Substrate effects on the formation of flat Ag films on (110) surfaces of III-V compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, K.; Zhang, Z.; Ebert, P.; Shih, C.K.

1999-01-01

Ag films grown at 135 K on (110) surfaces of III-V compound semiconductors and annealed at room temperature are investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. Ag films on Ga-V semiconductors are well ordered, atomically flat, and exhibit a specific critical thickness, which is a function of the substrate material. Films grown on In-V semiconductors are still rather flat, but significantly more disordered. The (111) oriented Ag films on III-arsenides and III-phosphides exhibit a clear twofold superstructure. Films on III-antimonides exhibit threefold low-energy electron diffraction images. The morphology of the Ag films can be explained on the basis of the electronic growth mechanism. copyright 1999 The American Physical Society

Computational Search for Two-Dimensional MX2 Semiconductors with Possible High Electron Mobility at Room Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhishuo Huang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Neither of the two typical two-dimensional materials, graphene and single layer MoS 2 , are good enough for developing semiconductor logical devices. We calculated the electron mobility of 14 two-dimensional semiconductors with composition of MX 2 , where M (=Mo, W, Sn, Hf, Zr and Pt are transition metals, and Xs are S, Se and Te. We approximated the electron phonon scattering matrix by deformation potentials, within which long wave longitudinal acoustical and optical phonon scatterings were included. Piezoelectric scattering in the compounds without inversion symmetry is also taken into account. We found that out of the 14 compounds, WS 2 , PtS 2 and PtSe 2 are promising for logical devices regarding the possible high electron mobility and finite band gap. Especially, the phonon limited electron mobility in PtSe 2 reaches about 4000 cm 2 ·V - 1 ·s - 1 at room temperature, which is the highest among the compounds with an indirect bandgap of about 1.25 eV under the local density approximation. Our results can be the first guide for experiments to synthesize better two-dimensional materials for future semiconductor devices.

The electronic structure of impurities in semiconductors

CERN Multimedia

Nylandsted larsen, A; Svane, A

2002-01-01

The electronic structure of isolated substitutional or interstitial impurities in group IV, IV-IV, and III-V compound semiconductors will be studied. Mössbauer spectroscopy will be used to investigate the incorporation of the implanted isotopes on the proper lattice sites. The data can be directly compared to theoretical calculations using the LMTO scheme. Deep level transient spectroscopy will be used to identify the band gap levels introduced by metallic impurities, mainly in Si~and~Si$ _{x}$Ge$_{1-x}$. \\\\ \\\\

Electronic structure of semiconductor interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herman, F

1983-02-01

The study of semiconductor interfaces is one of the most active and exciting areas of current semiconductor research. Because interfaces play a vital role in modern semiconductor technology (integrated circuits, heterojunction lasers, solar cells, infrared detectors, etc.), there is a strong incentive to understand interface properties at a fundamental level and advance existing technology thereby. At the same time, technological advances such as molecular beam epitaxy have paved the way for the fabrication of semiconductor heterojunctions and superlattices of novel design which exhibit unusual electronic, optical, and magnetic properties and offer unique opportunities for fundamental scientific research. A general perspective on this subject is offered treating such topics as the atomic and electronic structure of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces; oxidation and oxide layers; semiconductor heterojunctions and superlattices; rectifying metal-semiconductor contacts; and interface reactions. Recent progress is emphasized and some future directions are indicated. In addition, the role that large-scale scientific computation has played in furthering our theoretical understanding of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces is discussed. Finally, the nature of theoretical models, and the role they play in describing the physical world is considered.

Electronic structure of semiconductor interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, F.

1983-01-01

The study of semiconductor interfaces is one of the most active and exciting areas of current semiconductor research. Because interfaces play a vital role in modern semiconductor technology (integrated circuits, heterojunction lasers, solar cells, infrared detectors, etc.), there is a strong incentive to understand interface properties at a fundamental level and advance existing technology thereby. At the same time, technological advances such as molecular beam epitaxy have paved the way for the fabrication of semiconductor heterojunctions and superlattices of novel design which exhibit unusual electronic, optical, and magnetic properties and offer unique opportunities for fundamental scientific research. A general perspective on this subject is offered treating such topics as the atomic and electronic structure of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces; oxidation and oxide layers; semiconductor heterojunctions and superlattices; rectifying metal-semiconductor contacts; and interface reactions. Recent progress is emphasized and some future directions are indicated. In addition, the role that large-scale scientific computation has played in furthering our theoretical understanding of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces is discussed. Finally, the nature of theoretical models, and the role they play in describing the physical world is considered. (Author) [pt

Microscopical Studies of Structural and Electronic Properties of Semiconductors

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The electronic and structural properties of point defects in semiconductors, e.g. radiation defects, impurities or passivating defects can excellently be studied by the hyperfine technique of Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC). The serious limitation of this method, the small number of chemically different radioactive PAC probe atoms can be widely overcome by means of ISOLDE. Providing shortliving isotopes, which represent common dopants as well as suitable PAC probe atoms, the ISOLDE facility enables a much broader application of PAC to problems in semiconductor physics.\\\\ Using the probe atom $^{111m}$ Cd , the whole class of III-V compounds becomes accessible for PAC investigations. First successful experiments in GaAs, InP and GaP have been performed, concerning impurity complex formation and plasma induced defects. In Si and Ge, the electronic properties~-~especially their influence on acceptor-donor interaction~-~could be exemplarily st...

Electronic properties of semiconductor surfaces and metal/semiconductor interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tallarida, M.

2005-05-15

This thesis reports investigations of the electronic properties of a semiconductor surface (silicon carbide), a reactive metal/semiconductor interface (manganese/silicon) and a non-reactive metal/semiconductor interface (aluminum-magnesium alloy/silicon). The (2 x 1) reconstruction of the 6H-SiC(0001) surface has been obtained by cleaving the sample along the (0001) direction. This reconstruction has not been observed up to now for this compound, and has been compared with those of similar elemental semiconductors of the fourth group of the periodic table. This comparison has been carried out by making use of photoemission spectroscopy, analyzing the core level shifts of both Si 2p and C 1s core levels in terms of charge transfer between atoms of both elements and in different chemical environments. From this comparison, a difference between the reconstruction on the Si-terminated and the C-terminated surface was established, due to the ionic nature of the Si-C bond. The growth of manganese films on Si(111) in the 1-5 ML thickness range has been studied by means of LEED, STM and photoemission spectroscopy. By the complementary use of these surface science techniques, two different phases have been observed for two thickness regimes (<1 ML and >1 ML), which exhibit a different electronic character. The two reconstructions, the (1 x 1)-phase and the ({radical}3 x {radical}3)R30 -phase, are due to silicide formation, as observed in core level spectroscopy. The growth proceeds via island formation in the monolayer regime, while the thicker films show flat layers interrupted by deep holes. On the basis of STM investigations, this growth mode has been attributed to strain due to lattice mismatch between the substrate and the silicide. Co-deposition of Al and Mg onto a Si(111) substrate at low temperature (100K) resulted in the formation of thin alloy films. By varying the relative content of both elements, the thin films exhibited different electronic properties

A first-principles study of the electronic structure of the sulvanite compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osorio-Guillen, J.M., E-mail: jorge.osorio@fisica.udea.edu.co [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin A.A. 1226 (Colombia); Espinosa-Garcia, W.F. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin A.A. 1226 (Colombia)

2012-03-15

We have investigated by means of first-principles total energy calculations the electronic structure of the sulvanite compounds: Cu{sub 3}VS{sub 4}, Cu{sub 3}NbS{sub 4} and Cu{sub 3}TaS{sub 4}; the later is a possible candidate as a p-type transparent conductor with potential applications in solar cells and electrochromic devices. The calculated electronic structure shows that these compounds are indirect band gap semiconductors, with the valence band maximum located at the R-point and the conduction band minimum located at the X-point. The character of the valence band maximum is dominated by Cu d-states and the character of the conduction band minimum is due to the d-states of the group five elements. From the calculated charge density and electron localisation function we can conclude that the sulvanite compounds are polar covalent semiconductors.

Scanning electron microscopy of semiconductor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bresse, J.F.; Dupuy, M.

1978-01-01

The use of scanning electron microscopy in semiconductors opens up a large field of use. The operating modes lending themselves to the study of semiconductors are the induced current, cathodoluminescence and the use of the potential contrast which can also be applied very effectively to the study of the devices (planar in particular). However, a thorough knowledge of the mechanisms of the penetration of electrons, generation and recombination of generated carriers in a semiconductor is necessary in order to attain a better understanding of the operating modes peculiar to semiconductors [fr

Bond charges and electronic charge transfer in ternary semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pietsch, U.

1986-01-01

By means of a simple molecule-theoretic model of 'linear superposition of two-electron molecules' the bond charges between nearest neighbours and the effective charges of ions are calculated for ternary zinc-blende structure alloys as well as chalcopyrite semiconductors. Taking into account both, the charge transfer among the ions caused by the differences of electronegativities of atoms used and between the bonds created by the internal stress of the lattice a nearly unvaried averaged bond charge amount of the alloy is found, but rather dramatically changed local bond charge parameters in comparison with the respective values of binary compounds used. This fact should influence the noncentral force interaction in such semiconductors. (author)

Self-consistent method for quantifying indium content from X-ray spectra of thick compound semiconductor specimens in a transmission electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Walther, T; Wang, X

2016-05-01

Based on Monte Carlo simulations of X-ray generation by fast electrons we calculate curves of effective sensitivity factors for analytical transmission electron microscopy based energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy including absorption and fluorescence effects, as a function of Ga K/L ratio for different indium and gallium containing compound semiconductors. For the case of InGaN alloy thin films we show that experimental spectra can thus be quantified without the need to measure specimen thickness or density, yielding self-consistent values for quantification with Ga K and Ga L lines. The effect of uncertainties in the detector efficiency are also shown to be reduced. © 2015 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2015 Royal Microscopical Society.

Temperature dependent electronic conduction in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, G.G.; Munn, R.W.

1980-01-01

This review describes the temperature dependence of bulk-controlled electronic currents in semiconductors. The scope of the article is wide in that it contrasts conduction mechanisms in inorganic and organic solids and also single crystal and disordered semiconductors. In many experimental situations it is the metal-semiconductor contact or the interface between two dissimilar semiconductors that governs the temperature dependence of the conductivity. However, in order to keep the length of the review within reasonable bounds, these topics have been largely avoided and emphasis is therefore placed on bulk-limited currents. A central feature of electronic conduction in semiconductors is the concentrations of mobile electrons and holes that contribute to the conductivity. Various statistical approaches may be used to calculate these densities which are normally strongly temperature dependent. Section 1 emphasizes the relationship between the position of the Fermi level, the distribution of quantum states, the total number of electrons available and the absolute temperature of the system. The inclusion of experimental data for several materials is designed to assist the experimentalist in his interpretation of activation energy curves. Sections 2 and 3 refer to electronic conduction in disordered solids and molecular crystals, respectively. In these cases alternative approaches to the conventional band theory approach must be considered. For example, the velocities of the charge carriers are usually substantially lower than those in conventional inorganic single crystal semiconductors, thus introducing the possibility of an activated mobility. Some general electronic properties of these materials are given in the introduction to each of these sections and these help to set the conduction mechanisms in context. (orig.)

Selective photochemical dry etching of compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashby, C.I.H.

1988-01-01

When laser-driven etching of a semiconductor requires direct participation of photogenerated carriers, the etching quantum yield will be sensitive to the electronic properties of a specific semiconductor material. The band-gap energy of the semiconductor determines the minimum photon energy needed for carrier-driven etching since sub-gap photons do not generate free carriers. However, only those free carriers that reach the reacting surface contribute to etching and the ultimate carrier flux to the surface is controlled by more subtle electronic properties than the lowest-energy band gap. For example, the initial depth of carrier generation and the probability of carrier recombination between the point of generation and the surface profoundly influence the etching quantum yield. Appropriate manipulation of process parameters can provide additional reaction control based on such secondary electronic properties. Applications to selective dry etching of GaAs and related materials are discussed

Direct observation of dopant distribution in GaAs compound semiconductors using phase-shifting electron holography and Lorentz microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Hirokazu; Otomo, Shinya; Minato, Ryuichiro; Yamamoto, Kazuo; Hirayama, Tsukasa

2014-06-01

Phase-shifting electron holography and Lorentz microscopy were used to map dopant distributions in GaAs compound semiconductors with step-like dopant concentration. Transmission electron microscope specimens were prepared using a triple beam focused ion beam (FIB) system, which combines a Ga ion beam, a scanning electron microscope, and an Ar ion beam to remove the FIB damaged layers. The p-n junctions were clearly observed in both under-focused and over-focused Lorentz microscopy images. A phase image was obtained by using a phase-shifting reconstruction method to simultaneously achieve high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Differences in dopant concentrations between 1 × 10(19) cm(-3) and 1 × 10(18) cm(-3) regions were clearly observed by using phase-shifting electron holography. We also interpreted phase profiles quantitatively by considering inactive layers induced by ion implantation during the FIB process. The thickness of an inactive layer at different dopant concentration area can be measured from the phase image. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Room Temperature Hard Radiation Detectors Based on Solid State Compound Semiconductors: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Ali; Huh, Jeung-Soo; Kim, Sang Sub; Kim, Hyoun Woo

2018-05-01

Si and Ge single crystals are the most common semiconductor radiation detectors. However, they need to work at cryogenic temperatures to decrease their noise levels. In contrast, compound semiconductors can be operated at room temperature due to their ability to grow compound materials with tunable densities, band gaps and atomic numbers. Highly efficient room temperature hard radiation detectors can be utilized in biomedical diagnostics, nuclear safety and homeland security applications. In this review, we discuss room temperature compound semiconductors. Since the field of radiation detection is broad and a discussion of all compound materials for radiation sensing is impossible, we discuss the most important materials for the detection of hard radiation with a focus on binary heavy metal semiconductors and ternary and quaternary chalcogenide compounds.

Room Temperature Hard Radiation Detectors Based on Solid State Compound Semiconductors: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Ali; Huh, Jeung-Soo; Kim, Sang Sub; Kim, Hyoun Woo

2018-03-01

Si and Ge single crystals are the most common semiconductor radiation detectors. However, they need to work at cryogenic temperatures to decrease their noise levels. In contrast, compound semiconductors can be operated at room temperature due to their ability to grow compound materials with tunable densities, band gaps and atomic numbers. Highly efficient room temperature hard radiation detectors can be utilized in biomedical diagnostics, nuclear safety and homeland security applications. In this review, we discuss room temperature compound semiconductors. Since the field of radiation detection is broad and a discussion of all compound materials for radiation sensing is impossible, we discuss the most important materials for the detection of hard radiation with a focus on binary heavy metal semiconductors and ternary and quaternary chalcogenide compounds.

Ternary chalcopyrite semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Shay, J L; Pamplin, B R

2013-01-01

Ternary Chalcopyrite Semiconductors: Growth, Electronic Properties, and Applications covers the developments of work in the I-III-VI2 and II-IV-V2 ternary chalcopyrite compounds. This book is composed of eight chapters that focus on the crystal growth, characterization, and applications of these compounds to optical communications systems. After briefly dealing with the status of ternary chalcopyrite compounds, this book goes on describing the crystal growth of II-IV-V2 and I-III-VI2 single crystals. Chapters 3 and 4 examine the energy band structure of these semiconductor compounds, illustrat

Integrating magnetism into semiconductor electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakharchenya, Boris P; Korenev, Vladimir L [A.F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

2005-06-30

The view of a ferromagnetic-semiconducting hybrid structure as a single tunable system is presented. Based on an analysis of existing experiments it is shown that, contrary to a 'common sense', a nonmagnetic semiconductor is capable of playing an important role in controlling ferromagnetism. Magnetic properties of a hybrid (the hysteresis loop and the spatial orientation of magnetization) can be tuned both optically and electrically by utilizing semiconductor-making the hybrid an electronic-write-in and electronic-read-out elementary storage unit. (methodological notes)

Integrating magnetism into semiconductor electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakharchenya, Boris P; Korenev, Vladimir L

2005-01-01

The view of a ferromagnetic-semiconducting hybrid structure as a single tunable system is presented. Based on an analysis of existing experiments it is shown that, contrary to a 'common sense', a nonmagnetic semiconductor is capable of playing an important role in controlling ferromagnetism. Magnetic properties of a hybrid (the hysteresis loop and the spatial orientation of magnetization) can be tuned both optically and electrically by utilizing semiconductor-making the hybrid an electronic-write-in and electronic-read-out elementary storage unit. (methodological notes)

Thermodynamics and phase equilibria of ternary systems relevant to contact materials for compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ipser, H.; Richter, K.; Micke, K.

1997-01-01

In order to investigate the stability of ohmic contacts to compound semiconductors, it is necessary to know the phase equilibria in the corresponding multi-component systems. We are currently studying the phase equilibria and thermophysical properties of several ternary systems which are of interest in view of the use of nickel, palladium and platinum as contact materials for GaSb and InSb compound semiconductors: Ga-Ni-Sb, In-Ni-Sb, Ga-Pd-Sb and Ga-Pt-Sb. Phase equilibria are investigated by thermal analyses, X-ray powder diffraction methods as well as electron microprobe analysis. Thermodynamic properties are derived from vapour pressure measurements using an isopiestic method. It is planned to combine all information on phase equilibria and thermochemistry for the ternary and the limiting binary systems to perform an optimization of the ternary systems by computer calculations using standard software. (author)

Imaging the motion of electrons across semiconductor heterojunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Michael K. L.; Margiolakis, Athanasios; Deckoff-Jones, Skylar; Harada, Takaaki; Wong, E. Laine; Krishna, M. Bala Murali; Madéo, Julien; Winchester, Andrew; Lei, Sidong; Vajtai, Robert; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Dani, Keshav M.

2017-01-01

Technological progress since the late twentieth century has centred on semiconductor devices, such as transistors, diodes and solar cells. At the heart of these devices is the internal motion of electrons through semiconductor materials due to applied electric fields or by the excitation of photocarriers. Imaging the motion of these electrons would provide unprecedented insight into this important phenomenon, but requires high spatial and temporal resolution. Current studies of electron dynamics in semiconductors are generally limited by the spatial resolution of optical probes, or by the temporal resolution of electronic probes. Here, by combining femtosecond pump-probe techniques with spectroscopic photoemission electron microscopy, we imaged the motion of photoexcited electrons from high-energy to low-energy states in a type-II 2D InSe/GaAs heterostructure. At the instant of photoexcitation, energy-resolved photoelectron images revealed a highly non-equilibrium distribution of photocarriers in space and energy. Thereafter, in response to the out-of-equilibrium photocarriers, we observed the spatial redistribution of charges, thus forming internal electric fields, bending the semiconductor bands, and finally impeding further charge transfer. By assembling images taken at different time-delays, we produced a movie lasting a few trillionths of a second of the electron-transfer process in the photoexcited type-II heterostructure—a fundamental phenomenon in semiconductor devices such as solar cells. Quantitative analysis and theoretical modelling of spatial variations in the movie provide insight into future solar cells, 2D materials and other semiconductor devices.

Attractive electron correlation in wide band gap semiconductors by electron-photon interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Hiroyuki; Yoshino, Katsumi

2004-01-01

We theoretically demonstrate attractive electron correlation in wide band gap semiconductors by electron-photon interaction. At low temperature, wavevectors of electromagnetic waves absorbed in wide band gap semiconductors cannot be neglected for wavevectors of electron waves; that is, electromagnetic waves affect the movements of electrons. In particular, attractive interaction occurs between two electrons when one electron changes from a valence band to a conduction band and the other electron changes from a conduction band to a valence band

Electron-electron scattering and mobilities in semiconductors and quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyo, S.K.

1986-01-01

The effect of electron-electron scattering on the mobility in semiconductors and semiconductor quantum wells is examined. A general exact formula is derived for the mobility, when the electron-electron collision rate is much faster than other scattering rates such as those by ionized impurities and phonons. In this limit, the transport relaxation rate is independent of the carrier's energy and contributions to the inverse mobility from individual scattering mechanism add up. The mobility becomes significantly reduced from its value in the absence of electron-electron scattering. When the collision rates are not necessarily dominated by electron-electron scattering, the mobility is calculated by the Kohler-Sondheimer variational method in the presence of ionized-impurity scattering and acoustic-phonon scattering in a nondegenerate two-dimensional quantum well

Thiazole-based organic semiconductors for organic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yuze; Fan, Haijun; Li, Yongfang; Zhan, Xiaowei

2012-06-19

Over the past two decades, organic semiconductors have been the subject of intensive academic and commercial interests. Thiazole is a common electron-accepting heterocycle due to electron-withdrawing nitrogen of imine (C=N), several moieties based on thiazole have been widely introduced into organic semiconductors, and yielded high performance in organic electronic devices. This article reviews recent developments in the area of thiazole-based organic semiconductors, particularly thiazole, bithiazole, thiazolothiazole and benzobisthiazole-based small molecules and polymers, for applications in organic field-effect transistors, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. The remaining problems and challenges, and the key research direction in near future are discussed. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrons and Phonons in Semiconductor Multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Ridley, B. K.

1996-11-01

This book provides a detailed description of the quantum confinement of electrons and phonons in semiconductor wells, superlattices and quantum wires, and shows how this affects their mutual interactions. It discusses the transition from microscopic to continuum models, emphasizing the use of quasi-continuum theory to describe the confinement of optical phonons and electrons. The hybridization of optical phonons and their interactions with electrons are treated, as are other electron scattering mechanisms. The book concludes with an account of the electron distribution function in three-, two- and one-dimensional systems, in the presence of electrical or optical excitation. This text will be of great use to graduate students and researchers investigating low-dimensional semiconductor structures, as well as to those developing new devices based on these systems.

Transistor electronics use of semiconductor components in switching operations

CERN Document Server

Rumpf, Karl-Heinz

2014-01-01

Transistor Electronics: Use of Semiconductor Components in Switching Operations presents the semiconductor components as well as their elementary circuits. This book discusses the scope of application of electronic devices to increase productivity. Organized into eight chapters, this book begins with an overview of the general equation for the representation of integer positive numbers. This text then examines the properties and characteristics of basic electronic components, which relates to an understanding of the operation of semiconductors. Other chapters consider the electronic circuit ar

Spin-filter and spin-gapless semiconductors: The case of Heusler compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galanakis, I.; Özdoğan, K.; Şaşıoğlu, E.

2016-01-01

We review our recent first-principles results on the inverse Heusler compounds and the ordered quaternary (also known as LiMgPdSn-type) Heusler compounds. Among these two subfamilies of the full-Heusler compounds, several have been shown to be magnetic semiconductors. Such material can find versatile applications, e.g. as spin-filter materials in magnetic tunnel junctions. Finally, a special case are the spin-gapless semiconductors, where the energy gap at the Fermi level for the one spin-direction is almost vanishing, offering novel functionalities in spintronic/magnetoelectronic devices.

Compound semiconductor optical waveguide switch

Science.gov (United States)

Spahn, Olga B.; Sullivan, Charles T.; Garcia, Ernest J.

2003-06-10

An optical waveguide switch is disclosed which is formed from III-V compound semiconductors and which has a moveable optical waveguide with a cantilevered portion that can be bent laterally by an integral electrostatic actuator to route an optical signal (i.e. light) between the moveable optical waveguide and one of a plurality of fixed optical waveguides. A plurality of optical waveguide switches can be formed on a common substrate and interconnected to form an optical switching network.

Density functional study of the group II phosphide semiconductor compounds under hydrostatic pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokhtari, Ali [Simulation Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Shahrekord University, PB 115, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: mokhtari@sci.sku.ac.ir

2008-04-02

The full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method, as implemented in the suite of software WIEN2k, has been used to systematically investigate the structural and electronic properties of the group II phosphide semiconductor compounds M{sub 3}P{sub 2} (M = Be, Mg and Ca). The exchange-correlation functional was approximated as a generalized gradient functional introduced by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA96) and Engel-Vosko (EV-GGA). Internal parameters were optimized by relaxing the atomic positions in the force directions using the Hellman-Feynman approach. The structural parameters, bulk modules, cohesive energy, band structures and density of states have been calculated and compared to the available experimental and theoretical results. These compounds are predicted to be semiconductors with the direct band gap of about 1.60, 2.55 and 2.62 eV for Be{sub 3}P{sub 2}, Mg{sub 3}P{sub 2} and Ca{sub 3}P{sub 2}, respectively. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the behavior of band parameters such as band gap, valence bandwidths and anti-symmetric gap (the energy gap between two parts of the valence bands) are investigated using both GGA96 and EV-GGA. The contribution of s, p and d orbitals of different atoms to the density of states is discussed in detail.

Density functional study of the group II phosphide semiconductor compounds under hydrostatic pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokhtari, Ali

2008-01-01

The full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method, as implemented in the suite of software WIEN2k, has been used to systematically investigate the structural and electronic properties of the group II phosphide semiconductor compounds M 3 P 2 (M = Be, Mg and Ca). The exchange-correlation functional was approximated as a generalized gradient functional introduced by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA96) and Engel-Vosko (EV-GGA). Internal parameters were optimized by relaxing the atomic positions in the force directions using the Hellman-Feynman approach. The structural parameters, bulk modules, cohesive energy, band structures and density of states have been calculated and compared to the available experimental and theoretical results. These compounds are predicted to be semiconductors with the direct band gap of about 1.60, 2.55 and 2.62 eV for Be 3 P 2 , Mg 3 P 2 and Ca 3 P 2 , respectively. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the behavior of band parameters such as band gap, valence bandwidths and anti-symmetric gap (the energy gap between two parts of the valence bands) are investigated using both GGA96 and EV-GGA. The contribution of s, p and d orbitals of different atoms to the density of states is discussed in detail

Front-end electronics for multichannel semiconductor detector systems

CERN Document Server

Grybos, P

2010-01-01

Front-end electronics for multichannel semiconductor detektor systems Volume 08, EuCARD Editorial Series on Accelerator Science and Technology The monograph is devoted to many different aspects related to front-end electronics for semiconductor detector systems, namely: − designing and testing silicon position sensitive detectors for HEP experiments and X-ray imaging applications, − designing and testing of multichannel readout electronics for semiconductor detectors used in X-ray imaging applications, especially for noise minimization, fast signal processing, crosstalk reduction and good matching performance, − optimization of semiconductor detection systems in respect to the effects of radiation damage. The monograph is the result mainly of the author's experience in the above-mentioned areas and it is an attempt of a comprehensive presentation of issues related to the position sensitive detection system working in a single photon counting mode and intended to X-ray imaging applications. The structure...

Electronic, phonon and superconducting properties of LaPtBi half-Heusler compound

Science.gov (United States)

Shrivastava, Deepika; Sanyal, Sankar P.

2018-05-01

In the framework of density functional theory based on plane wave pseudopotential method and linear response technique, we have studied the electronic, phonon and superconducting properties of LaPtBi half-Heusler compound. The electronic band structure and density of states show that it is gapless semiconductor which is consistent with previous results. The positive phonon frequencies confirm the stability of this compound in cubic MgAgAs phase. Superconductivity is studied in terms of Eliashberg spectral function (α2F(ω)), electron-phonon coupling constants (λ). The value of electron-phonon coupling parameter is found to be 0.41 and the superconducting transition temperature is calculated to be 0.76 K, in excellent agreement with the experimentally reported values.

Donors in Semiconductors - are they Understood in Electronic Era?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dmochowski, Janusz E

2007-01-01

The physics of semiconductors and contemporary electronics cannot be understood without impurities. The hydrogen-like shallow donor (and acceptor) state of electron (hole) bound by Coulomb electrostatic force of excess charge of impurity is used to control conductivity of semiconductors and construct semiconductor diodes, transistors and numerous types of semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices, including lasers. Recently, surprisingly, the physics of impurity donors appeared to be much reacher. Experimental evidence has been provided for universal existence of other types of electronic states of the same donor impurity: i) mysterious, deep, DX-type state resulting in metastability - slow hysteresis phenomena - understood as two-electron, acceptor-like state of donor impurity, formed upon large lattice distortion or rearrangement around impurity and accompanying capture of second electron, resulting in negative electron correlation energy U; ii) deep, localized, fully symmetric, A1, one-electron donor state of substitutional impurity. The latter state can be formed from the 'ordinary' shallow hydrogen-like state in the process of strong localization of electron by short range, local potential of impurity core, preserving full (A 1 ) symmetry of the substitutional impurity in the host lattice. The 'anticrossing' of the two A 1 (shallow hydrogenic and deep localized) energy levels upon transformation is observed. All types of electronic states of impurity can be universally observed for the same donor impurity and mutual transformation between different states occur upon changing experimental conditions. The knowledge about existence and properties of these n ew , molecular type, donor states in semiconductors seems still await general recognition and positive application in contemporary material and device science and engineering

Progress in Group III nitride semiconductor electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Yue; Zhang Jinfeng; Shen Bo; Liu Xinyu

2012-01-01

Recently there has been a rapid domestic development in group III nitride semiconductor electronic materials and devices. This paper reviews the important progress in GaN-based wide bandgap microelectronic materials and devices in the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which focuses on the research of the fundamental physical mechanisms of group III nitride semiconductor electronic materials and devices with the aim to enhance the crystal quality and electric performance of GaN-based electronic materials, develop new GaN heterostructures, and eventually achieve high performance GaN microwave power devices. Some remarkable progresses achieved in the program will be introduced, including those in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and metal—oxide—semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOSHEMTs) with novel high-k gate insulators, and material growth, defect analysis and material properties of InAlN/GaN heterostructures and HEMT fabrication, and quantum transport and spintronic properties of GaN-based heterostructures, and high-electric-field electron transport properties of GaN material and GaN Gunn devices used in terahertz sources. (invited papers)

Producing p-type conductivity in self-compensating semiconductor material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vechten, J.A. van; Woodall, J.M.

1981-01-01

This relates to compound type semiconductor materials that exhibit self-compensated n-type conductivity. The process described imparts p-type conductivity to a body of normally n-conductivity self-compensated compound semiconductor material by bombarding it with charged particles, either electrons, protons or ions. Other possible steps include introducing an acceptor impurity and applying a coating onto the crystal body. This technique will allow new semiconductor structures to be made. For example, there are some compound semiconductor materials that exhibit n-conductivity only that have energy gap widths that would permit electrical to light conversion at frequency and colours not readily achieved in semiconductor devices. (U.K.)

Role of 3d electrons in formation of ionic-covalent bonds in II-VI based ternary compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawniczak-Jablonska, K.; Iwanowski, R.J.; Perera, R.C.C.

1997-01-01

In the II-VI compounds doped with transition metals (diluted magnetic semiconductors) a substitution of cation by the introduced magnetic ion leads to hybridization of its 3d states with the sp states of the host semiconductor. The degree of hybridization of the 3d states and its interaction with the host material band states has been a subject of numerous discussions. Inner shell absorption spectroscopy provides very useful means of electronic structure analysis in a wide variety of systems. Due to its selectivity for atomic species and the selection rules for electron transitions, the soft X-ray absorption technique offers quite unique opportunity to measure directly the site-selective local density of the unoccupied d states in the compounds studied. Results are reported for ZnS compounds with Mn, Fe, Co or Ni substitutions for Zn

Method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Weibin; Goddard, Lynford L.

2012-12-25

A method of plasma etching Ga-based compound semiconductors includes providing a process chamber and a source electrode adjacent to the process chamber. The process chamber contains a sample comprising a Ga-based compound semiconductor. The sample is in contact with a platen which is electrically connected to a first power supply, and the source electrode is electrically connected to a second power supply. The method includes flowing SiCl.sub.4 gas into the chamber, flowing Ar gas into the chamber, and flowing H.sub.2 gas into the chamber. RF power is supplied independently to the source electrode and the platen. A plasma is generated based on the gases in the process chamber, and regions of a surface of the sample adjacent to one or more masked portions of the surface are etched to create a substantially smooth etched surface including features having substantially vertical walls beneath the masked portions.

Imaging the motion of electrons in 2D semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Dani, Keshav

Technological progress since the late 20th century has centered on semiconductor devices, such as transistors, diodes, and solar cells. At the heart of these devices, is the internal motion of electrons through semiconductor materials due to applied electric fields or by the excitation of photocarriers. Imaging the motion of these electrons would provide unprecedented insight into this important phenomenon, but requires high spatial and temporal resolution. Current studies of electron dynamics in semiconductors are generally limited by the spatial resolution of optical probes, or by the temporal resolution of electronic probes. In this talk, we combine femtosecond pump-probe techniques with spectroscopic photoemission electron microscopy to image the motion of photoexcited electrons from high-energy to low-energy states in a 2D InSe/GaAs heterostructure exhibiting a type-II band alignment. At the instant of photoexcitation, energy-resolved photoelectron images reveal a highly non-equilibrium distribution of photocarriers in space and energy. Thereafter, in response to the out-of-equilibrium photocarriers, we observe the spatial redistribution of charges, thus forming internal electric fields, bending the semiconductor bands, and finally impeding further charge transfer. By assembling images taken at different time-delays, we make a movie lasting a few tens of picoseconds of the electron transfer process in the photoexcited type-II heterostructure - a fundamental phenomenon in semiconductor devices like solar cells. Quantitative analysis and theoretical modeling of spatial variations in the video provide insight into future solar cells, electron dynamics in 2D materials, and other semiconductor devices.

Tunneling of electrons through semiconductor superlattices

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Tunneling of electrons through semiconductor superlattices. C L ROY. Department of Physics and Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India. Abstract. The purpose of the present paper is to report a study of tunneling of electrons through semicon- ductor superlattices (SSL); specially, we have ...

Development of semiconductor electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardeen, John.

1977-01-01

In 1931, Wilson applied Block's theory about the energy bands for the motion of electrons in a crystal lattice to semiconductors and showed that conduction can take place in two different ways, by electrons and by holes. Not long afterwards Frenkel showed that these carriers can flow by diffusion in a concentration gradient as well as under the influence of an electric field and wrote down equations for the current flow. The third major contribution, in the late 1930's was the explanation of rectification at a metalsemiconductor contact by Mott and more completely by Schottky. In late 1947 the first transistor of the point contact type was invented by Brattin, Shockley and Bardeen. Then after single crystals of Ge were grown, the junction transistor was developed by the same group. The first silicon transistors appeared in 1954. Then an important step was discovery of the planar transistor by Hoenri in 1960 which led to development of integrated circuits by 1962. Many transistors are produced by batch processing on a slice of silicon. Then in 1965 Mos (Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) transistor and in 1968 LSI (Large Scale Intergration circuits) were developed. Aside from electronic circuits, there are many other applications of semiconductors, including junction power rectifiers, junction luminescence (including lasers), solar batteries, radiation detectors, microwave oscillators and charged-coupled devices for computer memories and devices. One of the latest developments is a microprocessor with thousands of transistors and associated circuitry on a single small chip of silicon. It can be programmed to provide a variety of circuit functions, thus it is not necessary to go through the great expense of LSI's for each desired function, but to use standard microprocessors and program to do the job

Electron Spins in Semiconductor Quantum Dots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hanson, R.

2005-01-01

This thesis describes a series of experiments aimed at understanding and controlling the behavior of the spin degree of freedom of single electrons, confined in semiconductor quantum dots. This research work is motivated by the prospects of using the electron spin as a quantum bit (qubit), the basic

III-V group compound semiconductor light-emitting element having a doped tantalum barrier layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oanna, Y.; Ozawa, N.; Yamashita, M.; Yasuda, N.

1984-01-01

Disclosed is a III-V Group compound semiconductor light-emitting element having a III-V Group compound semiconductor body with a p-n junction and including a p-type layer involved in forming the p-n junction; and a multi-layer electrode mounted on the p-type layer of the semiconductor body. The electrode comprises a first layer of gold alloy containing a small amount of beryllium or zinc and formed in direct contact with the p-type layer of the semiconductor body and an uppermost layer formed of gold or aluminum. A tantalum layer doped with carbon, nitrogen and/or oxygen is formed between the first layer and the uppermost layer by means of vacuum vapor deposition

Activity coefficients of electrons and holes in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orazem, M.E.; Newman, J.

1984-01-01

Dilute-solution transport equations with constant activity coefficients are commonly used to model semiconductors. These equations are consistent with a Boltzmann distribution and are invalid in regions where the species concentration is close to the respective site concentration. A more rigorous treatment of transport in a semiconductor requires activity coefficients which are functions of concentration. Expressions are presented for activity coefficients of electrons and holes in semiconductors for which conduction- and valence-band energy levels are given by the respective bandedge energy levels. These activity coefficients are functions of concentration and are thermodynamically consistent. The use of activity coefficients in macroscopic transport relationships allows a description of electron transport in a manner consistent with the Fermi-Dirac distribution

Molecular coatings of nitride semiconductors for optoelectronics, electronics, and solar energy harvesting

KAUST Repository

Ng, Tien Khee; Zhao, Chao; Priante, Davide; Ooi, Boon S.; Hussein, Mohamed Ebaid Abdrabou

2018-01-01

Gallium nitride based semiconductors are provided having one or more passivated surfaces. The surfaces can have a plurality of thiol compounds attached thereto for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. The surfaces can also include wherein the surface has been treated with chemical solution for native oxide removal and / or wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof to create a treated surface for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and / or solar water splitting properties. Methods of making the gallium nitride based semiconductors are also provided. Methods can include cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, and applying single or multiple coatings of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof attached to the surface.

Molecular coatings of nitride semiconductors for optoelectronics, electronics, and solar energy harvesting

KAUST Repository

Ng, Tien Khee

2018-02-01

Gallium nitride based semiconductors are provided having one or more passivated surfaces. The surfaces can have a plurality of thiol compounds attached thereto for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. The surfaces can also include wherein the surface has been treated with chemical solution for native oxide removal and / or wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof to create a treated surface for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and / or solar water splitting properties. Methods of making the gallium nitride based semiconductors are also provided. Methods can include cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, and applying single or multiple coatings of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof attached to the surface.

Structural defects in cubic semiconductors characterized by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arroyo Rojas Dasilva, Yadira; Kozak, Roksolana; Erni, Rolf; Rossell, Marta D., E-mail: marta.rossell@empa.ch

2017-05-15

The development of new electro-optical devices and the realization of novel types of transistors require a profound understanding of the structural characteristics of new semiconductor heterostructures. This article provides a concise review about structural defects which occur in semiconductor heterostructures on the basis of micro-patterned Si substrates. In particular, one- and two-dimensional crystal defects are being discussed which are due to the plastic relaxation of epitaxial strain caused by the misfit of crystal lattices. Besides a few selected examples from literature, we treat in particular crystal defects occurring in GaAs/Si, Ge/Si and β-SiC/Si structures which are studied by high-resolution annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The relevance of this article is twofold; firstly, it should provide a collection of data which are of help for the identification and characterization of defects in cubic semiconductors by means of atomic-resolution imaging, and secondly, the experimental data shall provide a basis for advancing the understanding of device characteristics with the aid of theoretical modelling by considering the defective nature of strained semiconductor heterostructures. - Highlights: • The heterogeneous integration of high-quality compound semiconductors remains a challenge. • Lattice defects cause severe degradation of the semiconductor device performances. • Aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM allows atomic-scale characterization of defects. • An overview of lattice defects found in cubic semiconductors is presented. • Theoretical modelling and calculations are needed to determine the defect properties.

Cathodoluminescence of semiconductors in the scanning electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noriegas, Javier Piqueras de

2008-01-01

Full text: Cathodoluminescence (CL) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a nondestructive technique, useful for characterization of optical and electronic properties of semiconductors, with spatial resolution. The contrast in the images of CL is related to the presence of crystalline defects, precipitates or impurities and provides information on their spatial distribution. CL spectra allows to study local energy position of localized electronic states. The application of the CL is extended to semiconductor very different characteristics, such as bulk material, heterostructures, nanocrystalline film, porous semiconductor, nanocrystals, nanowires and other nano-and microstructures. In the case of wafers, provides information on the homogeneity of their electronic characteristics, density of dislocations, grain sub frontiers, distribution of impurities and so on. while on the study of heterostructures CL images can determine, for example, the presence of misfit dislocations at the interface between different sheets, below the outer surface of the sample. In the study of other low dimensional structures, such as nanocrystalline films, nanoparticles and nano-and microstructures are observed elongated in some cases quantum confinement effects from the CL spectra. Moreover, larger structures, the order of hundreds of nanometers, with forms of wires, tubes or strips, is that in many semiconductor materials, mainly oxides, the behavior of luminescence is different from bulk material. The microstructures have a different structure of defects and a greater influence of the surface, which in some cases leads to a higher emission efficiency and a different spectral distribution. The presentation describes the principle of the CL technique and examples of its application in the characterization of a wide range of both semiconductor materials of different composition, and of different sizes ranging from nanostructures to bulk samples

Structures and electronics of buried and unburied semiconductor interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamiya, Itaru

2011-01-01

The structure of interfaces plays an important role in determining the electronic properties of semiconductor nanostructures. Here, such examples are shown and discussed using semiconductor nanostructures prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and colloidal synthesis.

Controlled buckling structures in semiconductor interconnects and nanomembranes for stretchable electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, John A; Meitl, Matthew; Sun, Yugang; Ko, Heung Cho; Carlson, Andrew; Choi, Won Mook; Stoykovich, Mark; Jiang, Hanqing; Huang, Yonggang; Nuzzo, Ralph G; Zhu, Zhengtao; Menard, Etienne; Khang, Dahl-Young

2014-05-20

In an aspect, the present invention provides stretchable, and optionally printable, components such as semiconductors and electronic circuits capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed, and related methods of making or tuning such stretchable components. Stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits preferred for some applications are flexible, in addition to being stretchable, and thus are capable of significant elongation, flexing, bending or other deformation along one or more axes. Further, stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits of the present invention are adapted to a wide range of device configurations to provide fully flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Rethinking the theoretical description of photoluminescence in compound semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Valkovskii, V.; Jandieri, K.; Gebhard, F.; Baranovskii, S. D.

2018-02-01

Semiconductor compounds, such as Ga(NAsP)/GaP or GaAsBi/GaAs, are in the focus of intensive research due to their unique features for optoelectronic devices. The optical spectra of compound semiconductors are strongly influenced by the random scattering potentials caused by compositional and structural disorder. The disorder potential is responsible for the red-shift (Stokes shift) of the photoluminescence (PL) peak and for the inhomogeneous broadening of the PL spectra. So far, the anomalous broadening of the PL spectra in Ga(NAsP)/GaP has been explained assuming two coexisting length scales of disorder. However, this interpretation appears in contradiction to the recently observed dependence of the PL linewidth on the excitation intensity. We suggest an alternative approach that describes the PL characteristics in the framework of a model with a single length scale of disorder. The price is the assumption of two types of localized states with different, temperature-dependent non-radiative recombination rates.

Structure of metal-rich (001) surfaces of III-V compound semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumpf, C.; Smilgies, D.; Landemark, E.

2001-01-01

The atomic structure of the group-III-rich surface of III-V semiconductor compounds has been under intense debate for many years, yet none of the models agrees with the experimental data available. Here we present a model for the three-dimensional structure of the (001)-c(8x2) reconstruction on In......(8 x 2) reconstructions of III-V semiconductor surfaces contain the same essential building blocks....

Electron spin and nuclear spin manipulation in semiconductor nanosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirayama, Yoshiro; Yusa, Go; Sasaki, Satoshi

2006-01-01

Manipulations of electron spin and nuclear spin have been studied in AlGaAs/GaAs semiconductor nanosystems. Non-local manipulation of electron spins has been realized by using the correlation effect between localized and mobile electron spins in a quantum dot- quantum wire coupled system. Interaction between electron and nuclear spins was exploited to achieve a coherent control of nuclear spins in a semiconductor point contact device. Using this device, we have demonstrated a fully coherent manipulation of any two states among the four spin levels of Ga and As nuclei. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Handbook of compound semiconductors growth, processing, characterization, and devices

CERN Document Server

Holloway, Paul H

1996-01-01

This book reviews the recent advances and current technologies used to produce microelectronic and optoelectronic devices from compound semiconductors. It provides a complete overview of the technologies necessary to grow bulk single-crystal substrates, grow hetero-or homoepitaxial films, and process advanced devices such as HBT's, QW diode lasers, etc.

