Matching Items (8)
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Description
Rapid processing and reduced end-of-range diffusion effects demonstrate that susceptor-assisted microwave annealing is an efficient processing alternative for electrically activating dopants and removing ion-implantation damage in ion-implanted semiconductors. Sheet resistance and Hall measurements provide evidence of electrical activation. Raman spectroscopy and ion channeling analysis monitor the extent of ion implantation

Rapid processing and reduced end-of-range diffusion effects demonstrate that susceptor-assisted microwave annealing is an efficient processing alternative for electrically activating dopants and removing ion-implantation damage in ion-implanted semiconductors. Sheet resistance and Hall measurements provide evidence of electrical activation. Raman spectroscopy and ion channeling analysis monitor the extent of ion implantation damage and recrystallization. The presence of damage and defects in ion implanted silicon, and the reduction of the defects as a result of annealing, is observed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, moreover, the boron implanted silicon is further investigated by cross-section transmission electron microscopy. When annealing B+ implanted silicon, the dissolution of small extended defects and growth of large extended defects result in reduced crystalline quality that hinders the electrical activation process. Compared to B+ implanted silicon, phosphorus implanted samples experience more effective activation and achieve better crystalline quality. Comparison of end-of-range dopants diffusion resulting from microwave annealing and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is done using secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Results from microwave annealed P+ implanted samples show that almost no diffusion occurs during time periods required for complete dopant activation and silicon recrystallization. The relative contributions to heating of the sample, by a SiC susceptor, and by Si self-heating in the microwave anneal, were also investigated. At first 20s, the main contributor to the sample's temperature rise is Si self-heating by microwave absorption.
ContributorsZhao, Zhao (Author) / Alford, Terry Lynn (Thesis advisor) / Theodore, David (Committee member) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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Description
Group IV alloy films exhibit the ability to tune both band structure and lattice parameters and have recently attracted attention for their potential applications in Si-photonics and photovoltaics. In this work, several new approaches to produce these alloys directly on Si(100) and Ge(100) wafers are developed. For photovoltaics, use of

Group IV alloy films exhibit the ability to tune both band structure and lattice parameters and have recently attracted attention for their potential applications in Si-photonics and photovoltaics. In this work, several new approaches to produce these alloys directly on Si(100) and Ge(100) wafers are developed. For photovoltaics, use of Ge-buffered Si(100) wafers as a low cost platform for epitaxy of In1-xGaxAs layers was explored. The results indicate that this approach has promise for transitioning from bulk Ge platforms to virtual substrates for a significant cost reduction. The electrical and optical properties of Ge and Ge1-ySny layers produced using several different techniques were explored via fabrication of high performance heterostructure photodiodes. First, a new CVD approach to Ge-like materials was developed in which germanium is alloyed with very small amounts of tin. These alloys exhibited no significant difference in their structural properties or band gap compared to pure Ge, however superior photo response and reduced dark currents were observed from fabricated devices relative to pure Ge on Si reference diodes. Additionally, pure Ge/Si(100) photodiodes were fabricated using layers grown via reactions of Ge4H10 on Si(100) and found to exhibit low dark current densities with high collection efficiencies. Ge1-x-ySixSny materials represent the newest member of group IV alloy family. The ability to decouple the lattice constant and the band gap in this system has led to strong interest both for strain/confinement layers in quantum well structures, and as the possible "missing" 1 eV junction in multijunction photovoltaics. Recent progress in this field has allowed for the first time growth, fabrication and measurement of novel photodiodes based on Ge1-x-ySixSny. This work presents the material, electrical and optical properties of Ge1-x-ySixSny layers and photodiodes grown directly on Ge and Si wafers using two different synthetic approaches. A series of photodiodes containing Sn concentrations from 1-5%, all lattice matched to Ge, was fabricated. The devices exhibited low dark current densities with high collection efficiencies as required for photovoltaics. By measuring the photoresponse, tunable band gaps ranging from 0.85 eV to 1.02 eV were observed.
ContributorsBeeler, Richard (Author) / Kouvetakis, John (Thesis advisor) / Menéndez, Jose (Committee member) / Chizmeshya, Andrew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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Description
Estimation of complex permittivity of arsenic-doped silicon is the primary topic of discussion in this thesis presentation. The frequency that is of interest is 2.45 GHz, frequency typically used in conventional microwave ovens. The analysis is based on closed-form analytical expressions of cylindrical symmetry. A coaxial/radial line junction with the

