Influence of patterning on the nucleation of Ge islands on Si and SiO2 surfaces

Surface patterning is expected to influence the nucleation site of deposited nanostructures. In the present study, clean Si and SiO₂ surfaces were patterned by a nanolithographic process using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Ge was evaporated in ultra high vacuum at 873 K on these substrates, resulting in the formation of island arrays. Based on scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy images, a statistical analysis was performed in order to highlight the effect of patterning on the size distribution of islands compared to a non-patterned surface. We find that the self-organization mechanism on patterned substrates results in a very good arrangement and positioning of Ge nanostructures, depending on growth conditions and holes distance, both on Si and SiO₂ surfaces.     

Growth dynamics of C-induced Ge dots on Si1−xGex strained layers

We address the growth mechanism of Ge quantum dots (QDs) on C-alloyed strained Si_1−xGe_x layers by in situ reflection high-energy electron-diffraction (RHEED). We show that C-induced growth on a Si-rich surface leads to a high density (about 10¹¹ cm⁻²) of small dome-shaped islands. On surfaces up to ≈65% richer in Ge we observe a decrease of the dot density by two orders of magnitude, which is associated to the increase of the adatom diffusion. Based on quantitative RHEED analysis, the islands are believed to grow in a Volmer-Weber mode even though their spotty electron transmission pattern is not detectable in the initial stages of growth due to the reduced size of the three-dimensional nucleation islands.     

The SPES direct UCx target

A possible solution for a target system aimed at the production of exotic nuclei as a result of high energy fissions in ²³⁸U compounds has been analyzed. The proposed configuration is constituted by a primary proton beam (40 MeV, 0.2 mA) directly impinging on uranium carbide disks inserted within a cylindrical carbon box. This system has been conceived to obtain both a high number of neutron rich atoms (originated from about 10¹³ fissions/s) and a low power deposition in the target. In order to extract the fission fragments, the box has to be hold at 2000^○C. The thermal analysis shows the capability of the thermal radiation to cool the disks with a reasonable margin below the material melting point. Moreover, the analyses of the thermo-mechanical behaviour and of the effusion times confirm the promising features of this target configuration.     

Ramsey resonance for a pulsed beam

An experiment on a Ramsey resonance for pulsed neutrons is discussed. The separated oscillatory fields for nuclear magnetic resonance were synchronized with a neutron pulse, and then the Ramsey resonance was observed as a function of the neutron velocity. The neutron spin was manipulated as a function of the neutron velocity. The phase of one of the oscillatory fields was modulated as a function of the neutron time of flight for a neutron velocity measurement.     

Pseudo-differential equations,and the Bethe ansatz for the classical Lie algebras

The correspondence between ordinary differential equations and Bethe ansatz equations for integrable lattice models in their continuum limits is generalised to vertex models related to classical simple Lie algebras. New families of pseudo-differential equations are proposed, and a link between specific generalised eigenvalue problems for these equations and the Bethe ansatz is deduced. The pseudo-differential operators resemble in form the Miura-transformed Lax operators studied in work on generalised KdV equations, classical W-algebras and, more recently, in the context of the geometric Langlands correspondence. Negative-dimension and boundary-condition dualities are also observed.     

Effects of gold‐induced crystallization process on the structural and electrical properties of germanium thin films

Gold‐induced (Au‐) crystallization of amorphous germanium (α‐Ge) thin films was investigated by depositing Ge on aluminum‐doped zinc oxide and glass substrates through electron beam evaporation at room temperature. The influence of the postannealing temperatures on the structural properties of the Ge thin films was investigated by employing Raman spectra, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The Raman and X‐ray diffraction results indicated that the Au‐induced crystallization of the Ge films yielded crystallization at temperature as low as 300°C for 1 hour. The amount of crystallization fraction and the film quality were improved with increasing the postannealing temperatures. The scanning electron microscopy images show that Au clusters are found on the front surface of the Ge films after the films were annealed at 500°C for 1 hour. This suggests that Au atoms move toward the surface of Ge film during annealing. The effects of annealing temperatures on the electrical conductivity of Ge films were investigated through current‐voltage measurements. The room temperature conductivity was estimated as 0.54 and 0.73 Scm⁻¹ for annealed samples grown on aluminum‐doped zinc oxide and glass substrates, respectively. These findings could be very useful to realize inexpensive Ge‐based electronic and photovoltaic applications.     