Transparent Oxide Semiconductors for Emerging Electronics

KAUST Repository

Caraveo-Frescas, Jesus Alfonso

2013-11-01

Transparent oxide electronics have emerged as promising materials to shape the future of electronics. While several n-type oxides have been already studied and demonstrated feasibility to be used as active materials in thin film transistors, high performance p-type oxides have remained elusive. This dissertation is devoted to the study of transparent p-type oxide semiconductor tin monoxide and its use in the fabrication of field effect devices. A complete study on the deposition of tin monoxide thin films by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering is performed. Carrier density, carrier mobility and conductivity are studied over a set of deposition conditions where p-type conduction is observed. Density functional theory simulations are performed in order to elucidate the effect of native defects on carrier mobility. The findings on the electrical properties of SnO thin films are then translated to the fabrication of thin films transistors. The low processing temperature of tin monoxide thin films below 200 oC is shown advantageous for the fabrication of fully transparent and flexible thin film transistors. After careful device engineering, including post deposition annealing temperature, gate dielectric material, semiconductor thickness and source and drain electrodes material, thin film transistors with record device performance are demonstrated, achieving a field effect mobility >6.7 cm2V-1s-1. Device performance is further improved to reach a field effect mobility of 10.8 cm2V-1s-1 in SnO nanowire field effect transistors fabricated from the sputtered SnO thin films and patterned by electron beam lithography. Downscaling device dimension to nano scale is shown beneficial for SnO field effect devices not only by achieving a higher hole mobility but enhancing the overall device performance including better threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and lower number of interfacial defects. Use of p-type semiconductors in nonvolatile memory applications is then

Tunneling emission of electrons from semiconductors' valence bands in high electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalganov, V. D.; Mileshkina, N. V.; Ostroumova, E. V.

2006-01-01

Tunneling emission currents of electrons from semiconductors to vacuum (needle-shaped GaAs photodetectors) and to a metal (silicon metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes with a tunneling-transparent insulator layer) are studied in high and ultrahigh electric fields. It is shown that, in semiconductors with the n-type conductivity, the major contribution to the emission current is made by the tunneling emission of electrons from the valence band of the semiconductor, rather than from the conduction band

Metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors for flexible electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petti, Luisa; Vogt, Christian; Büthe, Lars; Cantarella, Giuseppe; Tröster, Gerhard [Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (Switzerland); Münzenrieder, Niko [Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (Switzerland); Sensor Technology Research Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer (United Kingdom); Faber, Hendrik; Bottacchi, Francesca; Anthopoulos, Thomas D. [Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, London (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

The field of flexible electronics has rapidly expanded over the last decades, pioneering novel applications, such as wearable and textile integrated devices, seamless and embedded patch-like systems, soft electronic skins, as well as imperceptible and transient implants. The possibility to revolutionize our daily life with such disruptive appliances has fueled the quest for electronic devices which yield good electrical and mechanical performance and are at the same time light-weight, transparent, conformable, stretchable, and even biodegradable. Flexible metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors (TFTs) can fulfill all these requirements and are therefore considered the most promising technology for tomorrow's electronics. This review reflects the establishment of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs, from the development of single devices, large-area circuits, up to entirely integrated systems. First, an introduction on metal oxide semiconductor TFTs is given, where the history of the field is revisited, the TFT configurations and operating principles are presented, and the main issues and technological challenges faced in the area are analyzed. Then, the recent advances achieved for flexible n-type metal oxide semiconductor TFTs manufactured by physical vapor deposition methods and solution-processing techniques are summarized. In particular, the ability of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs to combine low temperature fabrication, high carrier mobility, large frequency operation, extreme mechanical bendability, together with transparency, conformability, stretchability, and water dissolubility is shown. Afterward, a detailed analysis of the most promising metal oxide semiconducting materials developed to realize the state-of-the-art flexible p-type TFTs is given. Next, the recent progresses obtained for flexible metal oxide semiconductor-based electronic circuits, realized with both unipolar and complementary technology, are reported. In

Formation of Electron Strings in Narrow Band Polar Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Kusmartsev, F. V.

2000-01-01

We show that linear electron strings may arise in polar semiconductors. A single string consists of M spinless fermions trapped by an extended polarization well of a cigar shape. Inside the string the particles are free although they interact with each other via Coulomb forces. The strings arise as a result of an electronic phase separation associated with an instability of small adiabatic polarons. We have found the length of the string which depends on dielectric constants of semiconductors. The appearance of these electron strings may have an impact on the effect of stripe formation observed in a variety of high- Tc experiments.

Photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds in a hybrid system composed of a molecular catalyst and visible light-absorbing semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xu; Li, Fei; Li, Xiaona; Li, Hua; Wang, Yong; Sun, Licheng

2015-01-14

Photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds proceeded efficiently in a hybrid system with ruthenium aqua complexes as catalysts, BiVO4 as a light absorber, [Co(NH3)5Cl](2+) as a sacrificial electron acceptor and water as an oxygen source. The photogenerated holes in the semiconductor are used to oxidize molecular catalysts into the high-valent Ru(IV)=O intermediates for 2e(-) oxidation.

A unique metal-semiconductor interface and resultant electron transfer phenomenon

OpenAIRE

Taft, S. L.

2012-01-01

An unusual electron transfer phenomenon has been identified from an n-type semiconductor to Schottky metal particles, the result of a unique metal semiconductor interface that results when the metal particles are grown from the semiconductor substrate. The unique interface acts as a one-way (rectifying) open gateway and was first identified in reduced rutile polycrystalline titanium dioxide (an n-type semiconductor) to Group VIII (noble) metal particles. The interface significantly affects th...

Electron beam writing on semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bierhenke, H.; Kutzer, E.; Pascher, A.; Plitzner, H.; Rummel, P.; Siemens A.G., Muenchen; Siemens A.G., Muenchen

1979-08-01

Reported are the results of the 3 1/2 year research project 'Electron beam Writing on Semiconductors'. Work has been done in the field of direct wafer exposure techniques, and of mask making. Described are resist technology, setting up of a research device, exploration of alignment procedures, manufacturing of devices and their radiation influence. Furthermore, investigations and measurements of an electron beam machine bought for mask making purposes, the development of LSI-circuits with this machine, the software necessary and important developments of digital subsystems are reported. (orig.) [de

Electron emission from individual indium arsenide semiconductor nanowires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heeres, E.C.; Bakkers, E.P.A.M.; Roest, A.L.; Kaiser, M.A.; Oosterkamp, T.H.; Jonge, de N.

2007-01-01

A procedure was developed to mount individual semiconductor indium arsenide nanowires onto tungsten support tips to serve as electron field-emission sources. The electron emission properties of the single nanowires were precisely determined by measuring the emission pattern, current-voltage curve,

Electronic paramagnetic resonance in the Mn In X (X:Te,S) diluted magnetic semiconductor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincent, Bernardo; Betancourt, Luis; Sagredo, Vicente; Alcala, Rafael

1996-01-01

Semiconductor compounds wit the II-III-VI stoichiometry are very interesting materials since they present very good semiconducting characteristics and, along with strong magnetic properties, these II Mn In VI compounds have a great potential as opt and magneto-electronic devices. Among the possible magnetic properties of the materials is the presence of the spin-glass phase. Electron paramagnetic resonance is one of the techniques used to confirm this phase. The chosen crystals were chosen by chemical vapor transport. The absorption lines of these two families with 0.1 x 1 were all Lorentzian in shape and centred at g=2. A large broadening of the resonance line width was observed when lowering the temperature to below 80 K. This behaviour was fitted to the known existing models, and good values of the calculated parameters were obtained (author)

Problems of linear electron (polaron) transport theory in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Klinger, M I

1979-01-01

Problems of Linear Electron (Polaron) Transport Theory in Semiconductors summarizes and discusses the development of areas in electron transport theory in semiconductors, with emphasis on the fundamental aspects of the theory and the essential physical nature of the transport processes. The book is organized into three parts. Part I focuses on some general topics in the theory of transport phenomena: the general dynamical theory of linear transport in dissipative systems (Kubo formulae) and the phenomenological theory. Part II deals with the theory of polaron transport in a crystalline semicon

Structural and electronic properties of the V-V compounds isoelectronic to GaN and isostructural to gray arsenic

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhao; Han, Dan; Chen, Guohong; Chen, Shiyou

2018-03-01

The III-V binary compound semiconductors such as GaN, GaP, InN and InP have extensive applications in various optoelectronic, microwave and power-electronic devices. Using first-principles calculation, we systematically studied the structural and electronic properties of the V-V binary compounds (BiN, BiP, SbN and SbP) that are isoelectronic to GaN, GaP, InN and InP if Bi and Sb are in the +3 valence state. Interestingly, we found that the ground-state structures of BiP, SbN and SbP have the R-3m symmetry and are isostructural to the layered structure of gray arsenic, whereas BiN prefers a different ground-state structure with the C2 symmetry. Electronic structure calculations showed that the bulk BiN is a narrow bandgap semiconductor for its bandgap is about 0.2 eV. In contrast, BiP, SbN and SbP are metallic. The layered ground-state structure of the V-V binary compounds motivates us to study the electronic properties of their few-layer structures. As the structure becomes monolayer, their bandgaps increase significantly and are all in the range from about 1 eV to 1.7 eV, which are comparative to the bandgap of the monolayer gray arsenic. The monolayer BiP, SbN and SbP have indirect bandgaps, and they show a semiconductor-metal transition as the number of layers increase. Interestingly, the monolayer BiP has the largest splitting (350 meV) of the CBM valley, and thus may have potential application in novel spintronics and valleytronics devices.

Impact of Relativistic Electron Beam on Hole Acoustic Instability in Quantum Semiconductor Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Siddique, M.; Jamil, M.; Rasheed, A.; Areeb, F.; Javed, Asif; Sumera, P.

2018-01-01

We studied the influence of the classical relativistic beam of electrons on the hole acoustic wave (HAW) instability exciting in the semiconductor quantum plasmas. We conducted this study by using the quantum-hydrodynamic model of dense plasmas, incorporating the quantum effects of semiconductor plasma species which include degeneracy pressure, exchange-correlation potential and Bohm potential. Analysis of the quantum characteristics of semiconductor plasma species along with relativistic effect of beam electrons on the dispersion relation of the HAW is given in detail qualitatively and quantitatively by plotting them numerically. It is worth mentioning that the relativistic electron beam (REB) stabilises the HAWs exciting in semiconductor (GaAs) degenerate plasma.

Mössbauer studies of two-electron centers with negative correlation energy in crystalline and amorphous semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordovsky, G. A.; Nemov, S. A.; Marchenko, A. V.; Seregin, P. P.

2012-01-01

The results of the study of donor U − -centers of tin and germanium in lead chalcogenides by Mössbauer emission spectroscopy are discussed. The published data regarding the identification of amphoteric U − -centers of tin in glassy binary arsenic and germanium chalcogenides using Mössbauer emission spectroscopy, and in multicomponent chalcogenide glasses using Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy are considered. Published data concerning the identification of two-atom U − -centers of copper in lattices of semimetal copper oxides by Mössbauer emission spectroscopy are analyzed. The published data on the detection of spatial inhomogeneity of the Bose-Einstein condensate in superconducting semiconductors and semimetal compounds, and on the existence of the correlation between the electron density in lattice sites and the superconducting transition temperature are presented. The principal possibility of using Mössbauer U − -centers as a tool for studying the Bose-Einstein condensation of electron pairs during the superconducting phase transition in semiconductors and semimetals is considered.

Electron transport and coherence in semiconductor quantum dots and rings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Wiel, W.G.

2002-01-01

A number of experiments on electron transport and coherence in semiconductor vertical and lateral quantum dots and semiconductor rings is described. Quantum dots are often referred to as "artificial atoms", because of their similarities with real atoms. Examples of such atom-like properties that

Semiconductor Quantum Electron Wave Transport, Diffraction, and Interference: Analysis, Device, and Measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Gregory Newell

Semiconductor device dimensions are rapidly approaching a fundamental limit where drift-diffusion equations and the depletion approximation are no longer valid. In this regime, quantum effects can dominate device response. To increase further device density and speed, new devices must be designed that use these phenomena to positive advantage. In addition, quantum effects provide opportunities for a new class of devices which can perform functions previously unattainable with "conventional" semiconductor devices. This thesis has described research in the analysis of electron wave effects in semiconductors and the development of methods for the design, fabrication, and characterization of quantum devices based on these effects. First, an exact set of quantitative analogies are presented which allow the use of well understood optical design and analysis tools for the development of electron wave semiconductor devices. Motivated by these analogies, methods are presented for modeling electron wave grating diffraction using both an exact rigorous coupled-wave analysis and approximate analyses which are useful for grating design. Example electron wave grating switch and multiplexer designs are presented. In analogy to thin-film optics, the design and analysis of electron wave Fabry-Perot interference filters are also discussed. An innovative technique has been developed for testing these (and other) electron wave structures using Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy (BEEM). This technique uses a liquid-helium temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to perform spectroscopy of the electron transmittance as a function of electron energy. Experimental results show that BEEM can resolve even weak quantum effects, such as the reflectivity of a single interface between materials. Finally, methods are discussed for incorporating asymmetric electron wave Fabry-Perot filters into optoelectronic devices. Theoretical and experimental results show that such structures could

High-Temperature Electronics: A Role for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors?

Science.gov (United States)

Neudeck, Philip G.; Okojie, Robert S.; Chen, Liang-Yu

2002-01-01

It is increasingly recognized that semiconductor based electronics that can function at ambient temperatures higher than 150 C without external cooling could greatly benefit a variety of important applications, especially-in the automotive, aerospace, and energy production industries. The fact that wide bandgap semiconductors are capable of electronic functionality at much higher temperatures than silicon has partially fueled their development, particularly in the case of SiC. It appears unlikely that wide bandgap semiconductor devices will find much use in low-power transistor applications until the ambient temperature exceeds approximately 300 C, as commercially available silicon and silicon-on-insulator technologies are already satisfying requirements for digital and analog very large scale integrated circuits in this temperature range. However, practical operation of silicon power devices at ambient temperatures above 200 C appears problematic, as self-heating at higher power levels results in high internal junction temperatures and leakages. Thus, most electronic subsystems that simultaneously require high-temperature and high-power operation will necessarily be realized using wide bandgap devices, once the technology for realizing these devices become sufficiently developed that they become widely available. Technological challenges impeding the realization of beneficial wide bandgap high ambient temperature electronics, including material growth, contacts, and packaging, are briefly discussed.

n-Type organic semiconductors in organic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, John E; Facchetti, Antonio; Heeney, Martin; Marder, Seth R; Zhan, Xiaowei

2010-09-08

Organic semiconductors have been the subject of intensive academic and commercial interest over the past two decades, and successful commercial devices incorporating them are slowly beginning to enter the market. Much of the focus has been on the development of hole transporting, or p-type, semiconductors that have seen a dramatic rise in performance over the last decade. Much less attention has been devoted to electron transporting, or so called n-type, materials, and in this paper we focus upon recent developments in several classes of n-type materials and the design guidelines used to develop them.

Electron and nuclear spin system polarization in semiconductors by light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakharchenya, B; Flejsher, V

1981-02-01

Discussed are the principles of optical electron spin orientation, dynamic polarization and cooling of nuclear spin systems in optical electron orientation, and behavioural characteristics of bound electron and nuclear spin systems of a semiconductor in the optical orientation situation.

Proceedings of wide band gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moustakas, T.D.; Pankove, J.I.; Hamakawa, Y.

1992-01-01

This book contains the proceedings of wide band gap semiconductors. Wide band gap semiconductors are under intense study because of their potential applications in photonic devices in the visible and ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and devices for high temperature, high frequency and high power electronics. Additionally, due to their unique mechanical, thermal, optical, chemical, and electronic properties many wide band gap semiconductors are anticipated to find applications in thermoelectric, electrooptic, piezoelectric and acoustooptic devices as well as protective coatings, hard coatings and heat sinks. Material systems covered in this symposium include diamond, II-VI compounds, III-V nitrides, silicon carbide, boron compounds, amorphous and microcrystalline semiconductors, chalcopyrites, oxides and halides. The various papers addressed recent experimental and theoretical developments. They covered issues related to crystal growth (bulk and thin films), structure and microstructure, defects, doping, optoelectronic properties and device applications. A theoretical session was dedicated to identifying common themes in the heteroepitaxy and the role of defects in doping, compensation and phase stability of this unique class of materials. Important experimental milestones included the demonstrations of bright blue injection luminescence at room temperatures from junctions based on III-V nitrides and a similar result from multiple quantum wells in a ZnSe double heterojunction at liquid nitrogen temperatures

Elucidation and control of electronic properties related to organic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamane, Hiroyuki; Ueno, Nobuo; Seki, Kazuhiko

2009-01-01

The electronic structure of organic solids and interfaces plays a crucial role in the performance of optoelectronic devices using organic semiconductors such as light-emitting diodes, field-effect transistors, and photovoltaic cells. The functionality of these organic devices is seriously dominated by the geometric structure, which varies depending on the molecular structure and the sample preparation condition. Due to the rapid progress in sample preparation methods and surface science techniques, we can now discuss in detail the correlation of the electronic structure with the geometric structure of organic solids, films, and interfaces. This paper reviews the recent progress of studies in the geometric and electronic structures related to organic semiconductors. (author)

Electron and nuclear spin system polarization in semiconductors by light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakharchenya, B.; Flejsher, V.

1981-01-01

Discussed are the principles of optical electron spin orientation, dynamic polarization and cooling of nuclear spin systems in optical electron orientation, and behavioural characteristics of bound electron and nuclear spin systems of a semiconductor in the optical orientation situation. (J.P.)

The structural, elastic, electronic and dynamical properties of chalcopyrite semiconductor BeGeAs{sub 2} from first-principles calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciftci, Yasemin Oe. [Gazi University Teknikokullar, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Ankara (Turkey); Evecen, Meryem; Aldirmaz, Emine [Amasya University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Amasya (Turkey)

2017-01-15

First-principles calculations for the structural, elastic, electronic and vibrational properties of BeGeAs{sub 2} with chalcopyrite structure have been reported in the frame work of the density functional theory. The calculated ground state properties are in good agreement with the available data. By considering the electronic band structure and electronic density of states calculation, it is found that this compound is a semiconductor which confirmed the previous work. Single-crystal elastic constants and related properties such as Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, shear modulus and bulk modulus have been predicted using the stress-finite strain technique. It can be seen from the calculated elastic constants that this compound is mechanically stable in the chalcopyrite structure. Pressure dependences of elastic constants and band gap are also reported. Finally, the phonon dispersion curves and total and partial density of states were calculated and discussed. The calculated phonon frequencies BeGeAs{sub 2} are positive, indicating the dynamical stability of the studied compound. (orig.)

Nonlinear charge transport in bipolar semiconductors due to electron heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina-Valdovinos, S.; Gurevich, Yu.G.

2016-01-01

It is known that when strong electric field is applied to a semiconductor sample, the current voltage characteristic deviates from the linear response. In this letter, we propose a new point of view of nonlinearity in semiconductors which is associated with the electron temperature dependence on the recombination rate. The heating of the charge carriers breaks the balance between generation and recombination, giving rise to nonequilibrium charge carriers concentration and nonlinearity. - Highlights: • A new mechanism of nonlinearity of current-voltage characteristic (CVC) is proposed. • The hot electron temperature violates the equilibrium between electrons and holes. • This violation gives rise to nonequilibrium concentration of electrons and holes. • This leads to nonlinear CVC (along with the heating nonlinearity).

Nonlinear charge transport in bipolar semiconductors due to electron heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molina-Valdovinos, S., E-mail: sergiom@fisica.uaz.edu.mx [Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Académica de Física, Calzada Solidaridad esq. Paseo, La Bufa s/n, CP 98060, Zacatecas, Zac, México (Mexico); Gurevich, Yu.G. [Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Departamento de Física, Av. IPN 2508, México D.F., CP 07360, México (Mexico)

2016-05-27

It is known that when strong electric field is applied to a semiconductor sample, the current voltage characteristic deviates from the linear response. In this letter, we propose a new point of view of nonlinearity in semiconductors which is associated with the electron temperature dependence on the recombination rate. The heating of the charge carriers breaks the balance between generation and recombination, giving rise to nonequilibrium charge carriers concentration and nonlinearity. - Highlights: • A new mechanism of nonlinearity of current-voltage characteristic (CVC) is proposed. • The hot electron temperature violates the equilibrium between electrons and holes. • This violation gives rise to nonequilibrium concentration of electrons and holes. • This leads to nonlinear CVC (along with the heating nonlinearity).

Structural trends in off stoichiometric chalcopyrite type compound semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephan, Christiane

2011-03-15

Energy supply is one of the most controversial topics that are currently discussed in our global community. Most of the energy delivered to the customer today has its origin in fossil and nuclear power plants. Indefinable risks and the radioactive waste repository problem of the latter as well as the global scarcity of fossil resources cause the renewable energies to grow more and more important for achieving sustainability. The main renewable energy sources are wind power, hydroelectric power and solar energy. On the photovoltaic (PV) market different materials are competing as part of different kinds of technologies, with the largest contribution still coming from wafer based crystalline silicon solar cells (95 %). Until now thin film solar cells only contribute a small portion to the whole PV market, but large capacities are under construction. Thin film photovoltaic shows a number of advantages in comparison to wafer based crystalline silicon PV. Among these material usage and production cost reduction are two prominent examples. The type of PV materials, which are analyzed in this work, are high potential compounds that are widely used as absorber layer in thin film solar cells. These are compound semiconductors of the type CuB{sup III}C{sup VI}{sub 2} (B{sup III} = In, Ga and C{sup VI} = Se, S). Several years of research have already gone into understanding the efficiency limiting factors for solar cell devices fabricated from this compound. Most of the studies concerning electronic defects are done by spectroscopic methods mostly performed using thin films from different kinds of synthesis, without any real knowledge regarding the structural origin of these defects. This work shows a systematic fundamental structural study of intrinsic point defects that are present within the material at various compositions in CuB{sup III}C{sup VI}{sub 2} compound semiconductors. The study is done on reference powder samples with well determined chemical composition and

Structural trends in off stoichiometric chalcopyrite type compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephan, Christiane

2011-01-01

Energy supply is one of the most controversial topics that are currently discussed in our global community. Most of the energy delivered to the customer today has its origin in fossil and nuclear power plants. Indefinable risks and the radioactive waste repository problem of the latter as well as the global scarcity of fossil resources cause the renewable energies to grow more and more important for achieving sustainability. The main renewable energy sources are wind power, hydroelectric power and solar energy. On the photovoltaic (PV) market different materials are competing as part of different kinds of technologies, with the largest contribution still coming from wafer based crystalline silicon solar cells (95 %). Until now thin film solar cells only contribute a small portion to the whole PV market, but large capacities are under construction. Thin film photovoltaic shows a number of advantages in comparison to wafer based crystalline silicon PV. Among these material usage and production cost reduction are two prominent examples. The type of PV materials, which are analyzed in this work, are high potential compounds that are widely used as absorber layer in thin film solar cells. These are compound semiconductors of the type CuB III C VI 2 (B III = In, Ga and C VI = Se, S). Several years of research have already gone into understanding the efficiency limiting factors for solar cell devices fabricated from this compound. Most of the studies concerning electronic defects are done by spectroscopic methods mostly performed using thin films from different kinds of synthesis, without any real knowledge regarding the structural origin of these defects. This work shows a systematic fundamental structural study of intrinsic point defects that are present within the material at various compositions in CuB III C VI 2 compound semiconductors. The study is done on reference powder samples with well determined chemical composition and using advanced diffraction techniques

Rational In Silico Design of an Organic Semiconductor with Improved Electron Mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Friederich, Pascal; Gómez, Verónica; Sprau, Christian; Meded, Velimir; Strunk, Timo; Jenne, Michael; Magri, Andrea; Symalla, Franz; Colsmann, Alexander; Ruben, Mario; Wenzel, Wolfgang

2017-11-01

Organic semiconductors find a wide range of applications, such as in organic light emitting diodes, organic solar cells, and organic field effect transistors. One of their most striking disadvantages in comparison to crystalline inorganic semiconductors is their low charge-carrier mobility, which manifests itself in major device constraints such as limited photoactive layer thicknesses. Trial-and-error attempts to increase charge-carrier mobility are impeded by the complex interplay of the molecular and electronic structure of the material with its morphology. Here, the viability of a multiscale simulation approach to rationally design materials with improved electron mobility is demonstrated. Starting from one of the most widely used electron conducting materials (Alq 3 ), novel organic semiconductors with tailored electronic properties are designed for which an improvement of the electron mobility by three orders of magnitude is predicted and experimentally confirmed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Growth of Wide Band Gap II-VI Compound Semiconductors by Physical Vapor Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ching-Hua; Sha, Yi-Gao

1995-01-01

The studies on the crystal growth and characterization of II-VI wide band gap compound semiconductors, such as ZnTe, CdS, ZnSe and ZnS, have been conducted over the past three decades. The research was not quite as extensive as that on Si, III-V, or even narrow band gap II-VI semiconductors because of the high melting temperatures as well as the specialized applications associated with these wide band gap semiconductors. In the past several years, major advances in the thin film technology such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) have demonstrated the applications of these materials for the important devices such as light-emitting diode, laser and ultraviolet detectors and the tunability of energy band gap by employing ternary or even quaternary systems of these compounds. At the same time, the development in the crystal growth of bulk materials has not advanced far enough to provide low price, high quality substrates needed for the thin film growth technology.

Dephasing of optically generated electron spins in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idrish Miah, M.

2010-01-01

Dephasing of optically generated electron spins in the presence of the external magnetic field and electric bias in semiconductor nano-structures has been studied by time- and polarization-resolved spectrometry. The obtained experimental data are presented in dependence of the strength of the magnetic field. The optically generated electron-spin precession frequency and dephasing time and rate are estimated. It is found that both the spin precession frequency and dephasing rate increase linearly with the external magnetic field up to about 9 T. However, the spin dephasing time is within sub-μs and is found to decrease exponentially with the strength of the external magnetic field. The results are discussed by exploring possible mechanisms of spin dephasing in low-dimensional semiconductor structures, where the quantum-confinement persists within the nano-range.

Dephasing of optically generated electron spins in semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Idrish Miah, M., E-mail: m.miah@griffith.edu.a [Department of Physics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Chittagong - 4331 (Bangladesh)

2010-09-13

Dephasing of optically generated electron spins in the presence of the external magnetic field and electric bias in semiconductor nano-structures has been studied by time- and polarization-resolved spectrometry. The obtained experimental data are presented in dependence of the strength of the magnetic field. The optically generated electron-spin precession frequency and dephasing time and rate are estimated. It is found that both the spin precession frequency and dephasing rate increase linearly with the external magnetic field up to about 9 T. However, the spin dephasing time is within sub-{mu}s and is found to decrease exponentially with the strength of the external magnetic field. The results are discussed by exploring possible mechanisms of spin dephasing in low-dimensional semiconductor structures, where the quantum-confinement persists within the nano-range.

Design and Analysis of CMOS-Compatible III-V Compound Electron-Hole Bilayer Tunneling Field-Effect Transistor for Ultra-Low-Power Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung Yoon; Seo, Jae Hwa; Yoon, Young Jun; Lee, Ho-Young; Lee, Seong Min; Cho, Seongjae; Kang, In Man

2015-10-01

In this work, we design and analyze complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible III-V compound electron-hole bilayer (EHB) tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) by using two-dimensional (2D) technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations. A recently proposed EHB TFET exploits a bias-induced band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) across the electron-hole bilayer by an electric field from the top and bottom gates. This is in contrast to conventional planar p(+)-p(-)-n TFETs, which utilize BTBT across the source-to-channel junction. We applied III-V compound semiconductor materials to the EHB TFETs in order to enhance the current drivability and switching performance. Devices based on various compound semiconductor materials have been designed and analyzed in terms of their primary DC characteristics. In addition, the operational principles were validated by close examination of the electron concentrations and energy-band diagrams under various operation conditions. The simulation results of the optimally designed In0.533Ga0.47As EHB TFET show outstanding performance, with an on-state current (Ion) of 249.5 μA/μm, subthreshold swing (S) of 11.4 mV/dec, and threshold voltage (Vth) of 50 mV at VDS = 0.5 V. Based on the DC-optimized InGaAs EHB TFET, the CMOS inverter circuit was simulated in views of static and dynamic behaviors of the p-channel device with exchanges between top and bottom gates or between source and drain electrodes maintaining the device structure.

Radiation effects and hardness of semiconductor electronic devices for nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payat, R.; Friant, A.

1988-01-01

After a brief review of industrial and nuclear specificity and radiation effects in electronics components (semiconductors) the need for a specific test methodology of semiconductor devices is emphasized. Some studies appropriate for nuclear industry at D. LETI/DEIN/CEN-SACLAY are related [fr

Electronic structure of point defects in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruneval, Fabien

2014-01-01

This 'Habilitation a diriger des Recherches' memoir presents most of my scientific activities during the past 7 years, in the field of electronic structure calculations of defects in solids. Point defects (vacancies, interstitials, impurities) in functional materials are a key parameter to determine if these materials will actually fill the role they have been assigned or not. Indeed, the presence of defects cannot be avoided when the temperature is increased or when the material is subjected to external stresses, such as irradiation in the nuclear reactors and in artificial satellites with solar radiations. However, in many cases, defects are introduced in the materials on purpose to tune the electronic transport, optical or even magnetic properties. This procedure is called the doping of semiconductors, which is the foundation technique for transistors, diodes, or photovoltaic cells. However, doping is not always straightforward and unexpected features may occur, such as doping asymmetry or Fermi level pinning, which can only be explained by complex phenomena involving different types of defects or complexes of defects. In this context, the calculations of electronic structure ab initio is an ideal tool to complement the experimental observations, to gain the understanding of phenomena at the atomic level, and even to predict the properties of defects. The power of the ab initio calculations comes from their ability to describe any system of electrons and nuclei without any specific adjustment. But although there is a strong need for numerical simulations in this field, the ab initio calculations for defects are still under development as of today. The work presented in this memoir summarizes my contributions to methodological developments on this subject. These developments have followed two main tracks. The first topic is the better understanding of the unavoidable finite size effects. Indeed, defects in semiconductors or insulators are generally present in

Monolayer graphene-insulator-semiconductor emitter for large-area electron lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Kirley, Matthew P.; Aloui, Tanouir; Glass, Jeffrey T.

2017-06-01

The rapid adoption of nanotechnology in fields as varied as semiconductors, energy, and medicine requires the continual improvement of nanopatterning tools. Lithography is central to this evolving nanotechnology landscape, but current production systems are subject to high costs, low throughput, or low resolution. Herein, we present a solution to these problems with the use of monolayer graphene in a graphene-insulator-semiconductor (GIS) electron emitter device for large-area electron lithography. Our GIS device displayed high emission efficiency (up to 13%) and transferred large patterns (500 × 500 μm) with high fidelity (industries and opening opportunities in nanomanufacturing.

METHODOLOGICAL NOTES: Integrating magnetism into semiconductor electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Zakharchenya, Boris P.; Korenev, Vladimir L.

2005-06-01

The view of a ferromagnetic-semiconducting hybrid structure as a single tunable system is presented. Based on an analysis of existing experiments it is shown that, contrary to a 'common sense', a nonmagnetic semiconductor is capable of playing an important role in controlling ferromagnetism. Magnetic properties of a hybrid (the hysteresis loop and the spatial orientation of magnetization) can be tuned both optically and electrically by utilizing semiconductor—making the hybrid an electronic-write-in and electronic-read-out elementary storage unit.

High pressure study of the zinc phosphide semiconductor compound in two different phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokhtari, Ali

2009-01-01

Electronic and structural properties of the zinc phosphide semiconductor compound are calculated at hydrostatic pressure using the full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method in both cubic and tetragonal phases. The exchange-correlation potential is treated by the generalized gradient approximation within the scheme of Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof, GGA96 (1996 Phys. Rev. Lett. 77 3865). Also, the Engel and Vosko GGA formalism, EV-GGA (Engel and Vosko 1993 Phys. Rev. B 47 13164), is used to improve the band-gap results. Internal parameters are optimized by relaxing the atomic positions in the force directions using the Hellman-Feynman approach. The lattice constants, internal parameters, bulk modulus, cohesive energy and band structures have been calculated and compared to the available experimental and theoretical results. The structural calculations predict that the stable phase is tetragonal. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the behavior of band parameters such as band-gap, valence bandwidths and internal gaps (the energy gap between different parts of the valence bands) are studied using both GGA96 and EV-GGA.

High pressure study of the zinc phosphide semiconductor compound in two different phases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokhtari, Ali [Simulation Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Shahrekord University, PB 115, Shahrekord (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: mokhtari@sci.sku.ac.ir

2009-07-08

Electronic and structural properties of the zinc phosphide semiconductor compound are calculated at hydrostatic pressure using the full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (FP-LAPW+lo) method in both cubic and tetragonal phases. The exchange-correlation potential is treated by the generalized gradient approximation within the scheme of Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof, GGA96 (1996 Phys. Rev. Lett. 77 3865). Also, the Engel and Vosko GGA formalism, EV-GGA (Engel and Vosko 1993 Phys. Rev. B 47 13164), is used to improve the band-gap results. Internal parameters are optimized by relaxing the atomic positions in the force directions using the Hellman-Feynman approach. The lattice constants, internal parameters, bulk modulus, cohesive energy and band structures have been calculated and compared to the available experimental and theoretical results. The structural calculations predict that the stable phase is tetragonal. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the behavior of band parameters such as band-gap, valence bandwidths and internal gaps (the energy gap between different parts of the valence bands) are studied using both GGA96 and EV-GGA.

Electron states in semiconductor quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhayal, Suman S.; Ramaniah, Lavanya M.; Ruda, Harry E.; Nair, Selvakumar V.

2014-01-01

In this work, the electronic structures of quantum dots (QDs) of nine direct band gap semiconductor materials belonging to the group II-VI and III-V families are investigated, within the empirical tight-binding framework, in the effective bond orbital model. This methodology is shown to accurately describe these systems, yielding, at the same time, qualitative insights into their electronic properties. Various features of the bulk band structure such as band-gaps, band curvature, and band widths around symmetry points affect the quantum confinement of electrons and holes. These effects are identified and quantified. A comparison with experimental data yields good agreement with the calculations. These theoretical results would help quantify the optical response of QDs of these materials and provide useful input for applications

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-López, Manuel Angel Quevedo

2011-06-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Ramí rez-Bon, Rafael; Gnade, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Quantum dynamical phenomena of independent electrons in semiconductor superlattices subject to a uniform electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouchard, A.M.

1994-01-01

This report discusses the following topics: Bloch oscillations and other dynamical phenomena of electrons in semiconductor superlattices; solvable dynamical model of an electron in a one-dimensional aperiodic lattice subject to a uniform electric field; and quantum dynamical phenomena of electrons in aperiodic semiconductor superlattices

Additional compound semiconductor nanowires for photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, F.

2016-02-01

GaAs related compound semiconductor heterostructures are one of the most developed materials for photonics. Those have realized various photonic devices with high efficiency, e. g., lasers, electro-optical modulators, and solar cells. To extend the functions of the materials system, diluted nitride and bismide has been paid attention over the past decade. They can largely decrease the band gap of the alloys, providing the greater tunability of band gap and strain status, eventually suppressing the non-radiative Auger recombinations. On the other hand, selective oxidation for AlGaAs is a vital technique for vertical surface emitting lasers. That enables precisely controlled oxides in the system, enabling the optical and electrical confinement, heat transfer, and mechanical robustness. We introduce the above functions into GaAs nanowires. GaAs/GaAsN core-shell nanowires showed clear redshift of the emitting wavelength toward infrared regime. Further, the introduction of N elongated the carrier lifetime at room temperature indicating the passivation of non-radiative surface recombinations. GaAs/GaAsBi nanowire shows the redshift with metamorphic surface morphology. Selective and whole oxidations of GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell nanowires produce semiconductor/oxide composite GaAs/AlGaOx and oxide GaOx/AlGaOx core-shell nanowires, respectively. Possibly sourced from nano-particle species, the oxide shell shows white luminescence. Those property should extend the functions of the nanowires for their application to photonics.

NaAuS chicken-wire-like semiconductor: Electronic structure and optical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reshak, A.H.; Khan, Saleem Ayaz; Kamarudin, H.; Bila, Jiri

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Chicken wire like semiconductor NaAuS was investigated. • Good agreement with experimental data was found. • Electronic charge density of chicken wire like semiconductor NaAuS was obtained. • The calculated uniaxial anisotropy is −0.0005, indicating the strong anisotropy. -- Abstract: The electronic structure, charge density and optical properties of NaAuS a chicken-wire-like semiconductor was calculated using full potential linear augmented plane wave based on density functional theory. The Ceperley-Alder local density approximation, Perdew Becke Ernzerhof Generalized gradient approximation and Engel Voskov Generalized Gradient Approximation were applied to solve the exchange correlation potential. The investigation of band structures and density of states elucidates that Engle Vasko Generalized Gradient Approximation shows close agreement to the experimental data. The calculated valence charge density shows pure ionic nature of Au–Au bond. It becomes partially covalent when Au is connected with two Na atoms. The linear optical susceptibilities of chicken-wire-like NaAuS semiconductor are calculated so as to obtain further insight into the electronic properties. The uniaxial anisotropy is −0.0005, indicating the strong anisotropy of the dielectric function in the NaAuS a chicken-wire-like semiconductor

NaAuS chicken-wire-like semiconductor: Electronic structure and optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reshak, A.H. [Institute of Complex Systems, FFPW, CENAKVA, University of South Bohemia in CB, Nove Hrady 37333 (Czech Republic); Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology, School of Material Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, 01007 Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Khan, Saleem Ayaz, E-mail: sayaz_usb@yahoo.com [Institute of Complex Systems, FFPW, CENAKVA, University of South Bohemia in CB, Nove Hrady 37333 (Czech Republic); Kamarudin, H. [Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology, School of Material Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, 01007 Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Bila, Jiri [Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, CTU in Prague, Technicka 4, 166 07 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2014-01-05

Highlights: • Chicken wire like semiconductor NaAuS was investigated. • Good agreement with experimental data was found. • Electronic charge density of chicken wire like semiconductor NaAuS was obtained. • The calculated uniaxial anisotropy is −0.0005, indicating the strong anisotropy. -- Abstract: The electronic structure, charge density and optical properties of NaAuS a chicken-wire-like semiconductor was calculated using full potential linear augmented plane wave based on density functional theory. The Ceperley-Alder local density approximation, Perdew Becke Ernzerhof Generalized gradient approximation and Engel Voskov Generalized Gradient Approximation were applied to solve the exchange correlation potential. The investigation of band structures and density of states elucidates that Engle Vasko Generalized Gradient Approximation shows close agreement to the experimental data. The calculated valence charge density shows pure ionic nature of Au–Au bond. It becomes partially covalent when Au is connected with two Na atoms. The linear optical susceptibilities of chicken-wire-like NaAuS semiconductor are calculated so as to obtain further insight into the electronic properties. The uniaxial anisotropy is −0.0005, indicating the strong anisotropy of the dielectric function in the NaAuS a chicken-wire-like semiconductor.

Quantum theory of the electronic and optical properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Wayne Heung

This thesis examines the electronic and optical properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems. A theory is developed to study the electron-hole generation-recombination process of type-II semimetallic semiconductor heterojunctions based on a 3 x 3 k·p matrix Hamiltonian (three-band model) and an 8 x 8 k·p matrix Hamiltonian (eight-band model). A novel electron-hole generation and recombination process, which is called activationless generation-recombination process, is predicted. It is demonstrated that the current through the type-II semimetallic semiconductor heterojunctions is governed by the activationless electron-hole generation-recombination process at the heterointerfaces, and that the current-voltage characteristics are essentially linear. A qualitative agreement between theory and experiments is observed. The numerical results of the eight-band model are compared with those of the threeband model. Based on a lattice gas model, a theory is developed to study the influence of a random potential on the ionization equilibrium conditions for bound electron-hole pairs (excitons) in III--V semiconductor heterostructures. It is demonstrated that ionization equilibrium conditions for bound electron-hole pairs change drastically in the presence of strong disorder. It is predicted that strong disorder promotes dissociation of excitons in III--V semiconductor heterostructures. A theory of polariton (photon dressed by phonon) spontaneous emission in a III--V semiconductor doped with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) or quantum wells (QWs) is developed. For the first time, superradiant and subradiant polariton spontaneous emission phenomena in a polariton-QD (QW) coupled system are predicted when the resonance energies of the two identical QDs (QWs) lie outside the polaritonic energy gap. It is also predicted that when the resonance energies of the two identical QDs (QWs) lie inside the polaritonic energy gap, spontaneous emission of polariton in the polariton

Induced Charge Fluctuations in Semiconductor Detectors with a Cylindrical Geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Samedov, Victor V.

2018-01-01

Now, compound semiconductors are very appealing for hard X-ray room-temperature detectors for medical and astrophysical applications. Despite the attractive properties of compound semiconductors, such as high atomic number, high density, wide band gap, low chemical reactivity and long-term stability, poor hole and electron mobility-lifetime products degrade the energy resolution of these detectors. The main objective of the present study is in development of a mathematical model of the process of the charge induction in a cylindrical geometry with accounting for the charge carrier trapping. The formulae for the moments of the distribution function of the induced charge and the formulae for the mean amplitude and the variance of the signal at the output of the semiconductor detector with a cylindrical geometry were derived. It was shown that the power series expansions of the detector amplitude and the variance in terms of the inverse bias voltage allow determining the Fano factor, electron mobility lifetime product, and the nonuniformity level of the trap density of the semiconductor material.

Theory of semiconductor junction devices a textbook for electrical and electronic engineers

CERN Document Server

Leck, J H

1967-01-01

Theory of Semiconductor Junction Devices: A Textbook for Electrical and Electronic Engineers presents the simplified numerical computation of the fundamental electrical equations, specifically Poisson's and the Hall effect equations. This book provides the fundamental theory relevant for the understanding of semiconductor device theory. Comprised of 10 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the application of band theory to the special case of semiconductors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. This text then describes the electrical properties of conductivity, semiconductors, and Hall effe

Theoretical prediction and experimental confirmation of unusual ternary ordered semiconductor compounds in Sr-Pb-S system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Shiqiang; Zhao, Li-Dong; Chen, Chang-Qiang; Dravid, Vinayak P; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G; Wolverton, Christopher M

2014-01-29

We examine the thermodynamics of phase separation and ordering in the ternary Ca(x)Pb(1-x)S and Sr(x)Pb(1-x)S systems by density-functional theory combined with a cluster expansion and Monte Carlo simulations. Similar to most other ternary III-V or IV-VI semiconductor alloys, we find that bulk phase separation is thermodynamically preferred for PbS-CaS. However, we predict the surprising existence of stable, ordered ternary compounds in the PbS-SrS system. These phases are previously unreported ordered rocksalt-based compounds: SrPb3S4, SrPbS2, and Sr3PbS4. The stability of these predicted ordered phases is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy observations and band gap measurements. We believe this work paves the way for a combined theory-experiment approach to decipher complex phase relations in multicomponent chalcogenide systems.

