Current-voltage behaviour of Schottky diodes fabricated on p-type silicon for radiation hard detectors

Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were carried out on Schottky diodes fabricated on undoped and on metal-doped p-type silicon. The metals used are gold, platinum, erbium and niobium. The I-V data were used to extract the saturation current, the ideality factor and the Schottky barrier height for each of the five diodes. These parameters were correlated to the defect levels generated by the metals in silicon. The results show that in all cases the silicon has become relaxation-like after doping since the device current is Ohmic. This is in agreement with the existence of the midgap defect in all the doped devices as compiled from the literature. Such metal doped (or relaxation) devices have been found to perform better as radiation-hard particle detectors.     

Investigation of the Imaging Polarization Effect Based on a Pixellated CdZnTe Detector

A pixel array CdZnTe imaging system, employing a 40 × 40× 5 mm^3 pixellated CdZnTe detector, is established. The imaging polarization effect in the CdZnTe pixellated detector for a collimated CS137 Gamma source is investigated in detail. The experimental results for different irradiated fluxes indicate that excessive irradiated flux indeed causes central pixels to be shut off completely. The imaging performance of the polarized detector is severely degraded. Polarized detector counts are simultaneously reduced to one-third of the non-polarized detector counts. A theoretical model of potential distribution is also proposed by solving the Poisson equation and, in turn, the electric potential distortion for high irradiated flux is discussed by comparison with the experimental results.     

Modification of the surface state and doping of CdTe and CdZnTe crystals by pulsed laser irradiation

The photoelectric and electrical properties of high-resistivity p-like CdTe and Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te single crystals and barrier structures on their base before and after laser irradiation in different conditions are studied. Irradiation of samples with nanosecond ruby laser pulses was carried out in two different ways. In the first case, the Cd(Zn)Te crystals were subjected to laser action directly from the surface and irradiation within a certain range of intensities resulted in a decrease in the surface recombination rate and increase in the photoconductivity signal. The surface region with a wider bandgap in CdZnTe crystals was formed. In the second case, the samples were irradiated from the side pre-coated with a relatively thick In dopant film and it caused rectification in the I-V characteristics as a result of laser-induced doping of the thin Cd(Zn)Te surface region and formation of a built-in p-n junction. The application of the fabricated M-p-n structured In/Cd(Zn)Te/Au diodes for X-ray and γ-ray detectors is discussed.     

Defect formation in oxygen- and boron- implanted MOS structures after gamma irradiation

The effect of gamma irradiation on the interface states of ion-implanted MOS structures is studied by means of the thermally stimulated charge method. 10-keV oxygen- or boron- (O⁺ or B⁺) implanted samples are gamma-irradiated with ⁶⁰Co. Gamma irradiation creates electron levels at the SiSiO₂ interface of the samples in a different way depending on the type of the previously implanted atoms (O⁺ or B⁺). The results demonstrate that the concentration of the shallower levels (in the silicon band gap) of oxygen-implanted samples increases more effectively after gamma irradiation. The same irradiation conditions increase more intensively the concentration of the deeper levels (in the silicon band gap) of boron-implanted samples. Received: 17 June 2002 / Accepted: 31 August 2002 / Published online: 8 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +359-2/975-3236, E-mail: kaschiev@issp.bas.bg     

Sub-ps laser microstructuring of soft X-ray Mo/Si multilayer gratings

The sub-picosecond laser microstructuring of multilayer gratings is presented in this paper. A micromachining system operating with a 0.5 ps KrF laser at 248 nm was used to etch grating structures with a groove width of 1–2 μm in Mo/Si and Si/Mo multilayers. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray reflectivity were used to characterize the microetched patterns. The ω-scans around the 1st Bragg maximum show symmetric satellites up to 3rd order, with positions corresponding to the grating period. The use of sub-picosecond laser pulses minimizes the thermally affected zone and enhances the quality of the etched features. Short pulse laser processing is advantageous for the fabrication of high spatial resolution microstructures required in X-ray optics. Received: 21 May 2002 / Accepted: 19 August 2002 / Published online: 15 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Email: dpapa@iesl.forth.gr     

