Influence of ignition condition on the growth of silicon thin films using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition

The influences of the plasma ignition condition in plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) on the interfaces and the microstructures of hydrogenated microcrystalline Si (μc-Si:H) thin films are investigated. The plasma ignition condition is modified by varying the ratio of SiH₄ to H₂ (R_H). For plasma ignited with a constant gas ratio, the time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy presents a low value of the emission intensity ratio of Hα to SiH^* (I_Hα/I_SiH^*) at the initial stage, which leads to a thick amorphous incubation layer. For the ignition condition with a profiling R_H, the higher I_Hα/I_SiH^* values are realized. By optimizing the R_H modulation, a uniform crystallinity along the growth direction and a denser μ c-Si:H film can be obtained. However, an excessively high I_Hα/I_SiH^* may damage the interface properties, which is indicated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. Well controlling the ignition condition is critically important for the applications of Si thin films.     

Influence of ignition condition on the growth of silicon thin films using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition

The influences of the plasma ignition condition in plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) on the interfaces and the microstructures of hydrogenated microcrystalline Si (μc-Si:H) thin films are investigated.The plasma ignition condition is modified by varying the ratio of SiH 4 to H 2 (R H).For plasma ignited with a constant gas ratio,the time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy presents a low value of the emission intensity ratio of Hα to SiH (I Hα /I SiH) at the initial stage,which leads to a thick amorphous incubation layer.For the ignition condition with a profiling R H,the higher I Hα /I SiH values are realized.By optimizing the R H modulation,a uniform crystallinity along the growth direction and a denser μc-Si:H film can be obtained.However,an excessively high I Hα /I SiH may damage the interface properties,which is indicated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements.Well controlling the ignition condition is critically important for the applications of Si thin films.     

The high deposition of microcrystalline silicon thin film by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition and the fabrication of solar cells

This paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon ($\mu $c-Si:H) films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200\du\ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88\,nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75\,MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with Hchemical vapour deposition, plasma deposition, solar cells, crystallinityProgram supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant No 2006CB202601), and Basic Research Project of Henan Province in China (Grant No 072300410140).7280N, 7830G, 8115HThis paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon ($\mu $c-Si:H) films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200\du\ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88\,nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75\,MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with Hchemical vapour deposition, plasma deposition, solar cells, crystallinityProgram supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant No 2006CB202601), and Basic Research Project of Henan Province in China (Grant No 072300410140).7280N, 7830G, 8115HThis paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon ($\mu $c-Si:H) films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200\du\ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88\,nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75\,MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with Hchemical vapour deposition, plasma deposition, solar cells, crystallinityProgram supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant No 2006CB202601), and Basic Research Project of Henan Province in China (Grant No 072300410140).7280N, 7830G, 8115HThis paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon ($\mu $c-Si:H) films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200\du\ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88\,nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75\,MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with Hchemical vapour deposition, plasma deposition, solar cells, crystallinityProgram supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant No 2006CB202601), and Basic Research Project of Henan Province in China (Grant No 072300410140).7280N, 7830G, 8115HThis paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon ($\mu $c-Si:H) films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200\du\ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88\,nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75\,MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with H$_{2}$ prior to plasma ignition, and selecting proper discharging time after silane flow injection. Material prepared under these conditions at a deposition rate of 0.78\,nm/s maintains higher crystallinity and fine electronic properties. By H-plasma treatment before i-layer deposition, single junction $\mu $c-Si:H solar cells with 5.5{\%} efficiency are fabricated.     

低温等离子体增强化学气相沉积法制备Ge反opal三维光子晶体及其光学性能

通过溶剂蒸发对流自组装法制备SiO2三维有序胶体晶体模板,采用等离子体增强化学气相沉积法在200℃低温条件下填充高折射率材料Ge,获得了Ge反opal三维光子晶体.实现了低于GeH4热分解温度的低温填充.通过扫描电镜、X射线衍射仪和傅里叶变换显微红外光谱仪对Ge反opal的形貌、成分和光学性能进行了表征.结果表明:沉积得到无定型态Ge,退火后形成多晶Ge,Ge在SiO2微球空隙内填充致密均匀.Ge反opal的反射光谱有明显的光学反射峰,表现出光子带隙效应,其带隙中心波长为1650nm和2640nm,测试的光学性能与理论计算基本符合.采用SU-8光刻胶薄膜也进行了Ge沉积,证实了SU-8模板可以耐受这一沉积温度.低温沉积降低了Ge的填充温度,可以直接采用不耐高温的高分子材料作为初始模板,单次复型制备得到多种构型的完全带隙三维光子晶体.     