Characterization of strained semiconductor structures using transmission electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oezdoel, Vasfi Burak

2011-08-15

Today's state-of-the-art semiconductor electronic devices utilize the charge transport within very small volumes of the active device regions. The structural, chemical and optical material properties in these small dimensions can critically affect the performance of these devices. The present thesis is focused on the nanometer scale characterization of the strain state in semiconductor structures using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although high-resolution TEM has shown to provide the required accuracy at the nanometer scale, optimization of imaging conditions is necessary for accurate strain measurements. An alternative HRTEM method based on strain mapping on complex-valued exit face wave functions is developed to reduce the artifacts arising from objective lens aberrations. However, a much larger field of view is crucial for mapping strain in the active regions of complex structures like latest generation metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). To overcome this, a complementary approach based on electron holography is proposed. The technique relies on the reconstruction of the phase shifts in the diffracted electron beams from a focal series of dark-field images using recently developed exit-face wave function reconstruction algorithm. Combining high spatial resolution, better than 1 nm, with a field of view of about 1 {mu}m in each dimension, simultaneous strain measurements on the array of MOSFETs are possible. Owing to the much lower electron doses used in holography experiments when compared to conventional quantitative methods, the proposed approach allows to map compositional distribution in electron beam sensitive materials such as InGaN heterostructures without alteration of the original morphology and chemical composition. Moreover, dark-field holography experiments can be performed on thicker specimens than the ones required for high-resolution TEM, which in turn reduces the thin foil relaxation. (orig.)

Graphene-on-semiconductor substrates for analog electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Lagally, Max G.; Cavallo, Francesca; Rojas-Delgado, Richard

2016-04-26

Electrically conductive material structures, analog electronic devices incorporating the structures and methods for making the structures are provided. The structures include a layer of graphene on a semiconductor substrate. The graphene layer and the substrate are separated by an interfacial region that promotes transfer of charge carriers from the surface of the substrate to the graphene.

MCNPX calculations for electron irradiated semiconductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedlackova, K.; Necas, V.; Sagatova, A.; Zatko, B.

2014-01-01

This study aimed to treat some practical problems of (not only) semiconductor material irradiation by high energy electron beam using MCNPX simulation code. The relation between the absorbed dose and the fluency was found and the energy distribution of electron flux density was simulated on the top and back side of 270 μm thick GaAs, SiC and Si detectors. Furthermore, the dose depth profiles were calculated for GaAs, SiC and Si materials irradiated by 4 and 5 MeV electron beams. For the GaAs detector, a very good agreement with the experiment was shown. To match the absolute values of the absorbed dose with experimentally obtained values, the electron source emissivity has to be determined in relation to the electron beam setting parameters. (authors)

Response function and optimum configuration of semiconductor backscattered-electron detectors for scanning electron microscopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rau, E. I.; Orlikovskiy, N. A.; Ivanova, E. S.

2012-01-01

A new highly efficient design for semiconductor detectors of intermediate-energy electrons (1–50 keV) for application in scanning electron microscopes is proposed. Calculations of the response function of advanced detectors and control experiments show that the efficiency of the developed devices increases on average twofold, which is a significant positive factor in the operation of modern electron microscopes in the mode of low currents and at low primary electron energies.

Exploring semiconductor quantum dots and wires by high resolution electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molina, S I [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ing Metalurgica y Q. Inorganica, F. de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro. 11510 Puerto Real (Cadiz) (Spain); Galindo, P L [Departamento de Lenguajes y Sistemas Informaticos, CASEM, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro. 11510 Puerto Real (Cadiz) (Spain); Gonzalez, L; Ripalda, J M [Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM, CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Varela, M; Pennycook, S J, E-mail: sergio.molina@uca.e [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States)

2010-02-01

We review in this communication our contribution to the structural characterisation of semiconductor quantum dots and wires by high resolution electron microscopy, both in phase-contrast and Z-contrast modes. We show how these techniques contribute to predict the preferential sites of nucleation of these nanostructures, and also determine the compositional distribution in 1D and 0D nanostructures. The results presented here were produced in the framework of the European Network of Excellence entitled {sup S}elf-Assembled semiconductor Nanostructures for new Devices in photonics and Electronics (SANDiE){sup .}

Electronic Properties of Metallic Nanoclusters on Semiconductor Surfaces: Implications for Nanoelectronic Device Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Takhee; Liu Jia; Chen, N.-P.; Andres, R.P.; Janes, D.B.; Reifenberger, R.

2000-01-01

We review current research on the electronic properties of nanoscale metallic islands and clusters deposited on semiconductor substrates. Reported results for a number of nanoscale metal-semiconductor systems are summarized in terms of their fabrication and characterization. In addition to the issues faced in large-area metal-semiconductor systems, nano-systems present unique challenges in both the realization of well-controlled interfaces at the nanoscale and the ability to adequately characterize their electrical properties. Imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy as well as electrical characterization by current-voltage spectroscopy enable the study of the electrical properties of nanoclusters/semiconductor systems at the nanoscale. As an example of the low-resistance interfaces that can be realized, low-resistance nanocontacts consisting of metal nanoclusters deposited on specially designed ohmic contact structures are described. To illustrate a possible path to employing metal/semiconductor nanostructures in nanoelectronic applications, we also describe the fabrication and performance of uniform 2-D arrays of such metallic clusters on semiconductor substrates. Using self-assembly techniques involving conjugated organic tether molecules, arrays of nanoclusters have been formed in both unpatterned and patterned regions on semiconductor surfaces. Imaging and electrical characterization via scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy indicate that high quality local ordering has been achieved within the arrays and that the clusters are electronically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via the low-resistance metal/semiconductor interface

Organic electronic devices using phthalimide compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Azad M.; Thompson, Mark E.

2010-09-07

Organic electronic devices comprising a phthalimide compound. The phthalimide compounds disclosed herein are electron transporters with large HOMO-LUMO gaps, high triplet energies, large reduction potentials, and/or thermal and chemical stability. As such, these phthalimide compounds are suitable for use in any of various organic electronic devices, such as OLEDs and solar cells. In an OLED, the phthalimide compounds may serve various functions, such as a host in the emissive layer, as a hole blocking material, or as an electron transport material. In a solar cell, the phthalimide compounds may serve various functions, such as an exciton blocking material. Various examples of phthalimide compounds which may be suitable for use in the present invention are disclosed.

Ion channeling study of defects in multicomponent semiconductor compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turos, A.; Nowicki, L.; Stonert, A.

2002-01-01

Compound semiconductor crystals are of great technological importance as basic materials for production of modern opto- and microelectronic devices. Ion implantation is one of the principal techniques for heterostructures processing. This paper reports the results of the study of defect formation and transformation in binary and ternary semiconductor compounds subjected to ion implantation with ions of different mass and energy. The principal analytical technique was He-ion channeling. The following materials were studied: GaN and InGaN epitaxial layers. First the semi empirical method of channeling spectra analysis for ion implanted multicomponent single crystal was developed. This method was later complemented by the more sophisticated method based on the Monte Carlo simulation of channeling spectra. Next, the damage buildup in different crystals and epitaxial layers as a function of the implantation dose was studied for N, Mg, Te, and Kr ions. The influence of the substrate temperature on the defect transformations was studied for GaN epitaxial layers implanted with Mg ions. Special attention was devoted to the study of growth conditions of InGaN/GaN/sapphire heterostructures, which are important component of the future blue laser diodes. In-atom segregation and tetragonal distortion of the epitaxial layer were observed and characterized. Next problem studied was the incorporation of hydrogen atoms in GaAs and GaN. Elastic recoil detection (ERDA) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) were applied for the purpose. (author)

Hot electron dynamics at semiconductor surfaces: Implications for quantum dot photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Tisdale, William A., III

Finding a viable supply of clean, renewable energy is one of the most daunting challenges facing the world today. Solar cells have had limited impact in meeting this challenge because of their high cost and low power conversion efficiencies. Semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots, are promising materials for use in novel solar cells because they can be processed with potentially inexpensive solution-based techniques and because they are predicted to have novel optoelectronic properties that could enable the realization of ultra-efficient solar power converters. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding regarding the behavior of highly-excited, or "hot," charge carriers near quantum-dot and semiconductor interfaces, which is of paramount importance to the rational design of high-efficiency devices. The elucidation of these ultrafast hot electron dynamics is the central aim of this Dissertation. I present a theoretical framework for treating the electronic interactions between quantum dots and bulk semiconductor surfaces and propose a novel experimental technique, time-resolved surface second harmonic generation (TR-SHG), for probing these interactions. I then describe a series of experimental investigations into hot electron dynamics in specific quantum-dot/semiconductor systems. A two-photon photoelectron spectroscopy (2PPE) study of the technologically-relevant ZnO(1010) surface reveals ultrafast (sub-30fs) cooling of hot electrons in the bulk conduction band, which is due to strong electron-phonon coupling in this highly polar material. The presence of a continuum of defect states near the conduction band edge results in Fermi-level pinning and upward (n-type) band-bending at the (1010) surface and provides an alternate route for electronic relaxation. In monolayer films of colloidal PbSe quantum dots, chemical treatment with either hydrazine or 1,2-ethanedithiol results in strong and tunable electronic coupling between neighboring quantum dots

Carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Story, T.

2007-01-01

In semiconductor spintronics the key materials issue concerns ferromagnetic semiconductors that would, in particular, permit an integration (in a single multilayer heterostructure) of standard electronic functions of semiconductors with magnetic memory function. Although classical semiconductor materials, such as Si or GaAs, are nonmagnetic, upon substitutional incorporation of magnetic ions (typically of a few atomic percents of Mn 2+ ions) and very heavy doping with conducting carriers (at the level of 10 20 - 10 21 cm -3 ) a ferromagnetic transition can be induced in such diluted magnetic semiconductors (also known as semimagnetic semiconductors). In the lecture the spectacular experimental observations of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism will be discussed for three model semiconductor crystals. p - Ga 1-x Mn x As currently the most actively studied and most perspective ferromagnetic semiconductor of III-V group, in which ferromagnetism appears due to Mn ions providing both local magnetic moments and acting as acceptor centers. p - Sn 1-x Mn x Te and p - Ge 1-x Mn x Te classical diluted magnetic semiconductors of IV-VI group, in which paramagnet-ferromagnet and ferromagnet-spin glass transitions are found for very high hole concentration. n - Eu 1-x Gd x Te mixed magnetic crystals, in which the substitution of Gd 3+ ions for Eu 2+ ions creates very high electron concentration and transforms antiferromagnetic EuTe (insulating compound) into ferromagnetic n-type semiconductor alloy. For each of these materials systems the key physical features will be discussed concerning: local magnetic moments formation, magnetic phase diagram as a function of magnetic ions and carrier concentration as well as Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy engineering. Various theoretical models proposed to explain the effect of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors will be briefly discussed involving mean field approaches based on Zener and RKKY

Fabrication and Characterization of Copper System Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryosuke Motoyoshi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Copper system compound semiconductor solar cells were produced by a spin-coating method, and their cell performance and structures were investigated. Copper indium disulfide- (CIS- based solar cells with titanium dioxide (TiO2 were produced on F-doped SnO2 (FTO. A device based on an FTO/CIS/TiO2 structure provided better cell performance compared to that based on FTO/TiO2/CIS structure. Cupric oxide- (CuO- and cuprous oxide- (Cu2O- based solar cells with fullerene (C60 were also fabricated on FTO and indium tin oxide (ITO. The microstructure and cell performance of the CuO/C60 heterojunction and the Cu2O:C60 bulk heterojunction structure were investigated. The photovoltaic devices based on FTO/CuO/C60 and ITO/Cu2O:C60 structures provided short-circuit current density of 0.015 mAcm−2 and 0.11 mAcm−2, and open-circuit voltage of 0.045 V and 0.17 V under an Air Mass 1.5 illumination, respectively. The microstructures of the active layers were examined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.

Chemical Modification of Semiconductor Surfaces for Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilan, Ayelet; Cahen, David

2017-03-08

Inserting molecular monolayers within metal/semiconductor interfaces provides one of the most powerful expressions of how minute chemical modifications can affect electronic devices. This topic also has direct importance for technology as it can help improve the efficiency of a variety of electronic devices such as solar cells, LEDs, sensors, and possible future bioelectronic ones. The review covers the main aspects of using chemistry to control the various aspects of interface electrostatics, such as passivation of interface states and alignment of energy levels by intrinsic molecular polarization, as well as charge rearrangement with the adjacent metal and semiconducting contacts. One of the greatest merits of molecular monolayers is their capability to form excellent thin dielectrics, yielding rich and unique current-voltage characteristics for transport across metal/molecular monolayer/semiconductor interfaces. We explain the interplay between the monolayer as tunneling barrier on the one hand, and the electrostatic barrier within the semiconductor, due to its space-charge region, on the other hand, as well as how different monolayer chemistries control each of these barriers. Practical tools to experimentally identify these two barriers and distinguish between them are given, followed by a short look to the future. This review is accompanied by another one, concerning the formation of large-area molecular junctions and charge transport that is dominated solely by molecules.

Radiation hardness and qualification of semiconductor electronic devices for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friant, A.; Payat, R.

1984-05-01

After a brief review of radiation effects in semiconductors and radiation damage in semiconductor devices, the problems of qualification of electronic equipment to be used in nuclear reactors are compared to those relative to nuclear weapons or space experiments. The conclusion is that data obtained at very high dose rates or under pulsed irradiation in weapons and space programs should not be directly applied to nuclear plant instrumentation. The need for a specific qualification of semiconductor devices appropriate for nuclear reactors is emphasized. Some irradiation studies at IRDI/DEIN (CEN-Saclay) are related [fr

75 FR 9438 - Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC, DRAM Fab 1, a Subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-02

... Semiconductor, LLC, DRAM Fab 1, a Subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, Including On-Site Leased... Semiconductor, LLC, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, DRAM Fab 1, including on-site leased.... The workers are engaged in activities related to the production of DRAM chips for use in electronics...

Electronic collective modes and instabilities on semiconductor surfaces. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muramatsu, A.; Hanke, W.

1984-01-01

A Green's-function theory of electronic collective modes is presented which leads to a practical scheme for a microscopic determination of surface elementary excitations in conducting as well as nonconducting solids. Particular emphasis is placed on semiconductor surfaces where the jellium approximation is not valid, due to the importance of density fluctuations on a microscopic scale (reflected in the local-field effects). Starting from the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the two-particle Green's function of the surface system, an equation of motion for the electron-hole pair is obtained. Its solutions determine the energy spectra, lifetimes, and amplitudes of the surface elementary excitations, i.e., surface plasmons, excitons, polaritons, and magnons. Exchange and correlation effects are taken into account through the random-phase and time-dependent Hartree-Fock (screened electron-hole attraction) approximations. The formalism is applied to the study of electronic (charge- and spin-density) instabilities at covalent semiconductor surfaces. Quantitative calculations for an eight-layer Si(111) slab display an instability of the ideal paramagnetic surface with respect to spin-density waves with wavelength nearly corresponding to (2 x 1) and (7 x 7) superstructures

Electronic displays using optically pumped luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Shimon [Pinole, CA; Schlamp, Michael C [Plainsboro, NJ; Alivisatos, A Paul [Oakland, CA

2011-09-27

A multicolor electronic display is based on an array of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals. Nanocrystals which emit light of different colors are grouped into pixels. The nanocrystals are optically pumped to produce a multicolor display. Different sized nanocrystals are used to produce the different colors. A variety of pixel addressing systems can be used.

Transmission electron microscopy in situ investigation of dislocation mobility in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Vanderschaeve, G; Insa, P D T; Caillard, D

2000-01-01

TEM in situ straining experiments provide a unique way to investigate in real time the behaviour of individual dislocations under applied stress. The results obtained on a variety of semiconductors are presented: numerous dislocation sources are observed which makes it possible to measure the dislocation velocity as a function of different physical parameters (local shear stress, temperature, dislocation character, length of the moving dislocation, ...). The experimental results are consistent with a dislocation glide governed by the Peierls mechanism, even for II-VI compounds which have a significant degree of ionic character. For compounds, a linear dependence of the dislocation velocity on the length of the moving segment is noticed, whereas for elemental semiconductors a transition between a length-dependent and a length-independent velocity regime is observed. Analysed in the framework of the kink diffusion model (Hirth and Lothe theory), these results allow an estimation of the kink formation and migrat...

Inelastic light scattering by low-lying excitations of electrons in low-dimensional semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pellegrini, V. [NEST CNR-INFM and Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy); Pinczuk, A. [Department of Physics, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey (United States)

2006-11-15

The low-dimensional electron systems that reside in artificial semiconductor heterostructures of great perfection are a contemporary materials base for explorations of collective phenomena. Studies of low-lying elementary excitations by inelastic light scattering offer insights on properties such energetics, interactions and spin magnetization. We review here recent light scattering results obtained from two-dimensional (2D) quantum fluids in semiconductor heterostructures under extreme conditions of low temperature and large magnetic field, where the quantum Hall phases are archetypes of novel behaviors. We also consider recent light scattering experiments that have probed the excitation spectra of few-electron states in semiconductor quantum dots. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadana, D.K.

1982-10-01

A method to prepare cross-sectional (X) semiconductor specimens for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been described. The power and utility of XTEM has been demonstrated. It has been shown that accuracy and interpretation of indirect structural-defects profiling techniques, namely, MeV He + channeling and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) can be greatly enhanced by comparing their results with those obtained by XTEM from the same set of samples

Towards quantum optics and entanglement with electron spin ensembles in semiconductors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wal, Caspar H.; Sladkov, Maksym

We discuss a technique and a material system that enable the controlled realization of quantum entanglement between spin-wave modes of electron ensembles in two spatially separated pieces of semiconductor material. The approach uses electron ensembles in GaAs quantum wells that are located inside

Electronic paramagnetic resonance in the Mn In X (X:Te,S) diluted magnetic semiconductor system; Resonancia paramagnetica electronica en el sistema semiconductor magnetico diluido Cd Mn In X (X:Te,S)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vincent, Bernardo; Betancourt, Luis; Sagredo, Vicente [Universidad de los Andes, Merida (Venezuela). Dept. de Fisica; Alcala, Rafael [Zaragoza Univ. (Spain). Dept. de Fisica de la Materia Condensada

1997-12-31

Semiconductor compounds wit the II-III-VI stoichiometry are very interesting materials since they present very good semiconducting characteristics and, along with strong magnetic properties, these II Mn In VI compounds have a great potential as opt and magneto-electronic devices. Among the possible magnetic properties of the materials is the presence of the spin-glass phase. Electron paramagnetic resonance is one of the techniques used to confirm this phase. The chosen crystals were chosen by chemical vapor transport. The absorption lines of these two families with 0.1 x 1 were all Lorentzian in shape and centred at g=2. A large broadening of the resonance line width was observed when lowering the temperature to below 80 K. This behaviour was fitted to the known existing models, and good values of the calculated parameters were obtained (author). 18 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Velocity overshoot decay mechanisms in compound semiconductor field-effect transistors with a submicron characteristic length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jyegal, Jang

2015-01-01

Velocity overshoot is a critically important nonstationary effect utilized for the enhanced performance of submicron field-effect devices fabricated with high-electron-mobility compound semiconductors. However, the physical mechanisms of velocity overshoot decay dynamics in the devices are not known in detail. Therefore, a numerical analysis is conducted typically for a submicron GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor in order to elucidate the physical mechanisms. It is found that there exist three different mechanisms, depending on device bias conditions. Specifically, at large drain biases corresponding to the saturation drain current (dc) region, the velocity overshoot suddenly begins to drop very sensitively due to the onset of a rapid decrease of the momentum relaxation time, not the mobility, arising from the effect of velocity-randomizing intervalley scattering. It then continues to drop rapidly and decays completely by severe mobility reduction due to intervalley scattering. On the other hand, at small drain biases corresponding to the linear dc region, the velocity overshoot suddenly begins to drop very sensitively due to the onset of a rapid increase of thermal energy diffusion by electrons in the channel of the gate. It then continues to drop rapidly for a certain channel distance due to the increasing thermal energy diffusion effect, and later completely decays by a sharply decreasing electric field. Moreover, at drain biases close to a dc saturation voltage, the mechanism is a mixture of the above two bias conditions. It is suggested that a large secondary-valley energy separation is essential to increase the performance of submicron devices

Comparison of electron and phonon transport in disordered semiconductor carbon nanotubes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sevincli, Haldun; Lehmann, T.; Ryndyk, D. A.

2013-01-01

as a function of length of the disordered device shows that both electrons and phonons with different energies display different transport regimes, i.e. quasi-ballistic, diffusive and localization regimes coexist. In the light of the results we discuss heating of the semiconductor device in electronic...

Electron Beam Induced Radiation Damage of the Semiconductor Radiation Detector based on Silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Han Soo; Kim, Yong Kyun; Park, Se Hwan; Haa, Jang Ho; Kang, Sang Mook; Chung, Chong Eun; Cho, Seung Yeon; Park, Ji Hyun; Yoon, Tae Hyung

2005-01-01

A Silicon Surface Barrier (SSB) semiconductor detector which is generally used to detect a charged particle such as an alpha particle was developed. The performance of the developed SSB semiconductor detector was measured with an I-V curve and an alpha spectrum. The response for an alpha particle was measured by Pu-238 sources. A SSB semiconductor detector was irradiated firstly at 30sec, at 30μA and secondly 40sec, 40μA with a 2MeV pulsed electron beam generator in KAERI. And the electron beam induced radiation damage of a homemade SSB detector and the commercially available PIN photodiode were investigated. An annealing effect of the damaged SSB and PIN diode detector were also investigated using a Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA). This data may assist in designing the silicon based semiconductor radiation detector when it is operated in a high radiation field such as space or a nuclear power plant

Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

2011-03-15

Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, triaxially textured, single-crystal or single-crystal-like, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

SÍNTESIS, CARACTERIZACIÓN ESTRUCTURAL Y PROPIEDADES MAGNÉTICAS DE COMPUESTOS SEMICONDUCTORES DEL TIPO Dy (x In (1-x Sb ISYNTHESIS, STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOUNDS OF TYPE Dy x In (1-x S

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euclides J. Velazco Rivero

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Semiconductor compounds of molecular formula of type DyxIn (1-x Sb (x = 0,02; 0,03; 0,04; 0,05; 0,06 y 0,07 were synthesized by means of direct interaction of the elements under heat treatment to 550°C during 11 days in vacuum sealed quartz ampoules. The analyses by X-rays diffraction showed that the compounds with x = 0,02; 0,03 y 0,04 presented pure phases of InSb doped with Dy without presence of alternate phases of DySb. These compounds, analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy – SEM, showed particles with a variety of shapes and sizes each one. Whereas the magnetic susceptibility measurements showed that those doped compounds, in spite of their paramagnetic behavior, the predominant magnetic interaction is ferromagnetic due to their positive Curie temperature (θ

Electronic and optical properties of diamond/organic semiconductor heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gajewski, Wojciech; Garrido, Jose; Niedermeier, Martin; Stutzmann, Martin [Walter Schottky Institute, TU Muenchen, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching (Germany); Williams, Oliver; Haenen, Ken [Institute for Materials Research, University of Hasselt, Wetenschapspark 1, BE-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium)

2007-07-01

Different diamond substrates (single crystalline: SCD, poly-crystalline: PCD and nano-crystalline: NCD) were used to investigate the electronic and optical properties of the diamond/organic semiconductor heterostructures. Layers of a poly[ethynyl-(2-decyloxy-5methoxy)benzene] - PEB, pentacene and 4-nitro-biphenyl-4-diazonium cations - Ph-Ph-NO{sub 2} were prepared by spin coating, thermal evaporation and grafting, respectively. The measurements of the electronic transport along the organic layer were performed using a Hg probe as well as Hall effect measurements in the temperature range 70-400 K. The I-V characteristics of the B-doped diamond/organic semiconductor heterostructures were measured at room temperature by means of the Hg probe. Undoped IIa and undoped PCD films were used for a study of the optical and optoelectronic properties of prepared heterostructures. The influence of the organic layer homogeneity and layer thickness on the optical properties will be discussed. Furthermore, preliminary data on perpendicular and parallel transport in the heterostructures layer will be reported.

Semiconductor X-ray detectors

CERN Document Server

Lowe, Barrie Glyn

2014-01-01

Identifying and measuring the elemental x-rays released when materials are examined with particles (electrons, protons, alpha particles, etc.) or photons (x-rays and gamma rays) is still considered to be the primary analytical technique for routine and non-destructive materials analysis. The Lithium Drifted Silicon (Si(Li)) X-Ray Detector, with its good resolution and peak to background, pioneered this type of analysis on electron microscopes, x-ray fluorescence instruments, and radioactive source- and accelerator-based excitation systems. Although rapid progress in Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs), Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs), and Compound Semiconductor Detectors, including renewed interest in alternative materials such as CdZnTe and diamond, has made the Si(Li) X-Ray Detector nearly obsolete, the device serves as a useful benchmark and still is used in special instances where its large, sensitive depth is essential. Semiconductor X-Ray Detectors focuses on the history and development of Si(Li) X-Ray Detect...

Quantum theory of the optical and electronic properties of semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Haug, Hartmut

1990-01-01

The current technological revolution in the development of computing devices has created a demand for a textbook on the quantum theory of the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors and semiconductor devices. This book successfully fulfills this need. Based on lectures given by the authors, it is a comprehensive introduction for researchers or graduate-level students to the subject. Certain sections can also serve as a graduate-level textbook for use in solid state physics courses or for more specialized courses. The final chapters establish a direct link to current research in sem

Paramagnetic resonance and electronic conduction in organic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nechtschein, M.

1963-01-01

As some organic bodies simultaneously display semi-conducting properties and a paramagnetism, this report addresses the study of conduction in organic bodies. The author first briefly recalls how relationships between conductibility and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) can be noticed in a specific case (mineral and metallic semiconductors). He discusses published results related to paramagnetism and conductibility in organic bodies. He reviews various categories of organic bodies in which both properties are simultaneously present. He notably addresses radical molecular crystals, non-radical molecular crystals, charge transfer complexes, pyrolyzed coals, and pseudo-ferromagnetic organic structures. He discusses the issue of relationships between conduction (charge transfer by electrons) and ERP (which reveals the existence of non-paired electrons which provide free spins)

Electron states and electron Raman scattering in semiconductor double cylindrical quantum well wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munguía-Rodríguez, M; Riera, R; Betancourt-Riera, Ri; Betancourt-Riera, Re; Nieto Jalil, J M

2016-01-01

The differential cross section for an electron Raman scattering process in a semiconductor GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum well wire is calculated, and expressions for the electronic states are presented. The system is modeled by considering T = 0 K and also with a single parabolic conduction band, which is split into a subband system due to the confinement. The gain and differential cross-section for an electron Raman scattering process are obtained. In addition, the emission spectra for several scattering configurations are discussed, and interpretations of the singularities found in the spectra are given. The electron Raman scattering studied here can be used to provide direct information about the efficiency of the lasers. (paper)

Peculiarities of charge transport in a semiconductor gas discharge electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, E.; Chivi, M.; Salamov, B.G.; Salamov, B.G.

2009-01-01

The memory effect in planar semiconductor gas discharge system at different pressures (15-760) and interelectrode distance (60-445 μm) were experimentally studied. The study was performed on the bases of current-voltage characteristic (CVC) measurements with the time lag of several hours of afterglow periods. The influence of the active space-charge remaining from previous discharge on the breakdown voltage has been analyzed using the CVC method for different conductivity of semiconductor GaAs photocathode. On the other hand, the CVC data for subsequent dates present a correlation of memory effect and hysteresis behaviour. The explanation of such relation is based on the influence of long-lived active charges on the electronic transport mechanism of semiconductor material

Strain mapping for the semiconductor industry by dark-field electron holography and nanobeam electron diffraction with nm resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, David; Hartmann, Jean Michel; Carron, Veronique; Béché, Armand; Rouvière, Jean-Luc

2010-01-01

There is a requirement of the semiconductor industry to measure strain in semiconductor devices with nm-scale resolution. Here we show that dark-field electron holography and nanobeam electron diffraction (NBED) are both complementary techniques that can be used to determine the strain in these devices. We show two-dimensional strain maps acquired by dark holography and line profiles that have been acquired by NBED of recessed SiGe sources and drains with a variety of different gate lengths and Ge concentrations. We have also used dark-field electron holography to measure the evolution in strain during the silicidation process, showing that this can reduce the applied uniaxial compressive strain in the conduction channel by up to a factor of 3

Photoinduced electron transfer from organic semiconductors onto redox mediators for CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portenkirchner, E.

2014-01-01

In this work the photoinduced electron transfer from organic semiconductors onto redox mediator catalysts for CO 2 reduction has been investigated. In the beginning, the work focuses on the identication, characterization and test of suitable catalyst materials. For this purpose, rhenium compounds with 2,2'-bipyridine bis(arylimino) acenaphthene ligands and pyridinium were tested for molecular homogenous catalysis. Infrared, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used for initial characterization of the catalyst substances. Since the interpretation of infrared spectra was difficult for large molecules based on measured data only, additionally infrared absorption spectra obtained by quantum mechanical density functional theory(DFT) calculations were successfully used to correlate characteristic features in the measured spectra to their molecular origin. It was found that experimentally observed data and quantum chemical predictions for the infrared spectra of the novel compounds are in good agreement. Additionally, quantum mechanical calculations were carried out for the determination of molecular orbital frontier energy levels and correlated to UV-Vis absorption and cyclic voltammetry measurements. Extensive cyclic voltammetry measurements and bulk controlled-potential electrolysis experiments were performed using a N 2 - and CO 2 -saturated electrolyte solution. Together with a detailed product analysis via infrared spectroscopy, gas and ion chromatography the results allowed electrochemical characterizations of the novel catalysts regarding their suitability for electrochemical CO 2 reduction. Once suitable catalysts were identied, the materials were immobilized on the electrode surface by electro-polymerization of the catalyst (5,5'bisphenylethynyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)Re(CO) 3 Cl itself or by incorporation of (2,2'-bipyridyl)Re(CO) 3 Cl into a polypyrrole matrix, thereby changing from homogeneous to

Solid spectroscopy: semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, C.E.T.G. da

1983-01-01

Photoemission as technique of study of the semiconductor electronic structure is shortly discussed. Homogeneous and heterogeneous semiconductors, where volume and surface electronic structure, core levels and O and H chemisorption in GaAs, Schottky barrier are treated, respectively. Amorphous semiconductors are also discussed. (L.C.) [pt

The impact of semiconductor, electronics and optoelectronic industries on downstream perfluorinated chemical contamination in Taiwanese rivers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Angela Yu-Chen; Panchangam, Sri Chandana; Lo, Chao-Chun

2009-01-01

This study provides the first evidence on the influence of the semiconductor and electronics industries on perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) contamination in receiving rivers. We have quantified ten PFCs, including perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs: PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnA, PFDoA) in semiconductor, electronic, and optoelectronic industrial wastewaters and their receiving water bodies (Taiwan's Keya, Touchien, and Xiaoli rivers). PFOS was found to be the major constituent in semiconductor wastewaters (up to 0.13 mg/L). However, different PFC distributions were found in electronics plant wastewaters; PFOA was the most significant PFC, contributing on average 72% to the effluent water samples, followed by PFOS (16%) and PFDA (9%). The distribution of PFCs in the receiving rivers was greatly impacted by industrial sources. PFOS, PFOA and PFDA were predominant and prevalent in all the river samples, with PFOS detected at the highest concentrations (up to 5.4 μg/L). - The semiconductor, electronics and optoelectronic industries are the primary source of PFC contamination in downstream aqueous environments

Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy of semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krivanek, O L; Dellby, N; Murfitt, M F

2011-01-01

The scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has been able to image individual heavy atoms in a light matrix for some time. It is now able to do much more: it can resolve individual atoms as light as boron in monolayer materials; image atomic columns as light as hydrogen, identify the chemical type of individual isolated atoms from the intensity of their annular dark field (ADF) image and by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS); and map elemental composition at atomic resolution by EELS and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). It can even map electronic states, also by EELS, at atomic resolution. The instrumentation developments that have made this level of performance possible are reviewed, and examples of applications to semiconductors and oxides are shown.

Distribution of volatile organic compounds over a semiconductor Industrial Park in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Kong-Hwa; Wu, Ben-Zen; Chang, Chih-Chung; Sree, Usha; Lo, Jiunn-Guang

2005-02-15

This study examined volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentration in ambient air collected during the years 2000--2003 at several different locations of Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) in Taiwan. A canister automated GC-MS system analyzed the volatile organics in ambient air grasp samples according to T0-15 method. Oxygenated volatiles were the most abundant VOC detected in HSIP followed by aromatics that are commonly used as solvents in the semiconductor industries. The major components measured in the ambient air are 2-propanol (29-135 ppbv), acetone (12-164 ppbv), benzene (0.7-1.7 ppbv), and toluene (13-20 ppbv). At some of the sampling locations, odorous compounds such as carbon disulfide and dimethyl sulfide levels exceed threshold values. The estimated toluene/benzene ratio is very high at most of the sites. However, the total amount of VOC is reduced over the years from 2000 to 2003 due to strict implementation on use and discharge of solvents in industries. There exists no definite seasonal pattern for sporadic occurrence of high levels of some of the volatile organics. Stagnant weather conditions with low wind speeds aid accumulation of toxic species at ground level. The results entail that hi-tech semiconductor industries are still a potential source for harmful organic substances to surrounding microenvironment.

Correlation between electronic structure and energy band in Eu-doped CuInTe2 semiconductor compound with chalcopyrite structure

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tai Wang; Yong-Quan Guo; Shuai Li

2017-01-01

The Eu-doped Cu(In,Eu)Te2 semiconductors with chalcopyrite structures are promising materials for their applications in the absorption layer for thin-film solar cells due to their wider band-gaps and better optical properties than those of CulnTe2.In this paper,the Eu-doped CulnTe2 (Culn1-xEuxTe2,x =0,0.1,0.2,0.3) are studied systemically based on the empirical electron theory (EET).The studies cover crystal structures,bonding regularities,cohesive energies,energy levels,and valence electron structures.The theoretical values fit the experimental results very well.The physical mechanism of a broadened band-gap induced by Eu doping into CuInTe2 is the transitions between different hybridization energy levels induced by electron hopping between s and d orbitals and the transformations from the lattice electrons to valence electrons for Cu and In ions.The research results reveal that the photovoltaic effect induces the increase of lattice electrons of In and causes the electric resistivity to decrease.The Eu doping into CuInTe2 mainly influences the transition between different hybridization energy levels for Cu atoms,which shows that the 3d electron numbers of Cu atoms change before and after Eu doping.In single phase CuIn1-xEuxTe2,the number of valence electrons changes regularly with increasing Eu content,and the calculated band gap Eg also increases,which implies that the optical properties of Eu-doped CuIn1-xEuxTe2 are improved.

Smooth Growth of Organic Semiconductor Films on Graphene for High-Efficiency Electronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hlawacek, G.; Khokhar, F.S.; van Gastel, Raoul; Poelsema, Bene; Teichert, Christian

2011-01-01

High-quality thin films of conjugated molecules with smooth interfaces are important to assist the advent of organic electronics. Here, we report on the layer-by-layer growth of the organic semiconductor molecule p-sexiphenyl (6P) on the transparent electrode material graphene. Low energy electron

Materials for n-type organic electronics: synthesis and properties of fluoroarene-thiophene semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Facchetti, Antonio; Yoon, Myung-Han; Katz, Howard E.; Marks, Tobin J.

2003-11-01

Recent progress in the field of organic electronics is due to a fruitful combination of both innovative molecular design and promising low-cost material/device assembly. Targeting the first strategy, we present here the general synthesis of fluoroarene-containing thiophene-based semiconductors and the study of their properties with respect to the corresponding fluorine-free hole-transporting analogues. The new compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and 1H- and 19F NMR. The dramatic influence of fluorine substitution and molecular architecture has been investigated by solution/film optical absorption, fluorescence emission, and cyclic voltammetry. Single crystal data for all of the oligomers have been obtained and will be presented. Film microstructure and morphology of this new class of materials have been studied by XRD and SEM. Particular emphasis will be posed on the solution-processable oligomers and polymers.

Electronic and optical properties of defect CdIn_2Te_4 chalcopyrite semiconductor: A first principle approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, S.; Ganguli, B.

2016-01-01

We present detailed study of structural, electronic and optical properties of CdIn_2Te_4 compound. The calculations are carried out using Density Functional theory based Tight Binding Linear Muffin Tin Orbital method. The compound is found to be direct band gap semiconductor with a band gap of 1.03 eV. The band gap is within the limit of LDA underestimation. The calculated structural parameters agree well with the available experimental values. We find a decrements of 9.6% in band gap and significant effects on overall electronic and optical properties due to structural distortions. These effects on optical properties come mainly from the change in transition probability. An-isotropic nature of optical properties get enhanced due to structural distortion. The Calculated real & imaginary parts of dielectric constant and static dielectric constant agree well with the available experimental result. - Highlights: • We present ab-initio calculations of electronic & optical properties of CdIn_2Te_4. • Band gap get reduced by 9.6% due to structural distortion. • Structural distortion has significant effects on optical properties. • Anisotropic nature of optical response functions get enhanced by structural distortion. • Calculated dielectric constant agrees with experimental value.

A novel method for simultaneous observations of plasma ion and electron temperatures using a semiconductor-detector array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, T.; Numakura, T.; Kohagura, J.; Hirata, M.; Minami, R.; Watanabe, H.; Sasuga, T.; Nishizawa, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Nagashima, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Ogura, K.; Tamano, T.; Yatsu, K.; Miyoshi, S.

2002-01-01

A new method for a simultaneous observation of both plasma ion and electron temperatures is proposed using one semiconductor-detector array alone. This method will provide a new application of semiconductor-detector arrays for monitoring the key parameter set of nuclear-fusion triple product (i.e., ion temperatures, densities, and confinement time) as well as for clarifying physics mechanisms of energy transport between plasma ions and electrons under various plasma confining conditions. This method is developed on the basis of an alternative 'positive' use of a semiconductor 'dead layer'; that is, an SiO 2 layer is employed as a reliable ultra-thin energy analysis filter for low-energy charge-exchanged neutral particles from plasmas ranging in ion temperatures from 0.1 to several tens of kilo-electron-volts. Using recent fabrication techniques for the thin and uniform SiO 2 layers of the order of tens to hundreds of angstrom, our computer simulation and its experimental verification show the availability of such semiconductors for distinguishing neutral particles (for ion temperatures) from X-rays (for electron temperatures). These are simultaneously emitted from the plasmas into semiconductor detectors; however, we employ their quite different penetration lengths and the resultant different deposition depths and profiles in semiconductor materials. As a result, their output signals are distinguishable for these two different and fundamental species of plasmas

Interfacial trap states in junctions of molecular semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlettwein, D.; Oekermann, T.; Jaeger, N.; Armstrong, N.R.; Woehrle, D.

2002-01-01

Interfacial states that were established in contacts of molecular semiconductors with aqueous electrolytes or in contacts with another organic semiconductor as a solid film were analyzed by photoelectrochemical experiments and by photoelectron spectroscopy. A crucial role of such states was indicated in the interfacial charge transfer and recombination kinetics of light-induced charge carriers and also in the energetic alignment in the solid contacts. Unsubstituted zinc-phthalocyanine (PcZn) served as model compound. The role of chemical interactions in the establishment of these interfacial states was investigated by use of different reaction partners, i.e., different redox couples in the electrolyte contacts and molecular semiconductors of different ionization potential in the solid contacts. Implications of these results for the use of organic semiconductor thin films in devices of molecular electronics and of dye molecules in dye-sensitized solar cells were also discussed

New Icosahedral Boron Carbide Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverria Mora, Elena Maria

Novel semiconductor boron carbide films and boron carbide films doped with aromatic compounds have been investigated and characterized. Most of these semiconductors were formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The aromatic compound additives used, in this thesis, were pyridine (Py), aniline, and diaminobenzene (DAB). As one of the key parameters for semiconducting device functionality is the metal contact and, therefore, the chemical interactions or band bending that may occur at the metal/semiconductor interface, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of gold (Au) with these novel boron carbide-based semiconductors. Both n- and p-type films have been tested and pure boron carbide devices are compared to those containing aromatic compounds. The results show that boron carbide seems to behave differently from other semiconductors, opening a way for new analysis and approaches in device's functionality. By studying the electrical and optical properties of these films, it has been found that samples containing the aromatic compound exhibit an improvement in the electron-hole separation and charge extraction, as well as a decrease in the band gap. The hole carrier lifetimes for each sample were extracted from the capacitance-voltage, C(V), and current-voltage, I(V), curves. Additionally, devices, with boron carbide with the addition of pyridine, exhibited better collection of neutron capture generated pulses at ZERO applied bias, compared to the pure boron carbide samples. This is consistent with the longer carrier lifetimes estimated for these films. The I-V curves, as a function of external magnetic field, of the pure boron carbide films and films containing DAB demonstrate that significant room temperature negative magneto-resistance (> 100% for pure samples, and > 50% for samples containing DAB) is possible in the resulting dielectric thin films. Inclusion of DAB is not essential for significant negative magneto

Electronic structure of defects in semiconductor heterojunctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haussy, Bernard; Ganghoffer, Jean Francois

2002-01-01

Full text.heterojunctions and semiconductors and superlattices are well known and well used by people interested in optoelectronics communications. Components based on the use of heterojunctions are interesting for confinement of light and increase of quantum efficiency. An heterojunction is the contact zone between two different semiconductors, for example GaAs and Ga 1-x Al x As. Superlattices are a succession of heterojunctions (up to 10 or 20). These systems have been the subjects of many experiments ao analyse the contact between semiconductors. They also have been theoretically studied by different types of approach. The main result of those studies is the prediciton of band discontinuities. Defects in heterojunctions are real traps for charge carriers; they can affect the efficiency of the component decreasing the currents and the fluxes in it. the knowledge of their electronic structure is important, a great density of defects deeply modifies the electronic structure of the whole material creating real new bands of energy in the band structure of the component. in the first part of this work, we will describe the heterostructure and the defect in terms of quantum wells and discrete levels. This approach allows us to show the role of the width of the quantum well describing the structure but induces specific behaviours due to the one dimensional modelling. Then a perturbative treatment is proposed using the Green's functions formalism. We build atomic chains with different types of atoms featuring the heterostructure and the defect. Densities of states of a structure with a defect and levels associated to the defect are obtained. Results are comparable with the free electrons work, but the modelling do not induce problems due to a one dimensional approach. To extend our modelling, a three dimensions approach, based on a cavity model, is investigated. The influence of the defect, - of hydrogenoid type - introduced in the structure, is described by a cavity

Single electron-spin memory with a semiconductor quantum dot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, Robert J; Dewhurst, Samuel J; Stevenson, R Mark; Atkinson, Paola; Bennett, Anthony J; Ward, Martin B; Cooper, Ken; Ritchie, David A; Shields, Andrew J

2007-01-01

We show storage of the circular polarization of an optical field, transferring it to the spin-state of an individual electron confined in a single semiconductor quantum dot. The state is subsequently read out through the electronically-triggered emission of a single photon. The emitted photon shares the same polarization as the initial pulse but has a different energy, making the transfer of quantum information between different physical systems possible. With an applied magnetic field of 2 T, spin memory is preserved for at least 1000 times more than the exciton's radiative lifetime

Crystallization of II-VI semiconductor compounds forming long microcrystalline linear assemblies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelino Becerril

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this work we report the formation of long microcrystalline linear self-assemblies observed during the thin film growth of several II-VI compounds. Polycrystalline CdTe, CdS, CdCO3, and nanocrystalline CdTe:Al thin films were prepared on glass substrates by different deposition techniques. In order to observe these crystalline formations in the polycrystalline materials, the thin film growth was suspended before the grains reached to form a continuous layer. The chains of semiconductor crystals were observed among many isolated and randomly distributed grains. Since CdTe, CdTe:Al, CdS and CdCO3 are not ferroelectric and/or ferromagnetic materials, the relevant problem would be to explain what is the mechanism through which the grains are held together to form linear chains. It is well known that some nanocrystalline materials form rods and wires by means of electrostatic forces. This occurs in polar semiconductors, where it is assumed that the attraction forces between surface polar faces of the small crystals are the responsible for the chains formation. Since there are not too many mechanisms responsible for the attraction we assume that a dipolar interaction is the force that originates the formation of chain-like grain clusters. The study of this property can be useful for the understanding of nucleation processes in the growth of semiconductor thin films.

