Laura B. Ruppalt

Atomic Layer Deposition of Al2O3 on GaSb Using In Situ Hydrogen Plasma Exposure

In this report, we study the effectiveness of hydrogen plasma surface treatments for improving the electrical properties of GaSb/Al2O3 interfaces. Prior to atomic layer deposition of an Al2O3 dielectric, p-GaSb surfaces were exposed to hydrogen plasmas in situ, with varying plasma powers, exposure times, and substrate temperatures. Good electrical interfaces, as indicated by capacitance-voltage measurements, were obtained using higher plasma powers, longer exposure times, and increasing substrate temperatures up to 250 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the most effective treatments result in decreased SbOx, decreased Sb, and increased GaOx content at the interface. This in situ hydrogen plasma surface preparation improves the semiconductor/insulator electrical interface without the use of wet chemical pretreatments and is a promising approach for enhancing the performance of Sb-based devices.

Examination of the temperature dependent electronic behavior of GeTe for switching applications

The DC and RF electronic behaviors of GeTe-based phase change material switches as a function of temperature, from 25 K to 375 K, have been examined. In its polycrystalline (ON) state, GeTe behaved as a degenerate p-type semiconductor, exhibiting metal-like temperature dependence in the DC regime. This was consistent with the polycrystalline (ON) state RF performance of the switch, which exhibited low resistance S-parameter characteristics. In its amorphous (OFF) state, the GeTe presented significantly greater DC resistance that varied considerably with bias and temperature. At low biases (<1 V) and temperatures (<200 K), the amorphous GeTe low-field resistance dramatically increased, resulting in exceptionally high amorphous-polycrystalline (OFF-ON) resistance ratios, exceeding 109 at cryogenic temperatures. At higher biases and temperatures, the amorphous GeTe exhibited nonlinear current-voltage characteristics that were best fit by a space-charge limited conduction model that incorporates the effect of a defect band. The observed conduction behavior suggests the presence of two regions of localized traps within the bandgap of the amorphous GeTe, located at approximately 0.26–0.27 eV and 0.56–0.57 eV from the valence band. Unlike the polycrystalline state, the high resistance DC behavior of amorphous GeTe does not translate to the RF switch performance; instead, a parasitic capacitance associated with the RF switch geometry dominates OFF state RF transmission.

Quantum point contacts and resistive switching in Ni/NiO nanowire junctions

Metal oxide devices that exhibit resistive switching are leading candidates for non-volatile memory applications due to their potential for fast switching, low-power operation, and high device density. It is widely accepted in many systems that two-state resistive behavior arises from the formation and rupture of conductive filaments spanning the oxide layer. However, means for controlling the filament geometry, which critically influences conduction, have largely been unexamined. Here, we explore the connection between filament geometry and conductance in a model resistive switching system based on the junction of two nickel/nickel oxide core/shell nanowires. Variable temperature current-voltage measurements indicate that either wide metallic filaments or narrow semiconducting filaments can be preferentially formed by varying the current compliance during electroformation. Metallic filaments behave as a conventional metallic resistance in series with a small barrier, while semiconducting filaments behave...

Integration of atomic layer deposited high-k dielectrics on GaSb via hydrogen plasma exposure

In this letter we report the efficacy of a hydrogen plasma pretreatment for integrating atomic layer deposited (ALD) high-k dielectric stacks with device-quality p-type GaSb(001) epitaxial layers. Molecular beam eptiaxy-grown GaSb surfaces were subjected to a 30 minute H2/Ar plasma treatment and subsequently removed to air. High-k HfO2 and Al2O3/HfO2 bilayer insulating films were then deposited via ALD and samples were processed into standard metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. The quality of the semiconductor/dielectric interface was probed by current-voltage and variable-frequency admittance measurements. Measurement results indicate that the H2-plamsa pretreatment leads to a low density of interface states nearly independent of the deposited dielectric material, suggesting that pre-deposition H2-plasma exposure, coupled with ALD of high-k dielectrics, may provide an effective means for achieving high-quality GaSb MOS structures for advanced Sb-based digital and analog electronics.

Quantifying substrate removal induced electrothermal degradation in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Strained heteroepitaxial HEMTs without the mechanical support of a substrate have been demonstrated only for small-sized AlGaN/GaN membranes, i.e., the substrate was removed from within the immediate vicinity of the transistor area [1]. Such transistors have exhibited improved breakdown voltage and frequency response. However, wafer-scale substrate removal has been considered detrimental to the heterostructure integrity [2]. In this work, by means of a wet-etch removal of the Si substrate over a large circular area (>5 mm diameter) underneath samples with conventionally-processed AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, we demonstrate HEMT operation on large-area AlGaN/GaN membranes and quantify aspects of device performance that were most affected by the substrate removal process.

Nanopatteming in GeTe phase change materials using heated atomic force microscope tips

Patterning surfaces leads to the creation of physiochemical heterogeneities (i.e. surface energy, chemical reactivity, conductivity, topography, etc) which are important to the design of complex components used in modern electronics. The ability to control patterns and write and rewrite circuits is critical for adaptive learning in future electronic devices.