Dielectric spectroscopy investigations of nanostructured silicon

Dielectric spectroscopy measurements were performed on planar silicon nanostructures buried within a crystalline Si that form a nanoscale Si-layered system. An insight into the specific behavior of the free-carrier population confined in the surface potential well was then made possible. It was found that the presence or the absence of the SiO₂ passivation modifies considerably relaxation responses of the studied structures. A clear differentiation of two dielectric responses: from the same sample with and without electronic passivation allowed determination of the conduction behavior in the surface c-Si delimited by the nanoscale Si-layered system. The sample with a 100 nm thick SiO₂ layer (and an excellent quality of the SiO₂/c-Si interface) exhibits a fractional power-law dielectric response, corresponding clearly to the generalized Mittag–Leffler pattern. Simultaneously, the dielectric response of a bare sample (after the total RIE of the previously deposited SiO₂ layer, about 10 nm native SiO₂ layer and poor quality of the SiO₂/c-Si interface) is dominated by the conductivity term.     

Interface state density and barrier height improvement in ammonium sulfide treated Al2O3/Si interfaces

The HF treatment removes the native oxide and lays behind the dangling bonds over the Si surface which causes the increment in density of interface traps (D_it) through the direct deposition of high-k dielectric on Si. Here, we propose the facile method for reduction of interface traps and improvement in barrier height with the (NH₄)₂S treatment on Al₂O₃/Si interfaces, which can be used as the base for the non-volatile memory device. The AFM was used to optimize the treatment time and surface properties, while XPS measurements were carried out to study the interface and extract the barrier height (Φ_B). The short period of 20 s treatment shows the improvement in the barrier height (1.02 eV), while the one order reduction in the D_it (0.84 × 10¹² cm²/eV) of sulfur passivated Al/Al₂O₃/Si MOS device. The results indicate the favorable passivation of the dangling bonds over the Si surfaces covered by sulfur atoms.     

improvement of electrical properties of Cu/SiCOH low-k film integrated system by O2 plasma treatment

This paper investigates the effect of O2 plasma treatment on the electric property of Cu/SiCOH low dielectric constant （low-k） film integrated structure. The results show that the leakage current of Cu/SiCOH low-k integrated structure can be reduced obviously at the expense of a slight increase in dielectric constant k of SiCOH films. Bythe Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） analysis on the bonding configurations of SiCOH films treated by O2 plasmar it is found that the decrease of leakage current is related to the increase of Si-O cages originating from the linkage of Si dangling bonds through O, which makes the open pores sealed and reduces the diffusion of Cu to pores.     

Dielectric properties of nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder at high frequencies

The dielectric properties of nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder at high frequencies have been studied. The nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder were synthesized from hexamethyldisilazane ((Me₃Si)₂NH) (Me:CH₃) and SiH₄–C₂H₂, respectively, by a laser-induced gas-phase reaction. The complex permittivities of the nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder were measured at a frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz. The real part (′) and imaginary part (″) of the complex permittivity, and dissipation factor (tg δ=″/′) of nano Si/C/N composite powder are much higher than those of nano SiC powder and bulk SiC, Si₃N₄, SiO₂, and Si, especially the tg δ. The promising features of nano Si/C/N composite powder would be due to more complicated Si, C, and N atomic chemical environment than in a mixture of pure SiC and Si₃N₄ phase. The charged defects and quasi-free electrons moved in response to the electric field, diffusion or polarization current resulted from the field propagation. Because there exists graphite in the nano Si/C/N composite powder, some charge carries are related to the sp³ dangling bonds (of silicon and carbon) and unsaturated sp² carbons. The high ″ and tg δ of nano Si/C/N composite powder were due to the dielectric relaxation. The nano Si/C/N composite powder would be a good candidate for electromagnetic interface shielding material.     

Microstructure and dielectric properties of pulsed-laser-deposited CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 thin films on LaNiO 3 buffered Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) thin films have been prepared by a pulsed-laser-deposition method on LaNiO₃ buffered Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates, and their microstructure and dielectric properties have been compared with those of the films deposited directly on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates. The crystalline structure and the surface morphology of the CCTO thin films were markedly affected by the bottom electrodes. Both the films show temperature-independent dielectric properties in a wide temperature range, which is similar to those properties obtained in single-crystal or epitaxial thin films, while the room-temperature dielectric constant of the 350-nm-thick CCTO films on LaNiO₃/Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates at 100 kHz was found to be 2300, which was increased significantly compared with that obtained in the films on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates. Using the impedance spectroscopy technique, it has been suggested that the high dielectric constant response of the CCTO thin films originates from the grain boundary layer mechanism as found in internal barrier layer capacitors. PACS 77.55.+f; 81.15.Fg; 68.55.-a     