Analysis of quantum semiconductor heterostructures by ballistic electron emission spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, Daniel K.

1998-09-01

The microelectronics industry is diligently working to achieve the goal of gigascale integration (GSI) by early in the 21st century. For the past twenty-five years, progress toward this goal has been made by continually scaling down device technology. Unfortunately, this trend cannot continue to the point of producing arbitrarily small device sizes. One possible solution to this problem that is currently under intensive study is the relatively new area of quantum devices. Quantum devices represent a new class of microelectronic devices that operate by utilizing the wave-like nature (reflection, refraction, and confinement) of electrons together with the laws of quantum mechanics to construct useful devices. One difficulty associated with these structures is the absence of measurement techniques that can fully characterize carrier transport in such devices. This thesis addresses this need by focusing on the study of carrier transport in quantum semiconductor heterostructures using a relatively new and versatile measurement technique known as ballistic electron emission spectroscopy (BEES). To achieve this goal, a systematic approach that encompasses a set of progressively more complex structures is utilized. First, the simplest BEES structure possible, the metal/semiconductor interface, is thoroughly investigated in order to provide a foundation for measurements on more the complex structures. By modifying the semiclassical model commonly used to describe the experimental BEES spectrum, a very complete and accurate description of the basic structure has been achieved. Next, a very simple semiconductor heterostructure, a Ga1-xAlxAs single-barrier structure, was measured and analyzed. Low-temperature measurements on this structure were used to investigate the band structure and electron-wave interference effects in the Ga1-xAlxAs single barrier structure. These measurements are extended to a simple quantum device by designing, measuring, and analyzing a set of

Measuring processes with opto-electronic semiconductor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

This is a report on the state of commercially available semiconductor emitters and detectors for the visible, near, middle and remote infrared range. A survey is given on the distance, speed, flow and length measuring techniques using opto-electronic components. Automatic focussing, the use of light barriers, non-contact temperature measurements, spectroscopic gas, liquid and environmental measurement techniques and gas analysis in medical techniques show further applications of the new components. The modern concept of guided radiation in optical fibres and their use in system technology is briefly explained. (DG) [de

The influence of pressure on the birefringence in semiconductor compounds ZnS, CuGaS2, and InPS4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavrentyev, A.A.; Gabrelian, B.V.; Kulagin, B.B.; Nikiforov, I.Ya.; Sobolev, V.V.

2007-01-01

Using the modified method of augmented plane waves and the code WIEN2k the calculations of the electron band structure, densities of electron states, and imaginary part of dielectric response function were carried out for different polarization of the vector of electrical field ε xx and ε zz for the semiconductor compounds ZnS, CuGaS 2 , and InPS 4 . The calculations were performed both for undisturbed crystals and for distorted crystals due to the applied pressure. The compounds studied have the similar crystallographic structures: ZnS - sphalerite, CuGaS 2 - chalcopyrite, and InPS 4 - twice defective chalcopyrite. It is known, that in cubic ZnS there is no birefringence, whereas in CuGaS 2 and InPS 4 there is one. But CuGaS 2 has so called isotropic point (where ε xx =ε zz ) in the visible optical range, and InPS 4 has no such point. Our calculations of ε xx and ε zz have shown that in ZnS under the pressure the isotropic points arise, but in InPS 4 they do not exist. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

On the impact of isoelectric impurities on band bowing and disorder of compound semiconductors; Ueber den Einfluss von isoelektronischen Stoerstellen auf Bandbiegung und Unordnung in Verbindungshalbleitern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karcher, Christian

2012-03-16

Isolectronic impurities and their impact on the properties of compound semiconductors is discussed in two systems: Nitrogen in Ga(As,P) quantum wells on the one hand and Sulfur and Selenium in bulk ZnTe. The properties are reduced to two experimentally observable aspects: Band Bowing, i.e. the non-linearity of the band gap of the compound semiconductor and disorder, i.e. in particular the formation of a strongly localized density of states beneath the fundamental band gap. Apart of the pure experimental studies an insight into the theoretical model of disorder-induced temperature dependent luminescence properties of the compound semiconductors by means of Monte Carlo Simulations is given.

Mechanical properties of some binary, ternary and quaternary III-V compound semiconductor alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navamathavan, R.; Arivuoli, D.; Attolini, G.; Pelosi, C.; Choi, Chi Kyu

2007-01-01

Vicker's microindentation tests have been carried out on InP/InP, GaAs/InP, InGaAs/InP and InGaAsP/InP III-V compound semiconductor alloys. The detailed mechanical properties of these binary, ternary and quaternary epilayers were determined from the indentation experiments. Microindentation studies of (1 1 1) GaAs/InP both A and B faces show that the hardness value increases with load and attains a constant for further increase in load and the microhardness values were found to lie between 3.5 and 4.0 GPa. The microhardness values of InGaAs/InP epilayers with different thickness were found to lie between 3.93 and 4.312 GPa. The microhardness values of InGaAsP/InP with different elemental composition were found to lie between 5.08 and 5.73 GPa. The results show that the hardness of the quaternary alloy drastically increases, the reason may be that the increase in As concentration hardens the lattice when phosphorous concentration is less and hardness decreases when phosphorous is increased. It was interestingly observed that the hardness value increases as we proceed from binary to quaternary III-V compound semiconductor alloys

Wave mechanics applied to semiconductor heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastard, G.

1990-01-01

This book examines the basic electronic and optical properties of two dimensional semiconductor heterostructures based on III-V and II-VI compounds. The book explores various consequences of one-dimensional size-quantization on the most basic physical properties of heterolayers. Beginning with basic quantum mechanical properties of idealized quantum wells and superlattices, the book discusses the occurrence of bound states when the heterostructure is imperfect or when it is shone with near bandgap light

Electronic properties of III-nitride semiconductors: A first-principles investigation using the Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, Rafael B.; Almeida, J. S. de; Ferreira da Silva, A.

2013-01-01

In this work, we use density functional theory to investigate the influence of semilocal exchange and correlation effects on the electronic properties of III-nitride semiconductors considering zinc-blende and wurtzite crystal structures. We find that the inclusion of such effects through the use of the Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson potential yields an excellent description of the electronic structures of these materials giving energy band gaps which are systematically larger than the ones obtained with standard functionals such as the generalized gradient approximation. The discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical band gaps is then significantly reduced with semilocal exchange and correlation effects. However, the effective masses are overestimated in the zinc-blende nitrides, but no systematic trend is found in the wurtzite compounds. New results for energy band gaps and effective masses of zinc-blende and wurtzite indium nitrides are presented

Discovery of earth-abundant nitride semiconductors by computational screening and high-pressure synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Hinuma, Yoyo; Hatakeyama, Taisuke; Kumagai, Yu; Burton, Lee A.; Sato, Hikaru; Muraba, Yoshinori; Iimura, Soshi; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Tanaka, Isao; Hosono, Hideo; Oba, Fumiyasu

2016-01-01

Nitride semiconductors are attractive because they can be environmentally benign, comprised of abundant elements and possess favourable electronic properties. However, those currently commercialized are mostly limited to gallium nitride and its alloys, despite the rich composition space of nitrides. Here we report the screening of ternary zinc nitride semiconductors using first-principles calculations of electronic structure, stability and dopability. This approach identifies as-yet-unreported CaZn2N2 that has earth-abundant components, smaller carrier effective masses than gallium nitride and a tunable direct bandgap suited for light emission and harvesting. High-pressure synthesis realizes this phase, verifying the predicted crystal structure and band-edge red photoluminescence. In total, we propose 21 promising systems, including Ca2ZnN2, Ba2ZnN2 and Zn2PN3, which have not been reported as semiconductors previously. Given the variety in bandgaps of the identified compounds, the present study expands the potential suitability of nitride semiconductors for a broader range of electronic, optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. PMID:27325228

Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Rahul, K. Suseel; Souparnika, C.; Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent

2016-05-01

In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahul, K. Suseel [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India); Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Souparnika, C. [Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent, E-mail: vincent@cukerala.ac.in [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India)

2016-05-06

In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

Elucidating the electron transport in semiconductors via Monte Carlo simulations: an inquiry-driven learning path for engineering undergraduates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adorno, Dominique Persano; Pizzolato, Nicola; Fazio, Claudio

2015-01-01

Within the context of higher education for science or engineering undergraduates, we present an inquiry-driven learning path aimed at developing a more meaningful conceptual understanding of the electron dynamics in semiconductors in the presence of applied electric fields. The electron transport in a nondegenerate n-type indium phosphide bulk semiconductor is modelled using a multivalley Monte Carlo approach. The main characteristics of the electron dynamics are explored under different values of the driving electric field, lattice temperature and impurity density. Simulation results are presented by following a question-driven path of exploration, starting from the validation of the model and moving up to reasoned inquiries about the observed characteristics of electron dynamics. Our inquiry-driven learning path, based on numerical simulations, represents a viable example of how to integrate a traditional lecture-based teaching approach with effective learning strategies, providing science or engineering undergraduates with practical opportunities to enhance their comprehension of the physics governing the electron dynamics in semiconductors. Finally, we present a general discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using an inquiry-based teaching approach within a learning environment based on semiconductor simulations. (paper)

Elucidating the electron transport in semiconductors via Monte Carlo simulations: an inquiry-driven learning path for engineering undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Persano Adorno, Dominique; Pizzolato, Nicola; Fazio, Claudio

2015-09-01

Within the context of higher education for science or engineering undergraduates, we present an inquiry-driven learning path aimed at developing a more meaningful conceptual understanding of the electron dynamics in semiconductors in the presence of applied electric fields. The electron transport in a nondegenerate n-type indium phosphide bulk semiconductor is modelled using a multivalley Monte Carlo approach. The main characteristics of the electron dynamics are explored under different values of the driving electric field, lattice temperature and impurity density. Simulation results are presented by following a question-driven path of exploration, starting from the validation of the model and moving up to reasoned inquiries about the observed characteristics of electron dynamics. Our inquiry-driven learning path, based on numerical simulations, represents a viable example of how to integrate a traditional lecture-based teaching approach with effective learning strategies, providing science or engineering undergraduates with practical opportunities to enhance their comprehension of the physics governing the electron dynamics in semiconductors. Finally, we present a general discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using an inquiry-based teaching approach within a learning environment based on semiconductor simulations.

Electronic Transport Parameter of Carbon Nanotube Metal-Semiconductor On-Tube Heterojunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukirno

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Carbon Nanotubes research is one of the top five hot research topics in physics since 2006 because of its unique properties and functionalities, which leads to wide-range applications. One of the most interesting potential applications is in term of nanoelectronic device. It has been modeled carbon nanotubes heterojunction, which was built from two different carbon nanotubes, that one is metallic and the other one is semiconducting. There are two different carbon nanotubes metal-semiconductor heterojunction. The first one is built from CNT(10,10 as metallic carbon nanotube and CNT (17,0 as semiconductor carbon nanotube. The other one is built from CNT (5,5 as metallic carbon nanotube and CNT (8,0. All of the semiconducting carbon nanotubes are assumed to be a pyridine-like N-doped. Those two heterojunctions are different in term of their structural shape and diameter. It has been calculated their charge distribution and potential profile, which would be useful for the simulation of their electronic transport properties. The calculations are performed by using self-consistent method to solve Non-Homogeneous Poisson’s Equation with aid of Universal Density of States calculation method for Carbon Nanotubes. The calculations are done by varying the doping fraction of the semiconductor carbon nanotubes The electron tunneling transmission coefficient, for low energy region, also has been calculated by using Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin (WKB approximation. From the calculation results, it is obtained that the charge distribution as well as the potential profile of this device is doping fraction dependent. It is also inferred that the WKB method is fail to be used to calculate whole of the electron tunneling coefficient in this system. It is expected that further calculation for electron tunneling coefficient in higher energy region as well as current-voltage characteristic of this system will become an interesting issue for this carbon nanotube based

III - V semiconductor structures for biosensor and molecular electronics applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luber, S M

2007-01-15

The present work reports on the employment of III-V semiconductor structures to biosensor and molecular electronics applications. In the first part a sensor based on a surface-near two dimensional electron gas for a use in biological environment is studied. Such a two dimensional electron gas inherently forms in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown, doped aluminum gallium arsenide - gallium arsenide (AlGaAs-GaAs) heterostructure. Due to the intrinsic instability of GaAs in aqueous solutions the device is passivated by deposition of a monolayer of 4'-substituted mercaptobiphenyl molecules. The influence of these molecules which bind to the GaAs via a sulfur group is investigated by Kelvin probe measurements in air. They reveal a dependence of GaAs electron affinity on the intrinsic molecular dipole moment of the mercaptobiphenyls. Furthermore, transient surface photovoltage measurements are presented which demonstrate an additional influence of mercaptobiphenyl chemisorption on surface carrier recombination rates. As a next step, the influence of pH-value and salt concentration upon the sensor device is discussed based on the results obtained from sensor conductance measurements in physiological solutions. A dependence of the device surface potential on both parameters due to surface charging is deduced. Model calculations applying Poisson-Boltzmann theory reveal as possible surface charging mechanisms either the adsorption of OH- ions on the surface, or the dissociation of OH groups in surface oxides. A comparison between simulation settings and physical device properties indicate the OH- adsorption as the most probable mechanism. In the second part of the present study the suitability of MBE grown III-V semiconductor structures for molecular electronics applications is examined. In doing so, a method to fabricate nanometer separated, coplanar, metallic electrodes based on the cleavage of a supporting AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructure is presented. This is followed by a

III - V semiconductor structures for biosensor and molecular electronics applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luber, S.M.

2007-01-15

The present work reports on the employment of III-V semiconductor structures to biosensor and molecular electronics applications. In the first part a sensor based on a surface-near two dimensional electron gas for a use in biological environment is studied. Such a two dimensional electron gas inherently forms in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown, doped aluminum gallium arsenide - gallium arsenide (AlGaAs-GaAs) heterostructure. Due to the intrinsic instability of GaAs in aqueous solutions the device is passivated by deposition of a monolayer of 4'-substituted mercaptobiphenyl molecules. The influence of these molecules which bind to the GaAs via a sulfur group is investigated by Kelvin probe measurements in air. They reveal a dependence of GaAs electron affinity on the intrinsic molecular dipole moment of the mercaptobiphenyls. Furthermore, transient surface photovoltage measurements are presented which demonstrate an additional influence of mercaptobiphenyl chemisorption on surface carrier recombination rates. As a next step, the influence of pH-value and salt concentration upon the sensor device is discussed based on the results obtained from sensor conductance measurements in physiological solutions. A dependence of the device surface potential on both parameters due to surface charging is deduced. Model calculations applying Poisson-Boltzmann theory reveal as possible surface charging mechanisms either the adsorption of OH- ions on the surface, or the dissociation of OH groups in surface oxides. A comparison between simulation settings and physical device properties indicate the OH- adsorption as the most probable mechanism. In the second part of the present study the suitability of MBE grown III-V semiconductor structures for molecular electronics applications is examined. In doing so, a method to fabricate nanometer separated, coplanar, metallic electrodes based on the cleavage of a supporting AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructure is presented. This is followed

Electron Band Alignment at Interfaces of Semiconductors with Insulating Oxides: An Internal Photoemission Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeri V. Afanas'ev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Evolution of the electron energy band alignment at interfaces between different semiconductors and wide-gap oxide insulators is examined using the internal photoemission spectroscopy, which is based on observations of optically-induced electron (or hole transitions across the semiconductor/insulator barrier. Interfaces of various semiconductors ranging from the conventional silicon to the high-mobility Ge-based (Ge, Si1-xGex, Ge1-xSnx and AIIIBV group (GaAs, InxGa1-xAs, InAs, GaP, InP, GaSb, InSb materials were studied revealing several general trends in the evolution of band offsets. It is found that in the oxides of metals with cation radii larger than ≈0.7 Å, the oxide valence band top remains nearly at the same energy (±0.2 eV irrespective of the cation sort. Using this result, it becomes possible to predict the interface band alignment between oxides and semiconductors as well as between dissimilar insulating oxides on the basis of the oxide bandgap width which are also affected by crystallization. By contrast, oxides of light elements, for example, Be, Mg, Al, Si, and Sc exhibit significant shifts of the valence band top. General trends in band lineup variations caused by a change in the composition of semiconductor photoemission material are also revealed.

Molecular fingerprints in the electronic properties of crystalline organic semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ciuchi, S.; Hatch, R.C.; Höchst, H.

2012-01-01

bands can be achieved in organic semiconductors provided that one properly accounts for the coupling to molecular vibrational modes and the presence of disorder. Our findings rationalize the growing experimental evidence that even the best band structure theories based on a many-body treatment...... of electronic interactions cannot reproduce the experimental photoemission data in this important class of materials....

On one peculiarity of the model describing the interaction of the electron beam with the semiconductor surface

Science.gov (United States)

Stepovich, M. A.; Amrastanov, A. N.; Seregina, E. V.; Filippov, M. N.

2018-01-01

The problem of heat distribution in semiconductor materials irradiated with sharply focused electron beams in the absence of heat exchange between the target and the external medium is considered by mathematical modeling methods. For a quantitative description of energy losses by probe electrons a model based on a separate description of the contributions of absorbed in the target and backscattered electrons and applicable to a wide class of solids and a range of primary electron energies is used. Using the features of this approach, the nonmonotonic dependence of the temperature of the maximum heating in the target on the energy of the primary electrons is explained. Some modeling results are illustrated for semiconductor materials of electronic engineering.

Rare earth-based quaternary Heusler compounds MCoVZ (M = Lu, Y; Z = Si, Ge with tunable band characteristics for potential spintronic applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaotian Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Magnetic Heusler compounds (MHCs have recently attracted great attention since these types of material provide novel functionalities in spintronic and magneto-electronic devices. Among the MHCs, some compounds have been predicted to be spin-filter semiconductors [also called magnetic semiconductors (MSs], spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs or half-metals (HMs. In this work, by means of first-principles calculations, it is demonstrated that rare earth-based equiatomic quaternary Heusler (EQH compounds with the formula MCoVZ (M = Lu, Y; Z = Si, Ge are new spin-filter semiconductors with total magnetic moments of 3 µB. Furthermore, under uniform strain, there are physical transitions from spin-filter semiconductor (MS → SGS → HM for EQH compounds with the formula LuCoVZ, and from HM → SGS → MS → SGS → HM for EQH compounds with the formula YCoVZ. Remarkably, for YCoVZ EQH compounds there are not only diverse physical transitions, but also different types of spin-gapless feature that can be observed with changing lattice constants. The structural stability of these four EQH compounds is also examined from the points of view of formation energy, cohesive energy and mechanical behaviour. This work is likely to inspire consideration of rare earth-based EQH compounds for application in future spintronic and magneto-electronic devices.

Absolute instability of polaron mode in semiconductor magnetoplasma

Science.gov (United States)

Paliwal, Ayushi; Dubey, Swati; Ghosh, S.

2018-01-01

Using coupled mode theory under hydrodynamic regime, a compact dispersion relation is derived for polaron mode in semiconductor magnetoplasma. The propagation and amplification characteristics of the wave are explored in detail. The analysis deals with the behaviour of anomalous threshold and amplification derived from dispersion relation, as function of external parameters like doping concentration and applied magnetic field. The results of this investigation are hoped to be useful in understanding electron-longitudinal optical phonon interplay in polar n-type semiconductor plasmas under the influence of coupled collective cyclotron excitations. The best results in terms of smaller threshold and higher gain of polaron mode could be achieved by choosing moderate doping concentration in the medium at higher magnetic field. For numerical appreciation of the results, relevant data of III-V n-GaAs compound semiconductor at 77 K is used. Present study provides a qualitative picture of polaron mode in magnetized n-type polar semiconductor medium duly shined by a CO2 laser.

Heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysts for hydrogen production from aqueous solutions of electron donors

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlova, E. A.; Parmon, V. N.

2017-09-01

Current views on heterogeneous photocatalysts for visible- and near-UV-light-driven production of molecular hydrogen from water and aqueous solutions of inorganic and organic electron donors are analyzed and summarized. Main types of such photocatalysts and methods for their preparation are considered. Particular attention is paid to semiconductor photocatalysts based on sulfides that are known to be sensitive to visible light. The known methods for increasing the quantum efficiency of the target process are discussed, including design of the structure, composition and texture of semiconductor photocatalysts and variation of the medium pH and the substrate and photocatalyst concentrations. Some important aspects of the activation and deactivation of sulfide photocatalysts and the evolution of their properties in the course of hydrogen production processes in the presence of various types of electron donors are analyzed. The bibliography includes 276 references.

Electronic fitness function for screening semiconductors as thermoelectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Guangzong; Sun, Jifeng; Li, Yuwei; Fan, Xiaofeng

2017-01-01

Here, we introduce a simple but efficient electronic fitness function (EFF) that describes the electronic aspect of the thermoelectric performance. This EFF finds materials that overcome the inverse relationship between σ and S based on the complexity of the electronic structures regardless of specific origin (e.g., isosurface corrugation, valley degeneracy, heavy-light bands mixture, valley anisotropy or reduced dimensionality). This function is well suited for application in high throughput screening. We applied this function to 75 different thermoelectric and potential thermoelectric materials including full- and half-Heuslers, binary semiconductors, and Zintl phases. We find an efficient screening using this transport function. The EFF identifies known high-performance p- and n-type Zintl phases and half-Heuslers. In addition, we find some previously unstudied phases with superior EFF.

Observed damage during Argon gas cluster depth profiles of compound semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barlow, Anders J., E-mail: anders.barlow@ncl.ac.uk; Portoles, Jose F.; Cumpson, Peter J. [National EPSRC XPS Users' Service (NEXUS), School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

2014-08-07

Argon Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB) sources have become very popular in XPS and SIMS in recent years, due to the minimal chemical damage they introduce in the depth-profiling of polymer and other organic materials. These GCIB sources are therefore particularly useful for depth-profiling polymer and organic materials, but also (though more slowly) the surfaces of inorganic materials such as semiconductors, due to the lower roughness expected in cluster ion sputtering compared to that introduced by monatomic ions. We have examined experimentally a set of five compound semiconductors, cadmium telluride (CdTe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium phosphide (GaP), indium arsenide (InAs), and zinc selenide (ZnSe) and a high-κ dielectric material, hafnium oxide (HfO), in their response to argon cluster profiling. An experimentally determined HfO etch rate of 0.025 nm/min (3.95 × 10{sup −2} amu/atom in ion) for 6 keV Ar gas clusters is used in the depth scale conversion for the profiles of the semiconductor materials. The assumption has been that, since the damage introduced into polymer materials is low, even though sputter yields are high, then there is little likelihood of damaging inorganic materials at all with cluster ions. This seems true in most cases; however, in this work, we report for the first time that this damage can in fact be very significant in the case of InAs, causing the formation of metallic indium that is readily visible even to the naked eye.

Semiconductor spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabian, J.; Abiague, A.M.; Ertler, Ch.; Stano, P.; Zutic, I.

2007-01-01

Spintronics refers commonly to phenomena in which the spin of electrons in a solid state environment plays the determining role. In a more narrow sense spintronics is an emerging research field of electronics: spintronics devices are based on a spin control of electronics, or on an electrical and optical control of spin of magnetism. While metal spintronics has already found its niche in the computer industry - giant magnetoresistance systems are used as hard disk read heads - semiconductor spintronics is vet demonstrate its full potential. This review presents selected themes of semiconductor spintronics, introducing important concepts in spin transport, spin transport, spin injection. Silsbee-Johnson spin-charge coupling, and spin-dependent tunneling, as well as spin relaxation and spin dynamics. The most fundamental spin-dependent interaction in nonmagnetic semiconductors is spin-orbit coupling. Depending on the crystal symmetries of the material, as well as on the structural properties of semiconductor based heterostructures, the spin-orbit coupling takes on different functional forms, giving a nice playground of effective spin-orbit Hamiltonians. The effective Hamiltonians for the most relevant classes of materials and heterostructures are derived here from realistic electronic band structure descriptions. Most semiconductor device systems are still theoretical concepts, waiting for experimental demonstrations. A review of selected proposed, and a few demonstrated devices is presented, with detailed description of two important classes: magnetic resonant tunnel structures and bipolar magnetic diodes and transistors. In view of the importance of ferromagnetic semiconductor material, a brief discussion of diluted magnetic semiconductors is included. In most cases the presentation is of tutorial style, introducing the essential theoretical formalism at an accessible level, with case-study-like illustrations of actual experimental results, as well as with brief

Contacts to semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tove, P.A.

1975-08-01

Contacts to semiconductors play an important role in most semiconductor devices. These devices range from microelectronics to power components, from high-sensitivity light or radiation detectors to light-emitting of microwave-generating components. Silicon is the dominating material but compound semiconductors are increasing in importance. The following survey is an attempt to classify contact properties and the physical mechanisms involved, as well as fabrication methods and methods of investigation. The main interest is in metal-semiconductor type contacts where a few basic concepts are dealt with in some detail. (Auth.)

The impact of semiconductor, electronics and optoelectronic industries on downstream perfluorinated chemical contamination in Taiwanese rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Angela Yu-Chen; Panchangam, Sri Chandana; Lo, Chao-Chun

2009-04-01

This study provides the first evidence on the influence of the semiconductor and electronics industries on perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) contamination in receiving rivers. We have quantified ten PFCs, including perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs: PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnA, PFDoA) in semiconductor, electronic, and optoelectronic industrial wastewaters and their receiving water bodies (Taiwan's Keya, Touchien, and Xiaoli rivers). PFOS was found to be the major constituent in semiconductor wastewaters (up to 0.13 mg/L). However, different PFC distributions were found in electronics plant wastewaters; PFOA was the most significant PFC, contributing on average 72% to the effluent water samples, followed by PFOS (16%) and PFDA (9%). The distribution of PFCs in the receiving rivers was greatly impacted by industrial sources. PFOS, PFOA and PFDA were predominant and prevalent in all the river samples, with PFOS detected at the highest concentrations (up to 5.4 microg/L).

Ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in heterostructures of electron doped europium monoxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stollenwerk, Tobias

2013-09-15

In the present work, we develop and solve a self-consistent theory for the description of the simultaneous ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in electron doped Europium monoxide. We investigate two different types of electron doping, Gadolinium impurities and Oxygen vacancies. Besides the conduction band occupation, we can identify low lying spin fluctuations on magnetic impurities as the driving force behind the doping induced enhancement of the Curie temperature. Moreover, we predict the signatures of these magnetic impurities in the spectra of scanning tunneling microscope experiments. By extending the theory to allow for inhomogeneities in one spatial direction, we are able to investigate thin films and heterostructures of Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide. Here, we are able to reproduce the experimentally observed decrease of the Curie temperature with the film thickness. This behavior is attributed to missing coupling partners of the localized 4f moments as well as to an electron depletion at the surface which leads to a reduction of the number of itinerant electrons. By investigating the influence of a metallic substrate onto the phase transition in Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide, we find that the Curie temperature can be increased up to 20%. However, as we show, the underlying mechanism of metal-interface induced charge carrier accumulation is inextricably connected to a suppression of the semiconductor-metal transition.

Ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in heterostructures of electron doped europium monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stollenwerk, Tobias

2013-09-01

In the present work, we develop and solve a self-consistent theory for the description of the simultaneous ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in electron doped Europium monoxide. We investigate two different types of electron doping, Gadolinium impurities and Oxygen vacancies. Besides the conduction band occupation, we can identify low lying spin fluctuations on magnetic impurities as the driving force behind the doping induced enhancement of the Curie temperature. Moreover, we predict the signatures of these magnetic impurities in the spectra of scanning tunneling microscope experiments. By extending the theory to allow for inhomogeneities in one spatial direction, we are able to investigate thin films and heterostructures of Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide. Here, we are able to reproduce the experimentally observed decrease of the Curie temperature with the film thickness. This behavior is attributed to missing coupling partners of the localized 4f moments as well as to an electron depletion at the surface which leads to a reduction of the number of itinerant electrons. By investigating the influence of a metallic substrate onto the phase transition in Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide, we find that the Curie temperature can be increased up to 20%. However, as we show, the underlying mechanism of metal-interface induced charge carrier accumulation is inextricably connected to a suppression of the semiconductor-metal transition.

Semiconductor interfaces of polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells. Characterization and modification of electronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritsche, J.

2003-01-01

In this thesis for the first time the electronic properties of the semiconductor interfaces in polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells, as well as the morphological and electronic properties of the single semiconductor surfaces were systematically characterized by surface-sensitive measuring methods. The morphological surface properties were analyzed by scanning force microscopy. As substrate materials with SnO 2 /ITO covered glass was applied, where the CdS and CdTe layers were deposited. Furthermore the electronic and morphological material properties of differently treated SnO 2 surfaces were characterized. Beside the studies with scanning force microscopy sputtering depth profiles and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were measured

n-Channel semiconductor materials design for organic complementary circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Usta, Hakan; Facchetti, Antonio; Marks, Tobin J

2011-07-19

Organic semiconductors have unique properties compared to traditional inorganic materials such as amorphous or crystalline silicon. Some important advantages include their adaptability to low-temperature processing on flexible substrates, low cost, amenability to high-speed fabrication, and tunable electronic properties. These features are essential for a variety of next-generation electronic products, including low-power flexible displays, inexpensive radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and printable sensors, among many other applications. Accordingly, the preparation of new materials based on π-conjugated organic molecules or polymers has been a central scientific and technological research focus over the past decade. Currently, p-channel (hole-transporting) materials are the leading class of organic semiconductors. In contrast, high-performance n-channel (electron-transporting) semiconductors are relatively rare, but they are of great significance for the development of plastic electronic devices such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). In this Account, we highlight the advances our team has made toward realizing moderately and highly electron-deficient n-channel oligomers and polymers based on oligothiophene, arylenediimide, and (bis)indenofluorene skeletons. We have synthesized and characterized a "library" of structurally related semiconductors, and we have investigated detailed structure-property relationships through optical, electrochemical, thermal, microstructural (both single-crystal and thin-film), and electrical measurements. Our results reveal highly informative correlations between structural parameters at various length scales and charge transport properties. We first discuss oligothiophenes functionalized with perfluoroalkyl and perfluoroarene substituents, which represent the initial examples of high-performance n-channel semiconductors developed in this project. The OFET characteristics of these compounds are presented with an

Identification of a potential superhard compound ReCN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Xiaofeng; Li, M.M.; Singh, David J.; Jiang, Qing; Zheng, W.T.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We identify a new ternary compound ReCN with theoretical calculation. • The ternary compound ReCN is with two stable structures with P63mc and P3m1. • ReCN is a semiconductor from the calculation of electronic structures. • ReCN is found to possess the outstanding mechanical properties. • ReCN may be synthesized relatively easily. - Abstract: We identify a new ternary compound, ReCN and characterize its properties including structural stability and indicators of hardness using first principles calculations. We find that there are two stable structures with space groups P63mc (HI) and P3m1 (HII), in which there are no C–C and N–N bonds. Both structures, H1 and III are elastically and dynamically stable. The electronic structures show that ReCN is a semiconductor, although the parent compounds, ReC 2 and ReN 2 are both metallic. ReCN is found to possess the outstanding mechanical properties with the large bulk modulus, shear modulus and excellent ideal strengths. In addition, ReCN may perhaps be synthesized relatively easily because it becomes thermodynamic stable with respect to decomposition at very low pressures

A Review of Ultrahigh Efficiency III-V Semiconductor Compound Solar Cells: Multijunction Tandem, Lower Dimensional, Photonic Up/Down Conversion and Plasmonic Nanometallic Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katsuaki Tanabe

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Solar cells are a promising renewable, carbon-free electric energy resource to address the fossil fuel shortage and global warming. Energy conversion efficiencies around 40% have been recently achieved in laboratories using III-V semiconductor compounds as photovoltaic materials. This article reviews the efforts and accomplishments made for higher efficiency III-V semiconductor compound solar cells, specifically with multijunction tandem, lower-dimensional, photonic up/down conversion, and plasmonic metallic structures. Technological strategies for further performance improvement from the most efficient (AlInGaP/(InGaAs/Ge triple-junction cells including the search for 1.0 eV bandgap semiconductors are discussed. Lower-dimensional systems such as quantum well and dot structures are being intensively studied to realize multiple exciton generation and multiple photon absorption to break the conventional efficiency limit. Implementation of plasmonic metallic nanostructures manipulating photonic energy flow directions to enhance sunlight absorption in thin photovoltaic semiconductor materials is also emerging.

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on the thermoelectric properties of the ɛ-polytype of InSe, GaSe, and InGaSe2 semiconductor compounds: an ab initio study

Science.gov (United States)

Elsayed, H.; Olguín, D.; Cantarero, A.

2017-12-01

This work presents an ab initio study of the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the Seebeck coefficients and thermoelectric power factors of the ɛ-polytype of InSe, GaSe, and InGaSe2 semiconductor compounds. Our study is performed using the semi-classical Boltzmann theory and the rigid band approach. The electronic band structures of these materials are calculated using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. The obtained thermoelectric properties are discussed in terms of the results of the electronic structure calculations. As we will show, our calculated Seebeck coefficient values indicate that these materials are good alternatives to other well-studied thermoelectric systems.

Low-voltage organic electronics based on a gate-tunable injection barrier in vertical graphene-organic semiconductor heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hlaing, Htay; Kim, Chang-Hyun; Carta, Fabio; Nam, Chang-Yong; Barton, Rob A; Petrone, Nicholas; Hone, James; Kymissis, Ioannis

2015-01-14

The vertical integration of graphene with inorganic semiconductors, oxide semiconductors, and newly emerging layered materials has recently been demonstrated as a promising route toward novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we report organic thin film transistors based on vertical heterojunctions of graphene and organic semiconductors. In these thin heterostructure devices, current modulation is accomplished by tuning of the injection barriers at the semiconductor/graphene interface with the application of a gate voltage. N-channel devices fabricated with a thin layer of C60 show a room temperature on/off ratio >10(4) and current density of up to 44 mAcm(-2). Because of the ultrashort channel intrinsic to the vertical structure, the device is fully operational at a driving voltage of 200 mV. A complementary p-channel device is also investigated, and a logic inverter based on two complementary transistors is demonstrated. The vertical integration of graphene with organic semiconductors via simple, scalable, and low-temperature fabrication processes opens up new opportunities to realize flexible, transparent organic electronic, and optoelectronic devices.

Quasi-particle electronic band structure and alignment of the V-VI-VII semiconductors SbSI, SbSBr, and SbSeI for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butler, Keith T. [Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom); McKechnie, Scott; Azarhoosh, Pooya; Schilfgaarde, Mark van [Department of Physics, Kings College London, London WC2R 2LS (United Kingdom); Scanlon, David O. [University College London, Kathleen Lonsdale Materials Chemistry, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Diamond Light Source Ltd., Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Walsh, Aron, E-mail: a.walsh@bath.ac.uk [Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom); Global E" 3 Institute and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-14

The ternary V-VI-VII chalcohalides consist of one cation and two anions. Trivalent antimony—with a distinctive 5s{sup 2} electronic configuration—can be combined with a chalcogen (e.g., S or Se) and halide (e.g., Br or I) to produce photoactive ferroelectric semiconductors with similarities to the Pb halide perovskites. We report—from relativistic quasi-particle self-consistent GW theory—that these materials have a multi-valley electronic structure with several electron and hole basins close to the band extrema. We predict ionisation potentials of 5.3–5.8 eV from first-principles for the three materials, and assess electrical contacts that will be suitable for achieving photovoltaic action from these unconventional compounds.

Optical orientation in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korenev, V L

2008-01-01

The physics of optical pumping of semiconductor electrons in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids is discussed. Optically oriented semiconductor electrons detect the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic film. In turn, the ferromagnetism of the hybrid can be controlled optically with the help of a semiconductor. Spin–spin interactions near the ferromagnet/semiconductor interface play a crucial role in the optical readout and the manipulation of ferromagnetism

Optical orientation in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids

Science.gov (United States)

Korenev, V. L.

2008-11-01

The physics of optical pumping of semiconductor electrons in ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids is discussed. Optically oriented semiconductor electrons detect the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic film. In turn, the ferromagnetism of the hybrid can be controlled optically with the help of a semiconductor. Spin-spin interactions near the ferromagnet/semiconductor interface play a crucial role in the optical readout and the manipulation of ferromagnetism.

Optical Orientation in Ferromagnet/Semiconductor Hybrids

OpenAIRE

Korenev, V. L.

2008-01-01

The physics of optical pumping of semiconductor electrons in the ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrids is discussed. Optically oriented semiconductor electrons detect the magnetic state of the ferromagnetic film. In turn, the ferromagnetism of the hybrid can be controlled optically with the help of the semiconductor. Spin-spin interactions near the interface ferromagnet/semiconductor play crucial role in the optical readout and the manipulation of ferromagnetism.

Semiconductors: Still a Wide Open Frontier for Scientists/Engineers

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, David G.

1997-10-01

A 1995 Business Week article described several features of the explosive use of semiconductor chips today: ``Booming'' personal computer markets are driving high demand for microprocessors and memory chips; (2) New information superhighway markets will `ignite' sales of multimedia and communication chips; and (3) Demand for digital-signal-processing and data-compression chips, which speed up video and graphics, is `red hot.' A Washington Post article by Stan Hinden said that technology is creating an unstoppable demand for electronic elements. This ``digital pervasiveness'' means that a semiconductor chip is going into almost every high-tech product that people buy - cars, televisions, video recorders, telephones, radios, alarm clocks, coffee pots, etc. ``Semiconductors are everywhere.'' Silicon and compound semiconductors are absolutely essential and are pervasive enablers for DoD operations and systems. DoD's Critical Technologies Plan of 1991 says that ``Semiconductor materials and microelectronics are critically important and appropriately lead the list of critical defense technologies.'' These trends continue unabated. This talk describes some of the frontiers of semiconductors today and shows how scientists and engineers can effectively contribute to its advancement. Cooperative, multidisciplinary efforts are increasing. Specific examples will be given for scanning capacitance microscopy and thin-film metrology.

Tunneling microscopy of 2H-MoS2: A compound semiconductor surface

OpenAIRE

Weimer, M.; Kramar, J.; Bai, C.; Baldeschwieler, J. D.

1988-01-01

Molybdenum disulfide, a layered semiconductor, is an interesting material to study with the tunneling microscope because two structurally and electronically different atomic species may be probed at its surface. We report on a vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy study of 2H-MoS2. Atomic resolution topographs and current images show the symmetry of the surface unit cell and clearly reveal two distinct atomic sites in agreement with the well-known x-ray crystal structure.

Semiconductor statistics

CERN Document Server

Blakemore, J S

1987-01-01

In-depth exploration of the implications of carrier populations and Fermi energies examines distribution of electrons in energy bands and impurity levels of semiconductors. Also: kinetics of semiconductors containing excess carriers, particularly in terms of trapping, excitation, and recombination.

Contorted Organic Semiconductors for Molecular Electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Yu

Chapter 4, I discuss helical molecular semiconductors as electron acceptors that are on par with fullerene derivatives in efficient solar cells. We achieved an 8.3% power conversion efficiency in a solar cell, which is a record high for non-fullerene bulk heterojunctions. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy revealed both electron and hole transfer processes at the donor-acceptor interfaces. Atomic force microscopy reveals a mesh-like network of acceptors with pores that are tens of nanometers in diameter for efficient exciton separation and charge transport. This study describes a new motif for designing highly efficient acceptors for organic solar cells. In Chapter 5, I compare analogous cyclic and acyclic pi-conjugated molecules as n-type electronic materials and find that the cyclic molecules have numerous benefits in organic photovoltaics. We designed two conjugated cycles for this study. Each comprises four subunits; one combines four electron-accepting, redox-active, diphenyl-perylenediimide subunits, and the other alternates two electron-donating bithiophene units with two diphenyl-perylenediimide units. We compare the macrocycles to acyclic versions of these molecules and find that, relative to the acyclic analogs, the conjugated macrocycles have bathochromically shifted UV-vis absorbances and are more easily reduced. In blended films, macrocycle-based devices show higher electron mobility and good morphology. All of these factors contribute to the more than doubling of the power conversion efficiency observed in organic photovoltaic devices with these macrocycles as the n-type, electron transporting material. This study highlights the importance of geometric design in creating new molecular semiconductors. In Chapter 6, I describe a new molecular design that enables high performance organic photodetectors. We use a rigid, conjugated macrocycle as the electron acceptor in devices to obtain high photocurrent and low dark current. We directly compare the

Design of nanophotonic, hot-electron solar-blind ultraviolet detectors with a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhiyuan; Wang, Xiaoxin; Liu, Jifeng

2014-01-01

Solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) detection refers to photon detection specifically in the wavelength range of 200 nm–320 nm. Without background noises from solar radiation, it has broad applications from homeland security to environmental monitoring. The most commonly used solid state devices for this application are wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor photodetectors (Eg > 3.5 eV). However, WBG semiconductors are difficult to grow and integrate with Si readout integrated circuits (ROICs). In this paper, we design a nanophotonic metal-oxide-semiconductor structure on Si for solar-blind UV detectors. Instead of using semiconductors as the active absorber, we use Sn nano-grating structures to absorb UV photons and generate hot electrons for internal photoemission across the Sn/SiO 2 interfacial barrier, thereby generating photocurrent between the metal and the n-type Si region upon UV excitation. Moreover, the transported hot electron has an excess kinetic energy >3 eV, large enough to induce impact ionization and generate another free electron in the conduction band of n-Si. This process doubles the quantum efficiency. On the other hand, the large metal/oxide interfacial energy barrier (>3.5 eV) also enables solar-blind UV detection by blocking the less energetic electrons excited by visible photons. With optimized design, ∼75% UV absorption and hot electron excitation can be achieved within the mean free path of ∼20 nm from the metal/oxide interface. This feature greatly enhances hot electron transport across the interfacial barrier to generate photocurrent. The simple geometry of the Sn nano-gratings and the MOS structure make it easy to fabricate and integrate with Si ROICs compared to existing solar-blind UV detection schemes. The presented device structure also breaks through the conventional notion that photon absorption by metal is always a loss in solid-state photodetectors, and it can potentially be extended to other active metal photonic devices. (paper)

A review on chemistry of a powerful organic electron acceptor 7, 7, 8, 8, tetracynoquinodimethane (TCNQ)

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Yadunath

2018-05-01

Organic semiconductors have so far found extensive practical applications similar to inorganic semiconductors. Interest in these compounds has been stimulated by the synthesis of several powerful electron acceptors, such as tetracynoethylene (TCNE), 7, 7, 8, 8, tetracynoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and cyno-p-benzoquinone. In this connection TCNQ is of particular interest, due to presence of four powerful electron accepting groups in its molecule. Nucleophillic addition reactions, which are rarely encountered among unsaturated compounds, as well as addition reactions proceeding via a one electron transfer stage are characteristic of this substance.

Relaxation of electron energy in the coupled polar semiconductor quantum dots

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Král, Karel; Khás, Zdeněk; Zdeněk, Petr; Čerňanský, Marian; Lin, C. Y.

