides the substitutional site, three sites are assigned to In-vacancy complexes which are formed athermally in the implantation process or by thermally-activated trapping of lattice defects in annealing stage III. The remaining two sites are attributed to In located in stacking faults or hcp regions of the host. Systematic trends of impurity hyperfine fields in defect sites become evident from a comparison with other impurity-host combinations. The temperature dependence of the magnetic hyperfine fields has been measured between 20 K and 390 K. Large differences found for the various sites are discussed.     

Ferromagnetic Semiconductors Studied by Hyperfine Interaction of Nuclear Probes

The ferromagnetic spinels CdCr₂Se₄ and CuCr₂Se₄ were investigated by PAC (perturbed angular correlations) after implantation of the probes ¹¹¹In(¹¹¹Cd), ^111mCd, ¹¹¹Ag(¹¹¹Cd) and ⁷⁷Br(⁷⁷Se). The site occupation of different probes was determined by magnetic and electric hyperfine interactions. Theoretical calculations of hyperfine parameters by the WIEN97 code gave satisfactory efg (electric field gradients) but the magnetic hyperfine fields are inconsistent with the experiments. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fe-Hydroxysulphates from Bacterial Fe2+ Oxidation

The perturbed angular correlation method (PAC) was applied to investigate the lattice location of implanted ¹¹¹In probe ions in Hf₂Ni and Zr₂Ni intermetallic compounds. It is concluded that the ¹¹¹In/¹¹¹Cd probe nuclei experiencing the highly asymmetric electric field gradient (EFG) occupy the unique hafnium or zirconium 8(h) sites in the investigated phases. Above room temperature, the EFGs decrease linearly with temperature. The results are compared with that of previous PAC measurements with ¹⁸¹Ta probes.     

Hyperfine interactions of111Cd impurities in Cr2O3

The electric and (antiferro-)magnetic hyperfine interaction of¹¹¹Cd in α-Cr₂O₃ after¹¹¹In implantation was studied via PAC. Two fractions with axially symmetric electric field gradients were observed having antishielding factors of V_zz/V_zz ^pc=79(12) and 106(16), respectively. From the line broadening of the Fourier components of the first fraction its supertransferred magnetic field was estimated as B_loc (20 K)≤0.41 T, about two orders of magnitude smaller than for substitutional¹¹¹Cd in NiO and CoO.     

Influence of the temperature and the ionisation potential on the hyperfine interaction of 111Cd ions in gaseous radioactive indium‐halides

The hyperfine interaction (HFI) of ¹¹¹Cd in different indium‐halides was studied by perturbed angular correlation (PAC). The ¹¹¹Cd ion arises from a ¹¹¹In by electron capture decay (EC) and joined Auger cascade. Coulomb fragmentation of the indium‐halide molecule produces the free excited ¹¹¹Cd ion. The nucleus decays via a γ–γ‐cascade which is perturbed by the HFI. Collisions of the ¹¹¹Cd ion with indium‐halide molecules can strongly change the perturbation. The perturbation was measured by the attenuation coefficient G₂₂(∞) and G₂₂(t). The molecular densities varied between 10¹⁴ and 10²⁰ cm⁻³. The present article shows the temperature dependence of the indium(III)‐halides and a fit for an empirical basic approach. The investigation of the InBr shows the independence of the attenuation coefficient from the temperature by indium(I)‐halides in contrast to the dependence of the indium(III)‐halides. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electric field gradient in nanostructured SnO2 studied by means of PAC spectroscopy using 111Cd or 181Ta as probe nuclei

Electric quadrupole interactions were studied in pure and Mn-doped powder samples and thin films of SnO₂ using perturbed γγ angular correlation spectroscopy (PAC). The powder samples were prepared by Sol gel method and the thin film were prepared on the Si (100) substrate by sputtering technique using Sn in the oxygen atmosphere. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The thickness of the film was 100 nm. The average particle size of the SnO₂ powder samples was determined to be smaller than 60 nm. The radioactive ¹¹¹In and ¹⁸¹Hf tracers were introduced in the powder samples during the sol gel chemical process. Radioactive ¹¹¹In was implanted on the SnO₂ thin films using the University of Bonn ion implanter (BONIS). PAC measurements were carried out in a four BaF₂ detector spectrometer in the temperature range of 77–973 K for samples annealed at different temperatures. The PAC results for both nuclear probes show the presence of two electric quadrupole interactions. The major fractions in both cases correspond to the substitutional sites in the rutile phase of SnO₂. The results are compared with previous PAC measurements.     

