Pavels Onufrijevs

Properties of Nanostructure Formed on SiO2/Si Interface by Laser Radiation

The aim of this work is to study optical properties of Si nanohills formed on the SiO2/Si interface by the pulsed Nd:YAG laser radiation. Nanohills which are self-organized on the surface of Si, are characterized by strong photoluminescence in the visible range of spectra with long wing in the red part of spectra. This peculiarity is explained by Quantum confinement effect in nanohillsnanowires with graded diameter. We have found a new method for graded band gap semiconductor formation using an elementary semiconductor. Graded change of band gap arises due to Quantum confinement effect.

Formation mechanisms of nano and microcones by laser radiation on surfaces of Si, Ge, and SiGe crystals

In this work we study the mechanisms of laser radiation interaction with elementary semiconductors such as Si and Ge and their solid solution SiGe. As a result of this investigation, the mechanisms of nanocones and microcones formation on a surface of semiconductor were proposed. We have shown the possibility to control the size and the shape of cones both by the laser. The main reason for the formation of nanocones is the mechanical compressive stresses due to the atoms’ redistribution caused by the gradient of temperature induced by strongly absorbed laser radiation. According to our investigation, the nanocone formation mechanism in semiconductors is characterized by two stages. The first stage is characterized by formation of a p-n junction for elementary semiconductors or of a Ge/Si heterojunction for SiGe solid solution. The generation and redistribution of intrinsic point defects in elementary semiconductors and Ge atoms concentration on the irradiated surface of SiGe solid solution in temperature gradient field take place at this stage due to the thermogradient effect which is caused by strongly absorbed laser radiation. The second stage is characterized by formation of nanocones due to mechanical plastic deformation of the compressed Ge layer on Si. Moreover, a new 1D-graded band gap structure in elementary semiconductors due to quantum confinement effect was formed. For the formation of microcones Ni/Si structure was used. The mechanism of the formation of microcones is characterized by two stages as well. The first stage is the melting of Ni film after irradiation by laser beam and formation of Ni islands due to surface tension force. The second step is the melting of Ni and subsequent manifestations of Marangoni effect with the growth of microcones.

Application of Nd:YAG Laser in Semiconductors’ Nanotechnology

Surface nanostructures and their unique properties play a significant role in such objects as highly dispersed systems adsorbents and catalysts, fillers, composite materials, film and membrane systems (Crommie et al., 1993; Beton et al., 1995; Junno et al., 1995). Formation on the surfaces of ordered and disordered ensembles of nanoparticles allow creating materials with new unique physical properties. Nanostructuring of the surface leads to improvement of optical, electrical, thermal, mechanical and field electron emission properties of materials, for example, reducing of the work function of electron from silicon (Evtukh et al., 2010), enhancing biocompatibility with implants in living tissue and prosthetic devices used in orthopaedics and dentistry. Such materials find application in selective nanocatalyse, microelectronics, nanophotonics, photovoltaic, spectroscopy, and optics. On their base devices are created for recording and storing information with ultra-high density, as well as light-emitting devices (Vu et al., 2010).

P-N Junction Formation in ITO/p-Si Structure by Powerful Laser Radiation for Solar Cells Applications

The research report is devoted to the development of a new method of nanostructures formation in ITO/p-Si/Al structure with powerful laser radiation and study of its optical and electrical properties for solar cells applications. It was shown that after the structure irradiation by Nd:YAG laser second harmonic, dark current voltage characteristics become diode-like. Increase of ITO/p-Si/Al solar cell efficiency after irradiation by the laser, using photocurrent voltage characteristic method, was shown.

Two-stage model of nanocone formation on a surface of elementary semiconductors by laser radiation

In this work, we study the mechanism of nanocone formation on a surface of elementary semiconductors by Nd:YAG laser radiation. Our previous investigations of SiGe and CdZnTe solid solutions have shown that nanocone formation mechanism is characterized by two stages. The first stage is characterized by formation of heterostructure, for example, Ge/Si heterostructure from SiGe solid solutions, and the second stage is characterized by formation of nanocones by mechanical plastic deformation of the compressed Ge layer on Si due to mismatch of Si and Ge crystalline lattices. The mechanism of nanocone formation for elementary semiconductors is not clear until now. Therefore, the main goal of our investigations is to study the stages of nanocone formation in elementary semiconductors. A new mechanism of p-n junction formation by laser radiation in the elementary semiconductor as a first stage of nanocone formation is proposed. We explain this effect by the following way: p-n junction is formed by generation and redistribution of intrinsic point defects in temperature gradient field – the thermogradient effect, which is caused by strongly absorbed laser radiation. According to the thermogradient effect, interstitial atoms drift towards the irradiated surface, but vacancies drift to the opposite direction – in the bulk of semiconductor. Since interstitials in Ge crystal are of n-type and vacancies are known to be of p-type, a n-p junction is formed. The mechanism is confirmed by the appearance of diode-like current–voltage characteristics after i-Ge irradiation crystal by laser radiation. The mechanism in Si is confirmed by conductivity type inversion and increased microhardness of Si crystal. The second stage of nanocone formation is laser heating up of top layer enriched by interstitial atoms with its further plastic deformation due to compressive stress caused by interstitials in the top layer and vacancies in the buried layer.