2001-01-01

Roč. 49, 10-11 (2001), s. 1011-1018 ISSN 0015-8208 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1010113; GA MŠk OC P5.20 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : coupled polar semiconductor quantum dots * electron energy relaxation Subject RIV: BE - The oretical Physics Impact factor: 1.043, year: 2001

Electronic structure of filled tetrahedral semiconductors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wood, D.M.; Zunger, Alex; Groot, R. de

1985-01-01

We discuss the susceptibility of zinc-blende semiconductors to band-structure modification by insertion of small atoms at their tetrahedral interstitial states. GaP is found to become a direct-gap semiconductor with two He atoms present at its interstitial sites; Si does not. Analysis of the factors

Indium oxide—a transparent, wide-band gap semiconductor for (opto)electronic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bierwagen, Oliver

2015-01-01

The present review takes a semiconductor physics perspective to summarize the state-of-the art of In 2 O 3 in relation to applications. After discussing conventional and novel applications, the crystal structure, synthesis of single-crystalline material, band-structure and optical transparency are briefly introduced before focussing on the charge carrier transport properties. The issues of unintentional n-type conductivity and its likely causes, the surface electron accumulation, and the lack of p-type conductivity will be presented. Intentional doping will be demonstrated to control the electron concentration and resistivity over a wide range, but is also subject to compensation. The control of the surface accumulation in relation to Schottky and ohmic contacts will be demonstrated. In the context of scattering mechanisms, the electron mobility and its limits will be discussed. Finally, the Seebeck coefficient and its significance will be shown, and ferromagnetic doping of In 2 O 3 will be critically discussed. With this overview most if not all ingredients for the use of In 2 O 3 as semiconductor material in novel or improved conventional devices will be given. (invited review)

Study of radiation defects by in-situ measurements of the Hall effect in narrow-gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favre, J.

1990-01-01

Semiconducting compounds of II-VI, III-V and IV-VI groups were irradiated in liquid hydrogen by high energy (0.7 to 2.7 MeV) electrons. The Hall coefficient and resistivity variations were measured in situ during irradiation. The doping by irradiation induced defects is of p-type in III-V group compounds, while n-type doping occurs in II-VI and IV-VI group materials. A semiconductor to insulator or reverse transition was observed under irradiation when the chemical potential crossed the band edges. In IV-VI group compounds the two successive transitions take place in initially p-type samples. A metastable behaviour, characteristic to strong compensation, appears in the vicinity of those semiconductor - insulator transitions in IV-VI compounds. The slope of free carrier concentration vs. fluence variation was analyzed. It was compared to defect creation rates, calculated in the framework of a cascade model. The charge state of created defects was deduced in this way. - In IV-VI group compounds, the presence of localized levels degenerated with the conduction band and, in PbTe, of additional defect associated levels in the forbidden gap, was demonstrated. Those results are consistent with the saturation of electron concentration increase at high fluence as well as with the analysis of annealing experiments. - In Hg 1-x Cd x Te compounds, the analysis of electron concentration versus fluence increase indicates that only mercury Frenkel pairs are electrically active. The variation with cadmium content of the defect associated level energy was deduced from the saturation values of the electron concentration [fr

Off-axis electron holography for the measurement of active dopants in silicon semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, David

2016-01-01

There is a need in the semiconductor industry for a dopant profiling technique with nm-scale resolution. Here we demonstrate that off-axis electron holography can be used to provide maps of the electrostatic potential in semiconductor devices with nm-scale resolution. In this paper we will discuss issues regarding the spatial resolution and precision of the technique. Then we will discuss problems with specimen preparation and how this affects the accuracy of the measurements of the potentials. Finally we show results from experimental off-axis electron holography applied to nMOS and pMOS CMOS devices grown on bulk silicon and silicon- on-insulator type devices and present solutions to common problems that are encountered when examining these types of devices. (paper)

Energy resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for electronic structure mapping in organic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nádaždy, V., E-mail: nadazdy@savba.sk; Gmucová, K. [Institute of Physics SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11 Bratislava (Slovakia); Schauer, F. [Faculty of Education, Trnava University in Trnava, 918 43 Trnava (Slovakia); Faculty of Applied Informatics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, 760 05 Zlin (Czech Republic)

2014-10-06

We introduce an energy resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method to map the electronic density of states (DOS) in organic semiconductor materials. The method consists in measurement of the charge transfer resistance of a semiconductor/electrolyte interface at a frequency where the redox reactions determine the real component of the impedance. The charge transfer resistance value provides direct information about the electronic DOS at the energy given by the electrochemical potential of the electrolyte, which can be adjusted using an external voltage. A simple theory for experimental data evaluation is proposed, along with an explanation of the corresponding experimental conditions. The method allows mapping over unprecedentedly wide energy and DOS ranges. Also, important DOS parameters can be determined directly from the raw experimental data without the lengthy analysis required in other techniques. The potential of the proposed method is illustrated by tracing weak bond defect states induced by ultraviolet treatment above the highest occupied molecular orbital in a prototypical σ-conjugated polymer, poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene]. The results agree well with those of our previous DOS reconstruction by post-transient space-charge-limited-current spectroscopy, which was, however, limited to a narrow energy range. In addition, good agreement of the DOS values measured on two common π-conjugated organic polymer semiconductors, polyphenylene vinylene and poly(3-hexylthiophene), with the rather rare previously published data demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method.

Detection of secondary electrons with pixelated hybrid semiconductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebert, Ulrike Sonja

2011-01-01

Within the scope of this thesis, secondary electrons were detected with a pixelated semiconductor detector named Timepix. The Timepix detector consists of electronics and a sensor made from a semiconductor material. The connection of sensor and electronics is done for each pixel individually using bump bonds. Electrons with energies above 3 keV can be detected with the sensor. One electron produces a certain amount of electron-hole pairs according to its energy. The charge then drifts along an electric field to the pixel electronics, where it induces an electric signal. Even without a sensor it is possible to detect an electric signal from approximately 1000 electrons directly in the pixel electronics. Two different detector systems to detect secondary electrons using the Timepix detector were investigated during this thesis. First of all, a hybrid photon detector (HPD) was used to detect single photoelectrons. The HPD consists of a vacuum vessel with an entrance window and a cesium iodine photocathode at the inner surface of the window. Photoelectrons are released from the photocathode by incident light and are accelerated in an electric field towards the Timepix detector, where the point of interaction and the arrival time of the electron is determined. With a proximity focusing setup, a time resolution of 12 ns (with an acceleration voltage of 20 kV between photocathode and Timepix detector) was obtained. The HPD examined in this thesis showed a strong dependence of the dark rate form the acceleration voltage and the pressure in the vacuum vessel. At a pressure of few 10 -5 mbar and an acceleration voltage of 20 kV, the dark rate was about 800 Hz per mm 2 area of the read out photocathode. One possibility to reduce the dark rate is to identify ion feedback events. With a slightly modified setup it was possible to reduce the dark rate to 0.5 Hz/mm 2 . To achieve this, a new photocathode was mounted in a shorter distance to the detector. The measurements where

Method of doping a semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.Y.; Rapp, R.A.

1983-01-01

A method is disclosed for doping semiconductor material. An interface is established between a solid electrolyte and a semiconductor to be doped. The electrolyte is chosen to be an ionic conductor of the selected impurity and the semiconductor material and electrolyte are jointly chosen so that any compound formed from the impurity and the semiconductor will have a free energy no lower than the electrolyte. A potential is then established across the interface so as to allow the impurity ions to diffuse into the semiconductor. In one embodiment the semiconductor and electrolyte may be heated so as to increase the diffusion coefficient

Mechanical Properties of Organic Semiconductors for Stretchable, Highly Flexible, and Mechanically Robust Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Root, Samuel E; Savagatrup, Suchol; Printz, Adam D; Rodriquez, Daniel; Lipomi, Darren J

2017-05-10

Mechanical deformability underpins many of the advantages of organic semiconductors. The mechanical properties of these materials are, however, diverse, and the molecular characteristics that permit charge transport can render the materials stiff and brittle. This review is a comprehensive description of the molecular and morphological parameters that govern the mechanical properties of organic semiconductors. Particular attention is paid to ways in which mechanical deformability and electronic performance can coexist. The review begins with a discussion of flexible and stretchable devices of all types, and in particular the unique characteristics of organic semiconductors. It then discusses the mechanical properties most relevant to deformable devices. In particular, it describes how low modulus, good adhesion, and absolute extensibility prior to fracture enable robust performance, along with mechanical "imperceptibility" if worn on the skin. A description of techniques of metrology precedes a discussion of the mechanical properties of three classes of organic semiconductors: π-conjugated polymers, small molecules, and composites. The discussion of each class of materials focuses on molecular structure and how this structure (and postdeposition processing) influences the solid-state packing structure and thus the mechanical properties. The review concludes with applications of organic semiconductor devices in which every component is intrinsically stretchable or highly flexible.

Electron Raman scattering in semiconductor quantum wire in an external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betancourt-Riera, Ri; Nieto Jalil, J M; Riera, R; Betancourt-Riera, Re; Rosas, R

2008-01-01

The differential cross-section for an electron Raman scattering process in a semiconductor quantum wire in the presence of an external magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of confinement is calculated. We assume a single parabolic conduction band. The emission spectra for different scattering configurations and the selection rules for the processes are studied. Singularities in the spectra are found and interpreted. The electron Raman scattering studied here can be used to provide direct information about the electron band and subband structure of these confinement systems. The magnetic field distribution is considered constant with value B 0 inside the wire and zero outside

IRIS Toxicological Review of Thallium and Compounds (External Review Draft)

Science.gov (United States)

Thallium compounds are used in the semiconductor industry, the manufacture of optic lenses and low-melting glass, low-temperature thermometers, alloys, electronic devices, mercury lamps, fireworks, and imitation germs, and clinically as an imaging agent in the diagnosis of certai...

Heavy ions amorphous semiconductors irradiation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benmalek, M.

1978-01-01

The behavior of amorphous semiconductors (germanium and germanium and arsenic tellurides) under ion bombardment at energies up to 2 MeV was studied. The irradiation induced modifications were followed using electrical parameter changes (resistivity and activation energy) and by means of the transmission electron microscopy observations. The electrical conductivity enhancement of the irradiated samples was interpreted using the late conduction theories in amorphous compounds. In amorphous germanium, Electron Microscopy showed the formations of 'globules', these defects are similar to voids observed in irradiated metals. The displacement cascade theory was used for the interpretation of the irradiation induced defects formation and a coalescence mechanism of growth was pointed out for the vacancy agglomeration [fr

Structural and elastic properties of AIBIIIC 2 VI semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, V.; Singh, Bhanu P.

2018-01-01

The plane wave pseudo-potential method within density functional theory has been used to calculate the structural and elastic properties of AIBIIIC 2 VI semiconductors. The electronic band structure, density of states, lattice constants (a and c), internal parameter (u), tetragonal distortion (η), energy gap (Eg), and bond lengths of the A-C (dAC) and B-C (dBC) bonds in AIBIIIC 2 VI semiconductors have been calculated. The values of elastic constants (Cij), bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G), Young's modulus (Y), Poisson's ratio (υ), Zener anisotropy factor (A), Debye temperature (ϴD) and G/B ratio have also been calculated. The values of all 15 parameters of CuTlS2 and CuTlSe2 compounds, and 8 parameters of 20 compounds of AIBIIIC 2 VI family, except AgInS2 and AgInSe2, have been calculated for the first time. Reasonably good agreement has been obtained between the calculated, reported and available experimental values.

Crystal step edges can trap electrons on the surfaces of n-type organic semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Tao; Wu, Yanfei; D'Avino, Gabriele; Schmidt, Elliot; Stolte, Matthias; Cornil, Jérôme; Beljonne, David; Ruden, P Paul; Würthner, Frank; Frisbie, C Daniel

2018-05-30

Understanding relationships between microstructure and electrical transport is an important goal for the materials science of organic semiconductors. Combining high-resolution surface potential mapping by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) with systematic field effect transport measurements, we show that step edges can trap electrons on the surfaces of single crystal organic semiconductors. n-type organic semiconductor crystals exhibiting positive step edge surface potentials display threshold voltages that increase and carrier mobilities that decrease with increasing step density, characteristic of trapping, whereas crystals that do not have positive step edge surface potentials do not have strongly step density dependent transport. A device model and microelectrostatics calculations suggest that trapping can be intrinsic to step edges for crystals of molecules with polar substituents. The results provide a unique example of a specific microstructure-charge trapping relationship and highlight the utility of surface potential imaging in combination with transport measurements as a productive strategy for uncovering microscopic structure-property relationships in organic semiconductors.

Hot-electron-based solar energy conversion with metal-semiconductor nanodiodes

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young Keun; Lee, Hyosun; Lee, Changhwan; Hwang, Euyheon; Park, Jeong Young

2016-06-01

Energy dissipation at metal surfaces or interfaces between a metal and a dielectric generally results from elementary excitations, including phonons and electronic excitation, once external energy is deposited to the surface/interface during exothermic chemical processes or an electromagnetic wave incident. In this paper, we outline recent research activities to develop energy conversion devices based on hot electrons. We found that photon energy can be directly converted to hot electrons and that hot electrons flow through the interface of metal-semiconductor nanodiodes where a Schottky barrier is formed and the energy barrier is much lower than the work function of the metal. The detection of hot electron flow can be successfully measured using the photocurrent; we measured the photoyield of photoemission with incident photons-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE). We also show that surface plasmons (i.e. the collective oscillation of conduction band electrons induced by interaction with an electromagnetic field) are excited on a rough metal surface and subsequently decay into secondary electrons, which gives rise to enhancement of the IPCE. Furthermore, the unique optical behavior of surface plasmons can be coupled with dye molecules, suggesting the possibility for producing additional channels for hot electron generation.

Analytical Electron Diffraction from Iii-V and II-Vi Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Spellward, Paul

Available from UMI in association with The British Library. This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a number of new TEM-based techniques for the measurement of composition in ternary III-V and II-VI semiconductors. New methods of polarity determination in binary and ternary compounds are also presented. The theory of high energy electron diffraction is outlined, with particular emphasis on zone axis diffraction from well-defined strings. An account of TEM microstructural studies of Cd_{rm x}Hg _{rm 1-x}Te and CdTe epitaxial layers, which provided the impetus for developing the diffraction-based analytical techniques, is given. The wide range of TEM-based compositional determination techniques is described. The use of HOLZ deficiency lines to infer composition from a lattice parameter measurement is evaluated. In the case of Cd_{ rm x}Hg_{rm 1-x}Te, it is found to be inferior to other techniques developed. Studies of dynamical aspects of HOLZ diffraction can yield information about the dispersion surface from which a measure of composition may be obtained. This technique is evaluated for Al_{rm x}Ga_{rm 1-x} As, in which it is found to be of some use, and for Cd_{rm x}Hg _{rm 1-x}Te, in which the large Debye-Waller factor associated with mercury in discovered to render the method of little value. A number of critical voltages may be measured in medium voltage TEMs. The (111) zone axis critical voltage of Cd_{rm x}Hg _{rm 1-x}Te is found to vary significantly with x and forms the basis of an accurate technique for composition measurement in that ternary compound. Other critical voltage phenomena are investigated. In Al _{rm x}Ga_ {rm 1-x}As and other light ternaries, a non-systematic critical voltage is found to vary with x, providing a good indicator of composition. Critical voltage measurements may be made by conventional CBED or by various other techniques, which may also simultaneously yield information on the spatial variation of composition. The

Electron-phonon interaction in Chevrel-phase compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rainer, D.; Pobell, F.

1981-03-01

Experiments on the electron-phonon interaction in Chevrel-phase compounds (CPC) and a theoretical discussion of their results are presented. The authors particularly discuss measurements of the isotope effect of the transition temperature in Mo 6 Se 8 and SnMo 6 S 8 and tunneling spectroscopy experiments on Cu 1 . 8 Mo 6 S 8 and PbMo 6 S 8 . These investigations have been performed to get information about the strength of the electron-phonon interaction in CPC, and about the question whether there are phonon modes which couple particularly strongly to the electrons in these compounds. (orig./GSCH)

Jumping magneto-electric states of electrons in semiconductor multiple quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfeffer, Pawel; Zawadzki, Wlodek

2011-01-01

Orbital and spin electron states in semiconductor multiple quantum wells in the presence of an external magnetic field transverse to the growth direction are considered. Rectangular wells of GaAs/GaAlAs and InAs/AlSb are taken as examples. It is shown that, in addition to magneto-electric states known from one-well systems, there appear magneto-electric states having a much stronger dependence of energies on a magnetic field and exhibiting an interesting anti-crossing behavior. The origin of these states is investigated and it is shown that the strong field dependence of the energies is related to an unusual 'jumping' behavior of their wavefunctions between quantum wells as the field increases. The ways of investigating the jumping states by means of interband magneto-luminescence transitions or intraband cyclotron-like transitions are considered and it is demonstrated that the jumping states can be observed. The spin g factors of electrons in the jumping states are calculated using the real values of the spin–orbit interaction and bands' nonparabolicity for the semiconductors in question. It is demonstrated that the jumping states offer a wide variety of the spin g factors

On genealogy of defect electron states in semiconductor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makhmudov, A.Sh.

1984-01-01

Main factors of formation of defect electron structure in semiconductors are considered. It is concluded on the basis of analysis of papers published earlier that it is necessary to take account of two factors: long- and short-range orders i.e. the nature of the atom interaction with the several nearest neighbours as well as crystal periodicity, correctly formulated boundary conditions. One of possible wayes of the given task realization is the combination of a traditional scheme of the solid body theory- the Green function method and the semiempirical quantum-chemical method of equivalent orbitales

Terahertz semiconductor nonlinear optics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turchinovich, Dmitry; Hvam, Jørn Märcher; Hoffmann, Matthias

2013-01-01

In this proceedings we describe our recent results on semiconductor nonlinear optics, investigated using single-cycle THz pulses. We demonstrate the nonlinear absorption and self-phase modulation of strong-field THz pulses in doped semiconductors, using n-GaAs as a model system. The THz...... nonlinearity in doped semiconductors originates from the near-instantaneous heating of free electrons in the ponderomotive potential created by electric field of the THz pulse, leading to ultrafast increase of electron effective mass by intervalley scattering. Modification of effective mass in turn leads...... to a decrease of plasma frequency in semiconductor and produces a substantial modification of THz-range material dielectric function, described by the Drude model. As a result, the nonlinearity of both absorption coefficient and refractive index of the semiconductor is observed. In particular we demonstrate...

Atomic layer deposition: an enabling technology for the growth of functional nanoscale semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Biyikli, Necmi; Haider, Ali

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present the progress in the growth of nanoscale semiconductors grown via atomic layer deposition (ALD). After the adoption by semiconductor chip industry, ALD became a widespread tool to grow functional films and conformal ultra-thin coatings for various applications. Based on self-limiting and ligand-exchange-based surface reactions, ALD enabled the low-temperature growth of nanoscale dielectric, metal, and semiconductor materials. Being able to deposit wafer-scale uniform semiconductor films at relatively low-temperatures, with sub-monolayer thickness control and ultimate conformality, makes ALD attractive for semiconductor device applications. Towards this end, precursors and low-temperature growth recipes are developed to deposit crystalline thin films for compound and elemental semiconductors. Conventional thermal ALD as well as plasma-assisted and radical-enhanced techniques have been exploited to achieve device-compatible film quality. Metal-oxides, III-nitrides, sulfides, and selenides are among the most popular semiconductor material families studied via ALD technology. Besides thin films, ALD can grow nanostructured semiconductors as well using either template-assisted growth methods or bottom-up controlled nucleation mechanisms. Among the demonstrated semiconductor nanostructures are nanoparticles, nano/quantum-dots, nanowires, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanopillars, hollow and core-shell versions of the afore-mentioned nanostructures, and 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenides and graphene. ALD-grown nanoscale semiconductor materials find applications in a vast amount of applications including functional coatings, catalysis and photocatalysis, renewable energy conversion and storage, chemical sensing, opto-electronics, and flexible electronics. In this review, we give an overview of the current state-of-the-art in ALD-based nanoscale semiconductor research including the already demonstrated and future applications.

Advances in semiconductor photodetectors for scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrell, R.; Olschner, F.; Shah, K.; Squillante, M.R.

1997-01-01

Semiconductors photodetectors have long seemed an attractive alternative for scintillation detection, but only recently have semiconductor photodiodes been proven suitable for some room temperature applications. There are many applications, however for which the performance of standard silicon p-i-n photodiodes is not satisfactory. This article reviews recent progress in two different families of novel semiconductor photodetectors: (1) wide bandgap compound semiconductors and (2) silicon photodetectors with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio. The compounds discussed and compared in this paper are HgI 2 , PbI 2 , InI, TlBr, TlBr 1-x I x and HgBr 1-x I x . The paper will also examine unity gain silicon drift diodes and avalanche photodiodes with maximum room temperature gain greater than 10000. (orig.)

Some physical properties of GaX (X=P, As and Sb) semiconductor compounds using higher-order perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jivani, A.R.; Trivedi, H.J.; Gajjar, P.N.; Jani, A.R.

2005-01-01

Recently proposed model potential for describing the electron-ion interaction is employed to calculate total energy, energy band gap at Jones-zone face at X, equation of state and bulk modulus of GaP, GaAs and GaSb compounds using higher-order perturbation theory. The covalent correction term corresponding to third- and fourth-order perturbation energy terms are used to take account of covalent bonding effect in such semiconductors. The significant value of the covalent bonding term shows the essentiality of higher-order correction for zincblende-type crystals. We have employed five different screening functions along with the latest screening function proposed by Sarkar et al. in the present work. The numerical results for the total energy, energy band gap at Jones-zone face and bulk modulus of these compounds are in good agreement with the experimental data and found better than other such theoretical findings. The pressure and bulk modulus at different volumes are obtained by using such higher-order perturbation theory with the application of our model potential. The pressure obtained by this method is compared with pressure obtained by equations proposed by Murnarghan and Vinet et al. The present study also shows that the incorporation of different screening functions generates distinct effects

Growth of anodic films on compound semiconductor electrodes: InP in aqueous (NH sub 4) sub 2 S

CERN Document Server

Buckley, D N

2002-01-01

Film formation on compound semiconductors under anodic conditions is discussed. The surface properties of InP electrodes were examined following anodization in a (NH sub 4) sub 2 S electrolyte. The observation of a current peak in the cyclic voltammetric curve was attributed to selective etching of the substrate and a film formation process. AFM images of samples anodized in the sulfide solution revealed surface pitting. Thicker films formed at higher potentials exhibited extensive cracking as observed by optical and electron microscopy, and this was explicitly demonstrated to occur ex situ rather than during the electrochemical treatment. The composition of the thick film was identified as In sub 2 S sub 3 by EDX and XPS. The measured film thickness varies linearly with the charge passed, and comparison between experimental thickness measurements and theoretical estimates for the thickness indicate a porosity of over 70 %. Cracking is attributed to shrinkage during drying of the highly porous film and does n...

Interlayer electron-hole pair multiplication by hot carriers in atomic layer semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Barati, Fatemeh; Grossnickle, Max; Su, Shanshan; Lake, Roger; Aji, Vivek; Gabor, Nathaniel

Two-dimensional heterostructures composed of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides provide the opportunity to design novel devices for the study of electron-hole pair multiplication. We report on highly efficient multiplication of interlayer electron-hole pairs at the interface of a tungsten diselenide / molybdenum diselenide heterostructure. Electronic transport measurements of the interlayer current-voltage characteristics indicate that layer-indirect electron-hole pairs are generated by hot electron impact excitation. Our findings, which demonstrate an efficient energy relaxation pathway that competes with electron thermalization losses, make 2D semiconductor heterostructures viable for a new class of hot-carrier energy harvesting devices that exploit layer-indirect electron-hole excitations. SHINES, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Photo-Induced Electron Spin Polarization in a Narrow Band Gap Semiconductor Nanostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter, A. John; Lee, Chang Woo

2012-01-01

Photo-induced spin dependent electron transmission through a narrow gap InSb/InGa x Sb 1−x semiconductor symmetric well is theoretically studied using transfer matrix formulism. The transparency of electron transmission is calculated as a function of electron energy for different concentrations of gallium. Enhanced spin-polarized photon assisted resonant tunnelling in the heterostructure due to Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling induced splitting of the resonant level and compressed spin-polarization are observed. Our results show that Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling is dominant for the photon effect and the computed polarization efficiency increases with the photon effect and the gallium concentration

Refractive index of ternary and quaternary compound semiconductors below the fundamental absorption edge: Linear and nonlinear effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, B.; Torabi, A.

1985-01-01

The index of refraction n is calculated as a function of frequency and mole fraction x for the following compounds: Hg/sub l-x/Cd/sub x/Te, Al/sub x/Ga/sub l-x/As, and In/sub l-x/Ga/sub x/As/sub y/P/sub l-y/ lattice matched to InP. Lattice matching of In/sub l-x/Ga/sub x/As/sub y/P/sub l-y/ to InP requires that x = 0.466 y. The theoretical result for the refractive index is obtained from a quantum mechanical calculation of the dielectric constant of a compound semiconductor. It is given in terms of the basic material parameters of band gap energy, effective electron mass m/sub n/, effective heavy hole mass m/sub rho/, spin orbit splitting energy, lattice constant, and carrier concentration n/sub e/ or rho for n-type or rho-type materials, respectively. If these quantities are known as functions of mole fraction x, there are no adjustable parameters involved. A negative change in the refractive index near the fundamental absorption edge is predicted on passing radiation through a crystal if the change in carrier concentration of the initially unoccupied conduction band is assumed proportional to internal intensity I. Comparison of theory with experimental data is given

Collaborative Research and Development. Delivery Order 0006: Transmission Electron Microscope Image Modeling and Semiconductor Heterointerface Characterization

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mahalingam, Krishnamurthy

2006-01-01

.... Transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization studies were performed on a variety of novel III-V semiconductor heterostructures being developed for advanced optoelectronic device applications...

Lead Halide Perovskites as Charge Generation Layers for Electron Mobility Measurement in Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Love, John A; Feuerstein, Markus; Wolff, Christian M; Facchetti, Antonio; Neher, Dieter

2017-12-06

Hybrid lead halide perovskites are introduced as charge generation layers (CGLs) for the accurate determination of electron mobilities in thin organic semiconductors. Such hybrid perovskites have become a widely studied photovoltaic material in their own right, for their high efficiencies, ease of processing from solution, strong absorption, and efficient photogeneration of charge. Time-of-flight (ToF) measurements on bilayer samples consisting of the perovskite CGL and an organic semiconductor layer of different thickness are shown to be determined by the carrier motion through the organic material, consistent with the much higher charge carrier mobility in the perovskite. Together with the efficient photon-to-electron conversion in the perovskite, this high mobility imbalance enables electron-only mobility measurement on relatively thin application-relevant organic films, which would not be possible with traditional ToF measurements. This architecture enables electron-selective mobility measurements in single components as well as bulk-heterojunction films as demonstrated in the prototypical polymer/fullerene blends. To further demonstrate the potential of this approach, electron mobilities were measured as a function of electric field and temperature in an only 127 nm thick layer of a prototypical electron-transporting perylene diimide-based polymer, and found to be consistent with an exponential trap distribution of ca. 60 meV. Our study furthermore highlights the importance of high mobility charge transporting layers when designing perovskite solar cells.

A comprehensive study of g-factors, elastic, structural and electronic properties of III-V semiconductors using hybrid-density functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Bastos, Carlos M. O.; Sabino, Fernando P.; Sipahi, Guilherme M.; Da Silva, Juarez L. F.

2018-02-01

Despite the large number of theoretical III-V semiconductor studies reported every year, our atomistic understanding is still limited. The limitations of the theoretical approaches to yield accurate structural and electronic properties on an equal footing, is due to the unphysical self-interaction problem that mainly affects the band gap and spin-orbit splitting (SOC) in semiconductors and, in particular, III-V systems with similar magnitude of the band gap and SOC. In this work, we report a consistent study of the structural and electronic properties of the III-V semiconductors by using the screening hybrid-density functional theory framework, by fitting the α parameters for 12 different III-V compounds, namely, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, and InSb, to minimize the deviation between the theoretical and experimental values of the band gap and SOC. Structural relaxation effects were also included. Except for AlP, whose α = 0.127, we obtained α values that ranged from 0.209 to 0.343, which deviate by less than 0.1 from the universal value of 0.25. Our results for the lattice parameter and elastic constants indicate that the fitting of α does not affect those structural parameters when compared with the HSE06 functional, where α = 0.25. Our analysis of the band structure based on the k ṡ p method shows that the effective masses are in agreement with the experimental values, which can be attributed to the simultaneous fitting of the band gap and SOC. Also, we estimate the values of g-factors, extracted directly from the band structure, which are close to experimental results, which indicate that the obtained band structure produced a realistic set of k ṡ p parameters.

Heteroepitaxial growth of 3-5 semiconductor compounds by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition for device applications

Science.gov (United States)

Collis, Ward J.; Abul-Fadl, Ali

1988-01-01

The purpose of this research is to design, install and operate a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition system which is to be used for the epitaxial growth of 3-5 semiconductor binary compounds, and ternary and quaternary alloys. The long-term goal is to utilize this vapor phase deposition in conjunction with existing current controlled liquid phase epitaxy facilities to perform hybrid growth sequences for fabricating integrated optoelectronic devices.

Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices on {110} oriented substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Amit

2014-08-05

Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices on {110} textured substrates are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

[100] or [110] aligned, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Amit

2015-03-24

Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, [100] or [110] textured, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

Defect-driven interfacial electronic structures at an organic/metal-oxide semiconductor heterojunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Winget, Paul; Schirra, Laura K; Cornil, David; Li, Hong; Coropceanu, Veaceslav; Ndione, Paul F; Sigdel, Ajaya K; Ginley, David S; Berry, Joseph J; Shim, Jaewon; Kim, Hyungchui; Kippelen, Bernard; Brédas, Jean-Luc; Monti, Oliver L A

2014-07-16

The electronic structure of the hybrid interface between ZnO and the prototypical organic semiconductor PTCDI is investigated via a combination of ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS/XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The interfacial electronic interactions lead to a large interface dipole due to substantial charge transfer from ZnO to 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicdiimide (PTCDI), which can be properly described only when accounting for surface defects that confer ZnO its n-type properties. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electron Raman scattering in semiconductor quantum well wire of cylindrical ring geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betancourt-Riera, Re.; Betancourt-Riera, Ri.; Nieto Jalil, J. M.; Riera, R.

2015-01-01

We study the electron states and the differential cross section for an electron Raman scattering process in a semiconductor quantum well wire of cylindrical ring geometry. The electron Raman scattering developed here can be used to provide direct information about the electron band structures of these confinement systems. We assume that the system grows in a GaAs/Al 0.35 Ga 0.65 As matrix. The system is modeled by considering T = 0 K and also a single parabolic conduction band, which is split into a sub-band system due to the confinement. The emission spectra are discussed for different scattering configurations, and the selection rules for the processes are also studied. Singularities in the spectra are found and interpreted. (paper)

Quantum dynamical simulation of photoinduced electron transfer processes in dye-semiconductor systems: theory and application to coumarin 343 at TiO₂.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jingrui; Kondov, Ivan; Wang, Haobin; Thoss, Michael

2015-04-10

A recently developed methodology to simulate photoinduced electron transfer processes at dye-semiconductor interfaces is outlined. The methodology employs a first-principles-based model Hamiltonian and accurate quantum dynamics simulations using the multilayer multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree approach. This method is applied to study electron injection in the dye-semiconductor system coumarin 343-TiO2. Specifically, the influence of electronic-vibrational coupling is analyzed. Extending previous work, we consider the influence of Dushinsky rotation of the normal modes as well as anharmonicities of the potential energy surfaces on the electron transfer dynamics.

First-principles electronic structure of Mn-doped GaAs, GaP, and GaN semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulthess, T C [Computer Science and Mathematics Division and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6164 (United States); Temmerman, W M [Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Szotek, Z [Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Svane, A [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Petit, L [Computer Science and Mathematics Division and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6164 (United States)

2007-04-23

We present first-principles electronic structure calculations of Mn-doped III-V semiconductors based on the local spin-density approximation (LSDA) as well as the self-interaction corrected local spin-density method (SIC-LSD). We find that it is crucial to use a self-interaction free approach to properly describe the electronic ground state. The SIC-LSD calculations predict the proper electronic ground state configuration for Mn in GaAs, GaP, and GaN. Excellent quantitative agreement with experiment is found for the magnetic moment and p-d exchange in (GaMn)As. These results allow us to validate commonly used models for magnetic semiconductors. Furthermore, we discuss the delicate problem of extracting binding energies of localized levels from density functional theory calculations. We propose three approaches to take into account final state effects to estimate the binding energies of the Mn d levels in GaAs. We find good agreement between computed values and estimates from photoemission experiments.

First-principles electronic structure of Mn-doped GaAs, GaP, and GaN semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulthess, T C; Temmerman, W M; Szotek, Z; Svane, A; Petit, L

2007-01-01

We present first-principles electronic structure calculations of Mn-doped III-V semiconductors based on the local spin-density approximation (LSDA) as well as the self-interaction corrected local spin-density method (SIC-LSD). We find that it is crucial to use a self-interaction free approach to properly describe the electronic ground state. The SIC-LSD calculations predict the proper electronic ground state configuration for Mn in GaAs, GaP, and GaN. Excellent quantitative agreement with experiment is found for the magnetic moment and p-d exchange in (GaMn)As. These results allow us to validate commonly used models for magnetic semiconductors. Furthermore, we discuss the delicate problem of extracting binding energies of localized levels from density functional theory calculations. We propose three approaches to take into account final state effects to estimate the binding energies of the Mn d levels in GaAs. We find good agreement between computed values and estimates from photoemission experiments

CCST [Center for Compound Semiconductor Technology] research briefs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zipperian, T.E.; Voelker, E.R.

1989-12-01

This paper discusses the following topics: theoretical predictions of valence and conduction band offsets in III-V semiconductors; reflectance modulation of a semiconductor superlattice optical mirror; magnetoquantum oscillations of the phonon-drag thermoelectric power in quantum wells; correlation between photoluminescence line shape and device performance of p-channel strained-layer materials; control of threading dislocations in heteroepitaxial structures; improved growth of CdTe on GaAs by patterning; role of structure threading dislocations in relaxation of highly strained single-quantum-well structures; InAlAs growth optimization using reflection mass spectrometry; nonvolatile charge storage in III-V heterostructures; optically triggered thyristor switches; InAsSb strained-layer superlattice infrared detectors with high detectivities; resonant periodic gain surface-emitting semiconductor lasers; performance advantages of strained-quantum-well lasers in AlGaAs/InGaAs; optical integrated circuit for phased-array radar antenna control; and deposition and novel device fabrication from Tl 2 Ca 2 Ba 2 Cu 3 O y thin films

Advanced understanding on electronic structure of molecular semiconductors and their interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Akaike, Kouki

2018-03-01

Understanding the electronic structure of organic semiconductors and their interfaces is critical to optimizing functionalities for electronics applications, by rational chemical design and appropriate combination of device constituents. The unique electronic structure of a molecular solid is characterized as (i) anisotropic electrostatic fields that originate from molecular quadrupoles, (ii) interfacial energy-level lineup governed by simple electrostatics, and (iii) weak intermolecular interactions that make not only structural order but also energy distributions of the frontier orbitals sensitive to atmosphere and interface growth. This article shows an overview on these features with reference to the improved understanding of the orientation-dependent electronic structure, comprehensive mechanisms of molecular doping, and energy-level alignment. Furthermore, the engineering of ionization energy by the control of the electrostatic fields and work function of practical electrodes by contact-induced doping is briefly described for the purpose of highlighting how the electronic structure impacts the performance of organic devices.

Reactivity of group IV (100) semiconductor surfaces towards organic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, George T.

The reactions of simple and multifunctional organic compounds with the clean silicon, germanium, and diamond (100)-2 x 1 semiconductor surfaces have been investigated using a combination of multiple internal reflection infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemistry density functional theory calculations. From these studies, an improved understanding of the atomic level reactivity of these semiconductor surfaces has been obtained, along with insights into how to achieve their selective coupling with organics of desired and varied functionality. In addition to the Si(100) and Ge(100) surfaces, our results show that cycloaddition chemistry can also be extended to the diamond (100) surface. At room temperature, 1,3-butadiene was found to form a Diels-Alder product with the diamond (100) surface, as evidenced by isotopic substitution experiments and comparison of the surface adduct with its direct molecular analogue, cyclohexene. The reactions of other classes of molecules in addition to alkenes on the Si(100) and Ge(100) surfaces, including a series of five-membered cyclic amines, were also examined. For tertiary aliphatic amines on Si(100) and both secondary and tertiary aliphatic amines on Ge(100), a majority of the molecules were observed to become stably trapped in dative-bonded precursor states rather than form energetically favorable dissociation products. For pyrrole, aromaticity was found to play a defining role in its reactivity, and a comparison of its molecular and surface reactivity reveals interesting similarities. To probe the factors controlling the selectivity of organic reactions on clean semiconductor surfaces, the adsorption of acetone and a series of unsaturated ketones was also investigated. The reaction of acetone on Ge(100) was found to be under thermodynamic control at room temperature, resulting in the formation of an "ene" product rather than the kinetically favored [2+2] C=O cycloaddition product previously observed on the Si(100) surface. In

Ab-initio calculations of Co-based diluted magnetic semiconductors Cd 1-xCoxX (X=S, Se, Te)

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Yasir; Nazir, Safdar; Shaukat, Ali; Reshak, A. H.

2010-01-01

Ab-initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of spin-polarized diluted magnetic semiconductors composed of IIVI compounds Cd1-xCoxX (X=S, Se, Te) at x=0.25. From the calculated results

Electronic transport at semiconductor surfaces - from point-contact transistor to micro-four-point probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasegawa, S.; Grey, Francois

2002-01-01

show that this type of conduction is measurable using new types of experimental probes, such as the multi-tip scanning tunnelling microscope and the micro-four-point probe. The resulting electronic transport properties are intriguing, and suggest that semiconductor surfaces should be considered...

Semiconductors bonds and bands

CERN Document Server

Ferry, David K

2013-01-01

As we settle into this second decade of the twenty-first century, it is evident that the advances in micro-electronics have truly revolutionized our day-to-day lifestyle. The technology is built upon semiconductors, materials in which the band gap has been engineered for special values suitable to the particular application. This book, written specifically for a one semester course for graduate students, provides a thorough understanding of the key solid state physics of semiconductors. It describes how quantum mechanics gives semiconductors unique properties that enabled the micro-electronics revolution, and sustain the ever-growing importance of this revolution.

Electrolytic photodissociation of chemical compounds by iron oxide electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Somorjai, Gabor A.; Leygraf, Christofer H.

1984-01-01

Chemical compounds can be dissociated by contacting the same with a p/n type semi-conductor diode having visible light as its sole source of energy. The diode consists of low cost, readily available materials, specifically polycrystalline iron oxide doped with silicon in the case of the n-type semi-conductor electrode, and polycrystalline iron oxide doped with magnesium in the case of the p-type electrode. So long as the light source has an energy greater than 2.2 electron volts, no added energy source is needed to achieve dissociation.

Imaging modes for potential mapping in semiconductor devices by electron holography with improved lateral resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sickmann, Jan, E-mail: jan.sickmann@triebenberg.de [Triebenberg Laboratory, Institute of Structure Physics, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Formanek, Petr; Linck, Martin [Triebenberg Laboratory, Institute of Structure Physics, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Muehle, Uwe [Institut fuer Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg (Germany); Lichte, Hannes [Triebenberg Laboratory, Institute of Structure Physics, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

2011-03-15

Electron holography is the highest resolving tool for dopant profiling at nanometre-scale resolution. In order to measure the object areas of interest in a hologram, both a wide field of view and a sufficient lateral resolution are required. The usual path of rays for recording holograms with an electron biprism using the standard objective lens does not meet these requirements, because the field of view amounts to some 10 nm only, however, at a resolution of 0.1 nm better than needed here. Therefore, instead of the standard objective lens, the Lorentz lens is widely used for holography of semiconductors, since it provides a field of view up to 1000 nm at a sufficient lateral resolution of about 10 nm. Since the size of semiconductor structures is steadily shrinking, there is now a need for better lateral resolution at an appropriate field of view. Therefore, additional paths of rays for recording holograms are studied with special emphasis on the parameters field of view and lateral resolution. The findings allow an optimized scheme with a field of view of 200 nm and a lateral resolution of 3.3 nm filling the gap between the existing set-ups. In addition, the Lorentz lens is no longer required for investigation of non-magnetic materials, since the new paths of rays are realized with the standard objective lens and diffraction lens. An example proves the applicability of this arrangement for future semiconductor technology. -- Research highlights: {yields} Imaging modes for potential mapping in semiconductor devices by electron holography. {yields} Using objective and diffraction lens for imaging instead of Lorentz lens. {yields} Detailed investigation of four different paths of rays and its basic parameters for holographic application: field of view, lateral resolution, signal resolution. {yields} Measuring the phase profile of a field effect transistor with 3 nm lateral resolution at field of view of 200 nm.

Quasiparticle semiconductor band structures including spin-orbit interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Malone, Brad D; Cohen, Marvin L

2013-03-13

We present first-principles calculations of the quasiparticle band structure of the group IV materials Si and Ge and the group III-V compound semiconductors AlP, AlAs, AlSb, InP, InAs, InSb, GaP, GaAs and GaSb. Calculations are performed using the plane wave pseudopotential method and the 'one-shot' GW method, i.e. G(0)W(0). Quasiparticle band structures, augmented with the effects of spin-orbit, are obtained via a Wannier interpolation of the obtained quasiparticle energies and calculated spin-orbit matrix. Our calculations explicitly treat the shallow semicore states of In and Ga, which are known to be important in the description of the electronic properties, as valence states in the quasiparticle calculation. Our calculated quasiparticle energies, combining both the ab initio evaluation of the electron self-energy and the vector part of the pseudopotential representing the spin-orbit effects, are in generally very good agreement with experimental values. These calculations illustrate the predictive power of the methodology as applied to group IV and III-V semiconductors.

Ultrafast THz Saturable Absorption in Doped Semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turchinovich, Dmitry; Hoffmann, Matthias C.

2011-01-01

We demonstrate ultrafast THz saturable absorption in n-doped semiconductors by nonlinear THz time-domain spectroscopy. This effect is caused by the semiconductor conductivity modulation due to electron heating and satellite-valley scattering in strong THz fields.......We demonstrate ultrafast THz saturable absorption in n-doped semiconductors by nonlinear THz time-domain spectroscopy. This effect is caused by the semiconductor conductivity modulation due to electron heating and satellite-valley scattering in strong THz fields....

Study of lead iodide semiconductor crystals doped with silver

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matuchová, Marie; Žďánský, Karel; Zavadil, Jiří; Maixner, J.; Alexiev, D.; Procházková, Olga

2006-01-01

Roč. 9, 1/3 (2006), s. 394-398 ISSN 1369-8001. [DRIP /11./. Beijing, 15.09.2005-19.09.2005] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/03/0379; GA ČR(CZ) GA102/04/0959; GA AV ČR(CZ) KSK1010104 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : rare earth compounds * detector circuits * semiconductor technology Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 1.038, year: 2006

Binding energies and chemical shifts of least bound core electron excitations in cubic Asub(N)Bsub(8-N) semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechstedt, F.; Enderlein, R.; Wischnewski, R.

