An electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic investigation on the growth mechanism of NaYF4:Gd nanocrystals

Doped nanocrystals of NaYF(4) and NaGdF(4) are currently studied as upconversion luminescence markers and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. An EPR investigation on the growth mechanism of NaYF(4):Gd and NaGdF(4) nanocrystals showed that these nanomaterials grow in the standard oleic acid-based reaction medium by a dissolution/recrystallization mechanism and not by the aggregation or oriented attachment of smaller particles.     

Defect detection in semiconductor layers with built-in electric field with the use of cathodoluminescence

Cathodoluminescence (CL) in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is commonly accepted as revealing local properties of a specimen region illuminated by an electron beam. CL is widely used to visualize defects in semiconductor structures. However, the presence of a strong electric field in, for example, heterojunctions or p–n junctions causes a separation of generated electron–hole (e–h) pairs and suppresses recombination in the specimen region excited by the beam. As a result CL – a radiative recombination – becomes quenched. At the same time, electron beam-induced current (EBIC) flows throughout the structure, which may produce secondary electroluminescence that is registered by the CL detector. Consequently, the CL measurement is distorted and if there are defects in the structure, they remain unrevealed. The current study shows that registration of the CL signal for different values of electron beam current (including high ones) enables true defect detection in semiconductor layers with built-in electric field. Results for a special test structure prepared with focused ion beam on AlGaAs/GaAs laser heterostructures with an 8 nm InGaAs quantum well are presented.     

异质三周期光子晶体的光子带隙特性

利用传输矩阵法研究了由TiO₂和SiO₂两种材料构成的异质三周期一维光子晶体的传光特性,发现该结构能在波长为200~ 2 000 nm的范围内形成7处比较明显的光子带隙,并且波长越大,带隙的宽度越大。重点研究了这种结构的光子晶体的透射谱线与入射角度、介质层数及介质层厚度的关系,发现该结构形成的光子带隙的大小和位置对介质层的循环周期数不敏感,但对入射角度和介质层的厚度很敏感。     

Monolithic integration of AlGaN/GaN metal—insulator field-effect transistor with ultra-low voltage-drop diode for self-protection

In this paper, we present a monolithic integration of self-protected AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator field-effect transistor (MISFET). An integrated field-controlled diode on the drain side of the AlGaN/GaN MISFET features self-protected function at reverse bias. This diode takes advantage of the recessed-barrier enhancement-mode technique to realize an ultra-low voltage drop and a low turn-ON voltage. In the smart monolithic integration, this integrated diode can block reverse bias (>70 V/μm) and suppress the leakage current (<5×10^-11 A/mm). Compared with conventional monolithic integration, the numerical results show that the MISFET integrated with a field-controlled diode leads to a good performance for smart power integration. And the power loss is lower than 50% in conduction without forward current degeneration.     

Influence of thermal stress on the characteristic parameters of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure Schottky contacts

Ni Schottky contacts on AlGaN/GaN heterostructures have been fabricated. The samples are then thermally treated in a furnace with N₂ ambient at 600 ^circC for different times (0.5, 4.5, 10.5, 18, 33, 48 and 72 h). Current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) relationships are measured, and Schrödinger's and Poisson's equations are self-consistently solved to obtain the characteristic parameters related to AlGaN/GaN heterostructure Schottky contacts: the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) sheet density, the polarization sheet charge density, the 2DEG distribution in the triangle quantum well and the Schottky barrier height for each thermal stressing time. Most of the above parameters reduce with the increase of stressing time, only the parameter of the average distance of the 2DEG from the AlGaN/GaN interface increases with the increase of thermal stressing time. The changes of the characteristic parameters can be divided into two stages. In the first stage the strain in the AlGaN barrier layer is present. In this stage the characteristic parameters change rapidly compared with those in the second stage in which the AlGaN barrier layer is relaxed and no strain is present.     

