Radiation Hardness of 4H-SiC P-N Junction UV Photo-Detector

4H-SiC based p-n junction UV photo-detectors were irradiated with 600 keV He+ in the fluence range of 5 × 1011 ÷ 5 × 1014 ion/cm2 in order to investigate their radiation hardness. The effects of irradiation on the electro-optical performance were monitored in dark condition and in the UV (200 ÷ 400 nm) range, as well as in the visible region confirming the typical visible blindness of unirradiated and irradiated SiC photo-sensors. A decrease of UV optical responsivity occurred after irradiation and two fluence regimes were identified. At low fluence (<1013 ions/cm2), a considerable reduction of optical responsivity (of about 50%) was measured despite the absence of relevant dark current changes. The presence of irradiation induced point defects and then the reduction of photo-generated charge lifetime are responsible for a reduction of the charge collection efficiency and then of the relevant optical response reduction: point defects act as recombination centers for the photo-generated charges, which recombine during the drift/diffusion toward the electrodes. At higher irradiation fluence, the optical responsivity is strongly reduced due to the formation of complex defects. The threshold between low and high fluence is about 100 kGy, confirming the radiation hardness of SiC photo-sensors.

Impacts of Si-doping on vacancy complex formation and their influences on deep ultraviolet luminescence dynamics in Al x Ga1-x N films and multiple quantum wells grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

To give a clue for increasing emission efficiencies of Al x Ga1-x N-based deep ultraviolet light emitters, the origins and influences on carrier concentration and minority carrier lifetime (τminority), which determines the internal quantum efficiency, of midgap recombination centers in c-plane Si-doped Al0.60Ga0.40N epilayers and Al0.68Ga0.32N quantum wells (QWs) grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were studied by temporally and spatially resolved luminescence measurements, making a correlation with the results of positron annihilation measurement. For the Al0.60Ga0.40N epilayers, τminority decreased as the concentration of cation vacancies (VIII) increased, indicating that VIII, most probably decorated with nitrogen vacancies (VN), VIII(VN) n , are major nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs). For heavily Si-doped Al0.60Ga0.40N, a generation of electron-compensating complexes (VIII-SiIII) is suggested. For lightly Si-doping regime, τminority of the QW emission was increased by appropriate Si-doping in the wells, which simultaneously increased the terrace width. The importance of wetting conditions is suggested for decreasing the NRC concentration.

Determination of hole diffusion length in n-GaN

The paper presents the derivation of a model for minority carriers collection based on the reciprocity theorem and its application for determination of hole diffusion length in n-GaN by means of photoluminescence. The estimated hole diffusion lengths at room temperature are 110 nm and 194 nm in the case of low and high excitation, respectively, which could be explained by saturation of non-radiative recombination centers in bulk GaN and at the surface with photogenerated carriers.

A Metastable p-Type Semiconductor as a Defect-Tolerant Photoelectrode

A p-type Cu3Ta7O19 semiconductor was synthesized using a CuCl flux-based approach and investigated for its crystalline structure and photoelectrochemical properties. The semiconductor was found to be metastable, i.e., thermodynamically unstable, and to slowly oxidize at its surfaces upon heating in air, yielding CuO as nano-sized islands. However, the bulk crystalline structure was maintained, with up to 50% Cu(I)-vacancies and a concomitant oxidation of the Cu(I) to Cu(II) cations within the structure. Thermogravimetric and magnetic susceptibility measurements showed the formation of increasing amounts of Cu(II) cations, according to the following reaction: Cu3Ta7O19 + x/2 O2 → Cu(3−x)Ta7O19 + x CuO (surface) (x = 0 to ~0.8). With minor amounts of surface oxidation, the cathodic photocurrents of the polycrystalline films increase significantly, from <0.1 mA cm−2 up to >0.5 mA cm−2, under visible-light irradiation (pH = 6.3; irradiant powder density of ~500 mW cm−2) at an applied bias of −0.6 V vs. SCE. Electronic structure calculations revealed that its defect tolerance arises from the antibonding nature of its valence band edge, with the formation of defect states in resonance with the valence band, rather than as mid-gap states that function as recombination centers. Thus, the metastable Cu(I)-containing semiconductor was demonstrated to possess a high defect tolerance, which facilitates its high cathodic photocurrents.

Defective Dopant-Free TiO2 as an Efficient Visible Light-Active Photocatalyst

Pristine and modified/doped titania are still some of the most widely investigated photocatalysts due to its high activity, stability, abundance and proper redox properties to carry out various reactions. However, modifiers and/or dopants resulting in visible-light activity might be expensive or work as recombination centers under UV irradiation. It seems that defective titania, known as “self-doped” TiO2, might be the best solution since it can be obtained under mild conditions without the addition of expensive materials and methods. This review discusses various methods of defective titania preparation, characterization of defect types, their localization (surface vs. bulk) and their function, as well as proposed mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions in the presence of self-doped titania. Although many kinds of defective titania samples have already been prepared with different colors, color intensities and defect kinds (mainly Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies), it is difficult to conclude which of them are the most recommended as the preparation conditions and activity testing used by authors differ. Furthermore, activity testing under solar radiation and for dyes does not clarify the mechanism since bare titania can also be excited and sensitized, respectively, in these conditions. In many reports, authors have not considered the possible influence of some impurities originated from the synthesis method (e.g., H, Al, Zn, Cl, F) that could co-participate in the overall mechanism of photocatalytic reactions. Moreover, some reports indicate that defective titania, especially black ones, might decrease activity since the defects might work as recombination centers. Despite some unproven/unclear findings and unanswered questions, there are many well-conducted studies confirmed by both experimental and theoretical studies that defective titania might be a promising material for various photocatalytic reactions under both UV and visible-light irradiation. Based on available literature, it could be proposed that optimal defects’ concentration, the preferential role of surface defects, a higher surface-to-bulk ratio of defects in rutile than in anatase, and the beneficial impact of disordered surface are the most important aspects to be considered during the preparation of defective titania.

Some electrophysical properties of polycrystalline silicon obtained in a solar oven

The article describes the results of the study of the microstructure and some electrophysical properties of silicon obtained by re-melting in a solar oven. It was found that the granularity of polycrystalline silicon consists of Si atoms with a size of 10–15 µm, the roughness of its surface. Decrease in specific resistance at T≤600 K, increase in concentration of ionized input atoms and concentration of charge carriers, the position at Т∼600 ÷ 700 K is based on the decrease in the free path of the charge carriers as a result of thermal vibrations of the crystal lattice, the situation at T ≥ 700 K K was explained by the emergence of new recombination centers specific to localized traps. Polycrystalline silicon heated by sunlight does not create a barrier effect of traps localized in the grain boundary regions from polycrystalline silicon obtained by other methods. This can expand the possibilities of creating highly efficient semiconductor devices, solar cells, thermoelectric materials for micro- and nanoelectronics, photovoltaics.