纳米Si/C/N复相粉体的微波介电特性

研究了纳米Si/C/N复相粉体在8.2—18GHz的微波介电特性,采用双反应室激光气相合成纳米粉体装置,以六甲基二硅胺烷((Me₃Si)₂NH)(Me∶CH₃)为原料,用激光诱导气相反应法合成纳米Si/C/N复相粉体,复相粉体的粒径为20—30nm.纳米Si/C/N复相粉体与石蜡复合体的介电常量的实部(ε′)和虚部(ε″)以及介电损耗角正切(tan δ=ε″/ε′)随纳米粉体含量的增加而增大,ε′和ε″与纳米粉体体积分数(v)之间符合二次函 关键词： 纳米Si/C/N复相粉体 微波介电常量 微观结构     

Effect of rapid thermal oxidation on structure and photoelectronic properties of silicon oxide in monocrystalline silicon solar cells

This paper concerns the topic of surface passivation properties of rapid thermal oxidation on p-type monocrystalline silicon wafer for use in screen-printed silicon solar cells. It shows that inline thermal oxidation is a very promising alternative to the use of conventional batch type quartz tube furnaces for the surface passivation of industrial phosphorus-diffused emitters. Five minutes was the most favorable holding time for the rapid thermal oxidation growth of the solar cell sample, in which the average carrier lifetime was increased 19.4 μs. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of the rapid thermal oxidation sample, whose structure was Al/Al-BSF/p-type Si/n-type SiP/SiO₂/SiN_x/Ag solar cell with an active area of 15.6 cm², contained an absorption peak at 1085 cm⁻¹, which was associated with the Si–O bonds in silicon oxide. The lowest average reflectance of this sample is 0.87%. Furthermore, for this sample, its average of internal quantum efficiency and conversion efficiency are respectively increased by 8% and 0.23%, compared with the sample without rapid thermal oxidation processing.     

发光多孔硅的表面氮钝化

报道对多孔硅在NH₃气中进行快速热处理的结果。红外吸收谱表明,经处理样品的表面由Si(NH)₂和Si₃N₄所覆盖,电子自旋共振谱指出,经处理的样品有相当低的悬挂键密度,光荧光谱表明,经适当条件处理的样品的发光强度与未作处理样品相比仅略有降低,而且在大气中存放三个月基本不变,这些结果表明,氮化物可以在多孔硅表面形成优良的钝化膜,这对多孔硅的实际应用及理论研究都有一定意义。     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the Ba0.92Ca0.08Ti0.95Zr0.05O3 thin films grown on different substrate

Lead free Ba_0.92Ca_0.08Ti_0.95Zr_0.05O₃ (BCZT) thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si and LaNiO₃(LNO)/Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by a sol–gel processing technique, respectively. The effects of substrate on structure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated in detail. The BCZT thin films deposited on LNO/Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates exhibit (100) orientation, larger grain size and higher dielectric tunability (64%). The BCZT thin films deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si exhibit (110) orientation, higher Curie temperature (75 °C), better piezoelectric property (d₃₃ of 50 pm/V) and lower dielectric loss (0.02). The differences in dielectric and piezoelectric properties in the two kinds of oriented BCZT films should be attributed to the difference of structure, in-plane stress and polarization rotation in orientation engineered BCZT films.     

Room-temperature pulsed laser deposition and dielectric properties of amorphous Bi3.95Er0.05Ti3O12 thin films on conductive substrates

Bi_3.95Er_0.05Ti₃O₁₂ (BErT) thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si and indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates at room temperature by pulsed laser deposition. These thin films were amorphous with uniform thickness. Excellent dielectric characteristics have been confirmed. The amorphous BErT thin films deposited on the Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si and ITO-coated glass substrates exhibited almost the same dielectric constant of 52 with a low dielectric loss of less than 0.02 at 1 kHz. Meanwhile, the dielectric properties of the thin films had an excellent bias voltage stability and thermal stability. The amorphous BErT thin films might have potential applications in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices.     

Electrical properties and reliability of HfO2 gate-dielectric MOS capacitors with trichloroethylene surface pretreatment

Trichloroethylene （TCE） pretreatment of Si surface prior to HfO2 deposition is employed to fabricate HfO2 gatedielectric MOS capacitors. Influence of this processing procedure on interlayer growth, HfO2/Si interface properties, gate-oxide leakage and device reliability is investigated. Among the surface pretreatments in NH3, NO, N2O and TCE ambients, the TCE pretreatment gives the least interlayer growths the lowest interface-state density, the smallest gate leakage and the highest reliability. All these improvements should be ascribed to the passivation effects of Cl2 and HC1 on the structural defects in the interlayer and at the interface, and also their gettering effects on the ion contamination in the gate dielectric.     