Estimation of complex permittivity of arsenic-doped silicon is the primary topic of discussion in this thesis presentation. The frequency that is of interest is 2.45 GHz, frequency typically used in conventional microwave ovens. The analysis is based on closed-form analytical expressions of cylindrical symmetry. A coaxial/radial line junction with the central conductor sheathed in dielectric material, which is As-doped silicon in this case, are analyzed. Electrical and magnetic field equations governing the wave propagation in this setup are formulated by applying the necessary boundary conditions. Input admittance is computed using the fields in the device and reflection coefficient is calculated at the input. This analytical solution is matched to the reflection coefficient acquired by experiments conducted, using VNA as the input source. The contemplation is backed by simulation using High Frequency Structural Simulator, HFSS. Susceptor-assisted microwave heating has been shown to be a faster and easier method of annealing arsenic-doped silicon samples. In that study, it was noticed that the microwave power absorbed by the sample can directly be linked to the heat power required for the annealing process. It probes the validity of the statement that for arsenic-doped silicon the heating curve depends only on its sheet properties and not on the bulk as such and the results presented here gives more insight to it as to why this assumption is true. The results obtained here can be accepted as accurate since it is known that this material is highly conductive and electromagnetic waves do not penetrate in to the material beyond a certain depth, which is given by the skin depth of the material. Hall measurements and four-point-probe measurements are performed on the material in support of the above contemplation.
ContributorsVaradan, Siddharth Kulasekhar (Author) / Alford, Terry L. (Thesis advisor) / Pan, George W (Thesis advisor) / Myhajlenko, Stefan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
In this work, a new method, "Nanobonding" [1,2] is conceived and researched to bond Si-based surfaces, via nucleation and growth of a 2 D silicon oxide SiOxHx interphase connecting the surfaces at the nanoscale across macroscopic domains. Nanobonding cross-bridges two smooth surfaces put into mechanical contact in an O2/H2O mixed

In this work, a new method, "Nanobonding" [1,2] is conceived and researched to bond Si-based surfaces, via nucleation and growth of a 2 D silicon oxide SiOxHx interphase connecting the surfaces at the nanoscale across macroscopic domains. Nanobonding cross-bridges two smooth surfaces put into mechanical contact in an O2/H2O mixed ambient below T <200 °C via arrays of SiOxHx molecules connecting into a continuous macroscopic bonding interphase. Nano-scale surface planarization via wet chemical processing and new spin technology are compared via Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (TMAFM) , before and after nano-bonding. Nanobonding uses precursor phases, 2D nano-films of beta-cristobalite (beta-c) SiO2, nucleated on Si(100) via the Herbots-Atluri (H-A) method [1]. beta-c SiO2 on Si(100) is ordered and flat with atomic terraces over 20 nm wide, well above 2 nm found in native oxides. When contacted with SiO2 this ultra-smooth nanophase can nucleate and grow domains with cross-bridging molecular strands of hydroxylated SiOx, instead of point contacts. The high density of molecular bonds across extended terraces forms a strong bond between Si-based substrates, nano- bonding [2] the Si and silica. A new model of beta-cristobalite SiO2 with its <110> axis aligned along Si[100] direction is simulated via ab-initio methods in a nano-bonded stack with beta-c SiO2 in contact with amorphous SiO2 (a-SiO2), modelling cross-bridging molecular bonds between beta-c SiO2 on Si(100) and a-SiO2 as during nanobonding. Computed total energies are compared with those found for Si(100) and a-SiO2 and show that the presence of two lattice cells of !-c SiO2 on Si(100) and a-SiO2 lowers energy when compared to Si(100)/ a-SiO2 Shadow cone calculations on three models of beta-c SiO2 on Si(100) are compared with Ion Beam Analysis of H-A processed Si(100). Total surface energy measurements via 3 liquid contact angle analysis of Si(100) after H-A method processing are also compared. By combining nanobonding experiments, TMAFM results, surface energy data, and ab-initio calculations, an atomistic model is derived and nanobonding is optimized. [1] US Patent 6,613,677 (9/2/03), 7,851,365 (12/14/10), [2] Patent Filed: 4/30/09, 10/1/2011
ContributorsWhaley, Shawn D (Author) / Culbertson, Robert J. (Thesis advisor) / Herbots, Nicole (Committee member) / Rez, Peter (Committee member) / Marzke, Robert F (Committee member) / Lindsay, Stuart (Committee member) / Chamberlin, Ralph V (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Description
This thesis discusses the use of low temperature microwave anneal as an alternative technique to recrystallize materials damaged or amorphized due to implantation techniques. The work focuses on the annealing of high-Z doped Si wafers that are incapable of attaining high temperatures required for recrystallizing the damaged implanted layers by