新型近红外超长余辉材料Zn3Al2Ge2O10：Cr3+的发光性能

采用高温固相法制备了新型近红外长余辉材料Zn₃Al₂Ge₂O₁₀：Cr³⁺,利用X射线衍射、荧光光谱和余辉衰减曲线等对合成的样品进行了分析。结果表明：样品Zn₃Al₂Ge₂O₁₀：Cr³⁺是Ge⁴⁺取代ZnAl₂O₄：Cr³⁺尖晶石中的部分Al³⁺而形成的固溶体。在397 nm光的激发下,发射光谱主要由两个明显的窄峰叠加在Cr³⁺离子的自旋允许跃迁⁴T₂→⁴A₂辐射的宽发射带上。发光强度随着Cr³⁺离子掺杂浓度的增大和煅烧温度的升高而出现浓度猝灭及温度猝灭现象。当Zn₃Al_2-xGe₂O₁₀：xCr³⁺中的Cr³⁺离子掺杂量x为2%且煅烧温度为1 350 ℃时,样品的近红外发光及余辉强度最大。材料的余辉持续时间超过300 h,余辉发射谱峰位与荧光发射光谱中的N线一致,均位于697 nm附近。最后分析了煅烧温度对样品余辉性能的影响,并对材料的余辉机制进行了探讨。     

质子辐射损伤对单结GaAs/Ge太阳电池暗特性参数的影响

基于p-n结暗特性双指数模型,对经质子辐射后的单结GaAs/Ge太阳电池的暗特性I-V曲线进行数值拟合,确定了单结GaAs/Ge太阳电池在辐射前后的四个暗特性特征参数,即串联电阻R_s、并联电阻R_(sh)、扩散电流I_(s1)和复合电流I_(s2).研究结果表明,质子辐射后单结GaAs/Ge太阳电池的R_s,R_(sh),I_(s1)和I_(s2)四个暗特性参数均发生显著变化.经低能质子辐射后,单结GaAs/Ge太阳电池的R_(sh)随位移损伤剂量的增加而减小,而R_s,I_(s1)和I_(s2)三个参数随位移损伤剂量的增加而增大,其中串联电阻随位移损伤剂量线性增加而与辐射质子能量无关.理论分析表明,上述参数的变化与质子辐射损伤区域分布有关.基区和发射区的损伤主要引起单结电池串联电阻和扩散电流的增加;结区的损伤导致并联电阻减小,复合电流增大.     

Au诱导形成有序Si纳米孔阵列及其应用

以自组装聚苯乙烯小球(PS)单层膜为掩膜,利用Au对Si表面的催化氧化作用以及KOH溶液对单晶Si的各向异性腐蚀特性,在Si(100)面上制备了一系列尺寸小于100 nm有序可控的Si纳米孔阵列.扫描电镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)等的测试结果显示:当PS小球溶液与甲醇溶液的体积比为9:11时,可形成大面积无缺陷的单层膜;但当体积比过大时,会导致类似双层膜结构的形成;而当体积比过小时,会诱导形成点缺陷和线缺陷.对PS小球及溅射Au处理过的Si晶片进行KOH溶液腐蚀,随着腐蚀时间变长,纳米孔的横向尺寸和深度增大,其形貌由圆形逐渐变为倒金字塔型,当腐蚀时间超过10 min,纳米孔阵列的有序性遭到破坏.采用离子束溅射技术在倒金字塔型纳米孔衬底上获得了有序Ge/Si纳米岛,而在圆形纳米孔衬底上获得了有序Ge/Si纳米环.进一步对有序Ge/Si纳米岛及纳米环的形成机理进行了解释.     

Role of Ge interlayer in the growth of high-quality strain relaxed SiGe layer with low dislocation density

High-quality strain relaxed SiGe layer has been fabricated on Si using a thin Ge interlayer grown at 330 °C. The properties of SiGe layers with and without the low-temperature Ge interlayer are compared. The results indicate that the Ge interlayer plays an important role in the preparation of SiGe layer. The strain relaxed low-temperature Ge interlayer with coalesced island surface, acting as a stable and compliant template, could remove the cross-hatch misfit dislocation lines on surface and promote the strain relaxation in the SiGe layer homogeneously.