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- All Subjects: Microwave
- Creators: Alford, Terry L.
- Creators: Jiang, Nan
Description
ABSTRACT Along with the fast development of science and technology, the studied materials are becoming more complicated and smaller. All these achievements have advanced with the fast development of powerful tools currently, such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and so on. SiTiO3 thin film, which is grown on Si (100) single crystals, attracts a lot of interest in its structural and electronic properties close to its interface. Valence EELS is used to investigate the Plasmon excitations of the ultrathin SrTiO3 thin film which is sandwiched between amorphous Si and crystalline Si layers. On the other hand, theoretical simulations based on dielectric functions have been done to interpret the experimental results. Our findings demonstrate the value of valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy in detecting a local change in the effective electron mass. Recently it is reported that ZnO-LiYbO2 hybrid phosphor is an efficient UV-infrared convertor for silicon solar cell but the mechanism is still not very clear. The microstructure of Li and Yb co-doped ZnO has been studied by SEM and EDX, and our results suggest that a reaction (or diffusion) zone is very likely to exist between LiYbO2 and ZnO. Such diffusion regions may be responsible for the enhanced infrared emission in the Yb and Li co-doped ZnO. Furthermore, to help us study the diffusion zone under TEM in future, the radiation damage on synthesized LiYbO2 has been studied at first, and then the electronic structure of the synthesized LiYbO2 is compared with Yb2O3 experimentally and theoretically, by EELS and FEFF8 respectively.
ContributorsYang, Bo (Author) / Alford, Terry (Thesis advisor) / Jiang, Nan (Committee member) / Theodore, N. David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Microwave (MW), thermal, and ultraviolet (UV) annealing were used to explore the response of Ag structures on a Ge-Se chalcogenide glass (ChG) thin film as flexible radiation sensors, and Te-Ti chalcogenide thin films as a material for diffusion barriers in microelectronics devices and processing of metallized Cu. Flexible resistive radiation sensors consisting of Ag electrodes on a Ge20Se80 ChG thin film and polyethylene naphthalate substrate were exposed to UV radiation. The sensors were mounted on PVC tubes of varying radii to induce bending strains and annealed under ambient conditions up to 150 oC. Initial sensor resistance was measured to be ~1012 Ω; after exposure to UV radiation, the resistance was ~104 Ω. Bending strain and low temperature annealing had no significant effect on the resistance of the sensors. Samples of Cu on Te-Ti thin films were annealed in vacuum for up to 30 minutes and were stable up to 500 oC as revealed using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and four-point-probe analysis. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) indicates Cu grain growth up to 500 oC and phase instability of the Te-Ti barrier at 600 oC. MW processing was performed in a 2.45-GHz microwave cavity on Cu/Te-Ti films for up to 30 seconds to induce oxide growth. Using a calibrated pyrometer above the sample, the temperature of the MW process was measured to be below a maximum of 186 oC. Four-point-probe analysis shows an increase in resistance with an increase in MW time. XRD indicates growth of CuO on the sample surface. RBS suggests oxidation throughout the Te-Ti film. Additional samples were exposed to 907 J/cm2 UV radiation in order to ensure other possible electromagnetically induced mechanisms were not active. There were no changes observed using XRD, RBS or four point probing.
ContributorsRoos, Benjamin, 1990- (Author) / Alford, Terry L. (Thesis advisor) / Theodore, David (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Thin films have been widely used in various applications. This research focuses on the characterization of novel thin films in the integrated circuits and photovoltaic techniques. The ion implanted layer in silicon can be treated as ion implanted thin film, which plays an essential role in the integrated circuits fabrication. Novel rapid annealing methods, i.e. microwave annealing and laser annealing, are conducted to activate ion dopants and repair the damages, and then are compared with the conventional rapid thermal annealing (RTA). In terms of As+ and P+ implanted Si, the electrical and structural characterization confirms that the microwave and laser annealing can achieve more efficient dopant activation and recrystallization than conventional RTA. The efficient dopant activation in microwave annealing is attributed to ion hopping under microwave field, while the liquid phase growth in laser annealing provides its efficient dopant activation. The characterization of dopants diffusion shows no visible diffusion after microwave annealing, some extent of end range of diffusion after RTA, and significant dopant diffusion after laser annealing.
