Chris Flynn

Structural characterization of annealed Si1−xCx/SiC multilayers targeting formation of Si nanocrystals in a SiC matrix

Amorphous Si1−xCx/SiC multilayer films were prepared by alternating deposition of Si-rich Si1−xCx and near-stoichiometric SiC layers by using magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited films were annealed at different temperatures (Ta) from 800 to 1100 °C. The influence of Ta and Si content in the Si-rich layer on the layered structural stability and on the formation of Si and/or SiC nanocrystals (NCs) is investigated by a variety of analytical techniques, including x-ray reflectivity (XRR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). XRR showed that Si1−xCx/SiC multilayers annealed at temperatures of up to 800 °C retain their layered structure. XRD revealed that Si NCs were formed in samples with a high Si content in the Si-rich layer for Ta≥800 °C. At annealing temperatures of 900 °C or greater, the formation of Si NCs was accompanied by the formation of β-SiC NCs. Additionally, the formation of Si and SiC NCs was c...

Fabrication and characterization of Si nanocrystals in SiC matrix produced by magnetron cosputtering

Si-rich amorphous silicon carbide thin films were prepared by magnetron cosputtering and were subsequently annealed to form Si nanocrystals embedded in a SiC matrix. A sputter target consisted of a patterned Si wafer on top of a carbon target. The ratio of carbon to silicon in deposited films was adjusted by means of a different silicon wafer open area. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show that various compositions were obtained by changing the sputtered area ratio of carbon to silicon target. Analysis of atomic force microscopy shows that surface roughness increases significantly after annealing. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that Si nanocrystals do not form at temperatures less than 800°C, while they are clearly established, with sizes ranging from 3to7nm, as the temperature is at 1100°C. IR spectra show that increase in annealing temperature for the Si-rich Si1−xCx (x<0.5) films favors the formation of Si–C bonds and increase of the short-range order. Optical studies show a blueshif...

The dependence of Raman scattering on Mg concentration in Mg-doped GaN grown by MBE

Magnesium-doped GaN (GaN:Mg) films having Mg concentrations in the range 5 × 1018–5 × 1020 cm−3 were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. Raman spectroscopy was employed to study the effects of Mg incorporation on the positions of the E2 and A1(LO) lines identifiable in the Raman spectra. For Mg concentrations in excess of 2 × 1019 cm−3, increases in the Mg concentration shift both lines to higher wave numbers. The shifts of the Raman lines reveal a trend towards compressive stress induced by incorporation of Mg into the GaN films. The observed correlation between the Mg concentration and the Raman line positions establish Raman spectroscopy as a useful tool for optimizing growth of Mg-doped GaN.

Plasmonic enhancement of photoluminescence from aluminium nitride

Aluminium nitride (AlN) films were grown on c-plane sapphire wafers by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) under aluminium-rich conditions. The excess aluminium (Al) accumulated on the surface of the films as micro-scale droplets 1–10 μm in size, and as Al nanoparticles with diameters in the range 10–110 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed on the AlN samples using a 193 nm Excimer laser as the excitation source. Prior to PL measurements the wafers were cleaved in half. One half of each wafer was submitted to a 10 min treatment in H3PO4 heated to 70 °C to remove the excess Al from the film surface. The remaining half was left in the as-deposited condition. The mean intensities of the near-band-edge PL peaks of the as-deposited samples were 2.0–3.4 times higher compared to the samples subjected to the H3PO4 Al-removal treatment. This observation motivated calculations to determine the optimal Al surface nanosphere size for plasmonic enhancement of PL from AlN. The PL enhancement was found to peak for an Al nanosphere radius of 15 nm, which is within the range of the experimentally-observed Al nanoparticle sizes.