J. Šoltýs

Impact of plasma treatment on electrical properties of TiO2/RuO2 based DRAM capacitor

In this work, we systematically studied the influence of the plasma treatment (PT) on the structural and electrical properties of Pt/rutile-TiO2/RuO2 metal–insulator–metal capacitors. The leakage current of the 12 nm thick TiO2 dielectrics prepared by atomic layer deposition was reduced below 10−7 A cm−2 while the capacitance equivalent thickness was kept below 0.5 nm using oxygen PT of the bottom RuO2 electrode. Reflection high energy electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses allowed the conclusion that O2 plasma smoothened the RuO2 surface and increased its oxygen content through plasma induced surface reconstruction. The nucleation of TiO2 on the plasma-treated surface was faster while the thickness of the capacitor dead layer at the TiO2/RuO2 interface was reduced.

Fabrication of a vector Hall sensor for magnetic microscopy

We have developed a micromachined Hall sensor for scanning the entire magnetic field vector whose active dimensions are an order of magnitude smaller (∼5 μm) than the smallest existing vector field sensor. It is realized by patterning three Hall probes on the tilted faces of epitaxy-overgrown GaAs-based pyramidal-shaped mesa structures. Data from these “tilted” Hall probes are used to reconstruct the full magnetic field vector.

High resolution switching magnetization magnetic force microscopy

We introduce switching magnetization magnetic force microscopy based on two-pass scanning atomic force microscopy with reversed tip magnetization between the scans. Within this approach the sum of the scanned data with reversed tip magnetization depicts local van der Waals forces, while their differences map the local magnetic forces. Here we implement this method by fabricating low-momentum magnetic probes that exhibit magnetic single domain state, which can be easily reversed in low external field during the scanning. Measurements on high-density parallel and perpendicular magnetic recording media show enhanced spatial resolution of magnetization.

The influence of sample conductivity on local anodic oxidation by the tip of atomic force microscope

We analyze the role of the electric field distribution in the nano-oxidation process realized by the tip of atomic force microscope (AFM) experimentally and theoretically as well. We show the importance of the sample conductivity and the water bridge in the process applied to bulk GaAs and Ga[Al]As heterostructures in both contact and noncontact AFM modes. The experimental results show that the lines written in contact mode are much wider then those written in noncontact mode. Moreover, saddlelike profile lines can appear for high-resistive samples. These effects are explained by the numerical simulations using finite-element method. We show that the electric field distribution in the system tip-sample is controlled by the sample conductivity. In the case of low-conductive samples, maximum field is located apart from the tip apex for both contact and noncontact AFM modes.

New approach to local anodic oxidation of semiconductor heterostructures

We have experimentally explored a new approach to local anodic oxidation (LAO) of a semiconductor heterostructures by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have applied LAO to an InGaP/AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. Although LAO is usually applied to oxidize GaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs-based heterostructures, the use of the InGaP/AlGaAs/GaAs system is more advantageous. The difference lies in the use of different cap layer materials: Unlike GaAs, InGaP acts like a barrier material with respect to the underlying AlGaAs layer and has almost one order of magnitude lower density of surface states than GaAs. Consequently, the InGaP/AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure had the remote Si-delta doping layer only 6.5 nm beneath the surface and the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) was confined only 23.5 nm beneath the surface. Moreover, InGaP unaffected by LAO is a very durable material in various etchants and allows us to repeatedly remove thin portions of the underlying AlGaAs layer via wet etching. This approach influences LAO technology fundamentally: LAO was used only to oxidize InGaP cap layer to define very narrow (approximately 50 nm) patterns. Subsequent wet etching was used to form very narrow and high-energy barriers in the 2DEG patterns. This new approach is promising for the development of future nano-devices operated both at low and high temperatures.

