M. Gong

Electron-irradiation-induced deep levels in n-type 6H–SiC

The fluence-dependent properties and the annealing behavior of electron-irradiation-induced deep levels in n-type 6H–SiC have been studied using deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Sample annealing reveals that the dominant DLTS signal at EC−0.36 eV (labeled as E1 by others) consists of two overlapping deep levels (labeled as ED3L and ED3H). The breakup temperature of the defect ED3L is about 700 °C. The ED3H center together with another deep level located at EC−0.44 eV (so-called E2) can withstand high-temperature annealing up to 1600 °C. It is argued that the involvement of the defect ED3L is the reason that various concentration ratios of E1/E2 were observed in the previous work. The revised value of the capture cross section of the deep-level ED3H has been measured after removing ED3L by annealing. A deep level found at EC−0.50 eV is identified as a vacancy–impurity complex since it was found to have a lower saturated concentration and weak thermal stability. Two other deep levels, EC−0.27 eV an...

Formation of PIn defect in annealed liquid-encapsulated Czochralski InP

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements have been carried out on liquid-encapsulated Czochralski-grown undoped InP wafers, which reproducibly become semi-insulating upon annealing in an ambient of phosphorus at 800–900 °C. The measurements reveal a high concentration of hydrogen complexes in the form VInH4 existing in the material before annealing in agreement with recent experimental studies. It is argued that the dominant and essential process producing the semi-insulating behavior is the compensation produced by an EL2-like deep donor phosphorus antisite defect, which is formed by the dissociation of the hydrogen complexes during the process of annealing. The deep donor compensates acceptors, the majority of which are shallow residual acceptor impurities and deep hydrogen associated VIn and isolated VIn levels, produced at the first stage of the dissociation of the VInH4 complex. The high concentration of indium vacancies produced by the dissociation are the precursor of the EL2-like phosp...

Micro-Raman and photoluminescence studies of neutron-irradiated gallium nitride epilayers

GaN epilayers grown on sapphire substrate were irradiated with various dosages of neutrons and were characterized using Micro-Raman and photoluminescence. It was found that the A1(LO) peak in the Raman spectra clearly shifted with neutron irradiation dosage. Careful curve fitting of the Raman data was carried out to obtain the carrier concentration which was found to vary with the neutron irradiation dosage. The variation of the full width at half maximum height of the photoluminescence was consistent with the Raman results. The neutron irradiation-induced structural defects (likely to be GeGa) give rise to carrier trap centers which are responsible for the observed reduction in carrier concentration of the irradiated GaN.

Deep level transient spectroscopic study of neutron-irradiated n-type 6H–SiC

Deep level transient spectroscopy has been employed to study the deep level defects introduced in n-type 6H-SiC after neutron irradiation. Deep levels situated at E-C-0.23, E-C-0.36/0.44, E-C-0.50, and E-C-0.62/0.68 eV have been detected in the temperature range of 100-450 K, which have been identified with the previously reported deep levels ED1, E-1/E-2, E-i, and Z(1)/Z(2), respectively. Thermal annealing studies of these deep levels reveal that ED1 and E-i anneal at a temperature below 350degreesC, the Z(1)/Z(2) levels anneal out at 900degreesC, while the intensity of the E-1/E-2 peaks is increased with annealing temperature, reaching a maximum at about 500-750degreesC, and finally annealing out at 1400degreesC. The possible nature of the deep levels ED1, E-1/E-2, E-i, and Z(1)/Z(2) are discussed in the context of their annealing behavior. Upon further annealing at 1600degreesC, four deep levels labeled NE1 at E-C-0.44 eV, NE2 E-C-0.53 eV, NE3 E-C-0.64 eV, and NE4 E-C-0.68 eV are produced. Evidence is given that these levels are different in their origin to E-1/E-2 and Z(1)/Z(2)

Deep level traps in the extended tail region of boron-implanted n-type 6H–SiC

Deep traps in the boron extended tail region of ion implanted 6H–SiC pn junctions formed during annealing have been studied using deep level transient spectroscopy. Dramatically high concentrations of ∼1016 cm−3 of the D center have been observed through the unusual appearance of minority peaks in the majority carrier spectra. No evidence is found for any shallow boron acceptor in this region, but an induced hole trap Ih at EV+0.46 eV is found under cold implantation conditions. These results support the picture of the extended tail, rich in boron-vacancy complexes such as the D center, which forms as a result of vacancy enhanced indiffusion. The dominance of the electrically active D center in the depletion layer of the technologically important SiC pn junction diode suggests the need for further research in this area.

