Felipe Kremer

Aging effects on the nucleation of Pb nanoparticles in silica

The ion beam synthesis of Pb nanoparticles (NPs) in silica is studied in terms of a two step thermal annealing process consisting of a low temperature long time aging treatment followed by a high temperature short time one. The samples are investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The results obtained show that highly stable Pb trapping structures are formed during the aging treatment. These structures only dissociate at high temperatures, inhibiting the nucleation of NPs in the metallic phase and causing an atomic redistribution that renders the exclusive formation of a two dimensional, uniform and dense array of Pb NPs at the silica–silicon interface. The results are discussed on the basis of classic thermodynamic concepts.

Porosity as a function of stoichiometry and implantation temperature in Ge/Si1−xGex alloys

The development of porosity in single-crystal germanium and silicon-germanium alloys (c-Si1−x Gex) of (100) orientation was studied under bombardment with 140 keV Ge− ions over a wide range of temperatures (−180 to 400 °C) and ion fluences up to 1 × 1018 ions/cm2. The surface swelling and morphology were investigated using multi-characterization techniques including optical profilometry, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The initiation of porosity and the evolution of the near-surface microstructure strongly depend on the ion fluence, the irradiation temperature, and the stoichiometry of the substrate. Significant results and new findings include: (i) the fact that, over the entire temperature and stoichiometry range, porosity is only developed once the substrate is rendered amorphous; (ii) with increasing Si content in the alloy, the onset of porosity is pushed to higher fluences; (iii) porosity is observed for Si contents in the alloy up to 23% but not higher under the ...

Low temperature aging effects on the formation of Sn nanoclusters in SiO2∕Si films and interfaces

The formation of Sn nanocrystals (NCs) in ion implanted SiO2∕Si films is investigated using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. Low temperature and long time aging treatments followed by high temperature thermal annealings lead to the formation of a dense bidimensional NC array located at the SiO2∕Si interface. This behavior is discussed considering the formation of small Sn clusters with a significantly improved thermal stability. The present experimental results are in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions that small Sn clusters can have their melting temperature enhanced in more than 1000°C.

Lift-off protocols for thin films for use in EXAFS experiments

Lift-off protocols for thin films for improved extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements are presented. Using wet chemical etching of the substrate or the interlayer between the thin film and the substrate, stand-alone high-quality micrometer-thin films are obtained. Protocols for the single-crystalline semiconductors GeSi, InGaAs, InGaP, InP and GaAs, the amorphous semiconductors GaAs, GeSi and InP and the dielectric materials SiO2 and Si3N4 are presented. The removal of the substrate and the ability to stack the thin films yield benefits for EXAFS experiments in transmission as well as in fluorescence mode. Several cases are presented where this improved sample preparation procedure results in higher-quality EXAFS data compared with conventional sample preparation methods. This lift-off procedure can also be advantageous for other experimental techniques (e.g. small-angle X-ray scattering) that benefit from removing undesired contributions from the substrate.

Structural and electrical properties of In-implanted Ge

We report on the effects of dopant concentration on the structural and electrical properties of In-implanted Ge. For In concentrations of ≤ 0.2 at. %, extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements demonstrate that all In atoms occupy a substitutional lattice site while metallic In precipitates are apparent in transmission electron micrographs for In concentrations ≥0.6 at. %. Evidence of the formation of In-vacancy complexes deduced from extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements is complimented by density functional theory simulations. Hall effect measurements of the conductivity, carrier density, and carrier mobility are then correlated with the substitutional In fraction.

