Microstructural and surface characterization of thin gold films on n-Ge (1 1 1)

Thin gold films were fabricated by vacuum resistive deposition on the n-Ge (1 1 1) wafers. The films were annealed between 300 and 600 °C. These resulting thin films were then characterised using scanning electron microscopy (field emission and back-scattering modes), Rutherford back scattering spectroscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS). For temperatures below the eutectic temperature the distribution of both the gold and the germanium on the surface are uniform. Above the eutectic temperature, the formation of gold rich islands on the surface of the Germanium were observed. These changes in the microstructure were found to correspond to changes in the electrical characteristics of the diodes.     

Epitaxially grown ZnO thin films on 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) substrates prepared by spin coating-pyrolysis

Epitaxially grown ZnO thin film on 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) substrate was prepared by using a spin coating-pyrolysis with a zinc naphthenate precursor. As-deposited film was pyrolyzed at 500 °C for 10 min in air and finally annealed at 800 °C for 30 min in air. In-plane alignment of the film was investigated by X-ray pole-figure analysis. Field emission-scanning electron microscope, scanning probe microscope, and He-Cd laser (325 nm) was used to analyze the surface morphology, the surface roughness and photoluminescence of the films. In the photoluminescence spectra, near-band-edge emission with a broad deep-level emission was observed. The position of the near-band-edge peak was around 3.27 eV.     

Effects of H2 ambient annealing in fully 0 0 2-textured ZnO:Ga thin films grown on glass substrates using RF magnetron co-sputter deposition

Gallium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) thin films were grown on glass substrates using RF magnetron co-sputtering, followed by H₂ ambient annealing at 623 K to explore a possibility of steady and low-cost process for fabricating transparent electrodes. While it was observed that the ZnO:Ga thin films were densely packed c-axis oriented self-textured structures, in the as-deposited state, the films contained Ga₂O₃ and ZnGa₂O₄ which had adverse effect on the electrical properties. On the other hand, post-annealing in H₂ ambient improved the electrical properties significantly via reduction of Ga₂O₃ and ZnGa₂O₄ to release elemental Ga which subsequently acted as substitutional dopant increasing the carrier concentration by two orders of magnitude. Transmittance of the ZnO:Ga thin films were all over 90% that of glass while the optical band gap varied in accordance with the carrier concentrations due to changes in Fermi level. Experimental observation in this study suggests that transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films based on Ga doped ZnO with good electrical and optical properties can be realized via simple low-cost process.     

Study of buried Si(1 1 1)-5 × 2-Au by surface X-ray diffraction

The structure of buried Si(1 1 1)-5 × 2-Au capped with amorphous Si was investigated using surface X-ray diffraction. It was found that the 5 × 2 structural periodicity is kept under the amorphous Si from the in-plane measurement. Furthermore, the intensity variation along the fractional-order rod indicates that Au atoms are located almost on the same plane.     

High-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of combinatorial epitaxial Ge (0 0 1) thin-films on Ge (0 0 1) substrates

We report high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of combinatorial epitaxial Ge (0 0 1) thin-films with varying doping concentrations of Co and Mn grown on Ge (0 0 1) substrates. The crystalline structure of the epitaxial thin-film has been determined using crystal-truncation rod (CTR) measurements and fitting analysis. By analyzing the fine interference fringes in the CTR intensity profile, strain sensitivity of ∼0.003% has been achieved. Using this method, the evolution of interfacial structures has been quantified as a function of doping concentration.     

Formation mechanisms of GaN nanorods grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns showed that vertically well aligned GaN nanorods with c-axis-oriented crystalline wurzite structures were grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by using hydride vapor phase epitaxy. The high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images showed that the crystallized GaN nanorods contained very few defects and that they were consisted of , {0 0 0 1}, and { } facets. The formation mechanisms for the GaN nanorods grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates are described on the basis of the SEM, TEM, SAED pattern, and HRTEM results.     

Atypical grain growth for (2 1 1) CdTe films deposited on surface reconstructed (1 0 0) SrTiO3 substrates

The (1 0 0) SrTiO₃ substrate has emerged as the oxide substrate of choice for the deposition of a wide variety of materials. The substrate's unavoidable miscut leads to a step-terrace morphology when heated to high temperatures. This morphological transition is accompanied by an atomic scale repositioning of the uppermost terrace atoms, the nature of which is strongly dependent on the substrate temperature and ambient atmosphere used. Here, we report the deposition of CdTe films on the as-received and reconstructed surfaces of (1 0 0) SrTiO₃. The as-received substrate gives rise to a [1 1 1] CdTe film with four equally distributed in-plane grain orientations. The surface reconstruction, on the other hand, gives rise to an unprecedented reorientation of the film's grain structure. For this case, a [2 1 1] CdTe film emerges having twelve unevenly distributed in-plane orientations. We attribute the film's grain structure to an atomic scale surface reconstruction, with the anisotropic distribution of grain-types arising from a preferential formation due to the step edges.     