Investigation of hyperfine interactions in GdCrO3 perovskite oxide using PAC spectroscopy

Perturbed angular correlation (PAC) measurements have been carried out in the antiferromagnetic GdCrO₃ perovskite oxide using ¹¹¹In (¹¹¹Cd) and ¹⁸¹Hf(¹⁸¹Ta) nuclear probes. The radioactive parent nuclei ¹¹¹In and ¹⁸¹Hf were introduced in the compound through a chemical process during sample preparation. The PAC measurements were carried out in the temperature range 20–300 K. Measurements with the ¹⁸¹Ta indicated a unique quadrupole interaction above 170 K and a combined electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole interactions below this temperature. The observed interaction was assigned to the probe nuclei substituting Cr sites. Measurements with ¹¹¹Cd showed two quadrupole interactions. Only one of the fractions however, showed a combined electric and magnetic interaction in the temperature rage 20–170 K which was assigned to ¹¹¹Cd probe substituting Cr site. The other fraction was attributed to the Gd site. The present results are compared with those of LaCrO₃ and NdCrO₃.     

Site occupation of indium and jump frequencies of cadmium in FeGa<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">3</Emphasis></Subscript>

Perturbed angular correlation (PAC) measurements using the In-111 probe were carried out on FeGa₃ as part of a broader investigation of indium site occupation and cadmium diffusion in intermetallic compounds. One PAC signal was observed with hyperfine parameters ω ₁= 513.8(1) Mrad/s and η= 0.939(2) at room temperature. By comparison with quadrupole frequencies observed in PAC measurements on isostructural RuIn₃, it was determined that indium occupies only the 8j site in the FeGa₃ structure, denoted Ga(2) below because two out of the three Ga sites have this point symmetry. PAC spectra at elevated temperature exhibited damping characteristic of electric field gradients (EFGs) that fluctuate as Cd probes jump among Ga(2) sites within the lifetime of the excited PAC level. A stochastic model for the EFG fluctuations based on four conceivable, single-step jump-pathways connecting one Ga(2) site to neighboring Ga(2) sites was developed and used to fit PAC spectra. The four pathways lead to two observable EFG reorientation rates, and these reorientation rates were found to be strongly dependent on EFG orientation. Calculations using density functional theory were used to reduce the number of unknowns in the model with respect to EFG orientation. This made it possible to determine with reasonable precision the total jump rate of Cd among Ga(2) sites that correspond to a change in mirror plane orientation of site-symmetry. This total jump rate was found to be thermally activated with an activation enthalpy of 1.8 ±0.1 eV.     

Temperature-dependent hyperfine interactions at 111Cd-C complex in germanium

The temperature dependent nuclear hyperfine interaction of ¹¹¹Cd-carbon complex in germanium has been studied using the perturbed γ–γ angular correlation (PAC) method. The parameters of the hyperfine interaction representing substitutional carbon–cadmium complex in germanium (ν _Q1=207(1) MHz (η=0.16)) shows dependence on temperature. The formation and thermal stability of the complex has been reported by the same author earlier. It was found in this study that the quadrupole coupling constant of the interaction increases at sample temperature below 293 K. The results are encouraging toward better understanding of the complex in the host matrix.     

Structural and local electrical properties of AlInN/AlN/GaN heterostructures

GaN layers and Al_1−xIn_xN/AlN/GaN heterostructures have been studied by scanning probe microscopy methods. Threading dislocations (TDs), originating from the GaN (0 0 0 1) layer grown on sapphire, have been investigated. Using Current-Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM) TDs have been found to be highly conductive in both GaN and AlInN, while using semi-contact AFM (phase-imaging mode) indium segregation has been traced at TDs in AlInN/AlN/GaN heterostructures. It has been assessed that In segregation is responsible for high conductivity at dislocations in the examined heterostructures.     

Perturbed angular correlation experiments on111In in oxidized AgCd alloy

The hyperfine interaction of¹¹¹Cd probes in preoxidized and α-irradiated Ag_0.94Cd_0.06 alloy has been investigated by PAC measurements and compared with the results for pure Ag. Several probe atom sites were distinguished and characterized by their hyperfine parameters and temperature evolution. The different behavior of In-oxygen and In-oxygen-vacancy complexes in AgCd and Ag was found and discussed. A considerable influence of the irradiation temperature and sample thickness on the different In-oxygen-vacancy complexes formation was evidenced. The parameters of¹¹¹Cd quadrupole interaction measured during isochronal annealing studies in preoxidized and deuteron irradiated AgCd were very similar to the ones observed after α-irradiation.