This thesis discusses the use of low temperature microwave anneal as an alternative technique to recrystallize materials damaged or amorphized due to implantation techniques. The work focuses on the annealing of high-Z doped Si wafers that are incapable of attaining high temperatures required for recrystallizing the damaged implanted layers by microwave absorption The increasing necessity for quicker and more efficient processing techniques motivates study of the use of a single frequency applicator microwave cavity along with a Fe2O3 infused SiC-alumina susceptor/applicator as an alternative post implantation process. Arsenic implanted Si samples of different dopant concentrations and implantation energies were studied pre and post microwave annealing. A set of as-implanted Si samples were also used to assess the effect of inactive dopants against presence of electrically active dopants on the recrystallization mechanisms. The extent of damage repair and Si recrystallization of the damage caused by arsenic and Si implantation of Si is determined by cross-section transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Dopant activation is evaluated for the As implanted Si by sheet resistance measurements. For the same, secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis is used to compare the extent of diffusion that results from such microwave annealing with that experienced when using conventional rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Results show that compared to susceptor assisted microwave annealing, RTA caused undesired dopant diffusion. The SiC-alumina susceptor plays a predominant role in supplying heat to the Si substrate, and acts as an assistor that helps a high-Z dopant like arsenic to absorb the microwave energy using a microwave loss mechanism which is a combination of ionic and dipole losses. Comparisons of annealing of the samples were done with and without the use of the susceptor, and confirm the role played by the susceptor, since the samples donot recrystallize when the surface heating mechanism provided by the susceptor is not incorporated. Variable frequency microwave annealing was also performed over the as-implanted Si samples for durations and temperatures higher than the single frequency microwave anneal, but only partial recrystallization of the damaged layer was achieved.
ContributorsVemuri, Rajitha (Author) / Alford, Terry L. (Thesis advisor) / Theodore, David (Committee member) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Description
High-Resistivity Silicon (HRS) substrates are important for low-loss, high-performance microwave and millimeter wave devices in high-frequency telecommunication systems. The highest resistivity of up to ~10,000 ohm.cm is Float Zone (FZ) grown Si which is produced in small quantities and moderate wafer diameter. The more common Czochralski (CZ) Si can achieve

High-Resistivity Silicon (HRS) substrates are important for low-loss, high-performance microwave and millimeter wave devices in high-frequency telecommunication systems. The highest resistivity of up to ~10,000 ohm.cm is Float Zone (FZ) grown Si which is produced in small quantities and moderate wafer diameter. The more common Czochralski (CZ) Si can achieve resistivities of around 1000 ohm.cm, but the wafers contain oxygen that can lead to thermal donor formation with donor concentration significantly higher (~1015 cm-3) than the dopant concentration (~1012-1013 cm-3) of such high-resistivity Si leading to resistivity changes and possible type conversion of high-resistivity p-type silicon. In this research capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization is employed to study the donor formation and type conversion of p-type High-resistivity Silicon-On-Insulator (HRSOI) wafers and the challenges involved in C-V characterization of HRSOI wafers using a Schottky contact are highlighted. The maximum capacitance of bulk or Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafers is governed by the gate/contact area. During C-V characterization of high-resistivity SOI wafers with aluminum contacts directly on the Si film (Schottky contact); it was observed that the maximum capacitance is much higher than that due to the contact area, suggesting bias spreading due to the distributed transmission line of the film resistance and the buried oxide capacitance. In addition, an "S"-shape C-V plot was observed in the accumulation region. The effects of various factors, such as: frequency, contact and substrate sizes, gate oxide, SOI film thickness, film and substrate doping, carrier lifetime, contact work-function, temperature, light, annealing temperature and radiation on the C-V characteristics of HRSOI wafers are studied. HRSOI wafers have the best crosstalk prevention capability compared to other types of wafers, which plays a major role in system-on-chip configuration to prevent coupling between high frequency digital and sensitive analog circuits. Substrate crosstalk in HRSOI and various factors affecting the crosstalk, such as: substrate resistivity, separation between devices, buried oxide (BOX) thickness, radiation, temperature, annealing, light, and device types are discussed. Also various ways to minimize substrate crosstalk are studied and a new characterization method is proposed. Owing to their very low doping concentrations and the presence of oxygen in CZ wafers, HRS wafers pose a challenge in resistivity measurement using conventional techniques such as four-point probe and Hall measurement methods. In this research the challenges in accurate resistivity measurement using four-point probe, Hall method, and C-V profile are highlighted and a novel approach to extract resistivity of HRS wafers based on Impedance Spectroscopy measurements using polymer dielectrics such as Polystyrene and Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) is proposed.
ContributorsNayak, Pinakpani (Author) / Schroder, Dieter K. (Thesis advisor) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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Description
Due to the ever increasing relevance of finer machining control as well as necessary reduction in material waste by large area semiconductor device manufacturers, a novel bulk laser machining method was investigated. Because the cost of silicon and sapphire substrates are limiting to the reduction in cost of devices