Phase transformation of ZnMoO4 by localized thermal spike

We show that ZnMoO4 remains in stable phase under thermal annealing up to 1000 °C, whereas it decomposes to ZnO and MoO3 under transient thermal spike induced by 100 MeV Ag irradiation. The transformation is evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thin films of ZnMoO4 were synthesized by thermal evaporation and subsequent annealing in oxygen ambient at 600 °C for 4 h. XRD results show that as the irradiation fluence increases, the peak related to ZnMoO4 decreases gradually and eventually disappear, whereas peaks related to ZnO grow steadily up to fluence of 3 × 1012 ions/cm2 and thereafter remain stable till highest fluence. This indicates that polycrystalline ZnMoO4 film has transformed to polycrystalline ZnO thin film. The Raman lines related to ZnMoO4 are observed to have disappeared with increasing irradiation fluence. XPS results show modification in bonding and depletion of Mo from near surface region after the ion irradiation. Cross-sect...

Formation of Ge nanoparticles in SiOxNy by ion implantation and thermal annealing

Germanium nanoparticles embedded within dielectric matrices hold much promise for applications in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Here we investigate the formation of Ge nanoparticles in amorphous SiO1.67N0.14 as a function of implanted atom concentration and thermal annealing temperature. Using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and other complementary techniques, we show Ge nanoparticles exhibit significant finite-size effects such that the coordination number decreases and structural disorder increases as the nanoparticle size decreases. While the composition of SiO1.67N0.14 is close to that of SiO2, we demonstrate that the addition of this small fraction of N yields a much reduced nanoparticle size relative to those formed in SiO2 under comparable implantation and annealing conditions. We attribute this difference to an increase in an atomic density and a much reduced diffusivity of Ge in the oxynitride matrix. These results demonstrate the potential for tailoring Ge nanoparticle sizes and structura...

Morphology of ion irradiation induced nano-porous structures in Ge and Si1−xGex alloys

Crystalline Ge and Si1−xGex alloys (x = 0.83, 0.77) of (100) orientation were implanted with 140 keV Ge− ions at fluences between 5 × 10 15 to 3 × 10 17 ions/cm2, and at temperatures between 23 °C and 200 °C. The energy deposition of the ions leads to the formation of porous structures consisting of columnar pores separated by narrow sidewalls. Their sizes were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and small angle x-ray scattering. We show that the pore radius does not depend significantly on the ion fluence above 5 × 10 15 ions/cm2, i.e., when the pores have already developed, yet the pore depth increases from 31 to 516 nm with increasing fluence. The sidewall thickness increases slightly with increasing Si content, while both the pore radius and the sidewall thickness increase at elevated implantation temperatures.

Electrical and structural properties of In-implanted Si1-xGex alloys

We report on the effects of dopant concentration and substrate stoichiometry on the electrical and structural properties of In-implanted Si1−xGex alloys. Correlating the fraction of electrically active In atoms from Hall Effect measurements with the In atomic environment determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we observed the transition from electrically active, substitutional In at low In concentration to electrically inactive metallic In at high In concentration. The In solid-solubility limit has been quantified and was dependent on the Si1−xGex alloy stoichiometry; the solid-solubility limit increased as the Ge fraction increased. This result was consistent with density functional theory calculations of two In atoms in a Si1−xGex supercell that demonstrated that In–In pairing was energetically favorable for x ≲ 0.7 and energetically unfavorable for x ≳ 0.7. Transmission electron microscopy imaging further complemented the results described earlier with the In concentration and Si1−xGex alloy stoic...

Enhanced electrical activation in In-implanted Ge by C co-doping

At high dopant concentrations in Ge, electrically activating all implanted dopants is a major obstacle in the fulfillment of high-performance Ge-channel complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices. In this letter, we demonstrate a significant increase in the electrically-active dopant fraction in In-implanted Ge by co-doping with the isovalent element C. Electrical measurements have been correlated with x-ray absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results in addition to density functional theory simulations. With C + In co-doping, the electrically active fraction was doubled and tripled at In concentrations of 0.2 and 0.7 at. %, respectively. This marked improvement was the result of C-In pair formation such that In-induced strain in the Ge lattice was reduced while the precipitation of In and the formation of In-V clusters were both suppressed.