Morphology, bond saturation and reconstruction of hexagonal SiC surfaces

Received: 21 March 1997     

Influence of adsorbates on UV-pulsed laser melting of Si in ultra-high vacuum

The dynamics of laser melting of atomically clean Si is investigated in ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) by transient reflectivity with single-pulse sensitivity in the presence of monitored amounts of chlorine, oxygen or propene. Adsorption of one monolayer (1 ML) leads to measurable variations of the melting dynamics, which are strongly adsorbate-dependent. The variations differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those observed with heavy exposures to gases. The melting dynamics returns to that of clean Si upon subsequent irradiation by laser pulses without readsorption. The required number of pulses for return to clean Si dynamics depends strongly on the type of adsorbate. Adsorbate-induced changes of absorption and reflectivity, and/or incorporation of adsorbates into the substrate, do not explain the results. By contrast, the variations of the melting dynamics are correlated to the photoemitted electron yield, suggesting that laser melting is sensitive to the presence of electrons in the conduction band. These results show that accurate modelling of laser melting of Si interacting with gases should take into account the presence of the gases. Received: 12 September 2000 / Accepted: 9 January 2001 / Published online: 27 June 2001     

Micro-lens arrays generated by UV laser irradiation of doped PMMA

Micro-lenses with well-defined optical parameters are generated on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrates doped with diphenyltriazene (DPT) by controlled use of a swelling effect generated under conditions of subablative excimer laser illumination. The surface profiles depend on the laser spot size and energy density. A sensitively balanced combination of matrix softening, substrate volume expansion due to photochemical nitrogen release, and surface tension is responsible for the final shape of the lenses. Complete arrays of identical lenses with 15 μm diameters and a focal length of 30 μm are produced by irradiation of (0.25 wt. %) DPT-PMMA with a single laser pulse at a wavelength of 308 nm and a fluence of 3 J/cm². It is shown experimentally and theoretically that appropriate volume expansion is possible without introducing internal light scattering due to the formation of small bubbles. Received: 7 April 1999 / Accepted: 8 April 1999 / Published online: 5 May 1999     

Ion-beam mixing in Fe/Si bilayers by singly and highly charged ions: evolution of phases,spike mechanism and possible effects of the ion-charge state

Applied Physics A - Silicide formation and ion beam mixing of Fe/Si bilayers due to Ar-, Xe- and Au-ion irradiations at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures were investigated. For the study of...     

Gamma-ray tracking: Utilizing new concepts in the detection of gamma-radiation

Gamma-ray tracking in a closed array of highly segmented HPGe detectors is a new concept for the detection of γ-radiation. Each of the interacting γ-rays is identified and separated by measuring the energies and positions of individual interactions and by applying tracking algorithms to reconstruct the scattering sequences, even if many γ-rays hit the array at the same time. The three-dimensional position and the energy of interactions are determined by using two-dimensionally segmented Ge detectors along with pulse-shape analysis of the signals. Such a detector will have new and much improved capabilities compared to current γ-ray spectrometer. One implementation of this concept, called GRETA (Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array), is currently being under development at LBNL. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: kvetter@lbl.gov     

Structure, electrical and chemical properties of zirconium nitride films deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering

2 and Ar ambient. X-ray diffraction indicated that growth of ZrN with a preferred (111) orientation over Si(100) was achieved. The resistivity of the films varies from 200 μΩcm to 15 μΩcm depending on the N₂ content in the working gas. The square resistance of the films deposited on 96% Al₂O₃ ceramic wafers is stable below 300 °C. Received: 17 June 1996/Accepted: 9 December 1996     

Electrical properties of Au–polystyrene–Au submicron structures

Received: 25 January 1998/Accepted: 28 May 1998     

Surface charging at the (1 0 0) surface of Cu doped and undoped Li2B4O7

We have compared the photovoltaic charging of the (1 0 0) surface termination for Cu doped and undoped Li₂B₄O₇. While the surface charging at the (1 0 0) surface of Li₂B₄O₇ is significantly greater than observed at (1 1 0) surface, the Cu doping plays a role in reducing the surface photovoltage effects. With Cu doping of Li₂B₄O₇, the surface photovoltaic charging is much diminished at the (1 0 0) surface. The density of states observed with combined photoemission and inverse photoemission remains similar to that observed for the undoped material, except in the vicinity of the conduction band edge.     

Modeling light trapping and electronic transport of waffle-shaped crystalline thin-film Si solar cells

Monocrystalline Si films from the novel perforated-Si process are candidates for the fabrication of thin-film solar cells because their waffle shape enhances the optical absorption and hence permits the use of films with a thickness of only a few microns. We study the optics of waffle cells by three-dimensional Monte Carlo ray-tracing. A high photogeneration of 38 mA/cm² from a film of thickness W_f=4 μm is possible due to a detached Al-back surface reflector that has an effective reflectance of 99.7% at 1250 nm. Our analytical model for light trapping in thin films explains this high reflectance. Two-dimensional numerical transport modeling reveals the existence of an optimum texture period p≈2W_f that originates from a carrier collection efficiency that increases with texture period while the photogeneration decreases with period. For well-passivated cells the optimum thickness W_f is at least one fifth of the diffusion length L. Efficiencies of 17% to 18% are feasible with waffle films of 1 to 3 μm in thickness. We introduce an analytic model for the minority carrier transport that agrees with two-dimensional numerical modeling to within 10% and reduces the computation time by orders of magnitude. This analytic model is also applicable to conformal thin-film geometries differing from the waffle geometry. Received: 1 March 1999 / Accepted: 28 March 1999 / Published online: 24 June 1999     

