Papers by Keyword: Raman Scattering

Abstract: We characterized the 4H- and 6H-SiC bulk crystals with graded doping and epitaxial films with various carrier densities by Raman scattering spectroscopy. Electrical properties such as free carrier density were examined for the SiC crystals through Raman measurements of the A1 LO-phonon plasmon coupled (LOPC) mode and its line shape analysis. The peak frequency and band width of LOPC mode varied with carrier density in the range from 1016 to 1019 cm-3. The line shape analysis revealed that the carrier density in the SiC crystals can be simply estimated from measured frequency shift of LOPC mode for 4H- and 6H-SiC crystals.

Abstract: We have presented a combined method of microscopic measurements between Raman scattering and polarizing optical microscope to characterize inhomogeneous residual stress distributions around dislocations in 4H- and 6H-SiC wafers. First, stressed portions were found in wafers by an optical polarizing microscope under a crossed Nicole arrangement. Then, the portions were examined by Raman-imaging technique for lateral variations of phonon spectra. The residual stresses were quantified from the phonon-peak frequency shift using a known frequency-shift rate for 6H-SiC. Characterization to the depth direction was also conducted by surface etching with molten KOH. The stresses typically amounted to the order of 100 MPa. In a 4H-SiC homoepitaxial wafer sample, we observed threading dislocations transferred from the substrate to the epitaxial layer, and found that larger stress fields existed in the epitaxial layer than the substrate. We also observed stress distributions around compressively stressed sub-grain boundaries.

Abstract: The polytype structural variations of a set of SiC bulk wafers with different Nitrogen (N) doping levels, prepared by Physical Vapore Deposition (PVD), are studied. The initial growth conditions were used to produce 6H-polytype SiC, which has been approved for the undoped and lightly doped materials. However, when extreme high N-dopants were applied, the obtained wafer was found with 4H- and 15R-polytype features. Our experimental results of HR-TEM and Raman scattering have revealed clearly the polytype transformation, indicating that the inducement of N in the reactor leads to the polytype transformation of the resulted SiC crystal.

Abstract: The GaAs1-xNx alloy semiconductor has been grown on GaAs (001), (111)A and (011) substrates by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy. High resolution X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering were employed to examine the effective N content and the growth rate, as a function of the substrate-surface orientation. The growth rate, which was assessed though the clear Pendellösung fringes, and the N content were found to change dramatically with the substrate-surface orientations. The N content was determined in the order (111)A > (001) > (011). While, the growth rate is in the order, (001) > (011) > (111)A. The effect of substrate-surface orientation on the N incorporation found in the present study is interpreted in terms of the difference in the growth rate on each surface orientation and the number of dangling bonds with which the N atoms can be trapped on the growing surface. Our results show that controlled nitrogen incorporating for GaAsN is successfully achieved and can be applied to the fabrication of some novel structures such as a spontaneous N content modulated structure, which is applicable to high performance long wavelength laser diodes.

Abstract: Zn2TiO4 nanostructures were synthesized by the thermal oxidation method. Zn with 0, 10, 20, and 30 mol% TiO2 mixed powder were blended in polyvinyl alcohol and coated on an alumina substrate to form thick films. The thick films were heated at temperature of 600, 700, and 800°C under normal atmosphere for 24 hrs. FE-SEM images showed belt-liked nanostructures with the length of 0.3-30 µm, the width of 30-1800 µm, and the thickness ranging in the order of nm. Ti was incorporated into the nanostructures with ZnO to form Zinc titanate compound, indicated by EDS. Raman spectra and XRD results suggested that phase of Zinc titanate is cubic Zn2TiO4. The oxidation temperature and TiO2 content are critical to the phase quality of the nanostructures.

Abstract: This work presents the optical and structural characterization of p-type GaAs epilayers. The gallium precursor was the organometallic compound trimethylgallium (TMG). The influence of the doping in the optical and structural properties of the GaAs layers has been studied by photoluminescence (PL) and Raman dispersion measurements. The range of analyzed hole concentration was from 1017 to 1019 cm-3 as measured by the Hall-van der Pauw method. For carrying out doping p-type, it was necessary to modify the hydrogen activity in the growth atmosphere with the control of a H2+N2 mixture, which was used like transporting gas. The photoluminescence response and Raman dispersion of the layers are strongly dependence of the growth temperature, which were investigated based on the hole concentration. The PL response of the layers shows two radiative transitions, band-to-band and band-to-C-acceptor at low hole concentration and disappears at high concentrations. Raman scattering spectra show LO mode at 270 cm-1 for low doped samples and a LO-like mode at 290 cm-1 produced by the phonon-holeplasmon coupling for high doped samples.

Abstract: The properties of SiOx layer prepared by magnetron sputtering is studied by photoluminescence Auger and SIMS methods. The depth distribution of emission characteristics and chemical composition is obtained. It is shown that as-sputtered SiOx layers are non-emitted and characterized by homogeneous enough chemical composition. High-temperature annealing in nitrogen atmosphere stimulates not only the Si nanocrystal formation but also the redistribution of silicon and the appearance of Si depleted region near layer-substrate interface. The last process is found to be dependent on excess Si content. It is found that decrease of silicon content in the depth of annealed layers is followed by the decrease of particle sizes that is proved by the blue shift of photoluminescence maximum. The possible reasons of the appearance of Si depleted region are discussed.

Abstract: We have investigated effect of the In- and N-rich growth conditions on the structural modification of cubic-phase InN (c-InN) films grown on GaAs (001) substrates by rf-plasmaassisted molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE). High resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and Raman scattering measurements were performed to examine the hexagonal phase generation in the c-InN grown films. It is evident that higher crystal quality c-InN films with higher cubic phase purity (~82%) were achieved under the In-rich growth condition. On the other hand, for the N-rich growth condition, the c-InN films exhibited higher incorporation of hexagonal phase, which is generated in the cubic phase through the incidental stacking faults on the c-InN (111) planes. Our results demonstrate that the In-rich growth condition plays a critical role in the growth of high quality c-InN films with higher cubic phase purity.

Abstract: Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films produced by layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition technique were studied. The films were grown at different hydrogen to silane flow-rate ratio on crystal silicon (111) substrate. The properties of films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, optical transmission spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). These properties showed dependence on the hydrogen dilution of silane. Appearance of XRD peaks at diffraction angles of 28.4 o and 56.1 o which correspond to silicon orientation of (111) and (311) respectively, were observed in all films indicating evidence of crystallinity in the films. Raman scattering results indicated that crystallinity in the films was due to the presence of nanocrystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix. The energy gap of the films showed dependence on the hydrogen content in the films. Increase in nanocrystallite size resulted in increase in disorder at low hydrogen dilution films but films remain homogenous with increase in nanocrystallite size for the high hydrogen dilution films.