Selective growth, characterization, and field emission performance of single-walled and few-walled carbon nanotubes by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWCNTs) have been selectively synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a relative low temperature (550 °C) by tuning the thickness of iron catalyst. The parametric study and the optimization of the nanotube growth were undertaken by varying inductive power, temperature, catalyst thickness, and plasma to substrate distance. When an iron film of 3-5 nm represented the catalyst thickness for growing FWCNT arrays, SWCNTs were synthesized by decreasing the catalyst thickness to 1 nm. The nanotubes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Electron field emission properties of the nanotubes indicate that the SWCNTs exhibit lower turn-on field compared to the FWCNTs, implying better field emission performance.     

The effects of sapphire nitridation on GaN growth by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition

In situ optical reflectivity measurements are employed to monitor the GaN epilayer growth process above a low-temperature GaN buffer layer on a c-plane sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition. It is found that the lateral growth of the GaN islands and their coalescence are promoted in the initial growth stage if optimized nitridation time and temperature are selected when the substrate is pre-exposed to ammonia. As confirmed by atomic force microscopy observations, the quality of the GaN epilayers is closely dependent on the surface morphology of the nitridated buffer layer, especially grain size and nucleation density.     

Fabrication of 160-nm T-gate metamorphic AlInAs/GaInAs HEMTs on GaAs substrates by metal organic chemical vapour deposition

The fabrication and performance of 160-nm gate-length metamorphic AlInAs/GaInAs high electron mobility tran-sistors (mHEMTs) grown on GaAs substrate by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) are reported. By using a novel combined optical and e-beam photolithography technology, submicron mHEMTs devices have been achieved. The devices exhibit good DC and RF performance. The maximum current density was 817 mA/mm and the maximum transconductance was 828 mS/mm. The non-alloyed Ohmic contact resistance Rc was as low as 0.02 Ω- mm. The unity current gain cut-off frequency (fT) and the maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) were 146 GHz and 189 GHz, respectively. This device has the highest fT yet reported for a 160-nm gate-length HEMTs grown by MOCVD. The output conductance is 28.9 mS/mm, which results in a large voltage gain of 28.6. Also, an input capacitance to gate-drain feedback capacitance ratio, Cgs/Cgd, of 4.3 is obtained in the device.     

Field emission characteristics of nano-sheet carbon films deposited by quartz-tube microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

Nano-sheet carbon films are prepared on Si wafers by means of quartz-tube microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition （MPCVD） in a gas mixture of hydrogen and methane. The structure of the fabricated films is investigated by using field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM） and Raman spectroscopy. These nano~carbon films are possessed of good field emission （FE） characteristics with a low threshold field of 2.6 V/μm and a high current density of 12.6 mA/cm^2 at an electric field of 9 V/μm. As the FE currents tend to be saturated in a high E region, no simple Fowler-Nordheim （F-N） model is applicable. A modified F N model considering statistic effects of FE tip structures and a space-charge-limited-current （SCLC） effect is applied successfully to explaining the FE data observed at low and high electric fields, respectively.     

Growth and characterization of InAsSb alloys by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition

Low pressure metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (LP-MOCVD) growth and characteristics of InAsSb on (100) GaSb substrates are investigated. Mirror-like surfaces with a minimum lattice mismatch are obtained. The samples are studied by photoluminescence spectra, and the output is 3.17μm in wavelength. The surface of InAsSb epilayer shows that its morphological feature is dependent on buffer layer. With an InAs buffer layer used, the best surface is obtained. The InAsSb film shows to be of n-type conduction with an electron concentration of 8.52×10¹⁶cm^-3.     