For photovoltaic applications, an indium-free novel three-layer thin-film structure (transparent composited electrode (TCE)) is demonstrated as a promising transparent conductive electrode for solar cells. The characterization of TCE mainly focuses on its optical and electrical properties. Transfer matrix method for optical transmittance calculation is validated and proved to be a desirable method for predicting transmittance of TCE containing continuous metal layer, and can estimate the trend of transmittance as the layer thickness changes. TiO2/Ag/TiO2 (TAgT) electrode for organic solar cells (OSCs) is then designed using numerical simulation and shows much higher Haacke figure of merit than indium tin oxide (ITO). In addition, TAgT based OSC shows better performance than ITO based OSC when compatible hole transfer layer is employed. The electrical and structural characterization of hole transfer layers (HTLs) in OSCs reveals MoO3 is the compatible HTL for TAgT anode. In the end, the reactive ink printed Ag film for solar cell contact application is studied by characterizing its electromigration lifetime. A percolative model is proposed and validated for predicting the resistivity and lifetime of printed Ag thin films containing porous structure.
For photovoltaic applications, an indium-free novel three-layer thin-film structure (transparent composited electrode (TCE)) is demonstrated as a promising transparent conductive electrode for solar cells. The characterization of TCE mainly focuses on its optical and electrical properties. Transfer matrix method for optical transmittance calculation is validated and proved to be a desirable method for predicting transmittance of TCE containing continuous metal layer, and can estimate the trend of transmittance as the layer thickness changes. TiO2/Ag/TiO2 (TAgT) electrode for organic solar cells (OSCs) is then designed using numerical simulation and shows much higher Haacke figure of merit than indium tin oxide (ITO). In addition, TAgT based OSC shows better performance than ITO based OSC when compatible hole transfer layer is employed. The electrical and structural characterization of hole transfer layers (HTLs) in OSCs reveals MoO3 is the compatible HTL for TAgT anode. In the end, the reactive ink printed Ag film for solar cell contact application is studied by characterizing its electromigration lifetime. A percolative model is proposed and validated for predicting the resistivity and lifetime of printed Ag thin films containing porous structure.
ContributorsZhao, Zhao (Author) / Alford, Terry L. (Thesis advisor) / Anwar, Shahriar (Committee member) / Theodore, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
In this dissertation research, conventional and aberration-corrected (AC) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to evaluate the structural and compositional properties of thin-film semiconductor compounds/alloys grown by molecular beam epitaxy for infrared photo-detection. Imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy techniques were applied to TEM specimens in cross-section geometry to extract information about extended structural defects, chemical homogeneity and interface abruptness. The materials investigated included InAs1-xBix alloys grown on GaSb (001) substrates, InAs/InAs1-xSbx type-II superlattices grown on GaSb (001) substrates, and CdTe-based thin-film structures grown on InSb (001) substrates.
The InAsBi dilute-bismide epitaxial films were grown on GaSb (001) substrates at relatively low growth temperatures. The films were mostly free of extended defects, as observed in diffraction-contrast images, but the incorporation of bismuth was not homogeneous, as manifested by the lateral Bi-composition modulation and Bi-rich surface droplets. Successful Bi incorporation into the InAs matrix was confirmed using lattice expansion measurements obtained from misfit strain analysis of high-resolution TEM (HREM) images.
Analysis of averaged intensity line profiles in HREM and scanning TEM (STEM) images of the Ga-free InAs/InAs1-xSbx type-II strained superlattices indicated slight variations in layer thickness across the superlattice stack. The interface abruptness was evaluated using misfit strain analysis of AC-STEM images, electron energy-loss spectroscopy and 002 dark-field imaging. The compositional profiles of antimony across the superlattices were fitted to a segregation model and revealed a strong antimony segregation probability.
The CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe double-heterostructures were grown with Cd overflux in a dual-chamber molecular beam epitaxy with an ultra-high vacuum transfer loadlock. Diffraction-contrast images showed that the growth temperature had a strong impact on the structural quality of the epilayers. Very abrupt CdTe/InSb interfaces were obtained for epilayers grown at the optimum temperature of 265 °C, and high-resolution imaging using AC-STEM revealed an interfacial transition region with a width of a few monolayers and smaller lattice spacing than either CdTe or InSb.
The InAsBi dilute-bismide epitaxial films were grown on GaSb (001) substrates at relatively low growth temperatures. The films were mostly free of extended defects, as observed in diffraction-contrast images, but the incorporation of bismuth was not homogeneous, as manifested by the lateral Bi-composition modulation and Bi-rich surface droplets. Successful Bi incorporation into the InAs matrix was confirmed using lattice expansion measurements obtained from misfit strain analysis of high-resolution TEM (HREM) images.
