Sandeep K. Chaudhuri

Characterization of defects in ZnO nanocrystals: Photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic studies

Defects present in ZnO nanocrystals prepared by a wet chemical method have been characterized by photoluminescence (PL) and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) techniques. The as-prepared sample was heat treated at different temperatures to obtain nanocrystals in the size range of 19–39nm. X ray diffractograms confirmed the single-phase wurtzite structure formation. Photoluminescence measurements showed a strong violet band at 434nm, which has been identified as due to electronic transitions from the zinc interstitial defect level to the top of the valence band. A marked decrease in the intensity of the violet emission with increasing heat-treatment temperature has been observed, which is attributed to recombination of zinc interstitials with zinc vacancies. Positron annihilation spectroscopy has been employed to understand the dynamics of the vacancy-type defects and their annealing behavior. The observed variation of the defect related lifetime components with heat-treatment temperature has been su...

Low Energy X-Ray and

Schottky barrier diode (SBD) radiation detectors have been fabricated on n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers and evaluated for low energy x- and γ-rays detection. The detectors were found to be highly sensitive to soft x-rays in the 50 eV to few keV range and showed 2.1 % energy resolution for 59.6 keV gamma rays. The response to soft x-rays for these detectors was significantly higher than that of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) SiC UV photodiodes. The devices have been characterized by current-voltage (I-V) measurements in the 94-700 K range, thermally stimulated current (TSC) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve measurements, and defect delineating chemical etching. I-V characteristics of the detectors at 500 K showed low leakage current ( nA at 200 V) revealing a possibility of high temperature operation. The XRD rocking curve measurements revealed high quality of the epitaxial layer exhibiting a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve ~3.6 arc sec. TSC studies in a wide range of temperature (94-550 K) revealed presence of relatively shallow levels ( ~0.25 eV) in the epi bulk with a density ~7×1013 cm-3 related to Al and B impurities and deeper levels located near the metal-semiconductor interface.

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Spectroscopic performance of Schottky barrier alpha particle detectors fabricated on 50 μm thick n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers containing Z1/2, EH5, and Ci1 deep levels were investigated. The device performance was evaluated on the basis of junction current/capacitance characterization and alpha pulse-height spectroscopy. Capacitance mode deep level transient spectroscopy revealed the presence of the above-mentioned deep levels along with two shallow level defects related to titanium impurities (Ti(h) and Ti(c)) and an unidentified deep electron trap located at 2.4 eV below the conduction band minimum, which is being reported for the first time. The concentration of the lifetime killer Z1/2 defects was found to be 1.7 × 1013 cm−3. The charge transport and collection efficiency results obtained from the alpha particle pulse-height spectroscopy were interpreted using a drift-diffusion charge transport model. Based on these investigations, the physics behind the correlation of the detector properties viz., ...

-Ray Detectors Fabricated on n-Type 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer

Electron-hole pair creation energy (e) has been determined from alpha spectroscopy using 4H-SiC epitaxial layer Schottky detectors and a pulser calibration technique. We report an experimentally obtained e value of 7.28 eV in 4H-SiC. The obtained e value and theoretical models were used to calculate a Fano factor of 0.128 for 5.48 MeV alpha particles. The contributions of different factors to the ultimate alpha peak broadening in pulse-height spectra were determined using the calculated e value and Monte-Carlo simulations. The determined e value was verified using a drift-diffusion model of variation of charge collection efficiency with applied bias.

Effect of Z1/2, EH5, and Ci1 deep defects on the performance of n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers Schottky detectors: Alpha spectroscopy and deep level transient spectroscopy studies

High resolution Schottky barrier detectors for alpha particles were fabricated using 20 μm thick detector grade n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. The Schottky barrier detectors were characterized through current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. Deep level transient spectroscopic (DLTS) measurements were carried out to identify and characterize the electrically active defect levels present in the epitaxial layers. The detection properties of the Schottky detectors were characterized in terms of alpha particle peak widths in pulse height spectra obtained using a standard alpha emitting radioisotope source. The differences in the performance of different detectors were correlated on the basis of the barrier properties and the deep level defect type, concentration, and capture cross-section. Varying degree of the presence of deep level defects was found to be the reason behind the leakage current variation and the difference in the ultimate detector performance observed among the detectors. From the DLTS data it was found that at least two defect centers located at Ec-0.6 eV (Z1/2) and at Ec -1.6 eV (EH6/7),both related to carbon vacancies, affected the detector performance the most.

