Synthesis of Ge nanocrystals by atom beam sputtering and subsequent rapid thermal annealing

Ge nanocrystals embedded in an SiO₂ matrix were prepared by the atom beam co-sputtering (ABS) method from a composite target of Ge and SiO₂. The as-deposited films were rapid thermally annealed at the temperatures 700 and 800 °C in nitrogen ambience. The structure of the films was evaluated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. XRD results reveal that as-deposited films are amorphous in nature whereas annealed samples show crystalline nature. Raman scattering spectra showed a peak of Ge–Ge vibrational mode shifted downwards to 297 cm^?1, presumably caused by quantum confinement of phonons in the Ge nanocrystals. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry has been used to measure the thickness and Ge composition of the composite films. Size variation of Ge nanocrystals with annealing temperature has been discussed. The advantages of ABS over other methods are highlighted.     

Preparation and rapid thermal annealing of AlN thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

AlN films were grown at 785 ^°C on (0001) sapphire substrates by radio-frequency assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Post-growth rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was carried out from 900 to 1200 ^°C for 10 s in flowing N₂. The morphological and structural properties of the AlN epilayers before and after the RTA were studied by atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the threading dislocations can be decreased to an order of magnitude by using an interlayer growth method. The surface roughness (RMS) of the AlN thin films becomes larger with the increase of annealing temperature. The full width at half maximum of AlN (0002) rocking curve reaches its minimum after the RTA at 1000 ^°C.     

Size control of Si nanocrystals by two-step rapid thermal annealing of sputtered Si-rich oxide/SiO2 superlattice

Controllable size of silicon (Si) nanocrystals can be achieved by a two-step rapid thermal annealing technique consisting of rapid annealing at 1000°C in nitrogen ambient and rapid oxidation at 600–800°C of a radio frequency magnetron co-sputtered Si-rich oxide/SiO₂ superlattice structure. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra related to Si nanocrystals were observed in the visible range (600–900 nm). After rapid oxidation, the size of the nanocrystals was reduced and the quality of the Si nanocrystal/SiO₂ interface was improved, resulting in a blue shift and an increase of the PL peak intensity. Finally, annealing in air increases the PL intensity further.     

Large melting-point hysteresis of Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

The melting behavior of Ge nanocrystals embedded within SiO2 is evaluated using in situ transmission electron microscopy. The observed melting-point hysteresis is large (+/-17%) and nearly symmetric about the bulk melting point. This hysteresis is modeled successfully using classical nucleation theory without the need to invoke epitaxy.     

Synthesis and size differentiation of Ge nanocrystals in amorphous SiO2

Germanosilicate layers were grown on Si substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and annealed at different temperatures ranging from 700–1010 °C for durations of 5 to 60 min. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate Ge nanocrystal formation in SiO₂:Ge films. High-resolution cross section TEM images, electron energy-loss spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) data indicate that Ge nanocrystals are present in the amorphous silicon dioxide films. These nanocrystals are formed in two spatially separated layers with average sizes of 15 and 50 nm, respectively. EDX analysis indicates that Ge also diffuses into the Si substrate. PACS 68.73.Lp; 61.46.Hk; 61.46.-w; 68.65.Hb; 61.82.Rx     

An interface study of crystalline Fe/Ge multilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Fe/Ge multilayers were grown on single crystal Ge(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe/Ge have been studied. The analysis shows that Fe grows in a layer-by-layer epitaxial growth mode on Ge(0 0 1) substrates at 150 °C and no intermixing has been observed. Growth of a crystalline Ge film at 150 °C on a single crystal Fe film has been observed. At this temperature Ge films grow by means of the island growth mode according to reflection of high energy electron diffraction patterns. Fe layers of 36 nm thickness, deposited at 150 °C on Ge(0 0 1) substrates, show two magnetization reversal values indicating the growth of Fe in two different crystal orientations. 36 nm thick Fe and Ge layers grown at 150 °C in Ge/Fe/Ge/Fe/Ge(0 0 1) sequence shows ferromagnetic behavior, however, the same structure grown at 200 °C shows paramagnetic behavior.     

Characteristics of GaN epilayer grown on Al2O3 with AlN buffer layer by molecular beam epitaxy

Double crystal rocking curve (DCRC), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements on GaN epilayers grown with various thicknesses (3.4, 8.5, 17, 34, and 51 nm) of the AlN buffer layer were carried out to investigate the surface, the structural, and the optical properties of the GaN epilayers. The results of the DCRC, AFM, SEM, and PL measurements showed that the GaN epilayer grown on a 3.4 nm AlN buffer layer had the best quality. These results indicate that GaN active layers grown on 3.4 nm AlN buffer layers hold promise for potential applications in optoelectronic devices.     

