Evidence of very strong inter-epitaxial-layer diffusion in Zn-doped GaInPAs/InP structures

Zn-doped InP and GaInPAs layers were grown by OrganoMetallic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE). The epitaxial films consist of a primary GaInPAs/InP epitaxial layer and a secondary InP/GaInAs epitaxial layer. We present evidence that the redistribution of Zn acceptors in the primary epitaxial layer is strongly influenced by the Zn doping concentration in the secondary epitaxial layer. Rapid redistribution of Zn acceptors in the primary epitaxial layer occurs if the Zn doping concentration in the secondary epitaxial layer exceeds a critical concentration ofN _Zn3×10¹⁸cm^–3. The influence of the growth temperature on this effect is also presented.     

A new structure of In-based ohmic contacts ton-type GaAs

Electrical, structural and reaction characteristics of In-based ohmic contacts ton-GaAs were studied. Attempts were made to form a low-band-gap interfacial phase of InGaAs to reduce the barrier height at the metal/semiconductor junction, thus yielding low-resistance, highly reliable contacts. The contacts were fabricated bye-beam sputtering Ni, NiIn and Ge targets on VPE-grownn ⁺-GaAs film (1 m, 2 × 10¹⁸ cm^–3) in ultrahigh vacuum as the structure of Ni(200 Å)/ NiIn(100 Å)/Ge(40 Å)/n ⁺-GaAs/SI-GaAs, followed by rapid thermal annealing at various temperatures (500–900°C). In this structure, a very thin layer of Ge was employed to play the role of heavily doping donors and diffusion limiters between In and the GaAs substrate. Indium was deposited by sputtering NiIn alloy instead of pure In in order to ensure In atoms to be distributed uniformly in the substrate; nickel was chosen to consume the excess indium and form a high-temperature alloy of Ni₃ln. The lowest specific contact resistivity ( _c) of (1.5 ± 0.5) × 10^–6 cm² measured by the Transmission Line Method (TLM) was obtained after annealing at 700°C for 10 s. Auger sputtering depth profile and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the interfacial microstructure. By correlating the interfacial microstructure to the electronical properties, In _x Ga_{1– x}As phases with a large fractional area grown epitaxially on GaAs were found to be essential for reduction of the contact resistance.This work was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC)     

Studies on excimer laser doping of GaAs using sulphur adsorbate as dopant source

Excimer laser doping of GaAs using sulphur adsorbate as a dopant source is demonstrated. Box-like n-type layers of depths of about 100 nm with carrier concentration as high as (23)×10¹⁹ cm^–3 are formed. Passivation of GaAs using a (NH₄)₂S_x solution for 40 min followed by sublimation of the excess sulphur atoms in high vacuum result in an effective dopant for controllable n-type doping. The samples are irradiated using a KrF excimer laser in a N₂ gaseous environment. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements show that sulphur is successfully incorporated in the GaAs. The sheet resistance is controlled by adjusting the laser energy fluence and number of laser pulses. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry with channeling (RBS/C) alignment measurement indicates that lattice damage is undetectable for N₂ gas pressures of 760 Torr.     

Large area SiC substrates and epitaxial layers for high power semiconductor devices — An industrial perspective

We review the progress in the industrial production of SiC substrates and epitaxial layers for high power semiconductor devices. Optimization of SiC bulk growth by the sublimation method has resulted in the commercial release of 100 mm n-type 4H-SiC wafers and the demonstration of micropipe densities as low as 0.7 cm⁻² over a full 100 mm diameter. Modelling results link the formation of basal plane dislocations in SiC crystals to thermoelastic stress during growth. A warm-wall planetary SiC-VPE reactor has been optimized up to a 8×100 mm configuration for the growth of uniform 0.01–80-micron thick, specular, device-quality SiC epitaxial layers with low background doping concentrations of <1×10¹⁴ cm⁻³, and intentional p- and n-type doping from 1×10¹⁵ to >1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³. We address the observed degradation of the forward characteristics of bipolar SiC PiN diodes [H. Lendenmann, F. Dahlquist, J.P. Bergmann, H. Bleichner, C. Hallin, Mater. Sci. Forum 389–393 (2002) 1259], and discuss the underlying mechanism due to stacking fault formation in the epitaxial layers. A process for the growth of the epitaxial layers with a basal plane dislocation density <10 cm⁻² is demonstrated to eliminate the formation of these stacking faults during device operation [J.J. Sumakeris, M. Das, H.McD. Hobgood, S.G. Müller, M.J. Paisley, S. Ha, M. Skowronski, J.W. Palmour, C.H. Carter Jr., Mater. Sci. Forum 457–460 (2004) 1113].     

