Controlled fabrication of Si nanostructures by high vacuum electron beam annealing

Silicon nanostructures, called Si nanowhiskers, have been successfully synthesized on Si(1 0 0) substrate by high vacuum electron beam annealing (EBA). Detailed analysis of the Si nanowhisker morphology depending on annealing temperature, duration and the temperature gradients applied in the annealing cycle is presented. A correlation was found between the variation in annealing temperature and the nanowhisker height and density. Annealing at 935 °C for 0 s, the density of nanowhiskers is about 0.2 μm⁻² with average height of 2.4 nm grow on a surface area of 5×5 μm, whereas more than 500 nanowhiskers (density up to 28 μm⁻²) with an important average height of 4.6 nm for field emission applications grow on the same surface area for a sample annealed at 970 °C for 0 s. At a cooling rate of −50 °C s⁻¹ during the annealing cycle, 10–12 nanowhiskers grew on a surface area of 5×5 μm, whereas close to 500 nanowhiskers grew on the same surface area for samples annealed at the cooling rate of −5 °C s⁻¹. An exponential dependence between the density of Si nanowhiskers and the cooling rate has been found. At 950 °C, the average height of Si nanowhiskers increased from 4.0 to 6.3 nm with an increase of annealing duration from 10 to 180 s. A linear dependence exists between the average height of Si nanowhiskers and annealing duration. Selected results are presented showing the possibility of controlling the density and the height of Si nanowhiskers for improved field emission properties by applying different annealing temperatures, durations and cooling rates.     

MBE fabrication of self-assembled Si and metal nanostructures on Si surfaces

Two types of fairly regular distributions of Si nanostructures, of interest as templates to grow spatially controlled ensembles of metal (Co, Fe, Ag, etc.) nanostructures, are presented in this paper. Both of them are achieved by self-assembling processes during Si homoepitaxy. One corresponds to films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si(0 0 1)-2 × 1 surfaces with low (<1°) miscut angles. In this case, arrays of 3D Si-islands displaying well defined pyramid-like shapes can be obtained, as evidenced by Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). Such arrays exhibit strong similarities with those reported for Ge and SiGe islands on Si(0 0 1), and may thus serve as a simpler route to produce ordered distributions of metallic nanodots. On the other hand, on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 vicinal substrates misoriented 4° toward the direction, step rearrangement during homoepitaxy permits to produce nanopatterned surfaces, the building-blocks of which are triangular (1 1 1) platforms, with lateral dimensions of hundreds of nanometers, bound by step bunches about 30 nm high. Furthermore, different Ag deposition experiments support this spontaneous patterning on Si(1 1 1) as a promising approach to achieve regular distributions of metallic nanocrystals with an overall homogeneity in sizes, shapes and spacing.     

Surface modification of Al-20Si alloy by high current pulsed electron beam

Hypereutectic Al-20Si (Si 20 wt.%, Al balance)alloy surface was treated with high current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) under different pulse numbers. The results indicate that HCPEB irradiation induces the formation of metastable structures on the treated surface. The coarse primary Si particle melts, producing a “halo” microstructure with primary Si as the center on the melted surface. A supersaturated solid solution of Al is formed in the melted layer caused by Si atoms dissolving into the Al matrix. Cross-section structure analysis shows that a 4 μm remelted layer is formed underneath the top surface of the HCEPB-treated sample. Compared with the matrix, the Al and Si elements in the remelted layer are distributed uniformly. In addition, the grains of the Al-20Si alloy surface are refined after HCPEB treatment, as shown by TEM observation. Nano-silicon particles are dispersed on the surface of remelted layer. Polygonal subgrains, approximately 50-100 nm in size, are formed in the Al matrix. The hardness test results show that the microhardness of the α(Al) and eutectic structure is increased with increasing pulse number. The hardness of the “halo” microstructure presents a gradient change after 15 pulse treatment due to the diffusion of Si atoms. Furthermore, hardness tests of the cross-section at different depths show that the microhardness of the remelted layer is higher than that of the matrix. Therefore, HCPEB technology is a good surface modification method for enhancing the surface hardness of hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy.     