Electron field emission characteristics of nano-catkin carbon films deposited by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

This paper reported that the nano-catkin carbon films were prepared on Si substrates by means of electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition in a hydrogen and methane mixture. The surface morphology and the structure of the fabricated films were characterized by using scanning electron microscopes and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The stable field emission properties with a low threshold field of 5V/μm corresponding to a current density of about 1μA/cm^2 and a current density of 3.2mA/cm^2 at an electric field of 10V/μm were obtained from the carbon film deposited at CH4 concentration of 8%. The mechanism that the threshold field decreased with the increase of the CH4 concentration and the high emission current appeared at the high CH4 concentration was explained by using the Fowler-Nordheim theory.     

The properties of GaMnN lms grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition using Raman spectroscopy

An investigation of room-temperature Raman scattering is carried out on ferromagnetic semiconductor GaMnN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition with different Mn content values. New bands around 300 and 669 cm^-1, that are not observed in undoped GaN, are found. They are assigned to disorder-activated mode and local vibration mode (LVM), respectively. After annealing, the intensity ratio between the LVM and E₂(high) mode, i.e., I_LVM=I_E2(high), increases. The LO phonon-plasmon coupled (LOPC) mode is found in GaMnN, and the frequency of the LOPC mode of GaMnN shifting toward higher side is observed with the increase in the Mn doping in GaN. The ferromagnetic character and the carrier density of our GaMnN sample are discussed.     

The properties of GaMnN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition using Raman spectroscopy

An investigation of room-temperature Raman scattering is carried out on ferromagnetic semiconductor GaMnN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition with different Mn content values. New bands around 300 and 669 cm-1, that are not observed in undoped GaN, are found. They are assigned to disorder-activated mode and local vibration mode (LVM), respectively. After annealing, the intensity ratio between the LVM and E2 (high) mode, i.e., ILVM /IE2 (high) , increases. The LO phonon-plasmon coupled (LOPC) mode is found in GaMnN, and the frequency of the LOPC mode of GaMnN shifting toward higher side is observed with the increase in the Mn doping in GaN. The ferromagnetic character and the carrier density of our GaMnN sample are discussed.     

Influence of oxygen on the growth of cubic boron nitride thin films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition

Cubic boron nitride thin films were deposited on silicon substrates by low-pressure inductively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. It was found that the introduction of O₂ into the deposition system suppresses both nucleation and growth of cubic boron nitride. At a B₂H₆ concentration of 2.5\% during film deposition, the critical O₂ concentration allowed for the nucleation of cubic boron nitride was found to be less than 1.4\%, while that for the growth of cubic boron nitride was higher than 2.1\%. Moreover, the infrared absorption peak observed at around 1230--1280~cm^-1, frequently detected for cubic boron nitride films prepared using non-ultrahigh vacuum systems, appears to be due to the absorption of boron oxide, a contaminant formed as a result of the oxygen impurity. Therefore, the existence of trace oxygen contamination in boron nitride films can be evaluated qualitatively by this infrared absorption peak.     

Fabrication of NiO photoelectrodes by aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD)

Nanostructured nickel oxide (NiO) photoelectrodes were fabricated with controlled morphology and texture using single‐step aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). The durable one‐step film fabrication process resulted in highly crystalline columnar structure. Texture controlled films were also fabricated from granular to crystalline columnar morphology by controlling the deposition temperature. The thin film electrodes are highly reproducible and possess an optical bandgap of ～3.7 eV and exhibit cathodic photocurrent. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Photoluminescence and lasing properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

Photoluminescence （PL） and lasing properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots （QDs） with different growth procedures prepared by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition are studied. PL measurements show that the low growth rate QD sample has a larger PL intensity and a narrower PL line width than the high growth rate sample. During rapid thermal annealing, however, the low growth rate sample shows a greater blueshift of PL peak wavelength. This is caused by the larger InAs layer thickness which results from the larger 2-3 dimensional transition critical layer thickness for the QDs in the low-growth-rate sample. A growth technique including growth interruption and in-situ annealing, named indium flush method, is used during the growth of GaAs cap layer, which can flatten the GaAs surface effectively. Though the method results in a blueshift of PL peak wavelength and a broadening of PL line width, it is essential for the fabrication of room temperature working QD lasers.     