Influence of annealing temperature on the properties of ZnO thin films deposited by thermal evaporation

ZnO thin films were deposited by thermal evaporation of a ZnO powder. The as-deposited films are dark brown, rich zinc and present a low transmittance. Then, these films were annealed in air atmosphere at different temperatures between 100 and 400 °C. Their microstructure and composition were studied using XRD and RBS measurements respectively. By increasing the temperature, it was found that film oxidation starts at 250 °C. XRD peaks related to ZnO appear and peaks related to Zn decrease. At 300 °C, zinc was totally oxidised and the films became totally transparent. The electrical conductivity measurement that were carried out in function of the annealing temperature showed the transition from highly conductive Zn thin film to a lower conductive ZnO thin film. The optical gap (E_g) was deduced from the UV-vis transmittance, and its variation was linked to the formation of ZnO.     

Effect of annealing on the structural and optical properties of (3 1 1)B GaAsBi layers

The influence of post-growth annealing on the microstructure and photoluminescence (PL) of GaAsBi alloys grown on (3 1 1)B GaAs is analyzed. Conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) performed on as-grown samples evidence the presence of structural defects and a mosaic structure in the GaAsBi layer. A sequence of stacking faults at regions close to the GaAs/GaAsBi interface are observed in high resolution TEM images. After annealing at 473 K during 3 h the mosaic structure disappears, the presence of defects is reduced and the PL peak intensely enhances.     

Structural and magnetic properties of evaporated Fe thin films on Si(1 1 1), Si(1 0 0) and glass substrates

We present experimental results on the structural and magnetic properties of series of Fe thin films evaporated onto Si(1 1 1), Si(1 0 0) and glass substrates. The Fe thickness, t, ranges from 6 to110 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to study the structure and surface morphology of these films. The magnetic properties were investigated by means of the Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) techniques. The Fe films grow with (1 1 0) texture; as t increases, this (1 1 0) texture becomes weaker for Fe/Si, while for Fe/glass, the texture changes from (1 1 0) to (2 1 1). Grains are larger in Fe/Si than in Fe/glass. The effective magnetization, 4πM_eff, inferred from BLS was found to be lower than the 4πM_S bulk value. Stress induced anisotropy might be in part responsible for this difference. MFM images reveal stripe domain structure for the 110 nm thick Fe/Si(1 0 0) only.     

Highly oriented (1 0 0) ZnO thin films by spray pyrolysis

Undoped ZnO thin films have been deposited onto glass substrates by spray pyrolysis. The structural, electrical and optical properties were studied on thin films, prepared from precursor solutions with varying the ethanol concentrations. X-ray diffraction studies have shown polycrystalline nature of the films with a hexagonal wurtzite-type structure. The preferential orientation plane (1 0 0) of the ZnO thin film is found to be sensitive to ethanol concentration. The texture coefficient (TC) and grain size value have been calculated. Also ethanol concentration was found to have significant effect on sheet resistivity of the films.     

Impact of surface step heights of 6H-SiC (0 0 0 1) vicinal substrates in heteroepitaxial growth of 2H-AlN

Impact of step height of silicon carbide (SiC) substrates on heteroepitaxial growth of aluminum nitride (AlN) was investigated. Step-and-terrace structures with various step heights, 6 monolayer (ML), 3ML and 1ML, were formed on 6H-SiC (0 0 0 1) vicinal substrates by high-temperature gas etching. 2H-AlN layers were grown on the substrate by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) and then these layers were characterized by atomic-force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). High-quality AlN can be grown on SiC substrates with 6ML- and 3ML-height step, while AlN grown on SiC substrates with 1ML-height step exhibited inferior crystalline quality. A model for high-quality AlN growth on SiC substrates with 3ML-height step is proposed.     

Atomic force microscopy study of thermal stability of silver selenide thin films grown on silicon

Silver selenide thin films were grown on silicon substrates by the solid-state reaction of sequentially deposited Se and Ag films of suitable thickness. Transmission electron microscopy and particle-induced X-ray emission studies of the as-deposited films showed the formation of single phase polycrystalline silver selenide from the reaction of Ag and Se films. Atomic force microscopy images of the as-deposited and films annealed at different temperatures in argon showed the film morphology to evolve into an agglomerated state with annealing temperature. The results indicate that when annealed above 473 K, silver selenide films on silicon become unstable and agglomerate through holes generated at grain boundaries.     

Growth of pentacene on Ag(1 1 1) surface: A NEXAFS study

Thin films of pentacene (C₂₂H₁₄) have become widely used in the field of organic electronics. Here films of C₂₂H₁₄ of thickness ranging from submonolayer to multilayer were thermally deposited on Ag(1 1 1) surface. The determination of molecular geometry in pentacene films on Ag(1 1 1) studied by X-ray absorption at different stages of growth up to one monolayer is presented.XAS spectra at the C K-edge were collected as a function of the direction of the electric field at the surface. The different features of the spectra were assigned to resonances related to the various molecular unoccupied states by the comparison with the absorption coefficient of the pentacene gas phase. The transitions involving antibonding π states show a pronounced angular dependence for all the measured coverages, from submonolayer to multilayer. The spectra analysis indicates a nearly planar chemisorption of the first pentacene layer with a tilt angle of 10°.     