Electrical properties of GaAs layers irradiated by H4 ions

The quantities(D) and(T) are studied in n- and p-GaAs, irradiated at T = 300°K by H⁺ ions (5 MeV). It is shown that the resistance of lightly doped GaAs specimens increases from original values of ₀ to 10⁹ ·cm upon irradiation by H⁺ ions (5 MeV) to integral fluxes up to D^* – 10¹⁵ H⁺/cm². For D > D^* the layer resistance decreases from 10⁹ ·cm to 1 ·cm at 300°K. It was found that all the GaAs specimens intensely irradiated by H⁺ ions had p-type conductivity near 300°K. Isochronic annealing of radiation defects was studied in the temperature interval 20–700°C.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 39–43, January, 1982.     

Impurity conduction and magnetoresistance in lightly dopedn-type GaAs

Measurements of the resistivity and magnetoresistance of epitaxially grownn-type GaAs (N _D ~ 1–2 × 10¹⁵ cm^–3) at 4.2 K and below are reported. The hopping resistivity ₃ depends onN _D according to ₃= ₀ exp (1.88/N _D ^1/3 a) in agreement with predictions of percolation theory, wherea is the Bohr radius of the impurity ground state. The experimentally obtained preexponential factor ₀ is very close to a recent theoretical prediction, which was derived from the computation of the topology of an infinite cluster. In magnetic fields below 1.3T the resistivity is found to be proportional to exp ,t having a value of 0.06 in disagreement with a recent theoretical calculation oft=0.04. In the high magnetic field region above 3T the data are described by exp [q ( ² a _B N _D)^–1/2], where is the characteristic magnetic length anda _B is the magnetic field dependent Bohr radius. From the experiments a value ofq=0.68 is deduced, while the theory predictsq=0.98.     

Approach to a theory for the masses of the electron,muon, and heavier charged leptons

The electron mass valuem=9.093 × 10^–28 g is shown to be obtainable from the QED self-energy formula amended to include gravitational selfenergy and restricted by the space-time equipartition lawm/n ₀=4/3. Held together by gravity, the electron has a radiusr _e =8Gm/9e ² c=2.588 × 10^–53 cm. An extension of the analysis yields the theoretical muon-electron mass ratio of 206.241 and predicts heavier charged leptons with mass values of 1.915 GeV, 15.67 GeV, and above.     

Study of perfection of layers of AlGaSb(AS) solid solution

Studies have been carried out on the perfection of then-Al_xGa_1–xSb_1–yAs_y (0.12x0.26) layer grown on GaSb substrates under different conditions of lattice matching. During the relaxation of the mechanical stresses at first a system of tilt dislocations with a density of up to 5 · 10⁵ cm^–2 is formed while in thick layers (h 20 m) a network of misfit dislocations parallel to the heteroboundary is formed. The time required to dissolve a weighed amount of GaAs in the melt is shown to be of major importance for obtaining layers of a solid solution that are isoperiodic with the substrate. The entry of arsenic only in the initial portion of the epitaxial layer can reduce the dislocation density in the layer without decreasing the measured value of Aa. Dissolution of a weighed amount of GaAs in a Ga + Sb melt for two hours at T=730–750°C is sufficient to obtain layers of Al_xGa_1–xSb_1–yAs_y solid solution that are isoperiodic with the substrate.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 84–89, January, 1988.In conclusion, we thank L. V. Druzhinina for useful discussions as well as Z. V. Korotchenko, L. S. Khludkova, and F. S. Kim for assistance in the performance of the experiments.     

Time decay of optically injected free carriers in highly excited GaAs

The time decay of large densities of optically injected free carriers in epitaxial GaAs has been obtained from time-resolved mm wave reflectivity at 300°K. The decay time increases from 5 to 200 nsec as the epitaxial layer thickness increases from 1 to 72 μm, but is independent of injection level (Δn ～ 10¹⁶to 10¹⁸cm_?3) and doping level (norp ～ 10¹⁴to 10¹⁶cm^?3).     