Surface modification of Al-12.6Si alloy by high current pulsed electron beam

The paper investigates the microstructure and property modifications of Al-12.6Si alloy induced by high current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) treatment. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) results show a fine and equiaxed grain structure of several micrometers is obtained on the top surface of the melted layer. Underneath the top surface, a remelted layer with about 10 μm thickness is obtained and a supersaturated solid solution of Al is formed in the remelted layer. XRD analysis shows that the relative strength of diffraction peaks of Al (1 1 1) and Si (1 1 1) crystal planes is increased after HCPEB treatment. As a result, relative wear resistance of HCPEB-treated sample is significantly improved by a factor of 2.5 due to fine grain strengthening and solid solution strengthening. Therefore, the HCPEB treatment has a good application future in treating Al-Si alloys.     

圆锥磁绝缘传输线的横向空间电荷流

根据电磁场基本理论及电子运动守恒方程，导出圆锥传输线横向空间电荷流的数值模型和磁绝缘临界条件。通过数值计算，讨论了电压及圆锥几何结构参数等对横向空间电荷流和磁绝缘性能的影响。电压较高时,无磁场的空间电荷流较大，而磁绝缘性能更好。在传输线的三个几何参数中，几何因子对传输性能影响最大。     

NiMnGa nanostructures produced by electron beam lithography and Ar-ion etching

The technologies of electron beam lithography, dry etching and systems integration are investigated to fabricate a series of Ni-Mn-Ga double-beam structures designed with decreasing critical dimensions of 10 μm, 1 μm and 400 nm. Ni-Mn-Ga thin films of 1 μm thickness are deposited by magnetron sputtering and heat-treated in free-standing condition after selective removal of the substrate. Differential scanning calorimetry and electrical resistance measurements on the films show the characteristic features of martensitic transformation above room temperature. First optical beam deflection experiments demonstrate the magnetic and thermal actuation performance of the double-beam structures.     

Controlled ligament coarsening in nanoporous gold by annealing in vacuum versus nitrogen

The structural evolution of nanoporous gold during thermal treatment was studied by annealing samples in vacuum and in flowing nitrogen. As expected, ligament thickness generally increased in both environments. However, ligaments annealed at high temperature in vacuum remained relatively narrow, undergoing much less coarsening than nitrogen-annealed samples, albeit with some ligament agglomeration. When annealed in flowing nitrogen, gold ligaments coarsened significantly at temperatures above 300?°C. This discrepancy is attributed to different surface diffusion rates of gold in the two annealing environments. The current results suggest that diffusion on the surfaces of nanoporous gold ligaments proceeds more quickly in nitrogen than in vacuum.     

Transmission electron microscopy of GaN columnar nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The GaN columnar crystals of nanometric sizes have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy with high-frequency plasma initiation of nitrogen discharge. The types and distribution of defects in these nanostructures on the (0001) sapphire substrates are studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is revealed that inversion domains begin to form almost at the interface irrespective of the presence of an initial low-temperature buffer layer. The critical diameter of dislocation-free columns, their density, and mean sizes are determined. It is shown that the low-temperature buffer layer affects the density of dislocations, their spatial distribution, and the mean sizes of columns. The nanosizes of grown crystals suggest a further use of these crystals and the growth method for producing molecular-beam epitaxial quantum-size objects (quantum dots and wires) in a promising AlGaInN system.     