Monto Carlo simulation of the behaviour of electrons during electron—assisted chemical vapour deposition of diamond

The behaviour of electrons during electron-assisted chemical vapour deposition of diamond is investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. The electron energy distribution and velocity distribution are obtained over a wide range of reduced field E/N (the ratio of the electric field to gas molecule density) from 100 to 2000 in units of 1Td=10^-17Vcm². Their effects on the diamond growth are also discussed. The main results obtained are as follows. (1) The velocity profile is asymmetric for the component parallel to the field. The velocity distribution has a peak shift in the field direction. Most electrons possess non-zero velocity parallel to the substrate. (2) The number of atomic H is a function of E/N. (3) High-quality diamond can be obtained under the condition of E/N from 50 to 800Td due to sufficient atomic H and electron bombardment.     

First nucleation steps during deposition of SiO2 thin films by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition

The initial nucleation stages during deposition of SiO₂ by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) have been monitored by XPS inelastic peak shape analysis. Experiments have been carried out on two substrates, a flat ZrO₂ thin film and a silicon wafer with a native silicon oxide layer on its surface. For the two substrates it is found that PECVD SiO₂ grows in the form of islands. When the SiO₂ particles reach heights close to 10 nm they coalesce and cover completely the substrate surface. The particle formation mechanism has been confirmed by TEM observation of the particles grown on silicon substrates. The kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the nucleation and growth of the SiO₂ particles has shown that formation of islands is favoured under PECVD conditions because the plasma species may reach the substrate surface according to off-perpendicular directions. The average energy of these species is the main parameter used to describe their angular distribution function, while the reactivity of the surface is another key parameter used in the simulations.     

Influence of double A1N buffer layers on the qualities of GaN films prepared by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

<正>In this paper we report that the GaN thin film is grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition on a sapphire (0001) substrate with double AlN buffer layers.The buffer layer consists of a low-temperature(LT) AlN layer and a high-temperature(HT) AlN layer that are grown at 600℃and 1000℃,respectively.It is observed that the thickness of the LT-AlN layer drastically influences the quality of GaN thin film,and that the optimized 4.25-min-LT-AlN layer minimizes the dislocation density of GaN thin film.The reason for the improved properties is discussed in this paper.     

SiC epitaxial layers grown by chemical vapour deposition and the fabrication of Schottky barrier diodes

This paper presents the results of unintentionally doped 4H-SiC epilayers grown on n-type Si-faced 4H-SiC substrates with 8° off-axis toward the [11\overline 2 0] direction by low pressure horizontal hot-wall chemical vapour deposition. Growth temperature and pressure are 1580~°C and 10⁴~Pa, respectively. Good surface morphology of the sample is observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) are used to characterize epitaxial layer thickness and the structural quality of the films respectively. The carrier concentration in the unintentional 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layer is about 6.4×10¹⁴~cm^-3 obtained by c--V measurements. Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) are fabricated on the epitaxial wafer in order to verify the quality of the wafer and to obtain information about the correlation between background impurity and electrical properties of the devices. Ni and Ti/4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes with very good performances were obtained and their ideality factors are 1.10 and 1.05 respectively.     

Impact of Mo and Ce on growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes by chemical vapour deposition using MgO-supported Fe catalysts

A series of nine catalysts containing Ce/Fe and Mo/Fe at various loadings on MgO supports have been studied as catalysts for chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using a methane carbon source. Our results show that the Ce/Fe system is very suitable as a catalyst that favours SWCNT growth, and we question the special importance that has been attributed to Mo as an additive to Fe-based catalysts for SWCNT growth, as it appears that Ce is equally effective. Our results indicate that dehydroaromatization (DHA) is not a defining step for the growth mechanism, as has been suggested for Mo/Fe systems previously, and show that Ce and Mo do not seriously perturb the well-known Fe/MgO system for growth of high quality SWCNT. Using Raman spectroscopy, we have shown that the Ce/Fe/MgO catalyst system favours growth of SWCNTs with a different distribution of chiralities compared to the analogous Mo/Fe/MgO system.