1981-01-01

Core electron binding energies Esup(B) with respect to the vacuum level and their chemical shifts are calculated for the least bound core levels of cations and anions of cubic Asub(N)Bsub(8-N) semiconductors. Starting from the HF-binding energy of the free atom absolute values of Esup(B) are obtained by adding core level shifts and relaxation energies. Core level shifts are calculated by means of an electrostatic model with ionic and bond charges according to Phillips' bond charge model. For the calculation of relaxation energies the linear dielectric theory of electronic polarization is applied. Valence and core electrons, and diagonal and non-diagonal screening are taken into account. The theoretical results for chemical shifts of binding energies are compared with experimental values from XPS-measurements corrected by work function data. Good agreement is obtained in all cases within the error limit of about one eV. Chemical and atomic trends of core level shifts, relaxation energies, and binding energies are discussed in terms of changes of atomic and solid state parameters. Chemical shifts and relaxation energies are predicted for various ternary Asub(N)Bsub(8-N) compounds. (author)

Current instabilities under HF electron gas heating in semiconductors with negative differential conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gurevich, Yu. G.; Logvinov, G. N. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Laricheva, N. [Datmouth College, New Hampshire (United States); Mashkevich, O. L. [Kharkov University, Kharkov (Ukraine)

2001-10-01

A nonlinear temperature dependence of the kinetic coefficients of semiconductor plasma can result in the appearance of regions of negative differential conductivity (NDC) in both the high-frequency (HF) and static current-voltage characteristics (CVC). In the present paper the formation of the static NDC under simultaneous electron gas heating by HF and static electric field is studied. As is shown below, in this case the heating electromagnetic wave has a pronounced effect on the appearance of NDC caused by the overheating mechanisms and the type of the static CVC as a whole. [Spanish] Una dependencia no lineal de la temperatura de los coeficientes cineticos del plasma del semiconductor puede llevar a la aparicion de regiones con conductividad diferencial negativa (CDN) en las caracteristicas corriente voltaje (CCV) de alta frecuencia (AF) y estatica. En este articulo se estudia la formacion de la CDN estatica bajo la accion simultanea del calentamiento del gas de electrones por AF y el campo electrico estatico. Como se muestra mas adelante, en este caso la onda electromagnetica que calienta a los electrones ejerce un fuerte efecto en la aparicion de la CDN; que se obtiene por mecanismos de sobrecalentamiento, y en el tipo de CCV estatica.

Towards quantitative electrostatic potential mapping of working semiconductor devices using off-axis electron holography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdi, Sadegh; Kasama, Takeshi; Beleggia, Marco

2015-01-01

Pronounced improvements in the understanding of semiconductor device performance are expected if electrostatic potential distributions can be measured quantitatively and reliably under working conditions with sufficient sensitivity and spatial resolution. Here, we employ off-axis electron...... holography to characterize an electrically-biased Si p-. n junction by measuring its electrostatic potential, electric field and charge density distributions under working conditions. A comparison between experimental electron holographic phase images and images obtained using three-dimensional electrostatic...

Quantum computation in semiconductor quantum dots of electron-spin asymmetric anisotropic exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Xiang; Zhu Shiqun

2007-01-01

The universal quantum computation is obtained when there exists asymmetric anisotropic exchange between electron spins in coupled semiconductor quantum dots. The asymmetric Heisenberg model can be transformed into the isotropic model through the control of two local unitary rotations for the realization of essential quantum gates. The rotations on each qubit are symmetrical and depend on the strength and orientation of asymmetric exchange. The implementation of the axially symmetric local magnetic fields can assist the construction of quantum logic gates in anisotropic coupled quantum dots. This proposal can efficiently use each physical electron spin as a logical qubit in the universal quantum computation

Toward designing semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunctions for photocatalytic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liping; Jaroniec, Mietek

2018-02-01

Semiconductor photocatalysts show a great potential for environmental and energy-related applications, however one of the major disadvantages is their relatively low photocatalytic performance due to the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Therefore, intensive research is being conducted toward design of heterojunctions, which have been shown to be effective for improving the charge-transfer properties and efficiency of photocatalysts. According to the type of band alignment and direction of internal electric field, heterojunctions are categorized into five different types, each of which is associated with its own charge transfer characteristics. Since the design of heterojunctions requires the knowledge of band edge positions of component semiconductors, the commonly used techniques for the assessment of band edge positions are reviewed. Among them the electronegativity-based calculation method is applied for a large number of popular visible-light-active semiconductors, including some widely investigated bismuth-containing semiconductors. On basis of the calculated band edge positions and the type of component semiconductors reported, heterojunctions composed of the selected bismuth-containing semiconductors are proposed. Finally, the most popular synthetic techniques for the fabrication of heterojunctions are briefly discussed.

Spin Relaxation in III-V Semiconductors in various systems: Contribution of Electron-Electron Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Fatih; Kesserwan, Hasan; Manchon, Aurelien

2015-03-01

In spintronics, most of the phenomena that we are interested happen at very fast time scales and are rich in structure in time domain. Our understanding, on the other hand, is mostly based on energy domain calculations. Many of the theoretical tools use approximations and simplifications that can be perceived as oversimplifications. We compare the structure, material, carrier density and temperature dependence of spin relaxation time in n-doped III-V semiconductors using Elliot-Yafet (EY) and D'yakanov-Perel'(DP) with real time analysis using kinetic spin Bloch equations (KSBE). The EY and DP theories fail to capture details as the system investigated is varied. KSBE, on the other hand, incorporates all relaxation sources as well as electron-electron interaction which modifies the spin relaxation time in a non-linear way. Since el-el interaction is very fast (~ fs) and spin-conserving, it is usually ignored in the analysis of spin relaxation. Our results indicate that electron-electron interaction cannot be neglected and its interplay with the other (spin and momentum) relaxation mechanisms (electron-impurity and electron-phonon scattering) dramatically alters the resulting spin dynamics. We use each interaction explicitly to investigate how, in the presence of others, each relaxation source behaves. We use GaAs and GaN for zinc-blend structure, and GaN and AlN for the wurtzite structure.

Structure-property relationship of compounds with pyrite and shandite structure with metal-semiconductor transition in InSnCo{sub 3}S{sub 2}; Struktur-Eigenschafts-Beziehungen von Verbindungen mit Pyrit- und Shanditstruktur mit Metall-Halbleiter-Uebergang in InSnCo{sub 3}S{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rothballer, Jan

2014-12-23

The aim of this Ph.D thesis is to correlate theoretical calculations and experimental data to understand the building and stabilities of structures to influence the properties due to applications. Properties of compounds are defined by their electronic structures. The electronic structure can be influenced by substitution of elements or even doping. As a matter of fact, electronic design is a basic principle in materials research. It can help to change or switch the electric conductivity or the magnetism of a starting compound. I analyzed compounds with pyrite-type structure and Sn{sub 2}Co{sub 3}S{sub 2} and related compounds to these. Its electronic as well as its crystallographic structure is highly flexible and Sn{sub 2}Co{sub 3}S{sub 2} is a half metallic ferromagnet. By substituting In to Sn one gets a semiconductor due to indium-tin ordering. By doping sulfur against selenium, the magnetism is highly influenced. To verify and to understand these effects I did magnetic, XRD, neutron and conductivity measurements as well as DFT calculations in direct and reciprocal space.

Studies of optical properties and applications of some mixed ternary semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, P.S.; Ghosh, D.K.; Samanta, L.K.

1989-01-01

Refractive indices of some mixed compound semiconductors below the bandgap are presented on the basis of some fundamental parameters and the effect of lattice mismatch on the refractive index step is also studied. The results help to design a variety of opto-electronic devices for the use in optical fiber communication and heterostructure lasers. The calculated values agree well with available experimental values thus justifying the approach. (author)

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Somodi, P K; Twitchett-Harrison, A C; Midgley, P A; Kardynał, B E; Barnes, C H W; Dunin-Borkowski, R E

2013-11-01

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p-n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p-n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Semiconductor inversion contact - a new heterogeneous structure with two-dimensional zero-mass electron gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov, B.A.; Pankratov, O.A.

1986-01-01

Semiconductor inversion junction, presenting the contact of materials in which energy levels corresponding to band edges are mutually inverted. At that, the symmetry of wave function of conductivity band in one material coincides with the symmetry of valence band of the other and vice versa. Specificity of the inversion contact is determined by the presence of electron states independent of the transition band type, which are similar to soliton ones in one-dimensional systems. In the region of the junction the states are characterized by linear massless spectrum nondegenerate in spin. Energy spectrum of the inversion junction for semiconductors of the Pb 1-x Sn y Te x type is considered

Self-consistent electronic structure of spin-polarized dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, S. P.; Yi, K. S.; Quinn, J. J.

2000-01-01

The electronic properties of spin-symmetry-broken dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum wells are investigated self-consistently at zero temperature. The spin-split subband structure and carrier concentration of modulation-doped quantum wells are examined in the presence of a strong magnetic field. The effects of exchange and correlations of electrons are included in a local-spin-density-functional approximation. We demonstrate that exchange correlation of electrons decreases the spin-split subband energy but enhances the carrier density in a spin-polarized quantum well. We also observe that as the magnetic field increases, the concentration of spin-down (majority) electrons increases but that of spin-up (minority) electrons decreases. The effect of orbital quantization on the in-plane motion of electrons is also examined and shows a sawtoothlike variation in subband electron concentrations as the magnetic-field intensity increases. The latter variation is attributed to the presence of ionized donors acting as the electron reservoir, which is partially responsible for the formation of the integer quantum Hall plateaus. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Wide-gap layered oxychalcogenide semiconductors: Materials, electronic structures and optoelectronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Kazushige; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Hirano, Masahiro; Kamiya, Toshio; Hosono, Hideo

2006-01-01

Applying the concept of materials design for transparent conductive oxides to layered oxychalcogenides, several p-type and n-type layered oxychalcogenides were proposed as wide-gap semiconductors and their basic optical and electrical properties were examined. The layered oxychalcogenides are composed of ionic oxide layers and covalent chalcogenide layers, which bring wide-gap and conductive properties to these materials, respectively. The electronic structures of the materials were examined by normal/inverse photoemission spectroscopy and energy band calculations. The results of the examinations suggested that these materials possess unique features more than simple wide-gap semiconductors. Namely, the layered oxychalcogenides are considered to be extremely thin quantum wells composed of the oxide and chalcogenide layers or 2D chalcogenide crystals/molecules embedded in an oxide matrix. Observation of step-like absorption edges, large band gap energy and large exciton binding energy demonstrated these features originating from 2D density of states and quantum size effects in these layered materials

Two-dimensional collective electron magnetotransport, oscillations, and chaos in a semiconductor superlattice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonilla, L L; Carretero, M; Segura, A

2017-12-01

When quantized, traces of classically chaotic single-particle systems include eigenvalue statistics and scars in eigenfuntions. Since 2001, many theoretical and experimental works have argued that classically chaotic single-electron dynamics influences and controls collective electron transport. For transport in semiconductor superlattices under tilted magnetic and electric fields, these theories rely on a reduction to a one-dimensional self-consistent drift model. A two-dimensional theory based on self-consistent Boltzmann transport does not support that single-electron chaos influences collective transport. This theory agrees with existing experimental evidence of current self-oscillations, predicts spontaneous collective chaos via a period doubling scenario, and could be tested unambiguously by measuring the electric potential inside the superlattice under a tilted magnetic field.

Two-dimensional collective electron magnetotransport, oscillations, and chaos in a semiconductor superlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Bonilla, L. L.; Carretero, M.; Segura, A.

2017-12-01

When quantized, traces of classically chaotic single-particle systems include eigenvalue statistics and scars in eigenfuntions. Since 2001, many theoretical and experimental works have argued that classically chaotic single-electron dynamics influences and controls collective electron transport. For transport in semiconductor superlattices under tilted magnetic and electric fields, these theories rely on a reduction to a one-dimensional self-consistent drift model. A two-dimensional theory based on self-consistent Boltzmann transport does not support that single-electron chaos influences collective transport. This theory agrees with existing experimental evidence of current self-oscillations, predicts spontaneous collective chaos via a period doubling scenario, and could be tested unambiguously by measuring the electric potential inside the superlattice under a tilted magnetic field.

Atomic-Resolution Spectrum Imaging of Semiconductor Nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, Reza R; Hage, Fredrik S; Lehmann, Sebastian; Ramasse, Quentin M; Dick, Kimberly A

2018-03-14

Over the past decade, III-V heterostructure nanowires have attracted a surge of attention for their application in novel semiconductor devices such as tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs). The functionality of such devices critically depends on the specific atomic arrangement at the semiconductor heterointerfaces. However, most of the currently available characterization techniques lack sufficient spatial resolution to provide local information on the atomic structure and composition of these interfaces. Atomic-resolution spectrum imaging by means of electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is a powerful technique with the potential to resolve structure and chemical composition with sub-angstrom spatial resolution and to provide localized information about the physical properties of the material at the atomic scale. Here, we demonstrate the use of atomic-resolution EELS to understand the interface atomic arrangement in three-dimensional heterostructures in semiconductor nanowires. We observed that the radial interfaces of GaSb-InAs heterostructure nanowires are atomically abrupt, while the axial interface in contrast consists of an interfacial region where intermixing of the two compounds occurs over an extended spatial region. The local atomic configuration affects the band alignment at the interface and, hence, the charge transport properties of devices such as GaSb-InAs nanowire TFETs. STEM-EELS thus represents a very promising technique for understanding nanowire physical properties, such as differing electrical behavior across the radial and axial heterointerfaces of GaSb-InAs nanowires for TFET applications.

Initiation of explosive conversions in energy-saturated nanoporous silicon-based compounds with fast semiconductor switches and energy-releasing elements

Science.gov (United States)

Savenkov, G. G.; Kardo-Sysoev, A. F.; Zegrya, A. G.; Os'kin, I. A.; Bragin, V. A.; Zegrya, G. G.

2017-10-01

The first findings concerning the initiation of explosive conversions in energy-saturated nanoporous silicon-based compounds via the electrical explosion of a semiconductor bridge are presented. The obtained results indicate that the energy parameters of an explosive conversion depend on the mass of a combustible agent—namely, nanoporous silicon—and the silicon-doping type.

Special Heusler compounds for spintronic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balke, B.

2007-07-01

This work emphasizes the potential of Heusler compounds in a wide range of spintronic applications. Using electronic structure calculations it is possible to design compounds for specific applications. Examples for GMR and TMR applications, for spin injection into semiconductors, and for spin torque transfer applications will be shown. After a detailed introduction about spintronics and related materials chapter 5 reports about the investigation of new half-metallic compounds where the Fermi energy is tuned in the middle of the gap to result in more stable compounds for GMR and TMR applications. The bulk properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co{sub 2}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}Si with the Fe concentration ranging from x=0 to 1 are reported and the results suggest that the best candidate for applications may be found at an iron concentration of about 50%. Due to the effect that in the Co{sub 2}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}Si series the transition metal carrying the localized moment is exchanged and this might lead to unexpected effects on the magnetic properties if the samples are not completely homogeneous chapter 6 reports about the optimization of the Heusler compounds for GMR and TMR applications. The structural and magnetic properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co{sub 2}FeAl{sub 1-x}Si{sub x} with varying Si concentration are reported. From the combination of experimental (better order for high Si content) and theoretical findings (robust gap at x=0.5) it is concluded that a compound with an intermediate Si concentration close to x=0.5-0.7 would be best suited for spintronic applications, especially for GMR and TMR applications. In chapter 7 the detailed investigation of compounds for spin injection into semiconductors is reported. It is shown that the diluted magnetic semiconductors based on CoTiSb with a very low lattice mismatch among each other are interesting materials for spintronics applications like Spin-LEDs or other spin injection devices. Chapter 8 refers

First principles electronic structure and optical properties of the Zintl compound Eu3In2P4

KAUST Repository

Singh, Nirpendra; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2011-01-01

We have performed full-potential calculations of the electronic structure and optical properties of the newly found Zintl compound Eu3In 2P4. Eu3In2P4 turns out to be a small gap semiconductor with an energy gap of 0.42 eV, which is in agreement with the experimental value of 0.452 eV. The peaks of the optical spectra originate mainly from transitions between occupied Eu 4f states in the valence band and unoccupied Eu 5d states in the conduction band. A considerable anisotropy is observed for the parallel and perpendicular components in the frequency dependent optical spectra. The spectral features are explained in terms of the band structure. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First principles electronic structure and optical properties of the Zintl compound Eu3In2P4

KAUST Repository

Singh, Nirpendra

2011-05-01

We have performed full-potential calculations of the electronic structure and optical properties of the newly found Zintl compound Eu3In 2P4. Eu3In2P4 turns out to be a small gap semiconductor with an energy gap of 0.42 eV, which is in agreement with the experimental value of 0.452 eV. The peaks of the optical spectra originate mainly from transitions between occupied Eu 4f states in the valence band and unoccupied Eu 5d states in the conduction band. A considerable anisotropy is observed for the parallel and perpendicular components in the frequency dependent optical spectra. The spectral features are explained in terms of the band structure. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic effects of substituents in o-hydroxyazo compounds and azoquinone-hydrazone tautomerism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raikhshtat, M.M.; Zhogina, V.V.; Savvin, S.B.

1987-01-01

The authors have investigated the electronic structure of p-substituted phenylazonaphthol and some o-hydroxyazo compounds of the general structure X-N=N-Y. The influence of structural changes of the X and Y radicals on the electronic structure of the o-hydroxyazo group was studied. The results are compared with experimental data, obtained by NMR 13 C, by tautomerism of these compounds in solution in CDCl 3 . The electronic structure of o-hydroxyazo compounds was calculated by the PPDP/2 method. This method satisfactorily describes the electronic structure of organic compounds and correctly reproduces electronic effects of the substituents

Highly solvatochromic emission of electron donor-acceptor compounds containing propanedioato boron electron acceptors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, A.M.; Bakker, N.A.C.; Wiering, P.G.; Verhoeven, J.W.

1991-01-01

Light-induced electron transfer occurs in bifunctional compounds consisting of 1,3-diphenylpropanedioato boron oxalate or fluoride electron acceptors and simple aromatic electron-donor groups, linked by a methylene bridge; fluorescence from the highly polar charge-transfer excited state is

Synthesis of Perylene Imide Diones as Platforms for the Development of Pyrazine Based Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

de Echegaray, Paula; Mancheño, María J; Arrechea-Marcos, Iratxe; Juárez, Rafael; López-Espejo, Guzmán; López Navarrete, J Teodomiro; Ramos, María Mar; Seoane, Carlos; Ortiz, Rocío Ponce; Segura, José L

2016-11-18

There is a great interest in peryleneimide (PI)-containing compounds given their unique combination of good electron accepting ability, high abosorption in the visible region, and outstanding chemical, thermal, and photochemical stabilities. Thus, herein we report the synthesis of perylene imide derivatives endowed with a 1,2-diketone functionality (PIDs) as efficient intermediates to easily access peryleneimide (PI)-containing organic semiconductors with enhanced absorption cross-section for the design of tunable semiconductor organic materials. Three processable organic molecular semiconductors containing thiophene and terthiophene moieties, PITa, PITb, and PITT, have been prepared from the novel PIDs. The tendency of these semiconductors for molecular aggregation have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy and supported by quantum chemical calculations. 2D NMR experiments and theoretical calculations point to an antiparallel π-stacking interaction as the most stable conformation in the aggregates. Investigation of the optical and electrochemical properties of the materials is also reported and analyzed in combination with DFT calculations. Although the derivatives presented here show modest electron mobilities of ∼10 -4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , these preliminary studies of their performance in organic field effect transistors (OFETs) indicate the potential of these new building blocks as n-type semiconductors.

Design and exploration of semiconductors from first principles: A review of recent advances

Science.gov (United States)

Oba, Fumiyasu; Kumagai, Yu

2018-06-01

Recent first-principles approaches to semiconductors are reviewed, with an emphasis on theoretical insight into emerging materials and in silico exploration of as-yet-unreported materials. As relevant theory and methodologies have developed, along with computer performance, it is now feasible to predict a variety of material properties ab initio at the practical level of accuracy required for detailed understanding and elaborate design of semiconductors; these material properties include (i) fundamental bulk properties such as band gaps, effective masses, dielectric constants, and optical absorption coefficients; (ii) the properties of point defects, including native defects, residual impurities, and dopants, such as donor, acceptor, and deep-trap levels, and formation energies, which determine the carrier type and density; and (iii) absolute and relative band positions, including ionization potentials and electron affinities at semiconductor surfaces, band offsets at heterointerfaces between dissimilar semiconductors, and Schottky barrier heights at metal–semiconductor interfaces, which are often discussed systematically using band alignment or lineup diagrams. These predictions from first principles have made it possible to elucidate the characteristics of semiconductors used in industry, including group III–V compounds such as GaN, GaP, and GaAs and their alloys with related Al and In compounds; amorphous oxides, represented by In–Ga–Zn–O transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), represented by In2O3, SnO2, and ZnO; and photovoltaic absorber and buffer layer materials such as CdTe and CdS among group II–VI compounds and chalcopyrite CuInSe2, CuGaSe2, and CuIn1‑ x Ga x Se2 (CIGS) alloys, in addition to the prototypical elemental semiconductors Si and Ge. Semiconductors attracting renewed or emerging interest have also been investigated, for instance, divalent tin compounds, including SnO and SnS; wurtzite-derived ternary compounds such as ZnSnN2 and Cu

Recent advances in Tl Br, Cd Te and CdZnTe semiconductor radiation detectors: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Icimone B.

2011-01-01

The success in the development of radiation spectrometers operating at room temperature is based on many years of effort on the part of large numbers of workers around the world. These individuals have contributed to the understanding of the fundamental materials issues associated with the growth of semiconductors for this application, the development of device fabrication and processing technology, and advances in low noise electronics and pulse processing. Progress in this field continues at an accelerated pace, as in evidenced by the improvements in detector performance and by the growing number of commercial products. Thus, the last years have been seen continued effort in the development of room temperature compound semiconductors devices. High-Z compound semiconductor detectors has been explored for high energy resolution, high detection efficiency and are of low cost. Compound semiconductors detectors are well suited for addressing needs of demanding applications such as bore hole logging where high operating temperature are encountered. In this work recent developments in semiconductors detectors were reviewed. This review concentrated on thallium bromide (TlBr), cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystals detectors. TlBr has higher stopping power compared to common semiconductor materials because it has the higher photoelectric and total attenuation coefficients over wide energy range from 100 keV to 1 MeV. CdTe and CdZnTe detectors have several attractive features for detecting X-ray and low energy gamma ray. Their relatively large band gaps lead to a relatively low leakage current and offer an excellent energy resolution at room temperature. A literature survey and bibliography was also included. (author)

Recent advances in Tl Br, Cd Te and CdZnTe semiconductor radiation detectors: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Icimone B. [Universidade Bandeirante (UNIBAN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

The success in the development of radiation spectrometers operating at room temperature is based on many years of effort on the part of large numbers of workers around the world. These individuals have contributed to the understanding of the fundamental materials issues associated with the growth of semiconductors for this application, the development of device fabrication and processing technology, and advances in low noise electronics and pulse processing. Progress in this field continues at an accelerated pace, as in evidenced by the improvements in detector performance and by the growing number of commercial products. Thus, the last years have been seen continued effort in the development of room temperature compound semiconductors devices. High-Z compound semiconductor detectors has been explored for high energy resolution, high detection efficiency and are of low cost. Compound semiconductors detectors are well suited for addressing needs of demanding applications such as bore hole logging where high operating temperature are encountered. In this work recent developments in semiconductors detectors were reviewed. This review concentrated on thallium bromide (TlBr), cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystals detectors. TlBr has higher stopping power compared to common semiconductor materials because it has the higher photoelectric and total attenuation coefficients over wide energy range from 100 keV to 1 MeV. CdTe and CdZnTe detectors have several attractive features for detecting X-ray and low energy gamma ray. Their relatively large band gaps lead to a relatively low leakage current and offer an excellent energy resolution at room temperature. A literature survey and bibliography was also included. (author)

Surface electron structure of short-period semiconductor superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartos, I.; Czech Academy Science, Prague,; Strasser, T.; Schattke, W.

2004-01-01

Full text: Semiconductor superlattices represent man-made crystals with unique physical properties. By means of the directed layer-by-layer molecular epitaxy growth their electric properties can be tailored (band structure engineering). Longer translational periodicity in the growth direction is responsible for opening of new electron energy gaps (minigaps) with surface states and resonances localized at superlattice surfaces. Similarly as for the electron structure of the bulk, a procedure enabling to modify the surface electron structure of superlattices is desirable. Short-period superlattice (GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 with unreconstructed (100) surface is investigated in detail. Theoretical description in terms of full eigenfunctions of individual components has to be used. The changes of electron surface state energies governed by the termination of a periodic crystalline potential, predicted on simple models, are confirmed for this system. Large surface state shifts are found in the lowest minigap of the superlattice when this is terminated in four different topmost layer configurations. The changes should be observable in angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy as demonstrated in calculations based on the one step model of photoemission. Surface state in the center of the two dimensional Brillouin zone moves from the bottom of the minigap (for the superlattice terminated by two bilayers of GaAs) to its top (for the superlattice terminated by two bilayers of AlAs) where it becomes a resonance. No surface state/resonance is found for a termination with one bilayer of AlAs. The surface state bands behave similarly in the corresponding gaps of the k-resolved section of the electron band structure. The molecular beam epitaxy, which enables to terminate the superlattice growth with atomic layer precision, provides a way of tuning the superlattice surface electron structure by purely geometrical means. The work was supported by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences

Basic semiconductor physics

CERN Document Server

Hamaguchi, Chihiro

2017-01-01

This book presents a detailed description of basic semiconductor physics. The text covers a wide range of important phenomena in semiconductors, from the simple to the advanced. Four different methods of energy band calculations in the full band region are explained: local empirical pseudopotential, non-local pseudopotential, KP perturbation and tight-binding methods. The effective mass approximation and electron motion in a periodic potential, Boltzmann transport equation and deformation potentials used for analysis of transport properties are discussed. Further, the book examines experiments and theoretical analyses of cyclotron resonance in detail. Optical and transport properties, magneto-transport, two-dimensional electron gas transport (HEMT and MOSFET) and quantum transport are reviewed, while optical transition, electron-phonon interaction and electron mobility are also addressed. Energy and electronic structure of a quantum dot (artificial atom) are explained with the help of Slater determinants. The...

Metal-semiconductor interface in extreme temperature conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulat, L.P.; Erofeeva, I.A.; Vorobiev, Yu.V.; Gonzalez-Hernandez, J.

2008-01-01

We present an investigation of electrons' and phonons' temperatures in the volume of a semiconductor (or metal) sample and at the interface between metal and semiconductor. Two types of mismatch between electrons' and phonons' temperatures take place: at metal-semiconductor interfaces and in the volume of the sample. The temperature mismatch leads to nonlinear terms in expressions for heat and electricity transport. The nonlinear effects should be taken into consideration in the study of electrical and heat transport in composites and in electronic chips

Structural properties of III-V zinc-blende semiconductors under pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froyen, S.; Cohen, M.L.

1983-01-01

The pseudopotential method within the local-density approximation is used to investigate the static and structural properties of some III-V compound semiconductors. Comparisons of calculated total energies as a function of volume and structure yield information about solid-solid phase transformations. At high pressures the results indicate that several metallic structures are lower in energy than the zinc-blende structure. From our results the compounds (AlP, AlAs, GaP, and GaAs) can be divided into two classes. In the Ga compounds, we find a pressure-induced phase transformation to either rocksalt, β-Sn, or NiAs, whereas in the Al compounds rocksalt and NiAs are stabilized with respect to β-Sn. All structures except zinc blende are metallic. We discuss the electronic structure of each phase and show how it relates to structural stability

The detection of electron-beam-induced current in junctionless semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Chee Chin; Ong, Vincent K. S.

2010-01-01

The scanning electron microscope is a versatile tool and its electron beam techniques have been widely used in semiconductor material and device characterizations. One of these electron beam techniques is the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) technique. One of the limitations of the conventional EBIC technique is that it requires charge collecting junctions which may not be readily available in junctionless samples such as bare substrates unless some special sample preparation procedure such as the fabrication of a diffused junction is done on the junctionless sample. In this paper, the technique of detecting EBIC current in junctionless samples with the use of a two-point probe is presented. It is found that the EBIC current is independent from its physical parameter when the sample thickness is greater than 4L; the width to the right of probe 2 and the width to the left of probe 1 are greater than 2L and 8L, respectively. The parameters affecting this technique of detecting the EBIC current such as the depth of the generation volume, probe spacing, and the applied bias are also discussed in this paper. A commercially available two-dimensional device simulator was used to verify this technique.

Dosimetry with semiconductor diodes in the application to the full-length irradiation technique of electrons; Dosimetria con diodos semiconductores en la aplicacion a la tecnica de irradiacion de cuerpo entero de electrones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madrid G, O. A.; Rivera M, T. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Calz. Legaria No. 694, Col. Irrigacion, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

2012-10-15

The use of charged particles as electrons for the tumor-like lesions treatment to total surface of skin is not very frequent, the types of fungo id mycosis and cutaneous lymphomas compared with other neoplasms they are relatively scarce, however for the existent cases a non conventional technique should be contemplated as treatment alternative that can reach an effective control. In this work the variables of more influence with ionization chamber and semiconductor diodes are studied for to determine the quality of an electrons beam. (Author)

Comparison of the Koster-Slater and the equation-of-motion method for calculation of the electronic structure of defects in compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tit, N.; Halley, J.W.

1992-01-01

Traditional methods of calculating the electronic structure of defects in semiconductors rely on matrix-diagonalization methods which use the unperturbed crystalline wave functions as a basis. Equation-of-motion (EOM) methods, on the other hand, give excellent results with strong disorder and many defects and make no use of the basis of unperturbed wave functions, but require self-averaging properties of the wave functions which appear superficially to make them unsuitable for study of local properties. We show here that EOM methods are better than traditional methods for calculating the electronic structure of essentially any finite-range impurity potential. The reason is basically that the numerical cost of the traditional Green's-function methods grows approximately as R 7 o/Iper sitet/P, where R is the range of the potential, whereas the cost of the EOM methods per site is independent of the range of the potential. Our detailed calculations on a model of an oxygen vacancy in rutile TiO 2 show that a crossover occurs very soon, so that equation-of-motion methods are better than the traditional ones in the case of potentials of realistic range

Defects in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Romano, Lucia; Jagadish, Chennupati

2015-01-01

This volume, number 91 in the Semiconductor and Semimetals series, focuses on defects in semiconductors. Defects in semiconductors help to explain several phenomena, from diffusion to getter, and to draw theories on materials' behavior in response to electrical or mechanical fields. The volume includes chapters focusing specifically on electron and proton irradiation of silicon, point defects in zinc oxide and gallium nitride, ion implantation defects and shallow junctions in silicon and germanium, and much more. It will help support students and scientists in their experimental and theoret

Atomic origin of high-temperature electron trapping in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Xiao, E-mail: xiao.shen@vanderbilt.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Dhar, Sarit [Department of Physics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (United States); Pantelides, Sokrates T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

2015-04-06

MOSFETs based on wide-band-gap semiconductors are suitable for operation at high temperature, at which additional atomic-scale processes that are benign at lower temperatures can get activated, resulting in device degradation. Recently, significant enhancement of electron trapping was observed under positive bias in SiC MOSFETs at temperatures higher than 150 °C. Here, we report first-principles calculations showing that the enhanced electron trapping is associated with thermally activated capturing of a second electron by an oxygen vacancy in SiO{sub 2} by which the vacancy transforms into a structure that comprises one Si dangling bond and a bond between a five-fold and a four-fold Si atoms. The results suggest a key role of oxygen vacancies and their structural reconfigurations in the reliability of high-temperature MOS devices.

Electronic Structure of GdCuGe Intermetallic Compound

Science.gov (United States)

Lukoyanov, A. V.; Knyazev, Yu. V.; Kuz'min, Yu. I.

2018-04-01

The electronic structure of GdCuGe intermetallic compound has been studied. Spin-polarized energy spectrum calculations have been performed by the band method with allowance for strong electron correlations in the 4 f-shell of gadolinium ions. Antiferromagnetic ordering of GdCuGe at low temperatures has been obtained in a theoretical calculation, with the value of the effective magnetic moment of gadolinium ions reproduced in fair agreement with experimental data. The electronic density of states has been analyzed. An optical conductivity spectrum has been calculated for GdCuGe; it reveals specific features that are analogous to the ones discovered previously in the GdCuSi compound with a similar hexagonal structure.

Electronic structures of interfacial states formed at polymeric semiconductor heterojunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ya-Shih; Westenhoff, Sebastian; Avilov, Igor; Sreearunothai, Paiboon; Hodgkiss, Justin M.; Deleener, Caroline; Friend, Richard H.; Beljonne, David

2008-06-01

Heterojunctions between organic semiconductors are central to the operation of light-emitting and photovoltaic diodes, providing respectively for electron-hole capture and separation. However, relatively little is known about the character of electronic excitations stable at the heterojunction. We have developed molecular models to study such interfacial excited electronic excitations that form at the heterojunction between model polymer donor and polymer acceptor systems: poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-bis-N,N-(4-butylphenyl)-bis-N,N-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine) (PFB) with poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT), and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-N-(4-butylphenyl)diphenylamine) (TFB) with F8BT. We find that for stable ground-state geometries the excited state has a strong charge-transfer character. Furthermore, when partly covalent, modelled radiative lifetimes (~10-7s) and off-chain axis polarization (30∘) match observed `exciplex' emission. Additionally for the PFB:F8BT blend, geometries with fully ionic character are also found, thus accounting for the low electroluminescence efficiency of this system.

Semiconductors put spin in spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, Dieter

2000-01-01

Electrons and holes, which carry the current in semiconductor devices, are quantum-mechanical objects characterized by a set of quantum numbers - the band index, the wave-vector (which is closely related to the electron or hole velocity) and spin. The spin, however, is one of the strangest properties of particles. In simple terms, we can think of the spin as an internal rotation of the electron, but it has no classical counterpart. The spin is connected to a quantized magnetic moment and hence acts as a microscopic magnet. Thus the electron spin can adopt one of two directions (''up'' or ''down'') in a magnetic field. The spin plays no role in conventional electronics and the current in any semiconductor device is made up of a mixture of electrons with randomly oriented spins. However, a new range of electronic devices that transport the spin of the electrons, in addition to their charge, is being developed. But the biggest obstacle to making practical ''spin electronic'' or ''spintronic'' devices so far has been finding a way of injecting spin-polarized electrons or holes into the semiconductor and then detecting them. Recently a team of physicists from the University of Wuerzburg in Germany, and also a collaboration of researchers from Tohoku University in Japan and the University of California at Santa Barbara, have found a way round these problems using either semi-magnetic or ferromagnetic semiconductors as ''spin aligners'' (R Fiederling et al. 1999 Nature 402 787; Y Ohno et al. 1999 Nature 402 790). In this article the author presents the latest breakthrough in spintronics research. (UK)

Conductivity-limiting bipolar thermal conductivity in semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shanyu; Yang, Jiong; Toll, Trevor; Yang, Jihui; Zhang, Wenqing; Tang, Xinfeng

2015-01-01

Intriguing experimental results raised the question about the fundamental mechanisms governing the electron-hole coupling induced bipolar thermal conduction in semiconductors. Our combined theoretical analysis and experimental measurements show that in semiconductors bipolar thermal transport is in general a “conductivity-limiting” phenomenon, and it is thus controlled by the carrier mobility ratio and by the minority carrier partial electrical conductivity for the intrinsic and extrinsic cases, respectively. Our numerical method quantifies the role of electronic band structure and carrier scattering mechanisms. We have successfully demonstrated bipolar thermal conductivity reduction in doped semiconductors via electronic band structure modulation and/or preferential minority carrier scatterings. We expect this study to be beneficial to the current interests in optimizing thermoelectric properties of narrow gap semiconductors. PMID:25970560

Organic Donor-Acceptor Complexes as Novel Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Xu, Wei; Sheng, Peng; Zhao, Guangyao; Zhu, Daoben

2017-07-18

systematically controlled by changing the components. Finally, theoretical calculations based on cocrystals with unique stacking could widen our understanding of structure-property relationships and in turn help us design high-performance semiconductors based on DA complexes. In this Account, we focus on discussing organic DA complexes as a new class of semiconducting materials, including their design, growth methods, packing modes, charge-transport properties, and structure-property relationships. We have also fabricated and investigated devices based on these binary crystals. This interdisciplinary work combines techniques from the fields of self-assembly, crystallography, condensed-matter physics, and theoretical chemistry. Researchers have designed new complex systems, including donor and acceptor compounds that self-assemble in feasible ways into highly ordered cocrystals. We demonstrate that using this crystallization method can easily realize ambipolar or unipolar transport. To further improve device performance, we propose several design strategies, such as using new kinds of donors and acceptors, modulating the energy alignment of the donor (ionization potential, IP) and acceptor (electron affinity, EA) components, and extending the π-conjugated backbones. In addition, we have found that when we use molecular "doping" (2:1 cocrystallization), the charge-transport nature of organic semiconductors can be switched from hole-transport-dominated to electron-transport-dominated. We expect that the formation of cocrystals through the complexation of organic donor and acceptor species will serve as a new strategy to develop semiconductors for organic electronics with superior performances over their corresponding individual components.

Colloidal crystal formation in a semiconductor quantum plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeba, I.; Uzma, Ch.; Jamil, M.; Salimullah, M.; Shukla, P. K.

2010-01-01

The static shielding and the far-field dynamical oscillatory wake potentials in an ion-implanted piezoelectric semiconductor with colloid ions as test particles have been investigated in detail. The dielectric response function of the semiconductor is contributed by the quantum effect of electrons through the Bohm potential and lattice electron-phonon coupling effects. It is found that the quantum effect causes tighter binding of the electrons reducing the quantum Debye shielding length and the effective length of the wake potential to several angstroms. Hence, a quasiquantum lattice of colloid ions can be formed in the semiconductor in the quantum scales giving rise to drastic modifications of the ion-implanted semiconductor properties.

Compact semiconductor lasers

CERN Document Server

Yu, Siyuan; Lourtioz, Jean-Michel

2014-01-01

This book brings together in a single volume a unique contribution by the top experts around the world in the field of compact semiconductor lasers to provide a comprehensive description and analysis of the current status as well as future directions in the field of micro- and nano-scale semiconductor lasers. It is organized according to the various forms of micro- or nano-laser cavity configurations with each chapter discussing key technical issues, including semiconductor carrier recombination processes and optical gain dynamics, photonic confinement behavior and output coupling mechanisms, carrier transport considerations relevant to the injection process, and emission mode control. Required reading for those working in and researching the area of semiconductors lasers and micro-electronics.

Metal semiconductor contacts and devices

CERN Document Server

Cohen, Simon S; Einspruch, Norman G

1986-01-01

VLSI Electronics Microstructure Science, Volume 13: Metal-Semiconductor Contacts and Devices presents the physics, technology, and applications of metal-semiconductor barriers in digital integrated circuits. The emphasis is placed on the interplay among the theory, processing, and characterization techniques in the development of practical metal-semiconductor contacts and devices.This volume contains chapters that are devoted to the discussion of the physics of metal-semiconductor interfaces and its basic phenomena; fabrication procedures; and interface characterization techniques, particularl

Fast Etching of Molding Compound by an Ar/O2/CF4 Plasma and Process Improvements for Semiconductor Package Decapsulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tang, J.; Gruber, D.; Schelen, J.B.J.; Funke, H.J.; Beenakker, C.I.M.

2012-01-01

Decapsulation of a SOT23 semiconductor package with 23 um copper wire bonds is conducted with an especially designed microwave induced plasma system. It is found that a 30%-60% CF4 addition in the O2/CF4 etchant gas results in high molding compound etching rate. Si3N4 overetching which is

Interaction between extended and localized electronic states in the region of the metal to insulator transition in semiconductor alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teubert, Joerg

2008-07-01

The first part of this work addresses the influence of those isovalent localized states on the electronic properties of (B,Ga,In)As. Most valuable were the measurements under hydrostatic pressure that revealed a pressure induced metal-insulator transition. One of the main ideas in this context is the trapping of carriers in localized B-related cluster states that appear in the bandgap at high pressure. The key conclusion that can be drawn from the experimental results is that boron atoms seem to have the character of isovalent electron traps, rendering boron as the first known isovalent trap induced by cationic substitution. In the second part, thermoelectric properties of (B,Ga,In)As and (Ga,In)(N,As) are studied. It was found that although the electric-field driven electronic transport in n-type (Ga,In)(N,As) and (B,Ga,In)As differs considerably from that of n-type GaAs, the temperature-gradient driven electronic transport is very similar for the three semiconductors, despite distinct differences in the conduction band structure of (Ga,In)(N,As) and (B,Ga,In)As compared to GaAs. The third part addresses the influence of magnetic interactions on the transport properties near the metal-insulator transition (MIT). Here, two scenarios are considered: Firstly the focus is set on ZnMnSe:Cl, a representative of so called dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS). In this material Mn(2+) ions provide a large magnetic moment due to their half filled inner 3d-shell. It is shown that magnetic interactions in conjunction with disorder effects are responsible for the unusual magnetotransport behavior found in this and other II-Mn-VI semiconductor alloys. In the second scenario, a different magnetic compound, namely InSb:Mn, is of interest. It is a representative of the III-Mn-V DMS, where the magnetic impurity Mn serves both as the source of a large localized magnetic moment and as the source of a loosely bound hole due to its acceptor character. Up to now, little is known about

Interaction between extended and localized electronic states in the region of the metal to insulator transition in semiconductor alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teubert, Joerg

2008-01-01

The first part of this work addresses the influence of those isovalent localized states on the electronic properties of (B,Ga,In)As. Most valuable were the measurements under hydrostatic pressure that revealed a pressure induced metal-insulator transition. One of the main ideas in this context is the trapping of carriers in localized B-related cluster states that appear in the bandgap at high pressure. The key conclusion that can be drawn from the experimental results is that boron atoms seem to have the character of isovalent electron traps, rendering boron as the first known isovalent trap induced by cationic substitution. In the second part, thermoelectric properties of (B,Ga,In)As and (Ga,In)(N,As) are studied. It was found that although the electric-field driven electronic transport in n-type (Ga,In)(N,As) and (B,Ga,In)As differs considerably from that of n-type GaAs, the temperature-gradient driven electronic transport is very similar for the three semiconductors, despite distinct differences in the conduction band structure of (Ga,In)(N,As) and (B,Ga,In)As compared to GaAs. The third part addresses the influence of magnetic interactions on the transport properties near the metal-insulator transition (MIT). Here, two scenarios are considered: Firstly the focus is set on ZnMnSe:Cl, a representative of so called dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS). In this material Mn(2+) ions provide a large magnetic moment due to their half filled inner 3d-shell. It is shown that magnetic interactions in conjunction with disorder effects are responsible for the unusual magnetotransport behavior found in this and other II-Mn-VI semiconductor alloys. In the second scenario, a different magnetic compound, namely InSb:Mn, is of interest. It is a representative of the III-Mn-V DMS, where the magnetic impurity Mn serves both as the source of a large localized magnetic moment and as the source of a loosely bound hole due to its acceptor character. Up to now, little is known about

X-ray electron investigation of technetium compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerasimov, V.N.; Kryuchkov, S.V.; Kuzina, A.F.; Kulakov, V.M.; Pirozhkov, S.V.; Spitsyn, V.I.; Gosudarstvennyj Komitet po Ispol'zovaniyu Atomnoj Ehnergii SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Atomnoj Ehnergii)

1982-01-01

Investigation results of a number of technetium compounds using the method of X-ray electron spectroscopy have been presented for the first time. Calculation of effective charge for compounds without Tc-Tc bond and cluster complexes with strong Tc-Tc bond is made. Strong interdependence of effective charge and properties of technetium clusters is shown. Binding energies for certain cluster complexes of technetium with halides are given

Structural and Electronic Investigations of Complex Intermetallic Compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Hyunjin [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2008-01-01

In solid state chemistry, numerous investigations have been attempted to address the relationships between chemical structure and physical properties. Such questions include: (1) How can we understand the driving forces of the atomic arrangements in complex solids that exhibit interesting chemical and physical properties? (2) How do different elements distribute themselves in a solid-state structure? (3) Can we develop a chemical understanding to predict the effects of valence electron concentration on the structures and magnetic ordering of systems by both experimental and theoretical means? Although these issues are relevant to various compound classes, intermetallic compounds are especially interesting and well suited for a joint experimental and theoretical effort. For intermetallic compounds, the questions listed above are difficult to answer since many of the constituent atoms simply do not crystallize in the same manner as in their separate, elemental structures. Also, theoretical studies suggest that the energy differences between various structural alternatives are small. For example, Al and Ga both belong in the same group on the Periodic Table of Elements and share many similar chemical properties. Al crystallizes in the fcc lattice with 4 atoms per unit cell and Ga crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell lattice with 8 atoms per unit cell, which are both fairly simple structures (Figure 1). However, when combined with Mn, which itself has a very complex cubic crystal structure with 58 atoms per unit cell, the resulting intermetallic compounds crystallize in a completely different fashion. At the 1:1 stoichiometry, MnAl forms a very simple tetragonal lattice with two atoms per primitive unit cell, while MnGa crystallizes in a complicated rhombohedral unit cell with 26 atoms within the primitive unit cell. The mechanisms influencing the arrangements of atoms in numerous crystal structures have been studied theoretically by calculating electronic

PREFACE: 19th International Conference on Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors, Optoelectronics and Nanostructures (EDISON'19)

Science.gov (United States)

González, T.; Martín-Martínez, M. J.; Mateos, J.