Pulsed electron beam annealing and furnace annealing of Cu-implanted Al single crystals

A comparison has been performed of the effects of pulsed electron beam annealing (PEBA) and furnace annealing on the distribution and lattice site occupation of Cu implanted into Al single crystals. Both parameters have been determined by Rutherford backscattering and channeling measurements with 2 MeV He⁺ ions. With furnace annealing at 300°C the Cu diffusion into the bulk was determined by the release process from the implanted layer, while for PEBA a redistribution of the copper was observed for pulses with deposited energy densities above the threshold for melting. A supersaturated solid solution with 95% (2.1 at.%) of the impurity atoms on substitutional sites was formed by the electron beam treatment. After thermal annealing only little improvement of the lattice site occupation was observed with 66% of the impurities atoms on lattice sites, however with slight displacements from the perfect positions.     

PED沉积La-Sr-Cu-O薄膜表面的有序纳米结构

采用脉冲电子束沉积(PED)技术在Si(100)衬底上生长La_Sr_Cu_O薄膜，在750℃生长温度下获得具有有序纳米结构的表面形貌.采用聚集离子束(FIB)技术对获得的纳米结构进行表征，结果表明，这种有序的纳米结构是由于Si衬底和La_Sr_Cu_O薄膜之间的热膨胀系数和晶格的 失配引起的纳米裂纹.在这些纳米裂纹处，La_Sr_Cu_O成核生长获得独立的纳米线.通过控制 这种有序的纳米结构的生长，这种有序的纳米结构可以用来构造弱连接形成的器件. 关键词： 脉冲电子束沉积 La_Sr_Cu_O薄膜 纳米结构     

Josephson junction fabrication by means of ion implantation and electron beam lithography

Josephson junction fabrication techniques by means of ion implantation, electron beam lithography and dry etching process are discussed. Current voltage characteristics, temperature and an applied magnetic field dependence of a maximum zero-voltage current have been measured. Dose dependence of major junction parameters has also been investigated.     

Carbon nanostructures grown with electron and ion beam methods

We present a comparative study where carbon nanostructures were prepared by electron and ion beam methods. Thin films of 10×10 μm² area were prepared and analysed by Raman analysis, nanoindentation, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The material formed is not soft and graphitic, but of intermediate hardness (6–13 GPa) and with Raman spectral features similar to those of hydrogenated amorphous carbon, although it contains a significant Ga content (up to 25 at. %). This study was used to form sharp AFM supertip structures which were used to image sintered ceramic samples and films of aligned carbon nanotubes. Compared to traditional Si tips, this gave an improved rendering of the sample’s aspect ratio although the resolution is limited by the diameter of the C supertips. PACS 81.05.Uw; 81.07.-b; 78.30.-j     

Supersaturated Si-As alloy formation by ion implantation and pulsed electron beam annealing

Supersaturated surface alloys produced by very high dose (0.8–2.6×10¹⁷cm^–2) implantation of As-ions into silicon and subsequent pulsed electron-beam annealing have been investigated by means of the channeling technique. The maximum solubility limit of 7×10²¹ As/cm³ has been determined. It exceeds the equilibrium solubility limit by more than a factor of 4. Angular scan measurements indicated that for doses above 1×10¹⁷cm^–2 As atoms are displaced by about 0.12 Å from the regular lattice sites.     

Study of Fe/Si magnetic layered nanostructures by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy

The results of studying Fe/Si and Si/Fe layered structures with different thicknesses of the top layer by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy are presented. A new method is proposed for the estimation of volume fractions of components in binary systems within the framework of the effective dielectric medium model.     

Transient-enhanced Si diffusion on natural-oxide-covered Si(0 0 1) nano-structures during vacuum annealing

The morphology of annealed patterned Si(0 0 1) wire templates was studied by several techniques. We found an enormous Si-mass transport on the Si surface at usual oxide desorption temperatures around 900°C under UHV conditions. Heat treatment of 5 min transforms the initially rectangular wire profiles with a height of 300 nm to flat (<100 nm) and faceted triangular ridges exhibiting thermodynamically preferred {1 1 1}- and {3 1 1}-facets.It was found that the natural SiO₂ on the predefined wire pattern must be responsible for the degradation of the wire structure. Removing the SiO₂ layer from the Si wires ex situ with an HF dip preserves the rectangular structures during high-temperature annealing. The Si–SiO₂ interface was investigated with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to image the Si wire surface and the natural oxide layer in detail.     