A deep level transient spectroscopy study of electron irradiation induced deep levels in p-type 6H–SiC

1.7 MeV electron irradiation-induced deep levels in p-type 6H–SiC have been studied using deep level transient spectroscopy. Two deep hole traps are observed, which are located at EV+0.55 eV and EV+0.78 eV. They have been identified as two different defects because they have different thermal behaviors. These defects at EV+0.55 eV and EV+0.78 eV are annealed out at 500–200 °C, respectively, and are different from the main defects E1/E2, Z1/Z2 observed in electron irradiated n-type 6H–SiC. This indicates that new defects have been formed in p-type 6H–SiC during electron irradiation.

Compensation ratio-dependent concentration of a VInH4 complex in n-type liquid encapsulated Czochralski InP

The concentration of hydroen-indium vacancy complex VInH4 in liquid encapsulated Czochralski undoped and Fe-doped n-type InP has been studied by low-temperature infrared absorption spectroscopy. The VInH4 complex is found to be a dominant intrinsic shallow donor defect with concentrations up to similar to 10(16) cm(-3) in as-grown liquid encapsulated Czochralski InP. The concentration of the VInH4 complex is found to increase with the compensation ratio in good agreement with the proposed defect formation model of Walukiewicz [W. Walukiewicz, Phys. Rev. B 37, 4760 (1998); Appl. Phys. Lett. 54, 2094 (1989)], which predicts a Fermi-level-dependent concentration of amphoteric defects

Gallium implantation induced deep levels in n-type 6H–SIC

Two Ga-acceptor levels, located at EV+0.31 eV and EV+0.37 eV, respectively, have been observed in the gallium implantation manufactured p+n diodes using deep level transient spectroscopy. The behavior of the implanted gallium is very similar to that of implanted aluminum, except that the positions of the introduced levels are different. This result strongly supports the recent model, which was used to explain the discrepant results between boron and aluminum implantation induced deep levels. Besides the two acceptor levels, a thermally stable electron trap is also observed and has been tentatively attributed to a Ga-related complex.

Gallium vacancy and the residual acceptor in undoped GaSb studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy and photoluminescence

Positron lifetime, photoluminescence (PL), and Hall measurements were performed to study undoped p-type gallium antimonide materials. A 314 ps positron lifetime component was attributed to Ga vacancy (V-Ga) related defect. Isochronal annealing studies showed at 300 degreesC annealing, the 314 ps positron lifetime component and the two observed PL signals (777 and 797 meV) disappeared, which gave clear and strong evidence for their correlation. However, the hole concentration (similar to2x10(17) cm(-3)) was observed to be independent of the annealing temperature. Although the residual acceptor is generally related to the V-Ga defect, at least for cases with annealing temperatures above 300 degreesC, V-Ga is not the acceptor responsible for the p-type conduction

A deep level transient spectroscopy study of beryllium implanted n-type 6H-SiC

Beryllium implantation induced defects in 6H-SiC pn junctions have been investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy. Five defect centers labeled BE1, BE2, BE3, BE4, and BE5 have been detected in the temperature range 100–450 K. A comparative study has also been performed in low beryllium doped n-type 6H-SiC, which proved that the BE1, BE2, and BE3 centers are electron traps located at 0.34, 0.44, and 0.53 eV, respectively, below the conduction band edge. On the other hand, the BE4 and BE5 centers have been found to be hole traps which are situated at 0.64 and 0.73 eV, respectively, above the valence band edge. Possible defect configurations associated with these deep levels are discussed.