Effects of the passivation of SiNx with various growth stoichiometry on the high temperature transport properties of the two-dimensional electron gas in AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures

Effects of the passivation of SiN_x on the high temperature transport characteristics of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in unintentionally doped Al_xGa_1−xN/GaN heterostructures have been investigated by means of high temperature Hall measurements. The 2DEG density increases much after SiN_x passivation, and the increment is proportional to the Si content in SiN_x layer, indicating that the increment is mainly caused by ionized Si atoms at the SiN/Al_xGa_1−xN interface with dangling bonds or by Si atoms incorporated into the Al_xGa_1−xN layer during the SiN_x growth, which is approved by strain analysis and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). There is lower 2DEG mobility at room temperature in a passivated sample than in an unpassivated one. However, the 2DEG mobility becomes to be higher in a passivated sample than in an unpassivated one when the temperature is above 250 °C, which is suggested to be caused by different subband occupation ratios in the triangular quantum well at the heterointerface before and after passivation.     

Lead titanate ferroelectric films on single-crystal silicon

This paper reports on the results of investigations into the phase transformations observed in Pb/Ti/Si and Ti/Pb/Si thin-film heterostructures upon layer-by-layer magnetron sputtering of lead and titanium onto a single-crystal silicon substrate and subsequent annealing in an oxygen atmosphere. It is shown that the dielectric properties of lead titanate films depend on the order of sputtering of lead and titanium metal layers onto the surface of single-crystal silicon. The ferroelectric properties are revealed in 3000-nm-thick lead titanate films prepared by two-stage annealing of the Pb/Ti/Si thin-film heterostructure (with the upper lead layer) at T ₁=473 K and T ₂=973 K for 10 min. These films are characterized by the coercive field E _c=4.8 kV/cm and the spontaneous polarization P _s=16.8 μC/cm². The lead titanate films produced by annealing of the Ti/Pb/Si thin-film heterostructure (with the upper titanium layer) do not possess ferroelectric properties but exhibit properties of a conventional dielectric. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 44, No. 4, 2002, pp. 745–749. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2002 by Sidorkin, Sigov, Khoviv, Yatsenko, Logacheva.     

低温湿氧氧化提高多孔硅发光的稳定性

用低温湿氧氧化方法对多孔硅进行后处理,获得了光致发光强度强、发光稳定的样品,顺磁共振谱表明这种样品表面的悬挂键密度较小,通过对样品红外光谱的测试和分析,指出SiH(O₃),SiH(SiO₂),SiH₂(O₂)结构的产生是实验中多孔硅稳定性提高的原因. 关键词：     

The optical transition in porous Si: The effects of quantum confinement,surface states and hydrogen passivation

Summary We present a theoretical study of two infinite wires of Si with a different lateral size. The analysis is based on the linear muffin tin orbitals method in the atomic sphere approximation (LMTO-ASA). We consider free, partially and totally H-covered [001] Si quantum wires with rectangular cross-section. The results of this investigation prove the quantum wire nature of porous Si and interpret many of its physical features. In particular we show thata) as expected quantum confinement originates the opening of the LDA gap;b) the gap opening effect is asymmetric: 1/3 of the widening is in the valence band, while 2/3 in the conduction band;c) the near band gap states originate from Si atoms located at the center of the wire;d) the confinement is enhanced in the case of free surfaces;e) the imaginary part of the dielectric function shows a low-energy side structure strongly anisotropic, identified as responsible of the luminescence transition;f) the presence of dangling bonds destroys the luminescence properties;g) in spite of featurec), all Si atoms are collectively involved in the luminescence transition;h) the shift detected by the Si L_{2, 3}VV Auger signal is due to H-interaction effect and is not a measure of the quantum confinement effect;i) the Si atoms probed by the Si L_{2, 3}VV Auger are bonded with H and H₂. Paper presented at the III INSEL (Incontro Nazionale sul Silicio Emettitore di Luce), Torino, 12–13 October 1995.     