Characterization of high purity GaAs far-infrared photoconductors

In this paper we report the results of an extensive study on the far-infrared photoconductivity of high purityn-type GaAs. The crystal, which was grown at Max-Plank-Institute for Solid State Physics using liquid-phase epitaxy, exhibited the fine structures of the excited state transitions of the residual shallow level impurities. The major peak in the spectral response belongs to the 1s-2p transition, with its responsivity about thirty five times higher than the continuum. At 3.4K detector temperature, 625 mV bias, and 100 Hz chopping frequency the detector responsivity at 35.4 cm^–1 (279 µm) was measured to be 0.017 A/W. Under these same conditions, the NEP was 5.9×10^–14 W/Hz. The (DC) dark current at 25 mV bias was 5.6×10^–14 A.     

Structure of the free exciton luminescence band of heteroepitaxial ZnSe/GaAs layers

The exciton reflectance and photoluminescence spectra of epitaxial ZnSe/GaAs layers with a thickness of 2–4 μm are investigated in the temperature range 10–120 K. It is shown that one of the causes of the formation of the doublet structure of the A _n=1 photoluminescence band is interference of the exciton radiation at the boundaries of the near-surface dead layer. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 881–883 (May 1998)     

Imaging of self-generated multifilamentary current patterns in GaAs

Two-dimensional imaging of current filament patterns generated in homogeneousn-type GaAs during avalanche breakdown at low temperatures is reported. The self-generated formation and subsequent growth behavior of distinct single- and multifilament configurations could globally be visualized by means of a scanning electron microscope equipped with a liquid-helium stage. From local conductivity measurements in the smallest possible filaments (typical diameter of about 10 m) carrier mobilities as high as about 4·10⁶ cm²/Vs at 4.2 K were estimated. Such high-mobility filament channels may become interesting for applications in ultrafast electronic circuits.     

Electrical properties and defect model of tin-doped indium oxide layers

Tin-doped In₂O₃ layers were prepared by the spray technique with doping concentrationsc _Sn between 1 and 20 at. % and annealed at 500 °C in gas atmospheres of varying oxygen partial pressures. The room-temperature electrical properties were measured. Maximum carrier concentrationsN=1.5×10²¹cm^–3 and minimum resistivities =1.3×10^–4 cm are obtained if the layers are doped withc _Sn9 at. % and annealed in an atmosphere of oxygen partial pressurep _O2 10^–20 bar. At fixed doping concentration, the carrier mobility increases with decreasing oxygen pressure. The maximum obtainable mobility can be described in terms of electron scattering by ionized impurities. From an analysis of the carrier concentration and additional precision measurements of the lattice constants and film thicknesses, a defect model for In₂O₃:Sn is developed. This comprises two kinds of interstitial oxygen, one of which is loosely bound to tin, the other forming a strongly bound Sn₂O₄ complex. At low doping concentrationc _Sn4 at. % the carrier concentration is governed by the loosely bound tin-oxygen defects which decompose if the oxygen partial pressure is low. The carrier concentration follows from a relationN=K ₁ ·p _O2 ^–1/8 ·(3 ×10¹⁰ × c_Sn –N)^1/4 with an equilibrium constantK ₁=1.4×10¹⁵ cm^–9/4bar^1/8, determined from our measurements.     

Heavy doping with Sn of GaAs layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy for non-alloyed ohmic contacts

High Sn-doping of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown GaAs layers for non-alloyed ohmic contacts is presented. The highly doped layers were studied by van der Pauw-Hall measurements, Raman spectroscopy, low-temperature photoluminescence and scanning electron microscope. The highest free electron concentration of 8×10¹⁸ cm^–3 and the lowest resistivity of 8× ×10^–4 cm were achieved. Doping limit of Sn in GaAs is discussed. Using the heavily Sn-doped GaAs layers and the in situ Sn deposition the non-alloyed ohmic contacts with specific contact resistance of 8×10^–5 cm² and highly linearI–V characteristics were obtained.This results were presented at the symposium Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Frankfurt/Oder, GDR, March 23–27, 1987.     

Some experimental data about the two contributions to magnetoresistance for n-type silicon crystal at 125 K

The transverse magnetoresistance (MR) was measured versus magnetic field strengthB at different rotational angles between the directions of bothB and currentI for n-type silicon crystal with charge carrier concentration of 1·8×10¹⁵cm^–3. The direction of the current through the two samples was chosen so that the angles between the current vector and [100] crystallographic axis were 50° and 70°, respectively. These measurements were done under weak electric and magnetic fields atT=125 K. It was found that the MR exhibits two types of anomalous effects, one of them at two opposite directions ofB at different, and the other at the same angles, when=50° and=70°. This shows that the anomalous behaviour of MR is not onlyB and dependent, but depends also on the current direction. Also the values ofB which are separated between the negative and positive parts of MR curves at the same depend on the magnitude of. These results may be attributed to the anomalous motion of charge carriers ink-space as a result of deviation of current direction from the symmetry axis.     