2015-10-01

The 19th International Conference on Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors, Optoelectronics and Nanostructures (EDISON'19) was held at the Hospedería Fonseca (Universidad de Salamanca, Spain), on 29 June - 2 July, 2015, and was organized by the Electronics Area from the University of Salamanca. The Conference is held biannually and covers the recent progress in the field of electron dynamics in solid-state materials and devices. This was the 19th meeting of the international conference series formerly named Hot Carriers in Semiconductors (HCIS), first held in Modena in 1973. In the edition of 1997 in Berlin the name of the conference changed to International Conference on Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors, keeping the same acronym, HCIS; and finally in the edition of Montpellier in 2009 the name was again changed to the current one, International Conference on Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors, Optoelectronics and Nanostructures (EDISON). The latest editions took place in Santa Barbara, USA, in 2011 and Matsue, Japan, in 2013. Research work on electron dynamics involves quite different disciplines, and requires both fundamental and technological scientific efforts. Attendees to the conference come mostly from academic institutions, belonging to both theoretical and experimental groups working in a variety of fields, such as solid-state physics, electronics, optics, electrical engineering, material science, laser physics, etc. In this framework, events like the EDISON conference become a basic channel for the progress in the field. Here, researchers working in different areas can meet, present their latest advances and exchange their ideas. The program of EDISON'19 included 13 invited papers, 61 oral contributions and 73 posters. These contributions originated from scientists in more than 30 different countries. The Conference gathered 140 participants, coming from 24 different countries, most from Europe, but also with a significant participation

Molecular Engineering of Non-Halogenated Solution-Processable Bithiazole based Electron Transport Polymeric Semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Fu, Boyi

2015-04-01

The electron deficiency and trans planar conformation of bithiazole is potentially beneficial for the electron transport performance of organic semiconductors. However, the incorporation of bithiazole into polymers through a facile synthetic strategy remains a challenge. Herein, 2,2’-bithiazole was synthesized in one step and copolymerized with dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole to afford poly(dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole-bithiazole), PDBTz. PDBTz exhibited electron mobility reaching 0.3 cm2V-1s-1 in organic field-effect transistor (OFET) configuration; this contrasts with a recently discussed isoelectronic conjugated polymer comprising an electron rich bithiophene and dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole, which displays merely hole transport characteristics. This inversion of charge carrier transport characteristics confirms the significant potential for bithiazole in the development of electron transport semiconducting materials. Branched 5-decylheptacyl side chains were incorporated into PDBTz to enhance polymer solubility, particularly in non-halogenated, more environmentally compatible solvents. PDBTz cast from a range of non-halogenated solvents exhibited film morphologies and field-effect electron mobility similar to those cast from halogenated solvents.

Molecular Engineering of Non-Halogenated Solution-Processable Bithiazole based Electron Transport Polymeric Semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Fu, Boyi; Wang, Cheng-Yin; Rose, Bradley Daniel; Jiang, Yundi; Chang, Mincheol; Chu, Ping-Hsun; Yuan, Zhibo; Fuentes-Hernandez, Canek; Bernard, Kippelen; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Collard, David M.; Reichmanis, Elsa

2015-01-01

The electron deficiency and trans planar conformation of bithiazole is potentially beneficial for the electron transport performance of organic semiconductors. However, the incorporation of bithiazole into polymers through a facile synthetic strategy remains a challenge. Herein, 2,2’-bithiazole was synthesized in one step and copolymerized with dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole to afford poly(dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole-bithiazole), PDBTz. PDBTz exhibited electron mobility reaching 0.3 cm2V-1s-1 in organic field-effect transistor (OFET) configuration; this contrasts with a recently discussed isoelectronic conjugated polymer comprising an electron rich bithiophene and dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole, which displays merely hole transport characteristics. This inversion of charge carrier transport characteristics confirms the significant potential for bithiazole in the development of electron transport semiconducting materials. Branched 5-decylheptacyl side chains were incorporated into PDBTz to enhance polymer solubility, particularly in non-halogenated, more environmentally compatible solvents. PDBTz cast from a range of non-halogenated solvents exhibited film morphologies and field-effect electron mobility similar to those cast from halogenated solvents.

Geometrical effects on the electron residence time in semiconductor nano-particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Koochi, Hakimeh; Ebrahimi, Fatemeh

2014-09-07

We have used random walk (RW) numerical simulations to investigate the influence of the geometry on the statistics of the electron residence time τ(r) in a trap-limited diffusion process through semiconductor nano-particles. This is an important parameter in coarse-grained modeling of charge carrier transport in nano-structured semiconductor films. The traps have been distributed randomly on the surface (r(2) model) or through the whole particle (r(3) model) with a specified density. The trap energies have been taken from an exponential distribution and the traps release time is assumed to be a stochastic variable. We have carried out (RW) simulations to study the effect of coordination number, the spatial arrangement of the neighbors and the size of nano-particles on the statistics of τ(r). It has been observed that by increasing the coordination number n, the average value of electron residence time, τ̅(r) rapidly decreases to an asymptotic value. For a fixed coordination number n, the electron's mean residence time does not depend on the neighbors' spatial arrangement. In other words, τ̅(r) is a porosity-dependence, local parameter which generally varies remarkably from site to site, unless we are dealing with highly ordered structures. We have also examined the effect of nano-particle size d on the statistical behavior of τ̅(r). Our simulations indicate that for volume distribution of traps, τ̅(r) scales as d(2). For a surface distribution of traps τ(r) increases almost linearly with d. This leads to the prediction of a linear dependence of the diffusion coefficient D on the particle size d in ordered structures or random structures above the critical concentration which is in accordance with experimental observations.

Theoretical modelling of semiconductor surfaces microscopic studies of electrons and photons

CERN Document Server

Srivastava, G P

1999-01-01

The state-of-the-art theoretical studies of ground state properties, electronic states and atomic vibrations for bulk semiconductors and their surfaces by the application of the pseudopotential method are discussed. Studies of bulk and surface phonon modes have been extended by the application of the phenomenological bond charge model. The coverage of the material, especially of the rapidly growing and technologically important topics of surface reconstruction and chemisorption, is up-to-date and beyond what is currently available in book form. Although theoretical in nature, the book provides

Tl4CdI6 – Wide band gap semiconductor: First principles modelling of the structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piasecki, M.; Brik, M.G.; Kityk, I.V.

2015-01-01

A novel infrared optoelectronic material Tl 4 CdI 6 was studied using the density functional theory (DFT)-based techniques. Its structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties were all calculated in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) and the local density approximation (LDA) with the Ceperley-Alder–Perdew-Zunger (CA–PZ) functionals. The studied material is a direct band gap semiconductor with the calculated band gaps of 2.043 eV (GGA) and 1.627 eV (LDA). The wavelength dependence of the refractive index was fitted to the Sellmeier equation in the spectral range from 400 to 2000 nm. Good agreement between the GGA-calculated values of refractive index and experimental data was achieved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first consistent theoretical description of the title compound, which includes calculations and analysis of the structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Infrared optoelectronic material Tl 4 CdI 6 was studied using ab initio methods. • Structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties were calculated. • Independent components of the elastic constants tensor were calculated. • Good agreement with available experimental results was achieved

Curvature effects on the electronic and transport properties of semiconductor films

Science.gov (United States)

Batista, F. F.; Chaves, Andrey; da Costa, D. R.; Farias, G. A.

2018-05-01

Within the effective mass approximation, we study the curvature effects on the electronic and transport properties of semiconductor films. We investigate how the geometry-induced potential resulting exclusively from periodic ripples in the film induces electronic confinement and a superlattice band structure. For fixed curvature parameters, such a confinement can be easily tuned by an external electric field, hence features of the superlattice band structure such as its energy gaps and band curvature can be controlled by an external parameter. We also show that, for some values of curvature and electric field, it is possible to obtain massless Dirac bands for a smooth curved structure. Moreover, we use a wave packet propagation method to demonstrate that the ripples are responsible for a significant inter-sub-band transition, specially for moderate values of the ripple height.

Quantum theory of the optical and electronic properties of semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Haug, Hartmut

2009-01-01

This invaluable textbook presents the basic elements needed to understand and research into semiconductor physics. It deals with elementary excitations in bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors, including quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots. The basic principles underlying optical nonlinearities are developed, including excitonic and many-body plasma effects. Fundamentals of optical bistability, semiconductor lasers, femtosecond excitation, the optical Stark effect, the semiconductor photon echo, magneto-optic effects, as well as bulk and quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh effects, are covered. The material is presented in sufficient detail for graduate students and researchers with a general background in quantum mechanics.This fifth edition includes an additional chapter on 'Quantum Optical Effects' where the theory of quantum optical effects in semiconductors is detailed. Besides deriving the 'semiconductor luminescence equations' and the expression for the stationary luminescence spectrum, the resu...

Dynamics of photoexcited quasiparticles in heavy electron compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demsar, Jure; Sarrao, John L; Taylor, Antoinette J

2006-01-01

Femtosecond real-time spectroscopy is an emerging new tool for studying low energy electronic structure in correlated electron systems. Motivated by recent advances in understanding the nature of relaxation phenomena in various correlated electron systems (superconductors, density wave systems) the technique has been applied to heavy electron compounds in comparison with their non-magnetic counterparts. While the dynamics in their non-magnetic analogues are similar to the dynamics observed in noble metals (only weak temperature dependences are observed) and can be treated with a simple two-temperature model, the photoexcited carrier dynamics in heavy electron systems show dramatic changes as a function of temperature and excitation level. In particular, below some characteristic temperature the relaxation rate starts to decrease, dropping by more than two orders of magnitude upon cooling down to liquid He temperatures. This behaviour has been consistently observed in various heavy fermion metals as well as Kondo insulators, and is believed to be quite general. In order to account for the experimental observations, two theoretical models have been proposed. The first treats the heavy electron systems as simple metals with very flat electron dispersion near the Fermi level. An electron-phonon thermalization scenario can account for the observed slowing down of the relaxation provided that there exists a mechanism for suppression of electron-phonon scattering when both the initial and final electronic states lie in the region of flat dispersion. An alternative scenario argues that the relaxation dynamics in heavy electron systems are governed by the Rothwarf-Taylor bottleneck, where the dynamics are governed by the presence of a narrow gap in the density of states near the Fermi level. The so-called hybridization gap results from hybridization between localized moments and the conduction electron background. Remarkable agreement with the model suggests that carrier

Carbonyl Compounds Generated from Electronic Cigarettes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanae Bekki

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes are advertised as being safer than tobacco cigarettes products as the chemical compounds inhaled from e-cigarettes are believed to be fewer and less toxic than those from tobacco cigarettes. Therefore, continuous careful monitoring and risk management of e-cigarettes should be implemented, with the aim of protecting and promoting public health worldwide. Moreover, basic scientific data are required for the regulation of e-cigarette. To date, there have been reports of many hazardous chemical compounds generated from e-cigarettes, particularly carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and glyoxal, which are often found in e-cigarette aerosols. These carbonyl compounds are incidentally generated by the oxidation of e-liquid (liquid in e-cigarette; glycerol and glycols when the liquid comes in contact with the heated nichrome wire. The compositions and concentrations of these compounds vary depending on the type of e-liquid and the battery voltage. In some cases, extremely high concentrations of these carbonyl compounds are generated, and may contribute to various health effects. Suppliers, risk management organizations, and users of e-cigarettes should be aware of this phenomenon.

Organic-inorganic semiconductor devices and 3, 4, 9, 10 perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride: an early history of organic electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forrest, S R

2003-01-01

The demonstration, over 20 years ago, of an organic-inorganic heterojunction (OI HJ) device along with investigations of the growth and physical properties of the archetypal crystalline molecular organic semiconductor 3, 4, 9, 10 perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride are discussed. Possible applications of OI HJ devices are introduced and the dramatic change in conductive properties of these materials when exposed to high-energy ion beams is described. The past and future prospects for hybrid organic-on-inorganic semiconductor structures for use in electronic and photonic applications are also presented

X-ray and photoelectron spectroscopy of the structure, reactivity, and electronic structure of semiconductor nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamad, Kimberly Sue [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2000-01-01

Semiconductor nanocrystals are a system which has been the focus of interest due to their size dependent properties and their possible use in technological applications. Many chemical and physical properties vary systematically with the size of the nanocrystal and thus their study enables the investigation of scaling laws. Due to the increasing surface to volume ratio as size is decreased, the surfaces of nanocrystals are expected to have a large influence on their electronic, thermodynamic, and chemical behavior. In spite of their importance, nanocrystal surfaces are still relatively uncharacterized in terms of their structure, electronic properties, bonding, and reactivity. Investigation of nanocrystal surfaces is currently limited by what techniques to use, and which methods are suitable for nanocrystals is still being determined. This work presents experiments using x-ray and electronic spectroscopies to explore the structure, reactivity, and electronic properties of semiconductor (CdSe, InAs) nanocrystals and how they vary with size. Specifically, x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) in conjunction with multiple scattering simulations affords information about the structural disorder present at the surface of the nanocrystal. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) probe the electronic structure in terms of hole screening, and also give information about band lineups when the nanocrystal is placed in electric contact with a substrate. XPS of the core levels of the nanocrystal as a function of photo-oxidation time yields kinetic data on the oxidation reaction occurring at the surface of the nanocrystal.

Fabrication and application of amorphous semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumurdjian, Pierre.

1976-01-01

This invention concerns the design and manufacture of elecric switching or memorisation components with amorphous semiconductors. As is known some compounds, particularly the chalcogenides, have a resistivity of the semiconductor type in the amorphous solid state. These materials are obtained by the high temperature homogeneisation of several single elements such as tellurium, arsenic, germanium and sulphur, followed by water or air quenching. In particular these compounds have useful switching and memorisation properties. In particular they have the characteristic of not suffering deterioration when placed in an environment subjected to nuclear radiations. In order to know more about the nature and properties of these amorphous semiconductors the French patent No. 71 28048 of 30 June 1971 may be consulted with advantage [fr

{100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100}, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

2012-05-15

Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, {100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100} oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

Gas-Solid Reaction Properties of Fluorine Compounds and Solid Adsorbents for Off-Gas Treatment from Semiconductor Facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinji Yasui

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We have been developing a new dry-type off-gas treatment system for recycling fluorine from perfluoro compounds present in off-gases from the semiconductor industry. The feature of this system is to adsorb the fluorine compounds in the exhaust gases from the decomposition furnace by using two types of solid adsorbents: the calcium carbonate in the upper layer adsorbs HF and converts it to CaF2, and the sodium bicarbonate in the lower layer adsorbs HF and SiF4 and converts them to Na2SiF6. This paper describes the fluorine compound adsorption properties of both the solid adsorbents—calcium carbonate and the sodium compound—for the optimal design of the fixation furnace. An analysis of the gas-solid reaction rate was performed from the experimental results of the breakthrough curve by using a fixed-bed reaction model, and the reaction rate constants and adsorption capacity were obtained for achieving an optimal process design.

A Furan-Thiophene-Based Quinoidal Compound: A New Class of Solution-Processable High-Performance n-Type Organic Semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yu; Tao, Jingwei; Wang, Ruihao; Qiao, Xiaolan; Yang, Xiaodi; Wang, Deliang; Wu, Hongzhuo; Li, Hongxiang

2016-07-01

The furan-thiophene-based quinoidal organic semiconductor, TFT-CN, is designed and synthesized. TFT-CN displays a high electron mobility of 7.7 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) , two orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding thiophene-based derivative. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrogen-related effects in crystalline semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haller, E.E.

1988-08-01

Recent experimental and theoretical information regarding the states of hydrogen in crystalline semiconductors is reviewed. The abundance of results illustrates that hydrogen does not preferentially occupy a few specific lattice sites but that it binds to native defects and impurities, forming a large variety of neutral and electrically active complexes. The study of hydrogen passivated shallow acceptors and donors and of partially passivated multivalent acceptors has yielded information on the electronic and real space structure and on the chemical composition of these complexes. Infrared spectroscopy, ion channeling, hydrogen isotope substitution and electric field drift experiments have shown that both static trigonal complexes as well as centers with tunneling hydrogen exist. Total energy calculations indicate that the charge state of the hydrogen ion which leads to passivation dominates, i.e., H + in p-type and H/sup /minus// in n-type crystals. Recent theoretical calculations indicate that is unlikely for a large fraction of the atomic hydrogen to exist in its neutral state, a result which is consistent with the total absence of any Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) signal. An alternative explanation for this result is the formation of H 2 . Despite the numerous experimental and theoretical results on hydrogen-related effects in Ge and Si there remains a wealth of interesting physics to be explored, especially in compound and alloy semiconductors. 6 refs., 6 figs

Defects in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pimentel, C.A.F.

1983-01-01

Some problems openned in the study of defects in semiconductors are presented. In particular, a review is made of the more important problems in Si monocrystals of basic and technological interest: microdefects and the presence of oxigen and carbon. The techniques usually utilized in the semiconductor material characterization are emphatized according its potentialities. Some applications of x-ray techniques in the epitaxial shell characterization in heterostructures, importants in electronic optics, are shown. The increase in the efficiency of these defect analysis methods in semiconductor materials with the use of synchrotron x-ray sources is shown. (L.C.) [pt

Hybrid anode for semiconductor radiation detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ge; Bolotnikov, Aleksey E; Camarda, Guiseppe; Cui, Yonggang; Hossain, Anwar; Kim, Ki Hyun; James, Ralph B

2013-11-19

The present invention relates to a novel hybrid anode configuration for a radiation detector that effectively reduces the edge effect of surface defects on the internal electric field in compound semiconductor detectors by focusing the internal electric field of the detector and redirecting drifting carriers away from the side surfaces of the semiconductor toward the collection electrode(s).

Electronic technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jin Su

2010-07-01

This book is composed of five chapters, which introduces electronic technology about understanding of electronic, electronic component, radio, electronic application, communication technology, semiconductor on its basic, free electron and hole, intrinsic semiconductor and semiconductor element, Diode such as PN junction diode, characteristic of junction diode, rectifier circuit and smoothing circuit, transistor on structure of transistor, characteristic of transistor and common emitter circuit, electronic application about electronic equipment, communication technology and education, robot technology and high electronic technology.

Architectures for Improved Organic Semiconductor Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Jonathan H.

Advancements in the microelectronics industry have brought increasing performance and decreasing prices to a wide range of users. Conventional silicon-based electronics have followed Moore's law to provide an ever-increasing integrated circuit transistor density, which drives processing power, solid-state memory density, and sensor technologies. As shrinking conventional integrated circuits became more challenging, researchers began exploring electronics with the potential to penetrate new applications with a low price of entry: "Electronics everywhere." The new generation of electronics is thin, light, flexible, and inexpensive. Organic electronics are part of the new generation of thin-film electronics, relying on the synthetic flexibility of carbon molecules to create organic semiconductors, absorbers, and emitters which perform useful tasks. Organic electronics can be fabricated with low energy input on a variety of novel substrates, including inexpensive plastic sheets. The potential ease of synthesis and fabrication of organic-based devices means that organic electronics can be made at very low cost. Successfully demonstrated organic semiconductor devices include photovoltaics, photodetectors, transistors, and light emitting diodes. Several challenges that face organic semiconductor devices are low performance relative to conventional devices, long-term device stability, and development of new organic-compatible processes and materials. While the absorption and emission performance of organic materials in photovoltaics and light emitting diodes is extraordinarily high for thin films, the charge conduction mobilities are generally low. Building highly efficient devices with low-mobility materials is one challenge. Many organic semiconductor films are unstable during fabrication, storage, and operation due to reactions with water, oxygen and hydroxide. A final challenge facing organic electronics is the need for new processes and materials for electrodes

Spin physics in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Dyakonov, Mikhail I

2008-01-01

This book describes beautiful optical and transport phenomena related to the electron and nuclear spins in semiconductors with emphasis on a clear presentation of the physics involved. Recent results on quantum wells and quantum dots are reviewed. The book is intended for students and researchers in the fields of semiconductor physics and nanoelectronics.

The electronic properties of semiconductor quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barker, J.A.

2000-10-01

This work is an investigation into the electronic behaviour of semiconductor quantum dots, particularly self-assembled quantum dot arrays. Processor-efficient models are developed to describe the electronic structure of dots, deriving analytic formulae for the strain tensor, piezoelectric distribution and diffusion- induced evolution of the confinement potential, for dots of arbitrary initial shape and composition profile. These models are then applied to experimental data. Transitions due to individual quantum dots have a narrow linewidth as a result of their discrete density of states. By contrast, quantum dot arrays exhibit inhomogeneous broadening which is generally attributed to size variations between the individual dots in the ensemble. Interpreting the results of double resonance spectroscopy, it is seen that variation in the indium composition of the nominally InAs dots is also present. This result also explains the otherwise confusing relationship between the spread in the ground-state and excited-state transition energies. Careful analysis shows that, in addition to the variations in size and composition, some other as yet unidentified broadening mechanism must also be present. The influence of rapid thermal annealing on dot electronic structure is also considered, finding that the experimentally observed blue-shift and narrowing of the photoluminescence linewidth may both be explained in terms of normal In/Ga interdiffusion. InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots are commonly assumed to have a pyramidal geometry, so that we would expect the energy separation of the ground-state electron and hole levels in the dot to be largest at a positive applied field. This should also be the case for any dot of uniform composition whose shape tapers inwards from base to top, counter to the results of experimental Stark-shift spectroscopy which show a peak transition energy at a negative applied field. It is demonstrated that this inversion of the ground state

Mn-doped Ga(As,P) and (Al,Ga)As ferromagnetic semiconductors: electronic structure calculations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mašek, Jan; Kudrnovský, Josef; Máca, František; Sinova, J.; MacDonald, A. H.; Champion, R.P.; Gallagher, B. L.; Jungwirth, Tomáš

2007-01-01

Roč. 75, č. 4 (2007), 045202/1-045202/6 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/05/0575; GA ČR GA202/04/0583 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521; CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : ferromagnetic semiconductors * electronic structure calculations Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.172, year: 2007

Dissolution chemistry and biocompatibility of silicon- and germanium-based semiconductors for transient electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Seung-Kyun; Park, Gayoung; Kim, Kyungmin; Hwang, Suk-Won; Cheng, Huanyu; Shin, Jiho; Chung, Sangjin; Kim, Minjin; Yin, Lan; Lee, Jeong Chul; Lee, Kyung-Mi; Rogers, John A

2015-05-06

Semiconducting materials are central to the development of high-performance electronics that are capable of dissolving completely when immersed in aqueous solutions, groundwater, or biofluids, for applications in temporary biomedical implants, environmentally degradable sensors, and other systems. The results reported here include comprehensive studies of the dissolution by hydrolysis of polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon-germanium, and germanium in aqueous solutions of various pH values and temperatures. In vitro cellular toxicity evaluations demonstrate the biocompatibility of the materials and end products of dissolution, thereby supporting their potential for use in biodegradable electronics. A fully dissolvable thin-film solar cell illustrates the ability to integrate these semiconductors into functional systems.

A microprocessor based on a two-dimensional semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Wachter, Stefan; Polyushkin, Dmitry K.; Bethge, Ole; Mueller, Thomas

2017-04-01

The advent of microcomputers in the 1970s has dramatically changed our society. Since then, microprocessors have been made almost exclusively from silicon, but the ever-increasing demand for higher integration density and speed, lower power consumption and better integrability with everyday goods has prompted the search for alternatives. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors are being considered promising candidates for future high-performance processor generations and chips based on thin-film plastic technology or carbon nanotubes could allow for embedding electronic intelligence into arbitrary objects for the Internet-of-Things. Here, we present a 1-bit implementation of a microprocessor using a two-dimensional semiconductor--molybdenum disulfide. The device can execute user-defined programs stored in an external memory, perform logical operations and communicate with its periphery. Our 1-bit design is readily scalable to multi-bit data. The device consists of 115 transistors and constitutes the most complex circuitry so far made from a two-dimensional material.

Electronic and optical properties of the LiCdX (X = N, P, As and Sb) filled-tetrahedral compounds with the Tran–Blaha modified Becke–Johnson density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouhemadou, A.; Bin-Omran, S.; Allali, D.; Al-Otaibi, S.M.; Khenata, R.; Al-Douri, Y.; Chegaar, M.; Reshak, A.H.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electronic and optical properties of the LiCdX compounds have been predicted. • Tran–Blaha-modified Becke–Johnson functional significantly improves the band gap. • We predict a direct band gap in all of the considered LiCdX compounds. • Origin of the peaks in the optical spectra is determined. - Abstract: The structural, electronic and optical properties of the LiCdN, LiCdP, LiCdAs and LiCdSb filled-tetrahedral compounds have been explored from first-principles. The calculated structural parameters are consistent with the available experimental results. Since DFT with the common LDA and GGA underestimates the band gap, we use a new developed functional able to accurately describe the electronic structure of semiconductors, namely the Tran–Blaha-modified Becke–Johnson potential. The four investigated compounds demonstrate semiconducting behavior with direct band gap ranging from about 0.32 to 1.65 eV. The charge-carrier effective masses are evaluated at the topmost valence band and at the bottommost conduction band. The evolution of the value and nature of the energy band gap under pressure effect is also investigated. The frequency-dependent complex dielectric function and some macroscopic optical constants are estimated. The microscopic origins of the structures in the optical spectra are determined in terms of the calculated energy band structures

Electronic and optical properties of the LiCdX (X = N, P, As and Sb) filled-tetrahedral compounds with the Tran–Blaha modified Becke–Johnson density functional

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouhemadou, A., E-mail: a_bouhemadou@yahoo.fr [Laboratory for Developing New Materials and their Characterization, University of Setif 1, Setif 19000 (Algeria); Bin-Omran, S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science & Humanitarian Studies, Salman Bin Abdalaziz University, Alkharj 11942 (Saudi Arabia); Allali, D. [Laboratory for Developing New Materials and their Characterization, University of Setif 1, Setif 19000 (Algeria); Al-Otaibi, S.M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Khenata, R. [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique et de Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), Département de Technologie, Université de Mascara, Mascara 29000 (Algeria); Al-Douri, Y. [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kangar, Perlis 01000 (Malaysia); Chegaar, M. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Setif 1, Setif 19000 (Algeria); Reshak, A.H. [New Technologies-Research Center, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, Pilson 306 14 (Czech Republic); Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology, School of Material Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, Kangar, Perlis 01007 (Malaysia)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Electronic and optical properties of the LiCdX compounds have been predicted. • Tran–Blaha-modified Becke–Johnson functional significantly improves the band gap. • We predict a direct band gap in all of the considered LiCdX compounds. • Origin of the peaks in the optical spectra is determined. - Abstract: The structural, electronic and optical properties of the LiCdN, LiCdP, LiCdAs and LiCdSb filled-tetrahedral compounds have been explored from first-principles. The calculated structural parameters are consistent with the available experimental results. Since DFT with the common LDA and GGA underestimates the band gap, we use a new developed functional able to accurately describe the electronic structure of semiconductors, namely the Tran–Blaha-modified Becke–Johnson potential. The four investigated compounds demonstrate semiconducting behavior with direct band gap ranging from about 0.32 to 1.65 eV. The charge-carrier effective masses are evaluated at the topmost valence band and at the bottommost conduction band. The evolution of the value and nature of the energy band gap under pressure effect is also investigated. The frequency-dependent complex dielectric function and some macroscopic optical constants are estimated. The microscopic origins of the structures in the optical spectra are determined in terms of the calculated energy band structures.

Electron-electron scattering-induced channel hot electron injection in nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors with high-k/metal gate stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Jyun-Yu; Liu, Kuan-Ju; Lu, Ying-Hsin; Liu, Xi-Wen; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chen, Ching-En; Ho, Szu-Han; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen; Cheng, Osbert; Huang, Cheng-Tung; Lu, Ching-Sen

2014-01-01

This work investigates electron-electron scattering (EES)-induced channel hot electron (CHE) injection in nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (n-MOSFETs) with high-k/metal gate stacks. Many groups have proposed new models (i.e., single-particle and multiple-particle process) to well explain the hot carrier degradation in nanoscale devices and all mechanisms focused on Si-H bond dissociation at the Si/SiO 2 interface. However, for high-k dielectric devices, experiment results show that the channel hot carrier trapping in the pre-existing high-k bulk defects is the main degradation mechanism. Therefore, we propose a model of EES-induced CHE injection to illustrate the trapping-dominant mechanism in nanoscale n-MOSFETs with high-k/metal gate stacks.

Electronic structure and properties of uranyl compounds. Problems of electron-donor conception

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glebov, V.A.

1982-01-01

Comparison of the series of the ligand mutual substitution in the uranyl compounds with the ligand series of d-elements and with the uranyl ''covalent model'', is made. The data on ionization potentials of the ligand higher valent levels and on the structure of some uranyl nitrate compounds are considered. It is concluded that the mechanism of the ligand effect on the properties of uranyl grouping is more complex, than it is supposed in the traditional representations on the nature of electron-donor interactions in the uranyl compounds

Using Polymer Semiconductors and a 3-in-1 Plastic Electronics STEM Education Kit to Engage Students in Hands-On Polymer Inquiry Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Enlow, Jessica L.; Marin, Dawn M.; Walter, Michael G.

2017-01-01

To improve polymer education for 9-12 and undergraduate students, a plastic electronics laboratory kit using polymer semiconductors has been developed. The three-module kit and curriculum use polymer semiconductors to provide hands-on inquiry activities with overlapping themes of electrical conductivity, light emission, and light-harvesting solar…

Electron-phonon coupling effect on wakefields in piezoelectric semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M; Shukla, P K; Ghosh, S K; Nitta, H; Hayashi, Y

2003-01-01

Using an appropriate dielectric constant for an n-type piezoelectric semiconductor plasma and a moving test particle approach, it is shown that, besides the usual screened potential, there exists a non-Coulombian oscillatory potential or a wakefield behind a moving charged particle due to a strong resonant interaction between the charged particle and the electro-acoustic mode of the host semiconductor. With the concept of the wakefield, a possible lattice formation of colloids resulting from ion implantation in a current-carrying piezoelectric semiconductor has been examined

Properties of electronic emissions of semiconductors III-IV in a status of negative electron affinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piaget, Claude

1977-01-01

This research thesis reports the use of various properties (electron emission, photo emission, secondary electron emission) to highlight the relationships between various solid properties (optical, electronic, structural properties), surfaces (clean or covered with adsorbates such as caesium and oxygen) and emission properties (quantum efficiency, energy distribution, and so on). The first part addresses applications, performance, physical properties and technological processes, and also problems related to the physics and chemistry of surfaces and adsorption layers. The second part reports a study of the main electron transport properties in emitters displaying a negative electron affinity, for example GaP. Some aspects of electron excitation by ultra-violet radiations and high energy electrons are studied from UV photo-emission properties and secondary electron emission. Then GaAs and similar pseudo-binary compounds are studied

Atomic Emission Spectra Diagnosis and Electron Density Measurement of Semiconductor Bridge (SCB) Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Hongyan; Zhu Shunguan; Zhang Lin; Wan Xiaoxia; Li Yan; Shen Ruiqi

2010-01-01

Emission spectra of a semiconductor bridge (SCB) plasma in a visible range was studied in air. The electron density was measured in a conventional way from the broadening of the A1 I 394.4 nm Stark width. Based on the Saha equation, a system for recording the intensity of Si I 390.5 nm and Si II 413.1 nm was designed. With this technique, the SCB plasma electron density was measured well and accurately. Moreover, the electron density distribution Vs time was acquired from one SCB discharge. The individual result from the broadening of the Al I 394.4 nm Stark width and Saha equation was all in the range of 10 15 cm -3 to 10 16 cm -3 . Finally the presumption of the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) condition was validated.

Design strategy for air-stable organic semiconductors applicable to high-performance field-effect transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuo Takimiya et al

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Electronic structure of air-stable, high-performance organic field-effect transistor (OFET material, 2,7-dipheneyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (DPh-BTBT, was discussed based on the molecular orbital calculations. It was suggested that the stability is originated from relatively low-lying HOMO level, despite the fact that the molecule contains highly π-extended aromatic core ([1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene, BTBT with four fused aromatic rings like naphthacene. This is rationalized by the consideration that the BTBT core is not isoelectronic with naphthacene but with chrysene, a cata-condensed phene with four benzene rings. It is well known that the acene-type compound is unstable among its structural isomers with the same number of benzene rings. Therefore, polycyclic aromatic compounds possessing the phene-substructure will be good candidates for stable organic semiconductors. Considering synthetic easiness, we suggest that the BTBT-substructure is the molecular structure of choice for developing air-stable organic semiconductors.

Spin physics in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book offers an extensive introduction to the extremely rich and intriguing field of spin-related phenomena in semiconductors. In this second edition, all chapters have been updated to include the latest experimental and theoretical research. Furthermore, it covers the entire field: bulk semiconductors, two-dimensional semiconductor structures, quantum dots, optical and electric effects, spin-related effects, electron-nuclei spin interactions, Spin Hall effect, spin torques, etc. Thanks to its self-contained style, the book is ideally suited for graduate students and researchers new to the field.

Semiconductor statistics

CERN Document Server

Blakemore, J S

1962-01-01

Semiconductor Statistics presents statistics aimed at complementing existing books on the relationships between carrier densities and transport effects. The book is divided into two parts. Part I provides introductory material on the electron theory of solids, and then discusses carrier statistics for semiconductors in thermal equilibrium. Of course a solid cannot be in true thermodynamic equilibrium if any electrical current is passed; but when currents are reasonably small the distribution function is but little perturbed, and the carrier distribution for such a """"quasi-equilibrium"""" co

Electronic structure of A15 compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickett, W.E.

1980-01-01

For the past twenty-five years compounds with the A15 crystal structure have dominated the class of high temperature superconductors. The crystal structure of an A15 compound A 3 B is cubic (space group O/sub h/ 3 ). However, the site symmetry (D/sub 2d/) of the A atoms is much lower than cubic, an unusual occurrence in cubic binary compounds. Variations on this theme have supplied the basis of many theoretical models of the anomalous temperature (T) dependence of normal state properties and the low temperature cubic reversible tetragonal structural transformations which accompany high values of T/sub c/ in A15 compounds. In this paper results of self-consistent pseudopotential band structure calculations are used to assess some important aspects of the unique and unusual behavior in A15 compounds: (1) the role of the B atom in determining the overall electronic structure will be shown to be important; (2) the effect of the low site symmetry of the A atom on the charge density and potential will be assessed; and (3) the bonding will be shown to be metallic-covalent with no significant A-B charge transfer

Dosimetry with semiconductor diodes in the application to the full-length irradiation technique of electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madrid G, O. A.; Rivera M, T.

2012-10-01

The use of charged particles as electrons for the tumor-like lesions treatment to total surface of skin is not very frequent, the types of fungo id mycosis and cutaneous lymphomas compared with other neoplasms they are relatively scarce, however for the existent cases a non conventional technique should be contemplated as treatment alternative that can reach an effective control. In this work the variables of more influence with ionization chamber and semiconductor diodes are studied for to determine the quality of an electrons beam. (Author)

Method to induce a conductivity type in a semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboaf, J.A.; Sedgwick, T.O.

1977-01-01

The invention deals with a method in which one can produce a region of a desired type of conductivity in a semiconductor as is required for, e.g., field effect transistors. A metal oxide layer combination consisting of several metal oxides is thus deposited on the semiconductor. This is carried out according to the invention in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at temperatures at which the metal oxides do not diffuse into the semiconductor. The sign and degree of the induced conductivity type is adjusted by dosed depositing of the individual metal oxides related to one another. The gaseous metal oxides due to heating, mixed with a non-oxidizing gas are added in compounds to the semiconductor heated to depositing temperature. These compounds decompose at the depositing temperature into the metal oxide and a gaseous residual component. The semiconductor consists of silicon, and nitrogen is used as carrier gas; when depositing aluminium oxide, gaseous aluminium isopropoxide is added; when depositing silicon dioxide, gaseous tetra-ethyl orthosilicate. (ORU) [de

Tuning and synthesis of semiconductor nanostructures by mechanical compression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Hongyou; Li, Binsong

2015-11-17

A mechanical compression method can be used to tune semiconductor nanoparticle lattice structure and synthesize new semiconductor nanostructures including nanorods, nanowires, nanosheets, and other three-dimensional interconnected structures. II-VI or IV-VI compound semiconductor nanoparticle assemblies can be used as starting materials, including CdSe, CdTe, ZnSe, ZnS, PbSe, and PbS.

Effect of disorder on the magnetic and electronic structure of a prospective spin-gapless semiconductor MnCrVAl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Kharel

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Recent discovery of a new class of materials, spin-gapless semiconductors (SGS, has attracted considerable attention in the last few years, primarily due to potential applications in the emerging field of spin-based electronics (spintronics. Here, we investigate structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of one potential SGS compound, MnCrVAl, using various experimental and theoretical techniques. Our calculations show that this material exhibits ≈ 0.5 eV band gap for the majority-spin states, while for the minority-spin it is nearly gapless. The calculated magnetic moment for the completely ordered structure is 2.9 μB/f.u., which is different from our experimentally measured value of almost zero. This discrepancy is explained by the structural disorder. In particular, A2 type disorder, where Mn or Cr atoms exchange their positions with Al atoms, results in induced antiferromagnetic exchange coupling, which, at a certain level of disorder, effectively reduces the total magnetic moment to zero. This is consistent with our x-ray diffraction measurements which indicate the presence of A2 disorder in all of our samples. In addition, we also show that B2 disorder does not result in antiferromagnetic exchange coupling and therefore does not significantly reduce the total magnetic moment.

Contribution to the study of electronic structure of crystalline semiconductors (Si, Ge, GaAs, Gap, ZnTe, ZnSe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bouhafs B.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The band structure of semiconductors was described by several theorists since the Fifties. The main objective of the present paper is to do a comparative study between various families of semi-conductors IV (Si,Ge, III-V (GaAs, GaP and II-VI (ZnSe, ZnTe with both methods; tight Binding1 method and pseudo potential method2. This work enables us to understand as well as the mechanism of conduction process in these semiconductors and powers and limits of the above methods. The obtained results allow to conclude that both methods are in a good agreement to describe the morphology of band structures of the cited semiconductors. This encourages us to study in the future the electronic behaviour through the structure of bands for more complex systems such as the heterostructures.

Mixing of III-V compound semiconductor superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, Ping.

1989-01-01

In this work, the methods as well as mechanisms of III-V compound superlattice mixing are discussed, with particular attention on the AlGaAs based superlattice system. Comparative studies of ion-induced mixing showed two distinct effects resulting from ion implantation followed by a thermal anneal; i.e. collisional mixing and impurity induced mixing. It was found that Ga and As ion induced mixing are mainly due to the collisional effect, where the extent of the mixing can be estimated theoretically, with the parameters of ion mass, incident energy and the implant dose. The impurity effect was dominant for Si, Ge, Be, Zn and Te. Quantitative studies of impurity induced mixing have been conducted on samples doped with Si or Te during the growth process. It was discovered that Si induced AlGaAs superlattice mixing yielded an activation energy of approximately 4 eV for the Al diffusion coefficient with a high power law dependence of the prefactor on the Si concentration. In the Te doped AlGaAs superlattice the Al diffusion coefficient exhibited an activation energy of ∼3.0 eV, with a prefactor approximately proportional to the Te concentration. These results are of importance in examining the current diffusion models. Zn and Si induced InP/InGaAs superlattice mixing are examined. It was found that Zn predominantly induces cation interdiffusion, while Si induces comparable cation and anion interdiffusion. In addition, widely dispersed Zn rich islands form with Zn residing in the InP layers in the form of Zn 3 P 2 . With unstrained starting material, the layer bandgap disparity increases due to mixing induced strain, while in the Si diffused sample the mixed region would be expected to exhibit bandgaps intermediate between those of the original layers. Semiconductor superlattice mixing shows technological potential for optoelectronic device fabrication

Roadmap on semiconductor-cell biointerfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Bozhi; Xu, Shuai; Rogers, John A.; Cestellos-Blanco, Stefano; Yang, Peidong; Carvalho-de-Souza, João L.; Bezanilla, Francisco; Liu, Jia; Bao, Zhenan; Hjort, Martin; Cao, Yuhong; Melosh, Nicholas; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Benfenati, Fabio; Galli, Giulia; Gygi, Francois; Kautz, Rylan; Gorodetsky, Alon A.; Kim, Samuel S.; Lu, Timothy K.; Anikeeva, Polina; Cifra, Michal; Krivosudský, Ondrej; Havelka, Daniel; Jiang, Yuanwen

2018-05-01

This roadmap outlines the role semiconductor-based materials play in understanding the complex biophysical dynamics at multiple length scales, as well as the design and implementation of next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and mechanical devices for biointerfaces. The roadmap emphasizes the advantages of semiconductor building blocks in interfacing, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, and discusses the possibility of using active semiconductor-cell interfaces for discovering new signaling processes in the biological world.

Quadrupole interaction in ternary chalcopyrite semiconductors experiments and theory

CERN Document Server

Dietrich, M; Degering, D; Deicher, M; Kortus, J; Magerle, R; Möller, A; Samokhvalov, V; Unterricker, S; Vianden, R

2000-01-01

Electric field gradients have been measured at substitutional lattice sites in ternary semiconductors using perturbed gamma - gamma angular correlation spectroscopy. The experimental results for A/sup I/B/sup III/C/sub 2//sup VI/ chalcopyrite structure compounds and Square Operator A/sup II/B/sub 2//sup III/C/sub 4//sup VI/ defect chalcopyrites are compared with ab-initio calculations. The latter were carried out with the WIEN code that uses the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method within a density functional theory. The agreement between experiment and theory is in most cases very good. Furthermore, the anion displacements in AgGaX/sub 2/- compounds (X: S, Se, Te) have been determined theoretically by determining the minimum of the total energy of the electrons in an elementary cell. (20 refs).

Semiconductor lasers stability, instability and chaos

CERN Document Server

Ohtsubo, Junji

2017-01-01

This book describes the fascinating recent advances made concerning the chaos, stability and instability of semiconductor lasers, and discusses their applications and future prospects in detail. It emphasizes the dynamics in semiconductor lasers by optical and electronic feedback, optical injection, and injection current modulation. Applications of semiconductor laser chaos, control and noise, and semiconductor lasers are also demonstrated. Semiconductor lasers with new structures, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and broad-area semiconductor lasers, are intriguing and promising devices. Current topics include fast physical number generation using chaotic semiconductor lasers for secure communication, development of chaos, quantum-dot semiconductor lasers and quantum-cascade semiconductor lasers, and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. This fourth edition has been significantly expanded to reflect the latest developments. The fundamental theory of laser chaos and the chaotic dynamics in se...

Electron-hole liquid in semiconductors and low-dimensional structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sibeldin, N. N.