Atomically Precise Transformations and Millimeter‐Scale Patterning of Nanoscale Assemblies by Ambient Electrospray Deposition

The performance of semiconductor devices can be fine‐tuned through chemical transformation of their nanostructured components. Such transformations are often carried out in controlled conditions. Herein, the use of electrospray deposition of metal ions from solutions in air is reported, to bring about chemical transformations across mm²‐sized areas of nanostructures. This is illustrated with monolayer assemblies of ultrathin tellurium nanowires (NWs). The process does not require any reducing agent and can transform the NWs chemically, in the solid state itself, under ambient conditions. By using suitable masks, the beam of ions can be patterned to localize such transformations with nanometer precision to obtain aligned multiphasic NWs, containing atomically precise phase boundaries. By controlling the time of exposure of the spray, the scope of the process is further expanded to produce tellurium‐metal telluride core–shell NWs. The method described here represents a crucial step for ambient processing of nanostructured components, useful for applications such as semiconductor device fabrication.     

Polar interface and surface optical vibration spectra in multi-layer wurtzite quantum wires： transfer matrix method

The polar interface optical （IO） and surface optical （SO） phonon modes and the corresponding Froehlich electron phonon-interaction Hamiltonian in a freestanding multi-layer wurtzite cylindrical quantum wire （QWR） are derived and studied by employing the transfer matrix method in the dielectric continuum approximation and Loudon＇s uniaxial crystal model. A numerical calculation of a freestanding wurtzite GaN/AlN QWR is performed. The results reveal that for a relatively large azimuthal quantum number m or wave-number kz in the free z-direction, there exist two branches of IO phonon modes localized at the interface, and only one branch of SO mode localized at the surface in the system. The degenerating behaviours of the IO and SO phonon modes in the wurtzite QWR have also been clearly observed for a small kz or m. The limiting frequency properties of the IO and SO modes for large kz and m have been explained reasonably from the mathematical and physical viewpoints. The calculations of electron-phonon coupling functions show that the high-frequency IO phonon branch and SO mode play a more important role in the electron phonon interaction.     

First-principles study of metal-semiconductor contact between MX2 (M = Nb,Pt; X = S,Se) monolayers

First principles calculations are performed to investigate the structural and electronic properties of MX₂ (M = Nb, Pt; X = S, Se) monolayers and their van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. The dynamical stability of monolayers and vdW heterostructures is confirmed by binding energy and phonon spectra. An indirect band gap nature is found for PtS₂ and PtSe₂ monolayers while NbS₂, NbSe₂ and all vdW heterostructures are metals. The intrinsic electronic properties of both NbX₂ and PtX₂ are well preserved due to weak vdW contact. It is demonstrated that a p-type Schottky contact with a small barrier height is formed at NbX₂-PtX₂ interface. The zero tunnel barrier and higher potential drop across the interface in these contacts imply large transfer of charge carriers across the interface, making them potential candidates in nanoelectronic device applications.     

Measurement of strong photon recycling in ultra‐thin GaAs n/p junctions monolithically integrated in high‐photovoltage vertical epitaxial heterostructure architectures with conversion efficiencies exceeding 60%

Photon‐recycling effects are studied experimentally in photovoltaic power converting III–V semiconductor devices designed with the vertical epitaxial heterostructure architecture (VEHSA). The responsivity of VEHSA structures with multiple thin GaAs n/p junctions is measured for various optical input powers and for different wavelength detuning values with respect to the peak of the spectral response. While the detuning of the optical excitation decreases the external quantum efficiency and the responsivity at low input powers, this study demonstrates that at high optical intensities, a large fraction of the performance can be recovered despite significant detuning values. The photon coupling effects therefore broaden the spectral range for which the VEHSA devices convert high‐power optical inputs with high efficiencies into an electrical output having a preset voltage. The devices exhibit a near optimum responsivity of up to 0.645 A/W for tuned excitation conditions or at high optical intensities for spectral detuning values of up to ～25 nm and corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of ～94%. Efficiencies of 62.0% and 61.8% have been obtained for current‐matched excitations and for a detuning of >10 nm, respectively. An output power of 5.87 W is reported and an open circuit voltage enhancement of 92 meV per n/p junction is measured compared to a device with a side by side planar architecture. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)