Polarization dependence in the UV laser desorption of NO from NiO(100)

- and -polarized radiation. When the yield is related to the incident photon flux, desorption cross sections of (1.9±0.3)×10^-17 cm² and (3.3±0.5)×10^-17 cm² for - and -polarized light, respectively, are deduced. In order to assess the importance of substrate excitation the optical constants of NiO have been determined for the photon energy employed. When the desorption yield is then related to the photon flux absorbed in the NiO film, much larger cross sections are obtained, and an even larger effectiveness of -polarized light. For a direct optical excitation of charge transfer states the implications for the symmetry character of the states involved are discussed. It is concluded that excitations to A^′′ states are preferred. Received: 21 October 1998     

Improvement of transport properties for polycrystalline silicon prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The carrier transport property of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si:H:F) thin films was studied in relation to film microstructure, impurity, in situ or post-annealing treatments to obtain better carrier transport properties. Poly-Si:H:F films were prepared from SiF₄ and H₂ gas mixtures at temperatures <300 °C. Dark conductivity of the films prepared at high SiF₄/H₂ gas flow ratio (e.g., 60/3 sccm) exhibits a high value for intrinsic silicon and its Fermi level is located near the conduction band edge. The carrier incorporation is suppressed well, either by in situ hydrogen plasma treatment or by post-annealing with high-pressure hot-H₂O vapor. It is confirmed that weak-bonded hydrogen atoms are removed by the hot-H₂O vapor annealing. In addition, evident correlation between impurity concentrations and dark conductivity is not found for these films. It is thought that the carrier incorporation in the films prepared at high SiF₄/H₂ gas flow ratios is related to grain-boundary defects such as weak-bonded hydrogen. By applying hot-H₂O vapor annealing at 310 °C to a 1-μm-thick p-doped (400)-oriented poly-Si:H:F film, Hall mobility was improved from 10 cm²/Vs to 17 cm²/Vs. Received: 7 August 2000 / Accepted: 2 March 2001 / Published online: 20 June 2001     

Surface nanostructuring of silicon

Irradiation with polarized laser light of 248-nm wavelength induces the formation of periodic undulations ∼10-nm-highon flat silicon substrates. The wavelength of these periodic structures is a function of the light wavelength and the angle of incidence of the laser beam. Linear arrays of silicon nanoparticles with fairly uniform size that extended up to a millimeter were formed if the irradiation was performed using polarized light. When non-polarized laser light with the same fluence was used to illuminate an initially flat surface, non-aligned nanoparticle strings were obtained. However, if part of the irradiated area was microstructured, nanoparticle linear arrays resulted in the vicinity of the microstructured region. An analysis on the evolution of these nanostructures is presented. Nanocolumns could be grown on top of every cone of a microstructured surface upon cumulative laser irradiation with non-polarized light, reaching a height of ∼3 μm and a diameter of 100–200 nm. The mechanisms of nanocolumn origin and growth are analyzed. Received: 16 December 2002 / Accepted: 20 January 2003 / Published online: 28 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-865/974-4115, E-mail: apedraza@utk.edu     

Structure and magnetic properties of FeCoN films

We obtained crystals of RuS₂ doped with ⁵⁷Fe from a Bi melt and determined the EPR hyperfine structure corresponding to ⁵⁷Fe³⁺ in low-spin configuration. In crystals that were doped with both Fe and Cr an increase of the Fe³⁺ resonance and a simultaneous decrease of the Cr³⁺ resonance occurred by IR irradiation and revealed the same wavelength dependence. Compared with as-grown crystals the iron-doped crystals turned out to have a rather high electrical resistivity of about 10⁴Omega cm at room temperature. For these iron-doped crystals two different activation energies of 0.04 eV and 0.35 eV of the free charge carriers (electrons) were determined from measurements of the electrical conductivity in the range of 94 K and 294 K. Received: 29 July 1996/Accepted: 13 November 1996     

Spectroscopic properties and STM images of carbon nanotubes

Received: 23 November 1998 / Accepted: 22 December 1998