Due to the ever increasing relevance of finer machining control as well as necessary reduction in material waste by large area semiconductor device manufacturers, a novel bulk laser machining method was investigated. Because the cost of silicon and sapphire substrates are limiting to the reduction in cost of devices in both the light emitting diode (LED) and solar industries, and the present substrate wafering process results in >50% waste, the need for an improved ingot wafering technique exists.

The focus of this work is the design and understanding of a novel semiconductor wafering technique that utilizes the nonlinear absorption properties of band-gapped materials to achieve bulk (subsurface) morphological changes in matter using highly focused laser light. A method and tool was designed and developed to form controlled damage regions in the bulk of a crystalline sapphire wafer leaving the surfaces unaltered. The controllability of the subsurface damage geometry was investigated, and the effect of numerical aperture of the focusing optic, energy per pulse, wavelength, and number of pulses was characterized for a nanosecond pulse length variable wavelength Nd:YAG OPO laser.

A novel model was developed to describe the geometry of laser induced morphological changes in the bulk of semiconducting materials for nanosecond pulse lengths. The beam propagation aspect of the model was based on ray-optics, and the full Keldysh multiphoton photoionization theory in conjuncture with Thornber's and Drude's models for impact ionization were used to describe high fluence laser light absorption and carrier generation ultimately resulting in permanent material modification though strong electron-plasma absorption and plasma melting. Although the electron-plasma description of laser damage formation is usually reserved for extremely short laser pulses (<20 ps), this work shows that it can be adapted for longer pulses of up to tens of nanoseconds.

In addition to a model describing damage formation of sub-band gap energy laser light in semiconducting and transparent crystalline dielectrics, a novel nanosecond laser process was successfully realized to generate a thin plane of damage in the bulk of sapphire wafers. This was accomplished using high numerical aperture optics, a variable wavelength nanosecond laser source, and three-dimensional motorized precision stage control.
ContributorsLeBeau, James (Author) / Bowden, Stuart (Thesis advisor) / Honsberg, Christiana (Committee member) / Bertoni, Mariana (Committee member) / Cotter, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
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Description
The thesis focuses on cost-efficient integration of the electro-chemical residue sensor (ECRS), a novel sensor developed for the in situ and real-time measurement of the residual impurities left on the wafer surface and in the fine structures of patterned wafers during typical rinse processes, and wireless transponder circuitry that is

The thesis focuses on cost-efficient integration of the electro-chemical residue sensor (ECRS), a novel sensor developed for the in situ and real-time measurement of the residual impurities left on the wafer surface and in the fine structures of patterned wafers during typical rinse processes, and wireless transponder circuitry that is based on RFID technology. The proposed technology uses only the NMOS FD-SOI transistors with amorphous silicon as active material with silicon nitride as a gate dielectric. The proposed transistor was simulated under the SILVACO ATLAS Simulation Framework. A parametric study was performed to study the impact of different gate lengths (6 μm to 56 μm), electron motilities (0.1 cm2/Vs to 1 cm2/Vs), gate dielectric (SiO2 and SiNx) and active materials (a-Si and poly-Si) specifications. Level-1 models, that are accurate enough to acquire insight into the circuit behavior and perform preliminary design, were successfully constructed by analyzing drain current and gate to node capacitance characteristics against drain to source and gate to source voltages. Using the model corresponding to SiNx as gate dielectric, a-Si:H as active material with electron mobility equal to 0.4 cm2/V-sec, an operational amplifier was designed and was tested in unity gain configuration at modest load-frequency specifications.
ContributorsPandit, Vedhas (Author) / Vermeire, Bert (Thesis advisor) / Barnaby, Hugh (Committee member) / Chae, Junseok (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010