Electrochemical Atomic-Layer Epitaxy: Electrodeposition of III-V and II-VI Compound Semiconductors

1999 ◽  
Vol 581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis L. Wade ◽  
Billy H. Flowers ◽  
Raman Vaidyanathan ◽  
Kenneth Mathe ◽  
Clinton B. Maddox ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTElectrochemical atomic-layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) is an approach to electrodepositing thin-films of compound semiconductors. It takes advantage of underpotential deposition (UPD), deposition of a surface limited amount (a monolayer or less) of an element at a potential less negative than bulk deposition, to form a thin-film of a compound--one atomic layer at a time. Ideally, the 2-D growth mode should promote epitaxial deposition.Many II-VI and a few III-V compounds have been formed by EC-ALE. TI-VI films such as CdSe, CdS, and CdTe have been successfully formed. In addition, deposition of III-V compounds of InAs and InSb are being explored, along with initial studies of GaAs deposition. Depositions of the I-VI systems are better understood so this report will focus on the III-V's, particularly InAs and InSb.Building compounds an atomic layer at a time lends electrochemical-ALE to nanoscale technology. Deposited thickness ranged from a few nanometers to a few hundred. The films are typically characterized by atomic-force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) and ellipsometry. InAs deposits are also characterized by infrared reflection absorption.

2002 ◽  
Vol 744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raman Vaidyanathan ◽  
Mkhulu K. Mathe ◽  
Patrick Sprinkle ◽  
Steve M Cox ◽  
Uwe Happek ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTElectrochemical atomic-layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) is an approach to electrodepositing thin-films of compound semiconductors. It takes advantage of underpotential deposition (UPD), deposition of a surface limited amount (a monolayer or less) of an element at a potential less negative than bulk deposition, to form a thin-film of a compound--one atomic layer at a time. Ideally, the 2-D growth mode should promote epitaxial deposition.We report the formation of compound Cu2Se, at room temperature by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE). Cyclic voltammograms were used to determine the deposition potentials of each element. An automated deposition program was used to form 750 cycles of Cu2Se thin films. Electron probe microanalysis was done to determine the stoichiometry of the thin films. X-ray diffraction of the 200 cycle deposit indicated the presence of polycrystalline Cu2Se. The atomic ratio of Cu/Se in the thin films was found to be 2. Band gap of the thin films were determined by reflection absorption measurements. The band gap of the 200 cycle Cu2Se films was found to be 1.6 eV. X-ray diffraction of 350 and 750 cycle Cu2Se films, indicated the deposits consisted of Cu3Se2 and Cu2Se.


2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-380
Author(s):  
Mikko J. Heikkilä ◽  
Jani Hämäläinen ◽  
Esa Puukilainen ◽  
Markku Leskelä ◽  
Mikko Ritala

IrO2 is an important material in numerous applications ranging from catalysis to the microelectronics industry, but despite this its behaviour upon annealing under different conditions has not yet been thoroughly studied. This work provides a detailed investigation of the annealing of IrO2 thin films using in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity (HTXRR) measurements from room temperature up to 1000°C in oxygen, nitrogen, forming gas and vacuum. Complementary ex situ scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements were conducted. The combined data show the dependencies of crystalline properties and surface morphology on the annealing temperature and atmosphere. The reduction of IrO2 to Ir takes place at a temperature as low as 150°C in forming gas, but in oxygen IrO2 is stable up to 800°C and evaporates as a volatile oxide at higher temperatures. The IrO2 crystallite size remains constant in oxygen up to 400°C and increases above that, while in the more reducing atmospheres the Ir crystallites grow continuously above the phase-change temperature. The role of HTXRR in the analysis is shown to be important since its high sensitivity allows one to observe changes taking place in the film at temperatures much below the phase change.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakim Marko ◽  
Adam Hultqvist ◽  
Charlotte Platzer-Björkman ◽  
Sébastien Noël ◽  
John Kessler

AbstractCo-evaporated CuIn0,5Ga0,5Se2 thin film solar cells were grown using a sequential Cu-Poor/Rich/Poor process (CUPRO). During the growth process, the substrate temperature was either kept constant at 570 °C (iso-CUPRO) or decreased during the first step to either 360 or 430 or 500 °C (bi-CUPRO). According to atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, the lower the temperature is in the first step the smoother the final CIGS surface becomes. By decreasing the first step temperature, cross-section scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and θ-2θ x-ray diffraction (XRD) do not reveal clearly any important changes of morphology and crystallographic preferred orientation. SLG/Mo/CIGS/Buffer layer/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al/grid(Ni/Al/Ni) solar cells with either a chemical bath deposited CdS or an atomic layer deposited Zn(O,S) buffer layer were fabricated. For both buffer layers, the bi-CUPRO processes lead to higher efficiencies. Besides, using Zn(O,S), the electronic collection was improved for the infrared spectrum as well as for the ultraviolet spectrum. This resulted in efficiencies close to 14,5% for the Zn(O,S) cells.