Spectral diagnostics of a unipolar high-frequency discharge excited in nitrogen and argon at pressures from 1 to 12 atm

By methods of spectral diagnostics, the temperature of neutral gas and the electron temperature and density have been determined in the channel of a unipolar high-frequency discharge excited at very high pressures. In nitrogen the h.f. discharge was excited at pressures of 1–5 atm, in argon at pressures of 1–12 atm. In the discharge excited in argon, the electron temperature does not change with increasing pressure and isT _e =(6–7)×10³ °K; the electron density increases with increasing pressure. It can be demonstrated that the electron velocity distribution is given by a Maxwellian distribution function although the plasma of a unipolar high-frequency discharge is non-isothermal (T _e –T _n 5×10³ °K).In conclusion, the author thanks Prof. Dr. V. Truneek for stimulating remarks and his kind interest in this work.     

ArF laser CVD of hydrogenated amorphous silicon: The role of buffer gases

ArF laser-induced CVD has been employed to generate hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) from Si₂H₆ gas dilute with He, Ar, or H₂. The formation of amorphous films or powder is found to depend critically on the kind of buffer gas, the stationary total and partial gas pressures, and the substrate temperature. These dependences have been investigated in the 1–5 Torr pressure and 100–400 °C temperature ranges. They are semiquantitatively discussed in terms of ArF laser photolysis of disilane, gas heating by heat flow from the substrate and laser irradiation, diffusion, and gas phase polymerization. Furthermore, photo ionization has been observed but found irrelevant for the a-Si:H layer properties. The photo and dark conductivities ( _ph, _d) of the semiconductor layers are determined by the substrate temperature. The _ph values range between 10^–7 and 10^{–4 –1} cm^–1 and the _d values between 10^–11 and 10^{–8 –1} cm^–1. The maximum ratio _ph/ _d amounts to 4×10⁴. The layers are further characterized by their optical band gap and activation energy. The layer properties are compared to literature values of amorphous films prepared by various photo, HOMO, and plasma CVD methods.     

Assessment of persistent-photoconductivity centers in MBE grown Al x Ga1-x as using capacitance spectroscopy measurements

Deep-level transient spectroscopy and thermally stimulated capacitance measurements were used to investigate the properties of deep traps in Si-dopedn-Al _x Ga_1–xAl layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Two electron traps at electron emission activation energies of 0.44 and 0.57 eV have been detected. Both traps were studied in detail and found to be the origin of the persistent-photo-conductivity phenomenon in this material. The nature of both traps is the same as of the DX center in liquid phase epitaxial material reported by Lang et al. The electron capture cross-sections are _n 1 = _n 2=8.3×10^–22cm² atT=205K. Activation energies ofE 1= 0.33eV andE 2=0.37eV at temperatures higher than 125 K were determined by DLTS measurements and by direct measurements of the capture transient. In order to allow for the variation of the free-electron concentration during the capture process, a new method for the evaluation of the electron capture crosssection was developed.     

Space- and time-resolved investigation of gain lines in Na-like copper

We report space- and time-resolved measurements of the gain coefficient for four gain lines in sodium-like copper. The lines investigated include the twon = 1 transitions 5g–4f and 5f–4d at 11.1 nm and 10.3nm and the twon = 2 transitions 6g–4f and 6f–4d at 7.2 nm, and 6.9 nm. The investigations were carried out for four irradiation intensities from 4 × 10¹² W/cm² to 3 × 10¹³ W/cm² using the Asterix IV high-power iodine laser at Garching (wavelength 1.315 µm, pulse duration 450 ps).The main results may be summarized as follows: On varying the laser intensity it was found that the highest values of the gain could be seen at an irradiation of 8 × 10¹² W/cm². For then = 1 lines the spatial maximum of the gain occurred at a distance of 300 µm from the target, and for then = 2 lines at 200 µm. The temporal gain maximum occurred at a time of 1.8 ns after the pulse maximum. The gain values range up to 2.6 cm^–1.Dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. Shi-shen Chen, who contributed to the early phase of this work