Marco Lisker

Tensile Ge microstructures for lasing fabricated by means of a silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process

In this work we study, using experiments and theoretical modeling, the mechanical and optical properties of tensile strained Ge microstructures directly fabricated in a state-of-the art complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor fabrication line, using fully qualified materials and methods. We show that these microstructures can be used as active lasing materials in mm-long Fabry-Perot cavities, taking advantage of strain-enhanced direct band gap recombination. The results of our study can be realistically applied to the fabrication of a prototype platform for monolithic integration of near infrared laser sources for silicon photonics.

Strain analysis in SiN/Ge microstructures obtained via Si-complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatible approach

We have analyzed the strain distribution and the photoluminescence in Ge microstructures fabricated by means of a Si-CMOS compatible method. The tensile strain in the Ge microstructures is obtained by using a SiN stressor layer. Different shapes of microstructure, allowing the Ge layers to freely expand into one, two, or three dimensions, resulted in different strain distribution profiles. Maximal equivalent biaxial tensile strain values up to ∼0.8% have been measured. Room temperature photoluminescence emission has been observed and attributed to direct-band gap recombination spectrally shifted by tensile strain.

Hybrid graphene/silicon Schottky photodiode with intrinsic gating effect

We propose a hybrid device consisting of a graphene/silicon (Gr/Si) Schottky diode in parallel with a Gr/SiO2/Si capacitor for high-performance photodetection. The device, fabricated by transfer of commercial graphene on low-doped n-type Si substrate, achieves a photoresponse as high as and a normalized detectivity higher than in the visible range. It exhibits a photocurrent exceeding the forward current because photo-generated minority carriers, accumulated at Si/SiO2 interface of the Gr/SiO2/Si capacitor, diffuse to the Gr/Si junction. We show that the same mechanism, when due to thermally generated carriers, although usually neglected or disregarded, causes the increased leakage often measured in Gr/Si heterojunctions. We perform extensive I–V and C-V characterization at different temperatures and we measure a zero-bias Schottky barrier height of 0.52 eV at room temperature, as well as an effective Richardson constant A ** = and an ideality factor , explained by a thin (<1 nm) oxide layer at the Gr/Si interface.

Analysis of deep traps in hexagonal molecular beam epitaxy-grown GaN by admittance spectroscopy

Nominally undoped GaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and having resistivities between 105 and 107 Ω were investigated with temperature- and frequency-dependent admittance spectroscopy. The advantage of these measurement methods is shown in terms of the formation of Schottky contacts on high-resistivity GaN layers. The space-charge region, which is needed for detection of deep defects exists at low frequencies only and, therefore, deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements fail for this material. Two deep defect levels were identified in MBE-grown GaN layers. The thermal activation energies are (0.45±0.04) and (0.63±0.04) eV, respectively. These deep traps are well known from DLTS and thermal stimulated conductivity measurements in metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy and hydride vapor phase epitaxy-grown GaN.

A 246 GHz Hetero-Integrated Frequency Source in InP-on-BiCMOS Technology

A 246 GHz source in InP-on-BiCMOS technology is presented. It consists of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in BiCMOS technology and a frequency tripler in transferred-substrate InP-HBT technology, which is integrated on top of the BiCMOS MMIC in a wafer-level bonding process. The VCO operates at 82 GHz with 6 dBm output power and the combined circuit delivers -10 dBm at 246 GHz, with a phase noise of -87 dBc/Hz at 2 MHz offset. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first hetero-integrated signal source in this frequency range reported so far. The results illustrate the potential of the hetero integrated process for sub-mm-wave frequencies.

200 GHz interconnects for InP-on-BiCMOS integration

In order to combine the advantages of both InP-HBT and SiGe-BiCMOS technology, a 3D integration approach has been developed based on the transferred-substrate concept with BCB wafer bonding. Using this process vertical interconnects are realized that exhibit excellent broadband transmission properties up to 220 GHz. Insertion loss remains below 0.5dB up to W-band and 1dB to 220GHz. The interconnects can be described with good accuracy by 3D EM simulation over the full frequency range.

Photoelectric properties of the 0.44 eV deep level-to-band transition in gallium nitride investigated by optical admittance spectroscopy

In GaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on c-axis oriented sapphire, a defect-to-band transition at a photon energy of 0.44 eV was found by optical admittance spectroscopy. This transition was investigated as a function of temperature and modulation frequency. The height of the corresponding optical admittance peak shows a thermally activated quenching with an activation energy of 0.460.1 eV caused by a thermal carrier emission from the same defect state to the conduction band at higher temperatures. Based on this thermal quenching, the 0.44 eV level is assigned to an electron trap located in the upper half of the gap. The spectral photoionization cross section was determined, resulting in a photoionization energy at 80 K estimated to be below 0.425 eV. The omnipresence of the 0.44 eV electron trap in GaN layers grown by various epitaxial techniques and in different reactors implicates its intrinsic nature.

Characterization of electronic states in molecular beam epitaxy grown GaN by optical admittance spectroscopy: Comparison of different nitrogen plasma sources

Optical transitions between the bands and electronic states in n-type GaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) or a radio frequency (rf) nitrogen plasma source were investigated by means of optical admittance spectroscopy. The spectra of all layers similarly consist of a band gap region, a blue and a yellow band, and several defect-to-band transitions. However, in rf grown layers distinct transitions are separable, whereas ECR grown samples reveal broad bands, originating from potential fluctuations due to structural inhomogeneities induced by the ECR source. A defect at 0.82 eV is found characteristic for all ECR samples.

Deep-defect-induced quenching effects in semi-insulating GaN layers detected by photoelectrical spectroscopic techniques

Quenching effects induced by additional below-bandgap illumination in undoped semi-insulating GaN were investigated using optical admittance spectroscopy (OAS) and photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy as well as optically excited, thermally stimulated currents (TSC). In OAS and PC, a decrease of defect-related signals due to the quenching light was observed. The thermal quenching of the defect band between 2.7 and 3.3 eV shows a good agreement with thermal emissions as measured by TSC, indicating the same defects cause the optical transitions in OAS/PC and the thermal transitions in TSC. The thermal emission in the temperature region between 250 and 300 K, which is responsible for the thermal quenching of the blue band (BB) in OAS, also shows an optical quenching under below-bandgap excitation.

Interface and bulk defects in SiC/GaN heterostructures characterized using thermal admittance spectroscopy

SiC/GaN p-n and n-n heterostructures grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition were investigated using thermal admittance spectroscopy. Different kinds of defects were isolated and located. Evidence of a distribution of defects at the p-SiC/n-GaN interface is given as having thermal activation energies of (87±3) meV at 5 V and (72±4) meV at 8 V bias. Additionally, three bulk defects with activation energies between 155 and 175 meV were found. By comparison with admittance spectra of the p-type SiC substrate, one level was identified as Al acceptor in SiC, whereas the other defects are electron traps in the GaN layer.