Experimental Determination of Electron-Hole Pair Creation Energy in 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layer: An Absolute Calibration Approach

Cd_0.9Zn_0.1Te (CZT) based pixelated radiation detectors have been fabricated and characterized for gamma ray detection. Large area CZT single crystals has been grown using a tellurium solvent method. A 10 ×10 guarded pixelated detector has been fabricated on a ~ 19.5 ×19.5 ×5 mm³ crystal cut out from the grown ingot. The pixel dimensions were 1.3 ×1.3 mm² and were pitched at 1.8 mm. A guard grid was used to reduce interpixel/inter-electrode leakage. The crystal was characterized in planar configuration using electrical, optical and optoelectronic methods prior to the fabrication of pixelated geometry. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements revealed a leakage current of 27 nA at an operating bias voltage of 1000 V and a resistivity of ~ 3.1 ×10¹⁰ Ω-cm. Infrared transmission imaging revealed an average tellurium inclusion/precipitate size less than 8 μm. Pockels measurement has revealed a near-uniform depth-wise distribution of the internal electric field. The mobility-lifetime product in this crystal was calculated to be 6.2 ×10 ^{- 3} cm²/V using alpha ray spectroscopic method. Gamma spectroscopy using a ¹³⁷Cs source on the pixelated structure showed fully resolved 662 keV gamma peaks for all the pixels, with percentage resolution (FWHM) as high as 1.8%.

Correlation of Deep Levels With Detector Performance in 4H-SiC Epitaxial Schottky Barrier Alpha Detectors

Defect levels in kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells have been investigated by current-mode deep level transient spectroscopy. Experiments were carried out on two CZTSSe cells with photoconversion efficiencies of 4.1% and 7.1% measured under AM 1.5 illumination. The absorber layer of the 4.1% efficiency cell was prepared by annealing evaporated ZnS/Cu/Sn stacked precursor under S/Se vapor, while the absorber of the 7.1% efficiency cell was prepared by co-evaporation of the constituent elements. The 4.1% efficiency CZTSSe cell with a S/(S + Se) ratio of 0.58 exhibited two dominant deep acceptor levels at Ev + 0.12 eV, and Ev + 0.32 eV identified as CuZn(-/0) and CuSn(2-/-) antisite defects, respectively. The 7.1% efficiency cell with purely Se composition S/(S + Se) = 0 showed only one shallow level at Ev + 0.03 eV corresponding to Cu-vacancy (VCu). Our results revealed that VCu is the primary defect center in the high-efficiency kesterite solar cell in contrast to the detrimental CuZn and CuSn a...

Large Area

powder under open air. Formation of both normal and inverse spinel ferrite phases was noticed after 30 minutes and 2.5 hours ball milling respectively and the content of inverse spinel phase increased with increasing milling time. The phase transformation kinetics towards formation of ferrite phases and microstructure characterization of ball milled ZnFe

{\rm Cd}_{0.9}{\rm Zn}_{0.1}{\rm Te}

Detector grade Cd0.9Zn0.1Te single crystals were grown using a tellurium solvent method. Single crystal blocks of volume ~1 cm3 were prepared for detector fabrication and characterization. The grown crystals were characterized using infra-red transmission imaging and Pockels effect measurements. Two detectors in single-polarity charge sensing configurations viz., small pixel, and virtual Frisch grid were fabricated on two crystals obtained from the same section of the ingot. Current-voltage measurements performed in planar configuration exhibited a very low leakage current of ~5 nA at 1000 V and resistivities of the order of 8.5×1010 Ω·cm. Electron drift mobilities of the order of 840 cm2/V.s and electron mobility-lifetime products of the order of 2.7×10-3 cm2/V were calculated from alpha spectroscopy using detectors in planar configuration. The small pixel and the virtual Frisch grid detector showed similar energy resolution of 3.7% for 662 keV gamma rays however, the virtual Frisch grid configuration revealed a better overall performance with a peak-to-Compton ratio of 2.8. A digital spectrometer and related software has been developed using a digitizer card and used to employ offline correction schemes to compensate for the charge loss effects, resulting in significant improvement of the 662 keV peak resolution (1.8% as compared to 3.7% without correction) obtained in the case of small pixel detector.

Pixelated Detector: Fabrication and Characterization

Detector grade Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) single crystals were grown from zone refined Cd, Zn, and Te (∼7 N) precursor materials, using a tellurium solvent method. Detectors with virtual Frisch grid configuration were fabricated using these crystals. I-V measurements revealed low leakage currents at room-temperature, ∼11 nA for one such detector D1 and ∼8 nA for another detector D2 at 1100 V. The spectroscopic performances of the two CZT virtual Frisch grid detectors have been evaluated and compared for high energy gamma ray detection. Detector D1 showed a well-resolved pulse-height spectrum with an energy resolution of ∼1.6% for the 662 keV gamma rays. Detector D2 also showed a distinct 662 keV peak but with a broader pulse-height distribution. A digital biparametric correlation study of the depth of interaction and energy deposited by the 662 keV gamma rays was carried out. A different kind of correlation pattern from that observed normally for hole trapping was noticed in the case of detector D2. Correlation o...