Growth of thin Fe(0 0 1) films for terahertz emission experiments

The electrical and magnetic properties of thin iron (Fe) films have sparked significant scientific interest. Our interest, however, is in the fundamental interactions between light and matter. We have discovered a novel application for thin Fe films. These films are sources of terahertz (THz) radiation when stimulated by an incident laser pulse. After intense femtosecond pulse excitation by a Ti:sapphire laser, these films emit picosecond, broadband THz frequencies. The terahertz emission provides a direct measure of the induced ultrafast change in magnetization within the Fe film. The THz generation experiments and the growth of appropriate thin Fe films for these experiments are discussed. Several criteria are used to select the substrate and film growth conditions, including that the substrate must permit the epitaxial growth of a continuous, monocrystalline or single crystal film, yet must also be transparent to the emitted THz radiation. An Fe(0 0 1) film grown on the (0 0 1) surface of a magnesium oxide (MgO) substrate makes an ideal sample. The Fe films are grown by physical vapor deposition (PVD) in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are used to characterize the Fe(0 0 1) films. Two substrate surface preparation methods are investigated. Fe(0 0 1) films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that are used as-received and films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that have been UV/ozone-cleaned ex vacuo and annealed in vacuo produce the same results in the THz generation experiments. Either substrate preparation method permits the growth of samples suitable for the THz emission experiments.     

Stability of MgO(1 1 1) films grown on 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) by molecular beam epitaxy for two-step integration of functional oxides

Crystalline magnesium oxide (MgO) (1 1 1), 20 Å thick, was grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on hydrogen cleaned hexagonal silicon carbide (6H-SiC). The films were further heated to 740 °C and 650 °C under different oxygen environments in order to simulate processing conditions for subsequent functional oxide growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness and stability of crystalline MgO films and the MgO/6H-SiC interface for subsequent heteroepitaxial deposition of multi-component, functional oxides by MBE or pulsed laser deposition processes. The stability of the MgO films and the MgO/6H-SiC interface was found to be dependent on substrate temperature and the presence of atomic oxygen. The MgO films and the MgO/6H-SiC interface are stable at temperatures up to 740 °C at 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ Torr for extended periods of time. While at temperatures below 400 °C exposure to the presence of active oxygen for extended periods of time has negligible impact, exposure to the presence of active oxygen for more than 5 min at 650 °C will degrade the MgO/6H-SiC interface. Concurrent etching and interface breakdown mechanisms are hypothesized to explain the observed effects. Further, barium titanate was deposited by MBE on bare 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) and MgO(1 1 1)/6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the MgO as a heteroepitaxial template layer for perovskite ferroelectrics.     

Photocatalytic property of TiO2 thin films sputtered-deposited on unheated substrates

TiO₂ films deposited on unheated substrates of alumina silicate glass by rf. (13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering in the mixture of O₂ and Ar gases have been studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and optical spectroscopy. Structural and optical properties of TiO₂ films deposited at different O₂ concentrations and total pressures have been analyzed. Photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ films were characterized by following the degradation of methylene blue molecules under UV irradiation. It was found that the rate of methylene blue decomposition strongly depends on morphology and crystallinity of the deposited films, namely on the content of the anatase phase and on the size of the anatase grains. The best photocatalytic activity was found on TiO₂ films consisting of pure anatase phase with the size of grains of about 450 Å. With the help of those films a thin film reactor for water purification has been designed and tested.     

Investigation of the Shockley surface state on clean and air-exposed Au (1 1 1)

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) carried out in vacuum and air were used to study the electronic structure of the Au (1 1 1) surface in the range of 0.0-0.7 eV below the Fermi level. The STS experiment carried out in UHV showed the existence of the Shockley surface state (SS) located 0.48 eV below the Fermi level. STS carried out in air showed strong local maximum located 0.35 eV below the Fermi level. This maximum was ascribed to the SS shifted toward lower energy due to carbon and oxygen overlayer. To confirm that the SS could exist on the sample exposed to air we did ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) experiment on air-treated and clean Au (1 1 1). Our results suggest that the SS position initially measured at 0.38 eV below the Fermi level was shifted to 0.27 eV after air treatment. Additionally, the level of contamination was measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Elaboration of (1 1 1)-oriented La-doped PZT thin films on platinized silicon substrates

PLZT thin films with different thickness were deposited in situ on platinum coated silicon substrates using a multi-target sputtering system. The purpose was to grow (1 1 1)-textured PLZT films on Pt (1 1 1). To this aim, the role of some key parameters on both crystalline quality and electrical properties was investigated. An ultra-thin TiO₂ seeding layer was deposited, prior to PLZT, which strongly affected the crystallographic orientation of the films. The relation between temperature deposition and film crystallinity is analysed. TEM observations show the presence of some very small grains of Zr_0.9La_0.1O_1.95 at the film bottom interface. In the range of thickness investigated, the plot of the inverse capacitance as a function of the film thickness split up into two different curves, each with a linear shape, which however allows determination of a single value of interface capacitance. Above a thickness of 400-500 nm a saturation of the dielectric properties seems to be reached.