J. L. Freeouf

Arsenic precipitates and the semi‐insulating properties of GaAs buffer layers grown by low‐temperature molecular beam epitaxy

Arsenic precipitates have been observed in GaAs low‐temperature buffer layers (LTBLs) used as ‘‘substrates’’ for normal molecular beam epitaxy growth. Transmission electron microscopy has shown the arsenic precipitates to be hexagonal phase single crystals. The precipitates are about 6±4 nm in diameter with a density on the order of 1017 precipitates per cm3. The semi‐insulating properties of the LTBL can be explained in terms of these arsenic precipitates acting as ‘‘buried’’ Schottky barriers with overlapping spherical depletion regions. The implications of these results on LTBL resistivity stability with respect to doping and anneal temperature will be discussed as will the possible role of arsenic precipitates in semi‐insulating liquid‐encapsulated Czochralski‐grown bulk GaAs.

Schottky barriers: An effective work function model

The experimental observations of metallurgical interactions between compound semiconductor substrates and metallic or oxide overlayers have stimulated a new model of Fermi level ’’pinning’’ at these interfaces. This model assumes the standard Schottky picture of interface band alignment, but that the interface phases involved are not the pure metal or oxide normally assumed by other models. For both III‐V and II‐VI compounds, the barrier height to gold is found to correlate well with the anion work function, suggesting the interface phases are often anion rich. This correlation holds even for cases in which the ’’common anion rule’’ fails, and explains both successes and failures of this earlier model.

Dielectric functions and optical bandgaps of high-K dielectrics for metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors by far ultraviolet spectroscopic ellipsometry

A far ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopic ellipsometer system working up to 9 eV has been developed, and applied to characterize high-K-dielectric materials. These materials have been gaining greater attention as possible substitutes for SiO2 as gate dielectrics in aggressively scaled silicon devices. The optical properties of four representative high-K bulk crystalline dielectrics, LaAlO3, Y2O3-stabilized HfO2 (Y2O3)0.15–(HfO2)0.85, GdScO3, and SmScO3, were investigated with far UV spectroscopic ellipsometry and visible-near UV optical transmission measurements. Optical dielectric functions and optical band gap energies for these materials are obtained from these studies. The spectroscopic data have been interpreted in terms of a universal electronic structure energy scheme developed form ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The spectroscopic data and results provide information that is needed to select viable alternative dielectric candidate materials with adequate band gaps, and conduction and valence b...

Formation of arsenic precipitates in GaAs buffer layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy at low substrate temperatures

We have grown film structures by molecular beam epitaxy which include GaAs buffer layers grown at low substrate temperatures (250 °C). The film structures have been examined using transmission electron microscopy. The layers grown at normal temperatures (600 °C) were free of defects or clusters. In contrast, the layer which was grown at low substrate temperatures contained precipitates which have been identified as hexagonal arsenic. The density of the arsenic precipitates is found to be very sensitive to the substrate temperature during growth.

Ohmic contacts to n‐GaAs using graded band gap layers of Ga1−xInxAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Ohmic contacts were studied on structures which utilize the fact that for InAs surfaces Fermi level pinning occurs at or in the conduction band. It was found that an epitaxial layer of n‐Ga1−xInxAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy on n‐GaAs which is graded in composition from x = 0 at the GaAs interface to 0.8?x?1.0 at the surface will produce a structure with a nearly zero Schottky barrier height for the metal–Ga1−xInxAs interface and hence a low resistance ohmic contact. A transmission line measurement of non‐alloyed contact resistance of 5×10−7<Rc<5×10−6 ohm cm2 was obtained for a Ag/n‐Ga1−xInxAs/n‐GaAs MESFET structure.

Measurement of the band offsets between amorphous LaAlO3 and silicon

The conduction and valence band offsets between amorphous LaAlO3 and silicon have been determined from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. These films, which are free of interfacial SiO2, were made by molecular-beam deposition. The band line-up is type I with measured band offsets of 1.8±0.2 eV for electrons and 3.2±0.1 eV for holes. The band offsets are independent of the doping concentration in the silicon substrate as well as the amorphous LaAlO3 film thickness. These amorphous LaAlO3 films have a bandgap of 6.2±0.1 eV.

GaAs metallization: Some problems and trends

Ohmic and Schottky barrier contacts with desired properties are difficult to form on GaAs devices. This is due mainly to the fact that the position of the Fermi energy is loosely ’’pinned’’ near midgap for GaAs surfaces which are metallized using conventional techniques. Doped alloyed metal ohmic and refractory metal Schottky contacts formed on carefully cleaned surfaces are currently widely used. New contacting techniques including the use of lattice matched heterojunctions, nonalloyed n++ and p++ surfaces, graded band gap structures, and special surface treatment prior to metallization promise to provide both greater flexibility and control for future applications.

Atomic layer deposition of ZnSe/CdSe superlattice nanowires

Atomic layer deposition has been employed to grow nanowires composed of ZnSe/CdSe superlattices. Growth of the nanowires was initiated using gold nanoparticles and the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that these structures are single crystals and the phase of alternating layers of ZnSe and CdSe is zinc blende. The (111) planes of ZnSe and CdSe are oriented at 60°.

Effective barrier heights of mixed phase contacts: Size effects

Computer simulations of mixed phase Schottky contacts have been performed to gain insight into the effects of lateral dimensions upon device behavior. As expected, lateral dimensions comparable to the Debye length of the semiconductor result in strong modification of the device characteristics that would result from independent, parallel diodes. We suggest that such effects can play a role in most experimentally obtained contacts. Current models of Schottky barrier formation typically invoke kinetics‐limited chemical interactions at the metal‐semiconductor interface; such effects are unlikely to be laterally uniform over macroscopic dimensions, and may well provide strong sensitivity to seemingly minor variations in preparation techniques used by different groups. We demonstrate that mixed phase contacts, with size effects, can affect ideality factors, and can also cause disagreement between C‐V and I‐V barrier heights.

A gate-quality dielectric system for SiGe metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

The authors present a high-quality dielectric system for use with Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ alloys. The system employs plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) SiO/sub 2/ on a thin (6-8-nm) layer of pure silicon grown epitaxially on the Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ layer. The buffer layer and the deposited oxide prevent the accumulation of Ge at the oxide-semiconductor interface and thus keep the interface state density within acceptable limits. The Si cap layer leads to a sequential turn-on of the Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ channel and the Si cap channel as is clearly observed in the low-temperature C-V curves. The authors show that this dual-channel structure can be designed to suppress the parasitic Si cap channel. The MOS capacitors are also used to extract valence-band offsets.<<ETX>>