“Black Silicon” Formation by Nd:YAG Laser Radiation

The possibility to form “black silicon” on the surface of Si structure by Nd:YAG laser radiation has been shown. The shape and height of micro-cone structure strongly depends on Nd:YAG laser intensity and number of laser pulses. Light is repeatedly reflected between the cones in the way that most of it is absorbed. Si micro-cone structure spectral thermal radiation is close to black body spectral radiance, which makes this structure useful for solar cells application. The micro-chemical analysis performed by SEM has shown that the microstructures contain NiSi2. This was approved by presence of LO phonon line in Raman back scattering spectrum. The control of micro-cone shape and height was achieved by changing the laser intensity and number of pulses.

Homo- and Hetero-Structure Formation in Semiconductors by Laser Radiation: First Stage of Quantum Cones Formation

A possibility of formingquantum cones (QC) by Nd:YAG laser radiation on the surface of semiconductorssuch as Si and Ge crystals, and SiGe and CdZnTe solid solutions has been shown.A two-stage mechanism of quantum cone formation has been proposed. The first stage is generation and redistribution of point defects (impurity atoms and intrinsic point defects – vacancies and self-interstitials) in a temperature gradient field, the so-called thermogradient effect. As a result a new phase is formed on the irradiated surface, for example a Ge phase forms on the surface of a SiGe solid solution. The second stage is characterized by mechanical plastic deformation of the strained top layer leading to the formation of quantum cones, due to selective laser radiation absorption of the top layer. The first stage is more difficult for understanding of the physical processes which takeplace during of growth of QC, especially in pure intrinsic elementary semiconductors (Ge, Si) and compounds (CdTe, GaAs). Therefore, this research is focused on the investigation of the first stage of QC formation by laser irradiation. As a result of the investigation, a new mechanism for p-n junction formation in the elementary semiconductors and heterojunction in solid solutions by laser radiation as a first stage of QC formation is proposed.

The Antimicrobial Action of Silver Halides in Calcium Phosphate

Silver halides represent a yet unexplored avenue for imparting antimicrobial activity in calcium phosphates. Silver halide colloids were added to calcium phosphate. Concurrent melting of silver halides and crystallization of carbonated apatite was achieved by heating to increase the silver halide surface area available to bacteria.Pseudomonas aeruginosa were more sensitive to silver iodide and silver bromide than Staphylococcus aureus. Silver iodide demonstrated greater activity than silver bromide. Silver chloride did not produce an antibacterial response. Both amorphous calcium phosphate and carbonated apatite displayed similar antibacterial activity when accompanied by silver halides. It is thought that amorphous calcium phosphate dissolves more readily and increases the bioavailability of the silver halide particles. Silver iodide displays a greater antibacterial response of all silver halides, with a response that is improved in a more resorbable matrix.

SUPPRESSION OF PORES FORMATION ON A SURFACE OF P-SI BY LASER RADIATION

The influence of strongly absorbing N¬2 laser radiation on pores formation on a surface of Si single crystal has been investigated using optical microscope, atomic force microscope and photoluminescence. After irradiation by the laser and subsequent electrochemical etching in HF acid solution morphological changes of the irradiated parts of a surface of Si were not observed. At the same time, pores formation on the non-irradiated parts of Si surface took place. The porous part of the Si surface is characterized by strong photoluminescence in red part of spectra with maximum at 1.88 eV and intensity of photoluminescence increases with current density. Suppression of the pores formation by the laser radiation is explained with inversion of Si type conductivity from p-type to n-type. This fact is explained by Thermogradient effect – generation and redistribution of the intrinsic defects in gradient of temperature. It was shown that the depth of n-Si layer on p-Si substrate depends on intensity of laser radiation and it increases with intensity of laser radiation. The results of the investigation can be used for optical recording and storage of information on surface of semiconductors.

Laser-induced self-organization of nano-wires on SiO2/Si interface

Original observation of new graded band gap structures formed on the surface of elementary Si semiconductor at studying the optical properties of Si nano-hills formed at the SiO2/Si interface by pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation is reported. The self-organized nano-hills on Si surface are characterized by a strong photoluminescence in the visible range of spectrum with a shoulder extended to the long-wave part of the spectrum. The feature is explained by the quantum confinement effect in nano-hills-nano-wires of gradually changing diameter.