Film growth mechanisms in pulsed laser deposition

This paper reviews our recent studies of the fundamentals of growth morphology evolution in Pulsed Laser Deposition in two prototypical growth modes: metal-on-insulator island growth and semiconductor homoepitaxy. By comparing morphology evolution for pulsed laser deposition and thermal deposition in the same dual-use chamber under identical thermal, background, and surface preparation conditions, and varying the kinetic energy by varying the laser fluence or using an inert background gas, we have isolated the effect of kinetic energy from that of flux pulsing in determining the differences between morphology evolution in these growth methods. In each growth mode analytical growth models and Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations for thermal deposition, modified to include kinetic energy effects, are successful at explaining much of what we observe experimentally.     

Mechanism and control of current transport in GaN and AlGaN Schottky barriers for chemical sensor applications

Strong interests are recently emerging for development of integrated high-performance chemical sensor chips. In this paper, the present status of understanding and controlling the current transport in the GaN and AlGaN Schottky diodes is discussed from the viewpoint of chemical sensor applications. For this purpose, a series of works recently carried out by our group are reviewed in addition to a general discussion. First, current transport in GaN and AlGaN Schottky barriers is discussed, introducing the thin surface barrier (TSB) model to explain the anomalously large leakage currents. Following this, attempts to reduce the leakage currents are presented and discussed. Then, as an example of gas-phase sensors using Schottky barriers, a Pd/AlGaN/GaN Schottky diode hydrogen sensor developed recently by our group is presented with a discussion on the sensing mechanism and related current transport. On the other hand, in liquid-phase sensors, contact is made between liquid and semiconductor which is regarded as a kind of Schottky barrier by electrochemists. As one of such liquid-phase sensors, open-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) pH sensor developed recently by our group is presented. Finally, a brief summary is given together with some remarks for future research.     

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.     

Area-selective epitaxy of GaAs by migration-enhanced epitaxy with As2 and As4 arsenic sources

We demonstrate area-selective epitaxy by migration-enhanced epitaxy with As₂ and As₄ as arsenic sources. The distinct whisker structure growing in [1 1 1]B direction is obtained when employing As₂ as an arsenic source, while (1 1 1)B facet is formed with As₄. The difference in the facet formation can be explained by the formation of As-trimer, which significantly reduces the growth rate of the (1 1 1)B surface. With As₂, area-selective epitaxy can be achieved at lower arsenic pressure condition, where less As-trimers are formed. Therefore, growth in the [1 1 1]B direction is enhanced.     

Effect of GaAs/GaSb Combination Strain-Reducing Layer on Self-Assembled InAs Quantum Dots

Self-assembled quantum dots capping with a GaAs/Gasb combined strain-reduced layer （CSRL） are grown by MBE. Their structural and optical properties are investigated by AFM and photoluminescence （PL）. PL measurements have shown that stronger emission about 1.3μm can be obtained by Sb irradiation and capping QDs with 3 ML GaAs/2 ML GaSh CSRL at room temperature. The full width at half maximum （FWHM） of the PL spectrum is about 20.2 meV （19.9 meV） at room temperature （2OK）, indicating that the QDs have high uniform, The result of FWHM is much better than the recently reported result, which is due to the fact that lower QD growth rate and growth interruption after the QDs deposition are adopted in our experiments.     

Optical Potential Parameters of Weakly Bound Nuclear System 17F+13C

Elastic scattering angular distributions of the 14^N＋16^O system and the angular distributions of transfer reaction 16^O（14^N,13^C）17^F at ELab=76.2 MeV and 57 MeV have been measured and calculated by means of the exact finiterange distorted-wave Born approximation with the PTOLEMY code. The optical potential parameters for the weakly bound nuclear system 17^F＋13^C have been deduced and applied to analyse the elastic scattering angular distributions of the similar systems 17^F＋12^C and 17^F＋14^N which are taken from literature. The result shows that the transfer reaction with stable projectile and target combination can be used as an alternative method to extract the optical potential parameters for the weakly bound nuclear system.     

Formation of AlN layer on (1 1 1)Al substrate by ammonia nitridation

AlN layers were formed on (1 1 1)Al substrates at a temperature below the melting point of Al using preheated ammonia in vacuum. The effect of the removal of the surface oxides on the substrate in the process was investigated. It was found that treatment using a buffered HF solution and subsequent annealing in vacuum was effective for obtaining a clean Al substrate surface. It was clarified that the removal of the surface oxides is required for the nitridation of Al substrates at a low temperature below the melting point of Al.     

Carbon reduction and antimony incorporation in InGaAsSb films grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy using tris-dimethylaminoantimony

InGaAsSb layers nearly lattice-matched to InP were grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy using tris-dimethylaminoantimony (TDMASb). Secondary-ion mass spectroscopy measurements revealed that TDMASb is useful not only as an Sb source but also as an additive that reduces the incorporation of C into the film from group-III metalorganic sources. In the room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum, the incorporation of Sb into InGaAs shifted the peak wavelength from 1.66 to 1.75 μm and, simultaneously, the peak intensity of InGaAsSb became more than twice that of InGaAs.     

Band structure and antiferromagnetism of a single CuO2 layer

We have solved a set of self-consistency equations for the three-band model describing electrons coupled strongly by antiferromagnetic correlations in a single CuO₂ layer. Strong but finite Hubbard correlations are taken into account by using a random phase approximation for the electronic propagators which contain the combined effect of both the Hubbard correlation and the hybridization of copper and nearest neighbor oxygen states. From the Green functions the band structure is determined, which depends strongly on the doping fraction and the antiferromagnetic order parameter 〈s_Q〉. The main impact of doping is to decrease the magnitude of antiferromagnetic fluctuations, although the decrease appears to be quite slow when compared with experimental data.     

Surface induced mixed state of a superconducting film

Presented in this paper is a theoretical analysis of a planar surface induced mixed state for a superconducting film in parallel applied field. An analytical solution of the internal magnetic field is obtained based on Saint-James and de Gennes' order parameter in a film. An expression of Gibbs free energy per unit volume without restriction of a geometry is derived from non-linear Ginzburg-Landau (GL) equation in terms of a renormalized GL parameter and a modified geometric factor. Based on the Gibbs free energy, a phase diagram of distinguishing a first and second order phase transition for a type I superconducting film is calculated. The numerical results for exact solutions of spatial variation of order parameter, current density and internal magnetic field in the film geometry in parallel applied field case are presented. Near the upper critical field, the first entry of an applied field in the film exhibits a laminar structure.