Growth of fcc(111) on bcc(110): Influence of growth and annealing temperature on epitaxy and surface morphology for Pd on Cr

The effects of growth versus annealing temperature on epitaxial relationship and surface morphology were studied for Pd(111) films on Cr(110) surfaces. While the epitaxial orientation of the Pd films depends on film thickness as well as on growth temperature, subsequent annealing has no effect on the epitaxial orientation. Instead, additional annealing of room temperature grown films takes the surface morphology from an island to a terrace shape, which was not observed for samples directly grown at elevated temperatures. These different effects that growth and annealing temperature have, help understanding the resulting structure and morphology of the heteroepitaxial system.     

Effects of annealing treatment on the formation of CO2 in ZnO thin films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Post-growth annealing was carried out on ZnO thin films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The grain size of ZnO thin film increases monotonically with annealing temperature. The ZnO thin films were preferential to c-axis oriented after annealing as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Fourier transformation infrared transmission measurements showed that ZnO films grown at low temperature contains CO₂ molecules after post-growth annealing. A two-step reaction process has been proposed to explain the formation mechanism of CO₂, which indicates the possible chemical reaction processes during the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of ZnO films.     

Annealing effects of sapphire substrate on properties of ZnO films grown by magnetron sputtering

The annealing effects of sapphire substrates on the quality of epitaxial ZnO films grown by dc reactive magnetron sputtering were studied. The atomic steps formed on (0001) sapphire (α-Al₂O₃) substrates surface by annealing at high temperature were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. Their influence on the growth of ZnO films was examined by X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements. Experimental results indicate that the film quality is strongly affected by annealing treatment of the sapphire substrate surface. The optimum annealing temperature of sapphire substrates for ZnO grown by magnetron sputtering is 1400 °C for 1 h in air. PACS 81.40.Ef; 68.55.Jk; 81.05.Dz; 81.15.Cd     

Investigation of W-Ge-N deposited on Ge as a diffusion barrier for Cu metallization

The properties of W-Ge-Nthin films were investigated as a diffusion barrier material for Cu metallization. The W-Ge-Nfilms were grown by reactive sputtering on a single crystal Ge substrate. This was followed by in-situ deposition of Cu. Diffusion barrier test was performed by annealing the film stack under Ar atmosphere. Phase identification and film crystallization were determined by X-ray diffraction. The deposited W-Ge-Nfilms remained amorphous even after high temperature annealing. The Cu diffusion profile in the film was assessed by Auger electron spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results indicate that Cu diffusion was minimal in W-Ge-Nfilms even at high annealing temperatures. Interface reactions and properties were analyzed by cross-section transmission electron microscopy. The results suggest that W-Ge-Nmay be a superior diffusion barrier as compared to WN_x for Cu metallization. PACS 66.30.Ny; 68.35.Rh; 68.37.Lp; 68.60.Dv     

CVD两步法生长ZnO薄膜及其光致发光特性

用CVD两步法在常压下于p型Si(100)衬底上沉积出具有较好择优取向的多晶ZnO薄膜。在325nm波长的光激发下,室温下可观察到显著的紫外光发射(峰值波长381nm)。高温退火后氧空位缺陷浓度增加,出现了一个450~600nm的绿光发光带,发光峰值在510nm。作为比较,用一步法生长的ZnO薄膜结晶质量稍差。在其PL谱中不仅有峰值波长389nm的紫外发射而且还出现了一个很强的蓝光发光中心(峰值波长437nm),退火后同样产生绿光发光带。对这两种绿光发光带的发光机制进行了研究,认为前者源于VO,而后者与O_Zn有密切的关系。     

Effect of thermal annealing on the magnetic anisotropy of GaMnAs ferromagnetic semiconductor

We have systematically investigated the influence of annealing on the magnetic anisotropy properties of GaMnAs film using an epilayer with a Mn concentration of 6.2%. The GaMnAs epilayer was grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the planar Hall effect measurement was used to monitor the magnetic anisotropy of the film. We found significant annealing-induced changes in the magnetic anisotropy properties of the GaMnAs film that depended on the annealing conditions. For example, the cubic anisotropy that gave a four-fold symmetry of magnetic easy axes decreased while the uniaxial anisotropy that gave a two-fold symmetry of magnetic easy axes increases in the samples annealed temperature below 300 °C. In particular, the uniaxial anisotropy along the [010] direction in as-grown GaMnAs film changed to the [100] direction by rotating by 90° after the sample was annealed at 300 °C for 3 h. This investigation thus indicates that the magnitude and the direction of the magnetic anisotropy in the GaMnAs film can be effectively controlled by choosing an appropriate annealing time and temperature.     