Analysis of averaged intensity line profiles in HREM and scanning TEM (STEM) images of the Ga-free InAs/InAs1-xSbx type-II strained superlattices indicated slight variations in layer thickness across the superlattice stack. The interface abruptness was evaluated using misfit strain analysis of AC-STEM images, electron energy-loss spectroscopy and 002 dark-field imaging. The compositional profiles of antimony across the superlattices were fitted to a segregation model and revealed a strong antimony segregation probability.
The CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe double-heterostructures were grown with Cd overflux in a dual-chamber molecular beam epitaxy with an ultra-high vacuum transfer loadlock. Diffraction-contrast images showed that the growth temperature had a strong impact on the structural quality of the epilayers. Very abrupt CdTe/InSb interfaces were obtained for epilayers grown at the optimum temperature of 265 °C, and high-resolution imaging using AC-STEM revealed an interfacial transition region with a width of a few monolayers and smaller lattice spacing than either CdTe or InSb.
ContributorsLu, Jing (Author) / Smith, David J. (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry L. (Committee member) / Crozier, Peter A. (Committee member) / McCartney, Martha R. (Committee member) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The chemical, structural, and electrical properties of niobium-silicon, niobium-germanium, and YBCO-dielectric interfaces are characterized. Reduction in the concentration of interfacial defects in these structures can improve the performance of (i) many devices including low-loss coplanar, microstrip, and stripline microwave resonators used in next-generation cryogenic communication, sensor, and quantum information technologies and (ii) layers used in device isolation, inter-wiring dielectrics, and passivation in microwave and Josephson junction circuit fabrication.
Methods were developed to synthesize amorphous-Ge (a-Ge) and homoepitaxial-Si dielectric thin-films with loss tangents of 1–2×10 -6 and 0.6–2×10 -5 at near single-photon powers and sub-Kelvin temperatures (≈40 mK), making them potentially a better choice over undoped silicon and sapphire substrates used in quantum devices. The Nb/Ge interface has 20 nm of chemical intermixing, which is reduced by a factor of four using 10 nm Ta diffusion layers. Niobium coplanar resonators using this structure exhibit reduced microwave losses.
The nature and concentration of defects near Nb-Si interfaces prepared with commonly-used Si surface treatments were characterized. All samples have H, C, O, F, and Cl in the Si within 50 nm of the interface, and electrically active defects with activation energies of 0.147, 0.194, 0.247, 0.339, and 0.556 eV above the valence band maximum (E vbm ), with concentrations dominated by a hole trap at E vbm +0.556 eV (presumably Nb Si ). The optimum surface treatment is an HF etch followed by an in-situ 100 eV Ar ion mill. RCA etches, and higher energy ion milling processes increase the concentration of electrically active defects.
A thin SrTiO 3 buffer layer used in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductor/high-performance Ba(Zn 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 and Ba(Cd 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 microwave dielectric trilayers improves the structural quality of the layers and results in 90 K superconductor critical temperatures. This advance enables the production of more compact high-temperature superconductor capacitors, inductors, and microwave microstrip and stripline devices.
Methods were developed to synthesize amorphous-Ge (a-Ge) and homoepitaxial-Si dielectric thin-films with loss tangents of 1–2×10 -6 and 0.6–2×10 -5 at near single-photon powers and sub-Kelvin temperatures (≈40 mK), making them potentially a better choice over undoped silicon and sapphire substrates used in quantum devices. The Nb/Ge interface has 20 nm of chemical intermixing, which is reduced by a factor of four using 10 nm Ta diffusion layers. Niobium coplanar resonators using this structure exhibit reduced microwave losses.
The nature and concentration of defects near Nb-Si interfaces prepared with commonly-used Si surface treatments were characterized. All samples have H, C, O, F, and Cl in the Si within 50 nm of the interface, and electrically active defects with activation energies of 0.147, 0.194, 0.247, 0.339, and 0.556 eV above the valence band maximum (E vbm ), with concentrations dominated by a hole trap at E vbm +0.556 eV (presumably Nb Si ). The optimum surface treatment is an HF etch followed by an in-situ 100 eV Ar ion mill. RCA etches, and higher energy ion milling processes increase the concentration of electrically active defects.
A thin SrTiO 3 buffer layer used in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductor/high-performance Ba(Zn 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 and Ba(Cd 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 microwave dielectric trilayers improves the structural quality of the layers and results in 90 K superconductor critical temperatures. This advance enables the production of more compact high-temperature superconductor capacitors, inductors, and microwave microstrip and stripline devices.
ContributorsKopas, Cameron Joseph (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry L. (Committee member) / Carpenter, Ray W (Committee member) / Williams, Peter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020