2003 ◽  
Vol 780 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Essary ◽  
V. Craciun ◽  
J. M. Howard ◽  
R. K. Singh

AbstractHf metal thin films were deposited on Si substrates using a pulsed laser deposition technique in vacuum and in ammonia ambients. The films were then oxidized at 400 °C in 300 Torr of O2. Half the samples were oxidized in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from a Hg lamp array. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and grazing angle X-ray diffraction were used to compare the crystallinity, roughness, and composition of the films. It has been found that UV radiation causes roughening of the films and also promotes crystallization at lower temperatures.Furthermore, increased silicon oxidation at the interface was noted with the UVirradiated samples and was shown to be in the form of a mixed layer using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Incorporation of nitrogen into the film reduces the oxidation of the silicon interface.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-658
Author(s):  
Andrei Bejan ◽  
Dragos Peptanariu ◽  
Bogdan Chiricuta ◽  
Elena Bicu ◽  
Dalila Belei

Microfibers were obtained from organic low molecular weight compounds based on heteroaromatic and aromatic rings connected by aliphatic spacers. The obtaining of microfibers was proved by scanning electron microscopy. The deciphering of the mechanism of microfiber formation has been elucidated by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. By exciting with light of different wavelength, florescence microscopy revealed a specific optical response, recommending these materials for light sensing applications.


1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (Part 2, No. 9B) ◽  
pp. L1292-L1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruki Yokoyama ◽  
Masafumi Tanimoto ◽  
Masanori Shinohara ◽  
Naohisa Inoue

1995 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Pehnt ◽  
Douglas L. Schulz ◽  
Calvin J. Curtis ◽  
Helio R. Moutinho ◽  
Amy Swartzlander ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn this article we report the first nanoparticle-derived route to smooth, dense, phase-pure CdTe thin films. Capped CdTe nanoparticles were prepared by injection of a mixture of Cd(CH3)2, (n-C8H17)3 PTe and (n-C8H17)3P into (n-C8H17)3PO at elevated temperatures. The resultant nanoparticles 32-45 Å in diameter were characterized by x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. CdTe thin film deposition was accomplished by dissolving CdTe nanoparticles in butanol and then spraying the solution onto SnO2-coated glass substrates at variable susceptor temperatures. Smooth and dense CdTe thin films were obtained using growth temperatures approximately 200 °C less than conventional spray pyrolysis approaches. CdTe films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. An increase in crystallinity and average grain size as determined by x-ray diffraction was noted as growth temperature was increased from 240 to 300 °C. This temperature dependence of film grain size was further confirmed by atomic force microscopy with no remnant nanocrystalline morphological features detected. UV-Vis characterization of the CdTe thin films revealed a gradual decrease of the band gap (i.e., elimination of nanocrystalline CdTe phase) as the growth temperature was increased with bulk CdTe optical properties observed for films grown at 300 °C.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1025-1026 ◽  
pp. 427-431
Author(s):  
Ping Gao ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Wei Tian Wang

Orthorhombic HoMnO3 films were prepared epitaxially on Nb-doped SrTiO3 single crystal substrates by using pulsed laser deposition technique. The films showed perfectly a-axis crystallographic orientations. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the films. The complex dielectric properties were measured as functions of frequency (40 Hz~1 MHz) and temperature (80 K~300 K) with a signal amplitude of 50 mv. The respective dielectric relaxation peaks shifted to higher frequency as the measuring temperature increased, with the same development of real part of the complex permittivity. The cole-cole diagram was obtained according to the Debye model, and the effects of relaxation process were discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabela Szafraniak ◽  
Dietrich Hesse ◽  
Marin Alexe

Self-patterning presents an appealing alternative to lithography for the production of arrays of nanoscale ferroelectric capacitors for use in high density non-volatile memory devices. Recently a self-patterning method, based on the use of the instability of ultrathin films during hightemperature treatments, was used to fabricate nanosized ferroelectrics. This paper reports the use of the method for the preparation of PZT nanoislands on different single crystalline substrates - SrTiO3, MgO and LaAlO3. Moreover, a multi-step deposition procedure in order to control lateral the dimension of the crystals was introduced. The nanostructures obtained were studied by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.


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