Dual-tip magnetic force microscopy with suppressed influence on magnetically soft samples

Standard magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is considered as a powerful tool used for magnetic field imaging at nanoscale. The method consists of two passes realized by the magnetic tip. Within the first one, the topography pass, the magnetic tip directly touches the magnetic sample. Such contact perturbs the magnetization of the sample explored. To avoid the sample touching the magnetic tip, we present a new approach to magnetic field scanning by segregating the topological and magnetic scans with two different tips located on a cut cantilever. The approach minimizes the disturbance of sample magnetization, which could be a major problem in conventional MFM images of soft magnetic samples. By cutting the cantilever in half using the focused ion beam technique, we create one sensor with two different tips--one tip is magnetized, and the other one is left non-magnetized. The non-magnetized tip is used for topography and the magnetized one for the magnetic field imaging. The method developed we call dual-tip magnetic force microscopy (DT-MFM). We describe in detail the dual-tip fabrication process. In the experiments, we show that the DT-MFM method reduces significantly the perturbations of the magnetic tip as compared to the standard MFM method. The present technique can be used to investigate microscopic magnetic domain structures in a variety of magnetic samples and is relevant in a wide range of applications, e.g., data storage and biomedicine.

Local anodic oxidation by AFM tip developed for novel semiconductor nanodevices.

The local anodic oxidation (LAO) by the tip of atomic force microscope (AFM) is used for fabrication of nanometer-scaled structures and devices. We study the technology of LAO applied to semiconductor heterostructures, theoretically and experimentally as well. The goal is to improve the LAO process itself, i.e., to create narrow LAO lines that form high-energy barriers in the plane with the 2D electron gas. In the first part we show the electric field distribution in the system tip-sample during LAO. For samples with low-conductive cap layer the maximum electric field is shifted apart the tip apex, which leads to wide oxide lines. Our Monte Carlo (MC) calculations show how the height of the energy barrier in the system depends on the geometry of the created lines (trenches), and on voltage applied to the structure. Based on the calculations, we have proposed a novel LAO technology and applied it to InGaP/AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure with doping layer only 6 nm beneath the surface. The doping layer can be oxidized easily by the AFM tip in this case, and the oxide objects can be removed by several etchants. This approach to the LAO technology leads to narrow LAO trenches (approximately 60 nm) and to energy barriers high enough for room- and low-temperature applications.

Epitaxial Growth of GaP/InxGa1-xP (xIn ≥ 0.27) Virtual Substrate for Optoelectronic Applications

Epitaxial Growth of GaP/InxGa1-xP (xIn ≥ 0.27) Virtual Substrate for Optoelectronic Applications Compositionally graded epitaxial semiconductor buffer layers are prepared with the aim of using them as a virtual substrate for following growth of heterostructures with the lattice parameter different from that of the substrates available on market (GaAs, GaP, InP or InAs). In this paper we report on the preparation of the step graded InxGa1-xP buffer layers on the GaP substrate. The final InxGa1-xP composition xIn was chosen to be at least 0.27. At this composition the InxGa1-xP band-gap structure converts from the indirect to the direct one and the material of such composition is suitable for application in light emitting diode structures. Our task was to design a set of layers with graded composition (graded buffer layer) and to optimize growth parameters with the aim to prepare strain relaxed template of quality suitable for the subsequent epitaxial growth.

GaAs/AlAs/InGaP heterostructure: a versatile material basis for cantilever designs

We report on the design, fabrication and initial mechanical testing of cantilevers with tips based on a GaAs/In0.485Ga0.515P/AlAs heterostructure grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. They were produced using a dedicated technological process based on (1) the formation of integrated tips through an AlAs-assisted surface sacrificial wet-etching process and (2) the GaAs cantilever release fully protected between two InGaP etch-stop layers. 2 µm thick InGaP/GaAs/InGaP cantilevers had integrated pyramidal tips with the sides at ~45° to (1 0 0). Metallic elements were processed close to the tip apexes using non-standard optical lithography. The cantilever release was accomplished using photolithography, Ar ion milling of InGaP and wet chemical etching of GaAs via resist layers deposited by a draping technique. A tip–cantilever prototype with length, width and thickness of 150, 35 and 2 µm, respectively, exhibited a resonance frequency of 66.2 kHz, which correlated well with a theoretical value of 57 kHz for a GaAs cantilever of identical dimensions.