Chen Zhizhan

Band alignment of Ga2O3/6H-SiC heterojunction

A high-quality Ga2O3 thin film is deposited on an SiC substrate to form a heterojunction structure. The band alignment of the Ga2O3/6H-SiC heterojunction is studied by using synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy. The energy band diagram of the Ga2O3/6H-SiC heterojunction is obtained by analysing the binding energies of Ga 3d and Si 2p at the surface and the interface of the heterojunction. The valence band offset is experimentally determined to be 2.8 eV and the conduction band offset is calculated to be 0.89 eV, which indicate a type-II band alignment. This provides useful guidance for the application of Ga2O3/6H-SiC electronic devices.

Magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

A series of Mn-doped ZnO films have been prepared in different sputtering plasmas by using the inductively coupled plasma enhanced physical vapour deposition. The films show paramagnetic behaviour when they are deposited in an argon plasma. The Hall measurement indicates that ferromagnetism cannot be realized by increasing the electron concentration. However, the room-temperature ferromagnetism is obtained when the films are deposited in a mixed argon-nitrogen plasma. The first-principles calculations reveal that antiferromagnetic ordering is favoured in the case of the substitution of Mn2+ for Zn2+ without additional acceptor doping. The substitution of N for O (NO−) is necessary to induce ferromagnetic couplings in the Zn-Mn-O system. The hybridization between N 2p and Mn 3d provides an empty orbit around the Fermi level. The hopping of Mn 3d electrons through the empty orbit can induce the ferromagnetic coupling. The ferromagnetism in the N-doped Zn-Mn-O system possibly originates from the charge transfer between Mn2+ and Mn3+ via NO−. The key factor is the empty orbit provided by substituting N for O, rather than the conductivity type or the carrier concentration.

Effect of additional silicon on titanium/4H-SiC contacts properties

The Ti electrode was deposited on the (000) face of an n-type 4H-SiC substrate by magnetron sputtering. The effect of the electrode placement method during the annealing treatment on the contact property was carefully investigated. When the electrode was faced to the Si tray and annealed, it showed ohmic behavior, otherwise it showed a non-ohmic property. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the electrode phase, composition, thickness, and surface morphology. The additional silicon introduced from the Si tray played a key role in the formation of the ohmic contact on the Ti/4H-SiC contact.

Effect of the annealing temperature on the long-term thermal stability of Pt/Si/Ta/Ti/4H–SiC contacts*

The Pt/Si/Ta/Ti multilayer metal contacts on 4H–SiC are annealed in Ar atmosphere at 600 °C–1100 °C by a rapid thermal processor (RTP). The long-term thermal stability is evaluated by aging the annealed contact at 600 °C in air. The contacts properties are determined by current–voltage measurement, and the specific contact resistance is calculated based on the transmission line model (TLM). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDX) are used to characterize the interface morphology, thickness, and composition. The results reveal that a higher annealing temperature is favorable for the formation of an Ohmic contact with a lower specific contact resistance, and causes the rapid degradation of the Ohmic contact in the aging process.