Quantitative evaluation of substrate temperature dependence of Ge incorporation in GaAs during molecular beam epitaxy

Combined Hall effect and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements have been used to perform a thorough evaluation of the growth temperature dependence of Ge incorporation in GaAs during molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) over the entire substrate temperature range (400°≦T _s ≦600[°C]) practicable forn-type layer growth. Using a constant As₄ to Ga flux ratio of two, growth below 500°C yieldsn-GaAs: Ge films having electrical and optical properties rapidly deteriorating with decreasingT _s . Growth at 500° ≦T _s ≦600[°C] produces high-qualityn-GaAs: Ge films (N _D /N _A ≈4) with C as well as Ge residual acceptors competing on the available As sites. The amount of Ge atoms on As sites [Ge_As] increases with substrate temperature, whereas simultaneously the amount of C atoms on As sites [C_As] decreases thus leading to the well-establishednonlinear behaviour of the (N _A /N _D vs. 1/T _s plot. Counting the incorporated Ge impurities separately, however, yields alinear behaviour of the ([Ge_As]/[Ge_Ga]) vs. 1/T _s plot which has exactly the same slope as the (P _{As 2}/P _Ga) vs. 1/T _s plot derived from vapour pressure data of As₂ and Ga over solid GaAs surfaces. The important result is, therefore, that the incorporation behaviour of Ge in GaAs during molecular beam epitaxy is directly correlated with theevaporation behaviour of the growing GaAs surface.     

Comparison between atomic layer epitaxy grown and molecular beam epitaxy grown CdTe/MnTe superlattices: a structural and optical study

Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) is investigated for the growth of CdTe/MnTe superlattices. A systematic structural characterization (X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy), together with a magneto-optical study (reflectivity and photoluminescence), demonstrate that: for MnTe ALE, all deposited Mn atoms are incorporated, so that no autoregulated growth mode can be obtained, in contrast with CdTe ALE, atomic layer epitaxy allows well-controlled CdTe/MnTe superlattices to be achieved but does not prevent the exchange between Cd and Mn atoms which occurs at the interfaces between CdTe and MnTe, as observed in CdTe/MnTe superlattices grown by conventional molecular beam epitaxy.     

Layer by layer growth of ZnO on (0001) sapphire substrates by radical-source molecular beam epitaxy

Layer by layer growth of ZnO epilayers on (0001) Al₂O₃ substrates is achieved by radical-source molecular beam epitaxy. A thin MgO buffer, followed by a low-temperature ZnO buffer was used in order to accommodate the lattice mismatch between ZnO and sapphire. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction intensity was employed for the optimization of the ZnO growth. The surface morphology of the samples was studied with atomic force microscopy. Investigation of the nature of the influence of the MgO buffer layer on the formation of ZnO on sapphire substrate was carried out using Transmission Electron Microscopy. For the first time it was shown that a thin spinel (magnesium aluminum oxide) layer is formed on the interface of the sapphire substrate and MgO buffer layer leading to the crystalline quality improvement of the ZnO main layer. X-Ray diffractometry measurements of the obtained ZnO layers show excellent quality of the single crystalline ZnO heteroepitaxially grown on sapphire. The crystalline quality of the ZnO layers is even better than that of our previously reported layers grown employing hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. The full width at half maximum of the XRD (0002) rocking curve is as low as 25 arc s. The influence of growth parameters (Zn/O flux ratio, temperature, etc.) on the structural properties as well as on the surface morphology of the zinc oxide layers on sapphire is investigated and discussed.     

Effects of AlN nucleation layer thickness on crystal quality of AlN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper,the effects of thickness of AlN nucleation layer grown at high temperature on AlN epi-layer crystalline quality are investigated.Crack-free AlN samples with various nucleation thicknesses are grown on sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.The AlN crystalline quality is analysed by transmission electron microscope and x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curves in both (002) and (102) planes.The surface profiles of nucleation layer with different thicknesses after in-situ annealing are also analysed by atomic force microscope.A critical nucleation thickness for realising high quality AlN films is found.When the nucleation thickness is above a certain value,the (102) XRD full width at half maximum (FWHM) of AlN bulk increases with nucleation thickness increasing,whereas the (002) XRD FWHM shows an opposite trend.These phenomena can be attributed to the characteristics of nucleation islands and the evolution of crystal grains during AlN main layer growth.     

Growth and optical properties of filamentary GaN nanocrystals grown on a hybrid SiC/Si(111) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy

The potential to grow filamentary GaN nanocrystals by molecular beam epitaxy on a silicon substrate with a nanosized buffer layer of silicon carbide has been demonstrated. Morphological and optical properties of the obtained system have been studied. It has been shown that the intensity of the photoluminescence spectrum peak of such structures is higher than that of the best filamentary GaN nanocrystals without the buffer silicon carbide layer by a factor of more than two.     