Structural and chemical analysis of a model Si–SiO2 interface using spatially resolved electron-energy-loss spectroscopy

This work reports an experimental electron-energy-loss spectroscopy study carried out on a model thermal Si–SiO₂ interface. Valence-loss spectra and core-loss spectra (Si L_2,3 and O K edges) were recorded across the interface in line-spectrum mode with a high spatial resolution in a field emission gun scanning transmission electron microscope. From the analysis of the line spectra and on the basis of high-resolution electron microscopy and high-angle annular dark-field experiments, it is concluded that the interface is not sharp but extends over about three atomic planes consisting of Si and O atoms arranged in a structure evolving between crystalline SiO and SiO₂ before growing as an amorphous SiO₂ layer. In addition, from the analysis of the valence-loss spectra in terms of energy-loss function or dielectric function ε, we show that valence-electron-energy-loss spectroscopy could be a relevant alternative method for determining the electron properties, for example the bandgap, and the dielectric constant of dielectric gates on a nanometre scale.     

Experimental and theoretical studies of Si-CN bonds to eliminate interface states at Si/SiO2 interface

Cyanide treatment, which includes the immersion of Si in KCN solutions followed by a rinse, effectively passivates interface states at Si/SiO₂ interfaces by the reaction of CN⁻ ions with interface states to form Si-CN bonds. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that the concentration of the CN species in the surface region after the cyanide treatment is ∼0.25 at.%. Take-off angle-dependent measurements of the XPS spectra indicate that the concentration of the CN species increases with the depth from the Si/SiO₂ interface at least up to ∼2 nm when ultrathin SiO₂ layers are formed at 450 °C after the cyanide treatment. When the cyanide treatment is applied to metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) solar cells with 〈ITO/SiO₂/n-Si〉 structure, the photovoltage greatly increases, leading to a high conversion efficiency of 16.2% in spite of the simple cell structure with no pn-junction. Si-CN bonds are not ruptured by air mass 1.5 100 mW cm⁻² irradiation for 1000 h, and consequently the solar cells show no degradation. Neither are Si-CN bonds broken by heat treatment at 800 °C performed after the cyanide treatment. The thermal and irradiation stability of the cyanide treatment is attributable to strong Si-CN bonds, whose bond energy is calculated to be 1 eV higher than that of the Si-H bond energy using a density functional method.     

Electron density profile at the interface of SiO2/Si(0 0 1)

In this report we present grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity (GIXR) study of SiO₂/Si(0 0 1) system. We have analysed the X-ray reflectivity data using recursive formalism based on matrix method and distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA). From the analysis of the reflectivity data we could obtain the electron density profile (EDP) at the interface of the dielectric SiO₂ film and the Si(0 0 1) substrate. The EDP obtained from the matrix method follows the DWBA scheme only when two transition layers are considered at the interface of SiO₂/Si. The layer which is in proximity with the Si substrate has a higher electron density value than the Si and SiO₂ values and it appears as a maximum in the EDP. The layer which is in proximity with the dielectric SiO₂ layer has an electron density value lower than the SiO₂ value and it appears as a minimum in the EDP. When the thickness of the SiO₂ layer is increased the lower density layer diminishes and the higher density layer persists.     

两种不同(Ba,Sr)TiO3薄膜介电-温度特性的研究

研究并比较了两种不同(Ba_0.5,Sr_0.5)TiO₃(BSTO)薄膜介电-温度特性.采用脉冲激光沉积技术在Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si(100)衬底上制备BSTO薄膜，发现制备条件的不同，可以得到介电性质完全不同的BSTO薄膜.在550℃和氮气氛下制备的BSTO薄膜在常温下具有很高的介电常数，在10kHz下，超过2500，并在200K温度以上介电常数基本不变.它的一些电学性质不同于在正常条件(650℃和氧气氛下)制得的BSTO薄膜，而类似于目前广泛报道的巨介电常数材料如CaCu_３Ti_４O₁₂.两种薄膜介电性质测试结果表明: 氧气氛下制备的BSTO薄膜呈现铁电-顺电相变，符合居里-外斯定律；低温氮气氛下制备的BSTO薄膜，介电弛豫时间和温度的关系符合德拜模型，是热激发弛豫.文中给出了产生这种介电特性的初步解释. 关键词： 薄膜 脉冲激光沉积 介电弛豫     

Dielectric and insulating properties of SrTiO3/Si heterostructure controlled by cation concentration

SrTiO3 films with different cation concentration were deposited on Si(001)substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy.An amorphous layer was observed at the interface whose thickness depends on the oxygen pressure and the substrate temperature during growth.Although lowering the oxygen vacancy concentration in SrTiO3led to better insulating performance as indicated by the lowered leakage current density of the heterostructure,the dielectric performance was deteriorated because of the thickened interfacial layer that dominated the capacitance of SrTiO3/Si heterostructure.Instead of adjusting the oxygen vacancy concentration,we propose that controlling the film cation concentration is an effective way to tune the dielectric and insulating properties of SrTiO3/Si at the same time.