Characteristics of a vacuum spark triggered by the transient hollowcathode discharge electron beam

The discharge characteristics of a vacuum spark triggered by the transient hollow cathode discharge (THCD) electron beam is investigated over a wide variety of discharge conditions. Two systems of the vacuum spark device have been considered-the first system powered by eight 2700-pF doorknob capacitors charged to a voltage of 40 kV (input energy of 17.6 J); while the second system employs a single 1.85-μF Maxwell capacitor discharged at a voltage of 20 kV (input energy of 370 J). The operating pressure of these systems has been varied over the range of 10 ^-2 to 10^-5 mbar in order to examine the effect of the operating pressure on the plasma formation of the vacuum spark discharge. The effectiveness of plasma heating has been found to be significantly enhanced in the two vacuum spark systems studied here. In particular, the plasma of the 17.6 J system has been observed to be heated to a condition hot enough to emit in the X-ray region when the operating pressure is reduced from 10^-2 to 10^-5 mbar. Similarly, in the case of the 370 J system, hot spot formation is also observed to occur only at a low operating pressure of 10^-4 mbar     

缓慢沉淀法制备ZnS纳米结构

使用两个直径不同的试管按照不同的方向套在一起的方法实现了ZnS 的缓慢沉淀,在两个试管中扩散过来的反应离子的补充下制备核壳结构的ZnS 纳米晶. 利用透射电子显微镜（TEM）,选区电子衍射分析（SAED）对样品的形貌和结构进行分析. 改变反应溶液的浓度和浓度比观察所得到样品形貌的改变,并从Zn2+和S2-两种离子与生成ZnS 单体之间所建立的平衡的角度,应用Ostwald 熟化效应等对样品形貌产生的原因进行了分析.     

Laser-induced damage of the optical films prepared by electron beam evaporation and ion beam sputtering in vacuum

The laser-induced damage characteristics and adsorption effects of organic contamination molecules of two high reflectors (HR) prepared by electron beam evaporation (EB) and ion beam sputtering (IBS) method at 1064 nm is investigated in vacuum. It is found that EB films show the performance degradation of laser induced damages in vacuum while for IBS film, seems to have no this effect, in comparison with air environment. In addition, EB coatings also have the strong affinity with organic contamination molecules, in contrast of IBS films. The results reveal that ion beam sputtering (IBS) method seem to be one of the favorite film deposition techniques of the optical films used in vacuum and space environments.     

Surface treatment of aluminum by high current pulsed electron beam

The development of advanced technology based on the interaction of high current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) with solid materials is very important at present time [R. Stark, J. Christiansen, et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 23 (3) (1995) 258–264; T. Witke, A. Lenk, B. Schultrich, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 24 (1) (1996) 61–62]. When the concentrated electron flux are acting on a material, superfast processes such as heating, melting, and solidification, as well as dynamic stresses induced in the processes impart surface layer with improved physical, chemical and mechanical properties unattainable with conventional surface treatment methods. This paper reports on an investigation on pure aluminum treated by “Nadezhda-2” HCPEB device. The extreme surface is melted to a depth of about 1 μm at the input energy density of 3 J/cm². Craters, micrometers in size, are formed in the melted surface. Vacancy and dislocations are significantly increased near the surface as a result of the electron bombardment. Based on the microhardness distribution measured on the cross-section, it has been established that the thickness of the modified layer is several hundreds of micrometers beneath the surface, significantly greater than that of the heat-affected zone. The experimental results are compared with those obtained by solving numerically the heat and stress equations, with finite difference and finite element methods, taking into account of the processes of melting and changing of physics parameters related to changing temperature. Satisfactory agreement between experimental and theoretical data is obtained.