Si(001)衬底上分子束外延生长Ge0.975Sn0.025合金薄膜

使用低、高温两步法生长的高质量Ge薄膜作为缓冲层,在Si(001)衬底上采用分子束外延法生长出Ge_0.975Sn_0.025合金薄膜.X射线双晶衍射和卢瑟福背散射谱等测试结果表明,Ge_0.975Sn_0.025合金薄膜具有很好的晶体质量,并且没有发生Sn表面分凝.另外,Ge_0.975Sn_0.025合金薄膜在500 ℃下具有很好的热稳定性,有望在Si基光电器件中得到应用. 关键词： GeSn Ge 分子束外延 外延生长     

Photoluminescence of Ge nanostructures grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy on silicon (1 1 8) surface

In this paper, we present a photoluminescence (PL) study of Si/Ge/SiGe/Si structures grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy on an (1 1 8) undulated surface with various Ge coverage. Nucleation and growth of Ge films is obtained by the Stranski–Krastanov mechanism. The influence of the substrate orientation on the changeover 2D–3D growth mode is investigated. Furthermore, we show the use of growing an SiGe wetting layer to control the uniformity of the Ge island size. The PL signal related to the Ge islands is found to be highly dependent of the power excitation and is observed up to room temperature.     

Observation of triangle pits in PbSe grown by molecular beam epitaxy

PbSe thin films on BaF₂ (1 1 1) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy with different selenium beam flux. Evolution of PbSe surface morphologies with Se/PbSe beam flux ratio (R_f) has been studied by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction. Growth spirals with monolayer steps on PbSe surface are obtained using high beam flux ratio, R_f ≥ 0.6. As R_f decreases to 0.3, nano-scale triangle pits are formed on the surface and the surface of PbSe film changes to 3D islands when R_f = 0. Glide of threading dislocations in 〈1 1 0〉{1 0 0}-glide system and Pb-rich atom agglomerations are the formation mechanism of spiral steps and triangle pits. The nano-scale triangle pits formed on PbSe surface may render potential applications in nano technology.     

Size and density control of silicon oxide nanowires by rapid thermal annealing and their growth mechanism

In this work, we demonstrate a fast approach to grow SiO₂ nanowires by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The material characteristics of SiO₂ nanowires are investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). The HAADF images show that the wire tip is predominantly composed of Pt with brighter contrast, while the elemental mappings in EFTEM and EELS spectra reveal that the wire consists of Si and O elements. The SiO₂ nanowires are amorphous with featureless contrast in HRTEM images after RTA at 900°C. Furthermore, the nanowire length and diameter are found to be dependent on the initial Pt film thickness. It is suggested that a high SiO₂ growth rate of >1 μm/min can be achieved by RTA, showing a promising way to enable large-area fabrication of nanowires.     

Structural and optical properties of Ge nanocrystals obtained by hot ion implantation into SiO2 and further ion irradiation

In this work, SiO₂ layers containing Ge nanocrystals (NCs) obtained by the hot implantation approach were submitted to an ion irradiation process with different 2 MeV Si⁺ ion fluences. We have investigated the photoluminescence (PL) behavior and structural properties of the irradiated samples as well as the features of the PL and structural recovery after an additional thermal treatment. We have shown that even with the highest ion bombardment fluence employed (2×10¹⁵ Si/cm²) there is a residual PL emission (12% from the original) and survival of some Ge NCs is still observed by transmission electron microscopy analysis. Even though the final PL and mean diameter of the nanoparticles under ion irradiation are independent of the implantation temperature or annealing time, the PL and structural recovery of the ion-bombarded samples have a memory effect. We have also observed that the lower the ion bombardment fluence, the less efficient is the PL recovery. We have explained such behavior based on current literature data.     

Growth by molecular beam epitaxy and electrical characterization of GaAs nanowires

We report on structural and electrical properties of GaAs nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs and SiO₂ substrates using Au as growth catalyst. Au–Ga particles are observed on the top of the NWs by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In most of the observed cases, individual particles contain two Au–Ga compositions, in particular orthorhombic AuGa and β′ hexagonal Au₇Ga₂. The wires grown on GaAs are regularly shaped and tidily oriented on both (1 0 0) and (1 1 1)B substrates. TEM also reveals that the NWs have a wurtzite lattice structure. Electrical transport measurements indicate that nominally undoped NWs are weakly n-type while both Be- and Si-doped wires show p-type behaviour. The effect of the lattice structure on impurity incorporation is briefly discussed.