Structure and properties of ZnO films grown on Si substrates with low temperature buffer layers

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using two-step epitaxial growth method. Low temperature buffer layer (LTBL) was initially deposited in order to obtain high quality ZnO thin film; the as-deposited films were then annealed in air at 700 °C. The effects of LTBL and annealing treatment on the structural and luminescent properties of ZnO thin film were investigated. It was found that tensile strain was remarkably relaxed by employing LTBL and the band-gap redshifted, correspondingly. The shift value was larger than that calculated from band-gap theories. After annealing treatment, it was found that the annealing temperature with 700 °C has little influence on strains of ZnO films with LTBLs other than directly deposited film in our experiments. Interestingly, the different behaviors in terms of the shift of ultraviolet (UV) emission after annealing between films with and without buffer were observed, and a tentative explanation was given in this paper.     

离子辅助沉积法制备SiO2介质薄膜的应力研究

在高功率垂直腔面发射激光器制作工艺中,生长出低应力、高质量、高稳定性的SiO₂介质层非常关键。我们使用高效率LaB₆离子源辅助,在低放电电流条件下,在GaAs衬底上沉积了SiO₂,并对退火的应力影响进行了测试。在有离子辅助沉积时,对不同生长速率、不同厚度的应力影响进行了研究,对沉积过程进行了分析。结果表明:离子辅助沉积的SiO₂薄膜的应力远小于常规工艺条件下沉积的薄膜的应力,且退火后应力变化小。     

Features of phase formation of Er2O3 films during electron-beam evaporation

Crystalline Er₂O₃ films on sapphire and silicon substrates have been prepared by electron beam evaporation technique in vacuum. Preparation of a single-phase erbium oxide film with a cubic lattice and preferred (400) orientation was achieved by means of growth rate decrease. Structural and optical properties of obtained films before and after short-time annealing were investigated. It is shown that the preparation of a single-phase erbium oxide film with a cubic lattice and preferred (222) orientation can be achieved by post-growth annealing of the films grown at usual rates.     

Annealing induced refinement on optical transmission and electrical resistivity of indium tin oxide

The effect of annealing condition on sputtered indium tin oxide （ITO） films on quartz with the thickness of 200 nm is characterized to show enhanced optical transparency and optimized electrical contact resistivity. The as-deposited grown ITO film exhibits only 65% and 80% transmittance at 532 and 632.8 nm, respectively. After annealing at 475 ℃ for 15 min, the ITO film is refined to show improved transmittance at shorter wavelength region. The transmittances of 88.1% at 532 nm and 90.4% at 632.8 nm can be obtained. The 325-nm transmittance of the post-annealed ITO film is greatly increased from 12.7% to 41.9%. Optimized electrical property can be obtained when annealing below 450 ℃, leading to a minimum sheet resistance of 26 Ω/square. Such an ITO film with enhanced ultraviolet （UV） transmittance has become an alternative candidate for applications in current UV photonic devices. The morphology and conductance of the as-deposited and annealed ITO films are determined by using an atomic force microscopy （AFM）, showing a great change on the uniformity distribution with finite improvement on the surface conductance of the ITO film after annealing.     

ZnO-Si不同退火条件对生长ZnSe薄膜的影响

研究了作为缓冲层的ZnO薄膜在不同的退火时间、退火温度下退火对Si衬底上生长ZnSe膜质量的影响。当溅射有ZnO膜的Si(111)衬底的退火条件变化时，从X射线衍射谱（XRD）和光致发光谱（PL）中可见，ZnSe(111)膜的晶体质量有较大的变化。变温的PL谱表明，Si衬底上生长的具有ZnO缓冲层的ZnSe膜的近带边发射峰起源于自由激子发射。     

Surface treatment of iron by electrochemical oxidation and subsequent annealing for the improvement of anti-corrosive properties

Corrosion resistance of iron oxides on iron foils prepared by anodization, annealing or a combination of both was characterized by electrochemical methods. Even though iron oxide film with a thickness of more than 2 μm could be prepared by single anodization, corrosion resistance deteriorated because the oxide film was in the amorphous phase and contained many defects. Corrosion resistance of iron oxides was also not enhanced by single annealing. Conversely, combination of anodization and subsequent annealing led to a positive shift of the corrosion potential in the Tafel plot, indicating that corrosion resistance was improved. Formation of thicker oxide during anodization was associated with a more positive shift in corrosion potential after annealing. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the slowest charge transfer was observed in oxide films grown by a combination of anodization and annealing. We found that the optimum annealing temperature of anodic films in terms of the most positive shift of E_corr was 500 °C.     

基于金属掺杂ITO透明导电层的紫外LED制备

为降低ITO薄膜对紫外波段的光吸收,制备低电压高功率的紫外LED,研究了一种基于金属掺杂ITO透明导电层的365 nm紫外LED的制备工艺。利用1 cm厚的石英片生长了不同厚度ITO薄膜以及在ITO上掺杂不同金属的新型薄膜,并研究了在不同的退火条件下这种薄膜的电阻和透过率,分析了掺杂金属ITO薄膜的带隙变化。将这种掺杂的ITO薄膜生长在365 nm外延片上并完成电极生长,制备成14 mil×28 mil的正装LED芯片。利用电致发光（EL）设备对LED光电性能进行测试并对比。实验结果表明:掺Al金属的ITO薄膜能够相对ITO薄膜的带隙提高0.15 eV。在600℃退火后,方块电阻降低6.2 Ω/□,透过率在356 nm处达到90.8%。在120 mA注入电流下,365 nm LED的电压降低0.3 V,功率提高14.7%。ITO薄膜掺金属能够影响薄膜带隙,改变紫光LED光电性能。     

Annealing effects on the plasmonic excitations of metal/metal interfaces

The effects of the annealing procedure at 400-450 K on the electronic properties of nanoscale thin films of Ca, Au and Ag grown on Cu(1 1 1) at room temperature were probed by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements. Ca surface plasmon underwent to a significant red-shift upon annealing, due to the oxidation of the topmost Ca layer. Water strongly interacted with the CaO interface at room temperature. Au surface plasmon disappeared upon annealing the gold film, as a consequence of the formation of an Au-Cu alloy. Ag surface plasmon red-shifted both in the annealed adlayer and with increasing temperature compared with the frequency recorded for the as-deposited silver film.     

Effects of sapphire substrate annealing on ZnO epitaxial films grown by MOCVD

The annealing effects of sapphire substrate on the quality of epitaxial ZnO films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were studied. The atomic steps formed on (0 0 0 1) sapphire (α-Al₂O₃) substrate surface by annealing at high temperature was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The annealing effects of sapphire substrate on the ZnO films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), AFM and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Experimental results indicate that the film quality is strongly affected by annealing treatment of the sapphire substrate surface. The optimum annealing temperature of sapphire substrates is given.     

Room temperature magnetic properties of ZnO nanostructured films

The ZnO nanorod array films have been epitaxially deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass along 〈0001〉 direction. It is found that the film is grown in a two-step process including nanoparticle film nucleation and oriented rod growth. The as-prepared ZnO film shows a dominant diamagnetic signal and a weak ferromagnetic signal at room temperature. The room temperature ferromagnetism deteriorated by annealing in air or N₂. The photoluminescent spectra revealed that the intensity of ZnO defect band decreases after annealing. Thus, the decreased ferromagnetism is likely to have resulted from the decrease of oxygen vacancies and defects in the as-prepared film. Moreover, ZnO deposited at various times showed that defects located at or near the interface between the substrate and the film play a major role in ferromagnetism. It suggests that ferromagnetism can be tuned by changing the defects in ZnO.     

Transition from disorder to order in thin metallic films studied with angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

The transition from disorder to order in Ag film grown on Au(111) was investigated by monitoring the quantum well states using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Our results show that the binding energies do not alter, but the in-plane dispersion alters from flat to parabolic when the film is annealed. We suggest that there are isolated and ordered patches scattered across the film at an early stage of the transition and that atoms inside the patches are fully ordered along the surface normal. These ordered patches grow and merge together as the annealing temperature increases.     

Growth of crystalline quartz films with AT-cut plane by means of catalyst-enhanced vapor-phase epitaxy under atmospheric pressure

Crystalline quartz films with an AT-cut plane have been grown by catalyst-enhanced vapor-phase epitaxy, at atmospheric pressure, using two quartz buffer layers on a sapphire (110) substrate. In this method, the first quartz buffer layer was deposited on the sapphire (110) substrate at 773 K. After annealing at 823 K, the second buffer layer was deposited at 723 K. The crystal quartz epitaxial layer was then grown at 843 K. The X-ray full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) value of the crystalline quartz film obtained was smaller than that of crystalline quartz prepared using a hydrothermal process. The crystalline quality of the quartz films was dependent on the thickness of the buffer layers. Furthermore, it was found that angle control of the cut plane depended on the film thickness of the second buffer layer. The quartz films grown by vapor phase epitaxy show good oscillation characteristics at room temperature.     

CEMS study of defect annealing in Fe implanted AlN

An AlN thin film grown on sapphire substrate was implanted with 45 keV ⁵⁷Fe and ⁵⁶Fe ions at several energies to achieve a homogeneous concentration profile of approximately 2.6 at.%. in the AlN film. Conversion electron Mössbauer Spectroscopy data were collected after annealing the sample up to 900 °C. The spectra were fitted with three components, a single line attributed to small Fe clusters, and two quadrupole split doublets attributed to Fe substituting Al in the wurtzite AlN lattice and to Fe located in implantation induced lattice damage. The damage component shows significant decrease on annealing up to 900 °C, accompanied by corresponding increases in the singlet component and the substitutional Fe.     

红外反射法研究6H-SiC表面热氧化生长的SiO_2特性

本文利用红外反射峰位置与薄膜厚度及密度的关系研究了在SiC衬底上热氧化生长出的SiO2在退火前及在不同温度用高N2退火一小时后的1085cm-1附近红外反射峰的漂移情况,分析了SiO2的密度变化。密度的变化反映了退火中SiO2中的C和CO的扩散以及空位型缺陷的退火过程。