2017-11-01

The condensation of excitons into an electron-hole liquid (EHL) and the main EHL properties in bulk semiconductors and low-dimensional structures are considered. The EHL properties in bulk materials are discussed primarily in qualitative terms based on the experimental results obtained for germanium and silicon. Some of the experiments in which the main EHL thermodynamic parameters (density and binding energy) have been obtained are described and the basic factors that determine these parameters are considered. Topics covered include the effect of external perturbations (uniaxial strain and magnetic field) on EHL stability; phase diagrams for a nonequilibrium exciton-gas-EHL system; information on the size and concentration of electron-hole drops (EHDs) under various experimental conditions; the kinetics of exciton condensation and of recombination in the exciton-gas-EHD system; dynamic EHD properties and the motion of EHDs under the action of external forces; the properties of giant EHDs that form in potential wells produced by applying an inhomogeneous strain to the crystal; and effects associated with the drag of EHDs by nonequilibrium phonons (phonon wind), including the dynamics and formation of an anisotropic spatial structure of the EHD cloud. In discussing EHLs in low-dimensional structures, a number of studies are reviewed on the observation and experimental investigation of phenomena such as spatially indirect (dipolar) electron-hole and exciton (dielectric) liquids in GaAs/AlGaAs structures with double quantum wells (QWs), EHDs containing only a few electron-hole pairs (dropletons), EHLs in type-I silicon QWs, and spatially direct and dipolar EHLs in type-II silicon-germanium heterostructures.

Semiconductors and semimetals epitaxial microstructures

CERN Document Server

Willardson, Robert K; Beer, Albert C; Gossard, Arthur C

1994-01-01

Newly developed semiconductor microstructures can now guide light and electrons resulting in important consequences for state-of-the-art electronic and photonic devices. This volume introduces a new generation of epitaxial microstructures. Special emphasis has been given to atomic control during growth and the interrelationship between the atomic arrangements and the properties of the structures.Key Features* Atomic-level control of semiconductor microstructures* Molecular beam epitaxy, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition* Quantum wells and quantum wires* Lasers, photon(IR)detectors, heterostructure transistors

Controlling Molecular Doping in Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Ian E; Moulé, Adam J

2017-11-01

The field of organic electronics thrives on the hope of enabling low-cost, solution-processed electronic devices with mechanical, optoelectronic, and chemical properties not available from inorganic semiconductors. A key to the success of these aspirations is the ability to controllably dope organic semiconductors with high spatial resolution. Here, recent progress in molecular doping of organic semiconductors is summarized, with an emphasis on solution-processed p-type doped polymeric semiconductors. Highlighted topics include how solution-processing techniques can control the distribution, diffusion, and density of dopants within the organic semiconductor, and, in turn, affect the electronic properties of the material. Research in these areas has recently intensified, thanks to advances in chemical synthesis, improved understanding of charged states in organic materials, and a focus on relating fabrication techniques to morphology. Significant disorder in these systems, along with complex interactions between doping and film morphology, is often responsible for charge trapping and low doping efficiency. However, the strong coupling between doping, solubility, and morphology can be harnessed to control crystallinity, create doping gradients, and pattern polymers. These breakthroughs suggest a role for molecular doping not only in device function but also in fabrication-applications beyond those directly analogous to inorganic doping. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Berry phase dependent quantum trajectories of electron-hole pairs in semiconductors under intense terahertz fields

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Fan; Liu, Ren-Bao

2013-03-01

Quantum evolution of particles under strong fields can be approximated by the quantum trajectories that satisfy the stationary phase condition in the Dirac-Feynmann path integrals. The quantum trajectories are the key concept to understand strong-field optics phenomena, such as high-order harmonic generation (HHG), above-threshold ionization (ATI), and high-order terahertz siedeband generation (HSG). The HSG in semiconductors may have a wealth of physics due to the possible nontrivial ``vacuum'' states of band materials. We find that in a spin-orbit-coupled semiconductor, the cyclic quantum trajectories of an electron-hole pair under a strong terahertz field accumulates nontrivial Berry phases. We study the monolayer MoS2 as a model system and find that the Berry phases are given by the Faraday rotation angles of the pulse emission from the material under short-pulse excitation. This result demonstrates an interesting Berry phase dependent effect in the extremely nonlinear optics of semiconductors. This work is supported by Hong Kong RGC/GRF 401512 and the CUHK Focused Investments Scheme.

Determination of the electron-hole pair creation energy for semiconductors from the spectral responsivity of photodiodes

CERN Document Server

Scholze, F; Kuschnerus, P; Rabus, H; Richter, M; Ulm, G

2000-01-01

Ionizing radiation can be detected by the measurement of the charge carriers produced in a detector. The improved semiconductor technology now allows detectors operating near the physical limits of the detector materials to be designed. The mean energy required for producing an electron-hole pair, W, is a material property of the semiconductor. Here, the determination of W from the spectral responsivity of photodiodes is demonstrated. Using spectrally dispersed synchrotron radiation, different types of semiconductor photodiodes have been examined in the UV-, VUV-, and soft X-ray spectral range. Their spectral responsivity was determined with relative uncertainties between 0.4% and 1% using a cryogenic electrical-substitution radiometer as primary detector standard. Results are presented for silicon n-on-p junction photodiodes and for GaAsP/Au Schottky diodes at room temperature. The investigations for silicon covered the complete spectral range from 3 to 1500 eV, yielding a constant value W=(3.66+-0.03) eV fo...

Non-linear spin transport in magnetic semiconductor superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bejar, Manuel; Sanchez, David; Platero, Gloria; MacDonald, A.H.

2004-01-01

The electronic spin dynamics in DC-biased n-doped II-VI semiconductor multiquantum wells doped with magnetic impurities is presented. Under certain range of electronic doping, conventional semiconductor superlattices present self-sustained oscillations. Magnetically doped wells (Mn) present large spin splittings due to the exchange interaction. The interplay between non-linear interwell transport, the electron-electron interaction and the exchange between electrons and the magnetic impurities produces interesting time-dependent features in the spin polarization current tuned by an external magnetic field

Position sensitive detector with semiconductor and image electron tube comprising such a detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roziere, Guy.

1977-01-01

This invention concerns a position sensitive detector comprising a semiconducting substrate. It also concerns the electron tubes in which the detector may be incorporated in order to obtain an image formed at the tube input by an incident flux of particles or radiation. When a charged particle or group of such particles, electrons in particular, enter the space charge region of an inversely biased semiconductor diode, the energy supplied by these particles releases in the diode a certain number of electron-hole pairs which move in the field existing in the area towards the diode contacts. A corresponding current arises in the connections of this diode which constitutes the signal corresponding to the incident energy. Such a tube or chain of tubes is employed in nuclear medicine for observing parts of the human body, particularly by gamma radiation [fr

Pulse-height loss in the signal readout circuit of compound semiconductor detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Nakhostin, M.; Hitomi, K.

2018-06-01

Compound semiconductor detectors such as CdTe, CdZnTe, HgI2 and TlBr are known to exhibit large variations in their charge collection times. This paper considers the effect of such variations on the measurement of induced charge pulses by using resistive feedback charge-sensitive preamplifiers. It is shown that, due to the finite decay-time constant of the preamplifiers, the capacitive decay during the signal readout leads to a variable deficit in the measurement of ballistic signals and a digital pulse processing method is employed to correct for it. The method is experimentally examined by using sampled pulses from a TlBr detector coupled to a charge-sensitive preamplifier with 150 μs of decay-time constant and 20 % improvement in the energy resolution of the detector at 662 keV is achieved. The implications of the capacitive decay on the correction of charge-trapping effect by using depth-sensing technique are also considered.

Weak antilocalization induced by Rashba spin-orbit interaction in layered III-VI compound semiconductor GaSe thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Takasuna, Shoichi; Shiogai, Junichi; Matsuzaka, Shunichiro; Kohda, Makoto; Oyama, Yutaka; Nitta, Junsaku

2017-10-01

Magnetoconductance (MC) at low temperature was measured to investigate spin-related transport affected by spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in III-VI compound n -type GaSe thin films. Results reveal that MC shows weak antilocalization (WAL). Its temperature and gate voltage dependences reveal that the dominant spin relaxation is governed by the D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism associated with the Rashba SOI. The estimated Rashba SOI strength in GaSe is much stronger than that of III-V compound GaAs quantum wells, although the energy gap and spin split-off band in GaSe closely resemble those in GaAs. The angle dependence of WAL amplitude in the in-plane magnetic field direction is almost isotropic. This isotropy indicates that the strength of the Dresselhaus SOI is negligible compared with the Rashba SOI strength. The SOI effect in n -GaSe thin films differs greatly from those of III-V compound semiconductors and transition-metal dichalcogenides.

100% spin accumulation in non-half-metallic ferromagnet-semiconductor junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petukhov, A G; Niggemann, J; Smelyanskiy, V N; Osipov, V V

2007-01-01

We show that the spin polarization of electron density in non-magnetic degenerate semiconductors can achieve 100%. The effect of 100% spin accumulation does not require a half-metallic ferromagnetic contact and can be realized in ferromagnet-semiconductor FM-n + -n junctions even at moderate spin selectivity of the FM-n + contact when the electrons with spin 'up' are extracted from n semiconductor through the heavily doped n + layer into the ferromagnet and the electrons with spin 'down' are accumulated near the n + -n interface. We derived a general equation relating spin polarization of the current to that of the electron density in non-magnetic semiconductors. We found that the effect of complete spin polarization is achieved near the n + -n interface when the concentration of the spin 'up' electrons tends to zero in this region while the diffusion current of these electrons remains finite

Defect identification in semiconductors with positron annihilation: experiment and theory

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomisto, Filip

2015-03-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is a very powerful technique for the detection, identification and quantification of vacancy-type defects in semiconductors. In the past decades, it has been used to reveal the relationship between opto-electronic properties and specific defects in a wide variety of materials - examples include parasitic yellow luminescence in GaN, dominant acceptor defects in ZnO and broad-band absorption causing brown coloration in natural diamond. In typical binary compound semiconductors, the selective sensitivity of the technique is rather strongly limited to cation vacancies that possess significant open volume and suitable charge (negative of neutral). On the other hand, oxygen vacancies in oxide semiconductors are a widely debated topic. The properties attributed to oxygen vacancies include the inherent n-type conduction, poor p-type dopability, coloration (absorption), deep level luminescence and non-radiative recombination, while the only direct experimental evidence of their existence has been obtained on the crystal surface. We will present recent advances in combining state-of-the-art positron annihilation experiments and ab initio computational approaches. The latter can be used to model both the positron lifetime and the electron-positron momentum distribution - quantities that can be directly compared with experimental results. We have applied these methods to study vacancy-type defects in III-nitride semiconductors (GaN, AlN, InN) and oxides such as ZnO, SnO2, In2O3andGa2O3. We will show that cation-vacancy-related defects are important compensating centers in all these materials when they are n-type. In addition, we will show that anion (N, O) vacancies can be detected when they appear as complexes with cation vacancies.

Ab initio description of the diluted magnetic semiconductor Ga1-xMnxAs: Ferromagnetism, electronic structure, and optical response

Science.gov (United States)

Craco, L.; Laad, M. S.; Müller-Hartmann, E.

2003-12-01

Motivated by a study of various experiments describing the electronic and magnetic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor Ga1-xMnxAs, we investigate its physical response in detail using a combination of first-principles band structure with methods based on dynamical mean field theory to incorporate strong, dynamical correlations, and intrinsic as well as extrinsic disorder in one single theoretical picture. We show how ferromagnetism is driven by double exchange (DE), in agreement with very recent observations, along with a good quantitative description of the details of the electronic structure, as probed by scanning tunneling microscopy and optical conductivity. Our results show how ferromagnetism can be driven by DE even in diluted magnetic semiconductors with small carrier concentration.

Magnetic and electronic properties of some actinide intermetallic compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaar, Ilan

1992-06-01

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of the light actinide intermetallic compounds are often related to interplay between localized and itinerant (band like) behavior of the 5f- electrons. In the present work, the properties of some actinide, mainly Np, intermetallic compounds were studied by Mossbauer effect, ac and dc susceptibility, X-ray and Neutron diffraction techniques. 1. NpX 2 (X=Ga,Si) - Both compounds order ferromagnetically at TC=55(2) and 48(2) K respectively. A comparison of our data with the results for other NpX 2 (X=Al,As,Sb,Tl) compounds indicates that NpGa 2 is a highly localized 5f electron system, whereas in NpSi 2 the 5f electrons are partially delocalized. The magnetic properties of NpX 2 compounds can neither be consistently explained within the conventional crystal electric field picture (CEF) nor by takink into account hybridization dressing of local spin density models. 2. NpX 3 (X=Ga,Si,In,Al) in the cubic AuCu 3 (Pm3m) crystallographic structure - From the Mossbauer isomer shift (IS) data we argue that the Np ion in the NpX 3 family is close to the formal 3+ (5I 4 ) charge state. The magnetic moment of the Np in NpSi 3 is totally suppressed whereas in NpGa 3 and NpAl 3 a localized (narrow band) moment is established. However, in NpIn 3 at 4.2 K, a modulated magnetic moment (0-1.5μB) is observed. Comparing the magnetic behavior of the NpX 3 family (X=Si,Ge,Ga, Al,In and Sn), we find an impressive variation of the magnetic properties, from temperature independent paramagnetism (TIP), localized and modulated ordered moments, to the formation of a concentrated Kondo lattice. Hybridization of 5f electrons with ligand electrons appears to play a crucial role in establishing these magnetic properties. However, at present a consistent theoretical picture can not be drawn. 3. XFe 4 Al 8 (X=Ho,Np,U) spin galss (SG) systems in the ThMn 12 (I 4 /mmm) crystallographic structure - Localized and itinerant behaviour of the f electrons

The lattice dynamical studies of rare earth compounds: electron-phonon interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, Prafulla K.; Sanyal, Sankar P.; Singh, R.K.

2002-01-01

During the last two decades chalcogenides and pnictides of rare earth (RE) atoms have drawn considerable attention of the solid state physicists because of their peculiar electronic, magnetic, optical and phonon properties. Some of these compounds e.g. sulphides and selenides of cerium (Ce), samarium (Sm), yttrium (Y), ytterbium (Yb), europium (Eu) and thulium (Tm) and their alloys show nonintegral valence (between 2 and 3), arising due to f-d electron hybridization at ambient temperature and pressure. The rare earth mixed valence compounds (MVC) reviewed in this article crystallize in simple cubic structure. Most of these compounds show the existence of strong electron-phonon coupling at half way to the zone boundary. This fact manifests itself through softening of the longitudinal acoustic mode, negative value of elastic constant C 12 etc. The purpose of this contribution is to review some of the recent activities in the fields of lattice dynamics and allied properties of rare earth compounds. The present article is primarily devoted to review the effect of electron-phonon interactions on the dynamical properties of rare earth compounds by using the lattice dynamical model theories based on charged density deformations and long-range many body forces. While the long range charge transfer effect arises due to f-d hybridization of nearly degenerate 4f-5d bands of rare earth ions, the density deformation comes into the picture of breathing motion of electron shells. These effects of charge transfer and charge density deformation when considered in the lattice dynamical models namely the three body force rigid ion model (TRM) and breathing shell model (BSM) are quite successful in explaining the phonon anomalies in these compounds and undoubtedly unraveled many important physical process governing the phonon anomalies in rare earth compounds

Progress in semiconductor drift detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehak, P.; Walton, J.; Gatti, E.

1985-01-01

Progress in testing semiconductor drift detectors is reported. Generally better position and energy resolutions were obtained than resolutions published previously. The improvement is mostly due to new electronics better matched to different detectors. It is shown that semiconductor drift detectors are becoming versatile and reliable detectors for position and energy measurements

Electronic configurations and energies in some thermodynamically correlated laves compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, G.M.

1979-04-01

The known electronic configurations of simple elements in Laves compounds are correlated with those of the more complex systems to determine their electronic configurations and gaseous state promotion energies

High-mobility pyrene-based semiconductor for organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyunduck; Lee, Sunyoung; Cho, Nam Sung; Jabbour, Ghassan E; Kwak, Jeonghun; Hwang, Do-Hoon; Lee, Changhee

2013-05-01

Numerous conjugated oligoacenes and polythiophenes are being heavily studied in the search for high-mobility organic semiconductors. Although many researchers have designed fused aromatic compounds as organic semiconductors for organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), pyrene-based organic semiconductors with high mobilities and on-off current ratios have not yet been reported. Here, we introduce a new pyrene-based p-type organic semiconductor showing liquid crystal behavior. The thin film characteristics of this material are investigated by varying the substrate temperature during the deposition and the gate dielectric condition using the surface modification with a self-assembled monolayer, and systematically studied in correlation with the performances of transistor devices with this compound. OTFT fabricated under the optimum deposition conditions of this compound, namely, 1,6-bis(5'-octyl-2,2'-bithiophen-5-yl)pyrene (BOBTP) shows a high-performance transistor behavior with a field-effect mobility of 2.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an on-off current ratio of 7.6 × 10(6) and enhanced long-term stability compared to the pentacene thin-film transistor.

Electronics Industry Study Report: Semiconductors and Defense Electronics

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Access Memory (DRAM) chips and microprocessors. Samsung , Micron, Hynix, and Infineon control almost three-fourths of the DRAM market,8 while Intel alone...Country 2001 Sales ($B) 2002 Sales ($B) % Change % 2002 Mkt 1 1 Intel U.S. 23.7 24.0 1% 16.9% 2 3 Samsung Semiconductor S. Korea 6.3...located in four major regions: the United States, Europe, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific region (includes South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia , Taiwan

Electrostatic separation for recycling conductors, semiconductors, and nonconductors from electronic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Mianqiang; Yan, Guoqing; Li, Jia; Xu, Zhenming

2012-10-02

Electrostatic separation has been widely used to separate conductors and nonconductors for recycling e-waste. However, the components of e-waste are complex, which can be classified as conductors, semiconductors, and nonconductors according to their conducting properties. In this work, we made a novel attempt to recover the mixtures containing conductors (copper), semiconductors (extrinsic silicon), and nonconductors (woven glass reinforced resin) by electrostatic separation. The results of binary mixtures separation show that the separation of conductor and nonconductor, semiconductor and nonconductor need a higher voltage level while the separation of conductor and semiconductor needs a higher roll speed. Furthermore, the semiconductor separation efficiency is more sensitive to the high voltage level and the roll speed than the conductor separation efficiency. An integrated process was proposed for the multiple mixtures separation. The separation efficiency of conductors and semiconductors can reach 82.5% and 88%, respectively. This study contributes to the efficient recycling of valuable resources from e-waste.

Optical conductivity calculation of a k.p model semiconductor GaAs incorporating first-order electron-hole vertex correction

Science.gov (United States)

Nurhuda, Maryam; Aziz Majidi, Muhammad

2018-04-01

The role of excitons in semiconducting materials carries potential applications. Experimental results show that excitonic signals also appear in optical absorption spectra of semiconductor system with narrow gap, such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). While on the theoretical side, calculation of optical spectra based purely on Density Functional Theory (DFT) without taking electron-hole (e-h) interactions into account does not lead to the appearance of any excitonic signal. Meanwhile, existing DFT-based algorithms that include a full vertex correction through Bethe-Salpeter equation may reveal an excitonic signal, but the algorithm has not provided a way to analyze the excitonic signal further. Motivated to provide a way to isolate the excitonic effect in the optical response theoretically, we develop a method of calculation for the optical conductivity of a narrow band-gap semiconductor GaAs within the 8-band k.p model that includes electron-hole interactions through first-order electron-hole vertex correction. Our calculation confirms that the first-order e-h vertex correction reveals excitonic signal around 1.5 eV (the band gap edge), consistent with the experimental data.

Metallurgy and purification of semiconductor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mughal, G.R.; Ali, M.M.; Ali, I.

1996-01-01

In this article the metallurgical aspects of semiconductor science and technology have been stressed here rather than of the physical and electronic aspect of the subject. Semiconductor technology has not merely presented the metallurgist with new challenges. The ease with which the semiconductor planes cleave make possible, the preparation and study of virgin surface. Semiconductor materials were being widely employed in the study of sub-boundaries and structures and can largely contribute to the study of certain aspects of nucleation and growth, precipitation phenomena, mechanical behaviour, in metallurgy. (A.B.)

Semiconductor Lasers Stability, Instability and Chaos

CERN Document Server

Ohtsubo, Junji

2008-01-01

This monograph describes fascinating recent progress in the field of chaos, stability and instability of semiconductor lasers. Applications and future prospects are discussed in detail. The book emphasizes the various dynamics induced in semiconductor lasers by optical and electronic feedback, optical injection, and injection current modulation. Recent results of both theoretical and experimental investigations are presented. Demonstrating applications of semiconductor laser chaos, control and noise, Semiconductor Lasers describes suppression and chaotic secure communications. For those who are interested in optics but not familiar with nonlinear systems, a brief introduction to chaos analysis is presented.

Flexible Electronics: Integration Processes for Organic and Inorganic Semiconductor-Based Thin-Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio F. Vidor

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Flexible and transparent electronics have been studied intensively during the last few decades. The technique establishes the possibility of fabricating innovative products, from flexible displays to radio-frequency identification tags. Typically, large-area polymeric substrates such as polypropylene (PP or polyethylene terephthalate (PET are used, which produces new requirements for the integration processes. A key element for flexible and transparent electronics is the thin-film transistor (TFT, as it is responsible for the driving current in memory cells, digital circuits or organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs. In this paper, we discuss some fundamental concepts of TFT technology. Additionally, we present a comparison between the use of the semiconducting organic small-molecule pentacene and inorganic nanoparticle semiconductors in order to integrate TFTs suitable for flexible electronics. Moreover, a technique for integration with a submicron resolution suitable for glass and foil substrates is presented.

The effects of heavy doping on the electronic states in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sernelius, B.E.

1987-01-01

The physics of semiconductors is reviewed. Topics included in the discussion are energy of the dopant system (kinetic energy in a many-valley semiconductor, exchange energy in an ellipsoidal Fermi volume, energy in a polar semiconductor), self energy shifts, band-gap narrowing, and piezo experiments. 31 refs., 27 figs

Chiral-like tunneling of electrons in two-dimensional semiconductors with Rashba spin-orbit coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Yee Sin; Ma, Zhongshui; Zhang, C

2014-01-21

The unusual tunneling effects of massless chiral fermions (mCF) and massive chiral fermions (MCF) in a single layer graphene and bilayer graphene represent some of the most bizarre quantum transport phenomena in condensed matter system. Here we show that in a two-dimensional semiconductor with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (R2DEG), the real-spin chiral-like tunneling of electrons at normal incidence simultaneously exhibits features of mCF and MCF. The parabolic branch of opposite spin in R2DEG crosses at a Dirac-like point and has a band turning point. These features generate transport properties not found in usual two-dimensional electron gas. Albeit its π Berry phase, electron backscattering is present in R2DEG. An electron mimics mCF if its energy is in the vicinity of the subband crossing point or it mimics MCF if its energy is near the subband minima.

Thienoacene-based organic semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Takimiya, Kazuo; Shinamura, Shoji; Osaka, Itaru; Miyazaki, Eigo

2011-10-11

Thienoacenes consist of fused thiophene rings in a ladder-type molecular structure and have been intensively studied as potential organic semiconductors for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) in the last decade. They are reviewed here. Despite their simple and similar molecular structures, the hitherto reported properties of thienoacene-based OFETs are rather diverse. This Review focuses on four classes of thienoacenes, which are classified in terms of their chemical structures, and elucidates the molecular electronic structure of each class. The packing structures of thienoacenes and the thus-estimated solid-state electronic structures are correlated to their carrier transport properties in OFET devices. With this perspective of the molecular structures of thienoacenes and their carrier transport properties in OFET devices, the structure-property relationships in thienoacene-based organic semiconductors are discussed. The discussion provides insight into new molecular design strategies for the development of superior organic semiconductors. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Physics of Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Kevin F.

1999-02-01

Modern fabrication techniques have made it possible to produce semiconductor devices whose dimensions are so small that quantum mechanical effects dominate their behavior. This book describes the key elements of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and solid-state physics that are necessary in understanding these modern semiconductor devices. The author begins with a review of elementary quantum mechanics, and then describes more advanced topics, such as multiple quantum wells. He then disusses equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Following this introduction, he provides a thorough treatment of solid-state physics, covering electron motion in periodic potentials, electron-phonon interaction, and recombination processes. The final four chapters deal exclusively with real devices, such as semiconductor lasers, photodiodes, flat panel displays, and MOSFETs. The book contains many homework exercises and is suitable as a textbook for electrical engineering, materials science, or physics students taking courses in solid-state device physics. It will also be a valuable reference for practicing engineers in optoelectronics and related areas.

Electronic, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Reduced-Dimensional Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shouting

Reduced-dimensional materials have attracted tremendous attention because of their new physics and exotic properties, which are of great interests for fundamental science. More importantly, the manipulation and engineering of matter on an atomic scale yield promising applications for many fields including nanoelectronics, nanobiotechnology, environments, and renewable energy. Because of the unusual quantum confinement and enhanced surface effect of reduced-dimensional materials, traditional empirical models suffer from necessary but unreliable parameters extracted from previously-studied bulk materials. In this sense, quantitative, parameter-free approaches are highly useful for understanding properties of reduced-dimensional materials and, furthermore, predicting their novel applications. The first-principles density functional theory (DFT) is proven to be a reliable and convenient tool. In particular, recent progress in many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) makes it possible to calculate excited-state properties, e.g., quasiparticle (QP) band gap and optical excitations, by the first-principles approach based on DFT. Therefore, during my PhD study, I employed first-principles calculations based on DFT and MBPT to systematically study fundamental properties of typical reduced-dimensional semiconductors, i.e., the electronic structure, phonons, and optical excitations of core-shell nanowires (NWs) and graphene-like two-dimensional (2D) structures of current interests. First, I present first-principles studies on how to engineer band alignments of nano-sized radial heterojunctions, Si/Ge core-shell NWs. Our calculation reveals that band offsets in these one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures can be tailored by applying axial strain or varying core-shell sizes. In particular, the valence band offset can be efficiently tuned across a wide range and even be diminished via applied strain. Two mechanisms contribute to this tuning of band offsets. Furthermore, varying the

Demonstration of molecular beam epitaxy and a semiconducting band structure for I-Mn-V compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jungwirth, T.; Novak, V.; Cukr, M.; Zemek, J.; Marti, X.; Horodyska, P.; Nemec, P.; Holy, V.; Maca, F.; Shick, A. B.; Masek, J.; Kuzel, P.; Nemec, I.; Gallagher, B. L.; Campion, R. P.; Foxon, C. T.; Wunderlich, J.

2011-01-01

Our ab initio theory calculations predict a semiconducting band structure of I-Mn-V compounds. We demonstrate on LiMnAs that high-quality materials with group-I alkali metals in the crystal structure can be grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Optical measurements on the LiMnAs epilayers are consistent with the theoretical electronic structure. Our calculations also reproduce earlier reports of high antiferromagnetic ordering temperature and predict large, spin-orbit-coupling-induced magnetic anisotropy effects. We propose a strategy for employing antiferromagnetic semiconductors in high-temperature semiconductor spintronics.

Study of electronic, magnetic and optical properties of KMS2 (M  =  Nd, Ho, Er and Lu): first principle calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nisar; Nisar, Jawad; Kouser, R.; Nabi, Azeem G.; Mukhtar, S.; Saeed, Yasir; Nasim, M. H.

2017-06-01

Wide band gap magnetic semiconductors made of lanthanide compounds have a wide range of applications in opto-magneto-electronic industry and electro (photo) luminescence devices. We have carried out a systematic study of electronic, magnetic and optical properties of rare earth potassium sulfides KMS2 (M  =  Nd, Ho, Er, and Lu) using density functional theory (DFT) with full potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW). Different exchange and correlation approximations are employed such as generalized gradient approximation (GGA), GGA  +  U and TB-mBJ. It is inferred that the GGA  +  U approach correctly predicts the localized behavior of 4f electrons in lanthanide atoms for the calculation of band gaps, electronic, magnetic and optical properties. All compounds are stable in ferromagnetic phase except KLuS2, while KLuS2 is a non-magnetic semiconductor because there is no unpaired f-electron. Band gaps of KMS2 are estimated and these materials are found to be wide band gap semiconductors. These materials absorb mainly ultraviolet (UV) radiations, which make them good photoluminescent materials with a strong dependence on the direction of the polarization of incident photons.

Detection of the scintillation light emitted from direct-bandgap compound semiconductors by a Si avalanche photodiode at 150 mK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasumune, Takashi; Takayama, Nobuyasu; Maehata, Keisuke; Ishibashi, Kenji; Umeno, Takahiro

2008-01-01

In this work, the direct-bandgap compound semiconductor materials are irradiated by α particles emitted from 241 Am for the detection of scintillation light at the temperature of 150 mK. For the irradiation experiment, two disk shaped samples were fabricated from an epoxy resin mixed with the powder of PbI 2 and CuI, respectively. Each disk-samples was cooled down to 150 mK by a compact liquid helium-free dilution refrigerator. A Si avalanche photodiode (APD) was employed for detecting the scintillation light emitted from the disk-sample inside the refrigerator. The detection signal current of Si APD was converted into the voltage pulses by a charge sensitive preamplifier. The voltage pulses of the scintillation light emitted from the direct-bandgap semiconductors were observed at the temperature of 150 mK. (author)

Removal of chlorinated organic compounds from gas phase using electron beam technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Y.; Bulka, S.; Zimek, A. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland); Chmielewski, A. G. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland); Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw (Poland)

2011-07-01

Selected chlorinated organic compounds (Cl-HC), which are emitted from coal fired power plants, waste incinerators, chemical industry etc., are very harmful to the environment and human’s health. Some of them are listed as carcinogenic compounds by USA EPA. Recent studies show that some chlorinated organic compounds are suspected to be precursors for dioxins formation. Chlorinated organic compounds decomposition in air in an electron beam (EB) generated plasma reactor technology was studied. We selected cis-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE), 1,4-dichlorobenznene(1,4-DCB), 1-chloronaphthalene as studied objects. It is found that chlorinated organic compounds can be decomposed in an electron beam generated plasma reactor. The order of decomposition efficiency of these compounds are: cis-DCE > 1,4-DCB> 1-chloronaphthalene. (author)

Self-assembling peptide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Kai; Makam, Pandeeswar; Aizen, Ruth; Gazit, Ehud

2017-01-01

Semiconductors are central to the modern electronics and optics industries. Conventional semiconductive materials bear inherent limitations, especially in emerging fields such as interfacing with biological systems and bottom-up fabrication. A promising candidate for bioinspired and durable nanoscale semiconductors is the family of self-assembled nanostructures comprising short peptides. The highly ordered and directional intermolecular π-π interactions and hydrogen-bonding network allow the formation of quantum confined structures within the peptide self-assemblies, thus decreasing the band gaps of the superstructures into semiconductor regions. As a result of the diverse architectures and ease of modification of peptide self-assemblies, their semiconductivity can be readily tuned, doped, and functionalized. Therefore, this family of electroactive supramolecular materials may bridge the gap between the inorganic semiconductor world and biological systems. PMID:29146781

Semiconductor lasers and herterojunction leds

CERN Document Server

Kressel, Henry

2012-01-01

Semiconductor Lasers and Heterojunction LEDs presents an introduction to the subject of semiconductor lasers and heterojunction LEDs. The book reviews relevant basic solid-state and electromagnetic principles; the relevant concepts in solid state physics; and the p-n junctions and heterojunctions. The text also describes stimulated emission and gain; the relevant concepts in electromagnetic field theory; and the modes in laser structures. The relation between electrical and optical properties of laser diodes; epitaxial technology; binary III-V compounds; and diode fabrication are also consider

Two-dimensional materials from high-throughput computational exfoliation of experimentally known compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Mounet, Nicolas; Gibertini, Marco; Schwaller, Philippe; Campi, Davide; Merkys, Andrius; Marrazzo, Antimo; Sohier, Thibault; Castelli, Ivano Eligio; Cepellotti, Andrea; Pizzi, Giovanni; Marzari, Nicola

2018-02-01

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic applications. Yet, only a few dozen 2D materials have been successfully synthesized or exfoliated. Here, we search for 2D materials that can be easily exfoliated from their parent compounds. Starting from 108,423 unique, experimentally known 3D compounds, we identify a subset of 5,619 compounds that appear layered according to robust geometric and bonding criteria. High-throughput calculations using van der Waals density functional theory, validated against experimental structural data and calculated random phase approximation binding energies, further allowed the identification of 1,825 compounds that are either easily or potentially exfoliable. In particular, the subset of 1,036 easily exfoliable cases provides novel structural prototypes and simple ternary compounds as well as a large portfolio of materials to search from for optimal properties. For a subset of 258 compounds, we explore vibrational, electronic, magnetic and topological properties, identifying 56 ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems, including half-metals and half-semiconductors.

Study of semiconductor valence plasmon line shapes via electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kundmann, M.K.

1988-11-01

Electron energy-loss spectra of the semiconductors Si, AlAs, GaAs, InAs, InP, and Ge are examined in detail in the regime of outer-shell and plasmon energy losses (0--100eV). Particular emphasis is placed on modeling and analyzing the shapes of the bulk valence plasmon lines. A line shape model based on early work by Froehlich is derived and compared to single-scattering probability distributions extracted from the measured spectra. Model and data are found to be in excellent agreement, thus pointing the way to systematic characterization of the plasmon component of EELS spectra. The model is applied to three separate investigations. 82 refs

Introduction to Semiconductor Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Kevin F.

2005-03-01

This volume offers a solid foundation for understanding the most important devices used in the hottest areas of electronic engineering today, from semiconductor fundamentals to state-of-the-art semiconductor devices in the telecommunications and computing industries. Kevin Brennan describes future approaches to computing hardware and RF power amplifiers, and explains how emerging trends and system demands of computing and telecommunications systems influence the choice, design and operation of semiconductor devices. In addition, he covers MODFETs and MOSFETs, short channel effects, and the challenges faced by continuing miniaturization. His book is both an excellent senior/graduate text and a valuable reference for practicing engineers and researchers.

Novel organic semiconductors and dielectric materials for high performance and low-voltage organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Myung-Han

Two novel classes of organic semiconductors based on perfluoroarene/arene-modified oligothiophenes and perfluoroacyl/acyl-derivatized quaterthiophens are developed. The frontier molecular orbital energies of these compounds are studied by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry while solid-state/film properties are investigated by thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) performance parameters are discussed in terms of the interplay between semiconductor molecular energetics and film morphologies/microstructures. For perfluoroarene-thiophene oligomer systems, majority charge carrier type and mobility exhibit a strong correlation with the regiochemistry of perfluoroarene incorporation. In quaterthiophene-based semiconductors, carbonyl-functionalization allows tuning of the majority carrier type from p-type to ambipolar and to n-type. In situ conversion of a p-type semiconducting film to n-type film is also demonstrated. Very thin self-assembled or spin-on organic dielectric films have been integrated into OTFTs to achieve 1 - 2 V operating voltages. These new dielectrics are deposited either by layer-by-layer solution phase deposition of molecular precursors or by spin-coating a mixture of polymer and crosslinker, resulting in smooth and virtually pinhole-free thin films having exceptionally large capacitances (300--700 nF/cm2) and low leakage currents (10 -9 - 10-7 A/cm2). These organic dielectrics are compatible with various vapor- or solution-deposited p- and n-channel organic semiconductors. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that spin-on crosslinked-polymer-blend dielectrics can be employed for large-area/patterned electronics, and complementary inverters. A general approach for probing semiconductor-dielectric interface effects on OTFT performance parameters using bilayer gate dielectrics is presented. Organic semiconductors having p-, n-type, or ambipolar majority charge carriers are grown on

Room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xun; Chen, Hongyi; Hao, Feng; Liu, Ruiheng; Wang, Tuo; Qiu, Pengfei; Burkhardt, Ulrich; Grin, Yuri; Chen, Lidong

2018-05-01

Ductility is common in metals and metal-based alloys, but is rarely observed in inorganic semiconductors and ceramic insulators. In particular, room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductors were not known until now. Here, we report an inorganic α-Ag2S semiconductor that exhibits extraordinary metal-like ductility with high plastic deformation strains at room temperature. Analysis of the chemical bonding reveals systems of planes with relatively weak atomic interactions in the crystal structure. In combination with irregularly distributed silver-silver and sulfur-silver bonds due to the silver diffusion, they suppress the cleavage of the material, and thus result in unprecedented ductility. This work opens up the possibility of searching for ductile inorganic semiconductors/ceramics for flexible electronic devices.

Electric conduction mechanism of some heterocyclic compounds, 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives in thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danac, Ramona, E-mail: rdanac@uaic.ro [Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Leontie, Liviu, E-mail: lleontie@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Carlescu, Aurelian, E-mail: carlescu_aurelian@yahoo.com [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Shova, Sergiu, E-mail: shova@icmpp.ro [Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda, Nr. 41A, 700487 Iasi (Romania); Tiron, Vasile, E-mail: vasile.tiron@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Rusu, George G., E-mail: rusugxg@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Iacomi, Felicia, E-mail: iacomi@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Gurlui, Silviu, E-mail: sgurlui@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Șușu, Oana, E-mail: oasusu@gmail.com [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Rusu, Gheorghe I., E-mail: girusu@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania)

2016-08-01

Temperature dependence of d. c. electric conductivity of some recently synthesized heterocyclic compounds, 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives, in thin films (d = 0.27–0.51 μm) spin-coated from chloroform solutions onto glass, is studied. The investigated compounds are polycrystalline (as shown by X-ray Diffraction analysis) and show typical n-type semiconductor behavior. The activation energy of d. c. electric conduction ranges between 1.55 and 2.33 eV. Some correlations between semiconducting characteristics and essential features of molecular structure of organic compounds have been established. In the higher temperature range (400–520 K), the electronic transport properties in present compounds can be explained in the frame of band gap representation model, while in the lower temperature range (300–350 K), the Mott's variable-range hopping conduction model can be conveniently used. - Highlights: • 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives in thin films behave as n-type semiconductors. • The electron transfer is favored by extended conjugation and packing capacity. • The band gap representation is suitable in the higher temperature range. • The Mott's VRH conduction model may be used in the lower temperature range.

Epitaxial crystal growth by sputter deposition: Applications to semiconductors. Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, J.E.

1984-01-01

The understanding of the physics of ion-surface interactions has progressed sufficiently to allow sputter depositinn to be used as a crystal growth technique for depositing a wide variety of single crystal elemental, compound, alloy, and superlattice semiconductors. In many cases, films with essentially bulk values of carrier concentrations and mobilities have been obtained. The controlled use of low energy particle bombardment of the growing film during sputter deposition has been shown to affect all stages of crystal growth ranging from adatom mobilities and nucleation kinetics to elemental incorporation probabilities. Such effects provide inherent advantages for sputter deposition over other vapor phase techniques for the low temperature growth of compound and alloy semiconductors and are essential in allowing the growth of new and unique single crystal metastable semiconductors. Part 1 of this review includes sections on experimental techniques, the physics of ion-surface interactions, and ion bombardment effects on film nucleation and growth, while Part 2 presents a discussion of recent results in the growth of elemental, III-V, II-VI, IV-VI, metastable, and other compound semiconductors

33rd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Preface to the Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, Beijing, 2016 Shaoyun Huang 1 , Yingjie Xing 1 , Yang Ji 2 , Dapeng Yu 3 , and Hongqi Xu 1 1 Beijing Key Laboratory of Quantum Devices, Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices and Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China 2 SKLSM, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China 3 State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China From July 31 st to August 5 th , 2016, the 33rd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS 2016) was held in Beijing, China, with a great success. The International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors began in the 1950’s and is a premier biennial meeting for reporting all aspects of semiconductor physics including electronic, structural, optical, magnetic and transport properties. Reflecting the state of the art developments in semiconductor physics, ICPS 2016 served as an international forum for scholars, researchers, and specialists across the globe to discuss future research directions and technological advancements. The main topics of ICPS 2016 included: • Material growth, structural properties and characterization, phonons • Wide-bandgap semiconductors • Narrow-bandgap semiconductors • Carbon: nanotubes and graphene • 2D Materials beyond graphene • Organic semiconductors • Topological states of matter, topological Insulators and Weyl semimetals • Transport in heterostructures • Quantum Hall effects • Spintronics and spin phenomena • Electron devices and applications • Optical properties, optoelectronics, solar cells • Quantum optics, nanophotonics • Quantum information • Other topics in semiconductor physics and devices • Special topic: Majorana fermions in solid state (paper)

Binding of two-electron metastable states in semiconductor quantum dots under a magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Garagiola, Mariano; Pont, Federico M.; Osenda, Omar

2018-04-01

Applying a strong enough magnetic field results in the binding of few-electron resonant states. The mechanism was proposed many years ago but its verification in laboratory conditions is far more recent. In this work we study the binding of two-electron resonant states. The electrons are confined in a cylindrical quantum dot which is embedded in a semiconductor wire. The geometry considered is similar to the one used in actual experimental setups. The low-energy two-electron spectrum is calculated numerically from an effective-mass approximation Hamiltonian modelling the system. Methods for binding threshold calculations in systems with one and two electrons are thoroughly studied; in particular, we use quantum information quantities to assess when the strong lateral confinement approximation can be used to obtain reliable low-energy spectra. For simplicity, only cases without bound states in the absence of an external field are considered. Under these conditions, the binding threshold for the one-electron case is given by the lowest Landau energy level. Moreover, the energy of the one-electron bounded resonance can be used to obtain the two-electron binding threshold. It is shown that for realistic values of the two-electron model parameters it is feasible to bind resonances with field strengths of a few tens of tesla.

Organic semiconductors in a spin

CERN Document Server

Samuel, I

2002-01-01

A little palladium can go a long way in polymer-based light-emitting diodes. Inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and gallium arsenide are essential for countless applications in everyday life, ranging from PCs to CD players. However, while they offer unrivalled computational speed, inorganic semiconductors are also rigid and brittle, which means that they are less suited to applications such as displays and flexible electronics. A completely different class of materials - organic semiconductors - are being developed for these applications. Organic semiconductors have many attractive features: they are easy to make, they can emit visible light, and there is tremendous scope for tailoring their properties to specific applications by changing their chemical structure. Research groups and companies around the world have developed a wide range of organic-semiconductor devices, including transistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells and lasers. (U.K.)

Fundamentals of semiconductors physics and materials properties

CERN Document Server

Yu, Peter Y

2005-01-01

Provides detailed explanations of the electronic, vibrational, transport, and optical properties of semiconductors. This textbook emphasizes understanding the physical properties of Si and similar tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors and features an extensive collection of tables of material parameters, figures, and problems.

Radiation effects and soft errors in integrated circuits and electronic devices

CERN Document Server

Fleetwood, D M

2004-01-01

This book provides a detailed treatment of radiation effects in electronic devices, including effects at the material, device, and circuit levels. The emphasis is on transient effects caused by single ionizing particles (single-event effects and soft errors) and effects produced by the cumulative energy deposited by the radiation (total ionizing dose effects). Bipolar (Si and SiGe), metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS), and compound semiconductor technologies are discussed. In addition to considering the specific issues associated with high-performance devices and technologies, the book includes th

Landau quantization effects on hole-acoustic instability in semiconductor plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Sumera, P.; Rasheed, A.; Jamil, M.; Siddique, M.; Areeb, F.

2017-12-01

The growth rate of the hole acoustic waves (HAWs) exciting in magnetized semiconductor quantum plasma pumped by the electron beam has been investigated. The instability of the waves contains quantum effects including the exchange and correlation potential, Bohm potential, Fermi-degenerate pressure, and the magnetic quantization of semiconductor plasma species. The effects of various plasma parameters, which include relative concentration of plasma particles, beam electron temperature, beam speed, plasma temperature (temperature of electrons/holes), and Landau electron orbital magnetic quantization parameter η, on the growth rate of HAWs, have been discussed. The numerical study of our model of acoustic waves has been applied, as an example, to the GaAs semiconductor exposed to electron beam in the magnetic field environment. An increment in either the concentration of the semiconductor electrons or the speed of beam electrons, in the presence of magnetic quantization of fermion orbital motion, enhances remarkably the growth rate of the HAWs. Although the growth rate of the waves reduces with a rise in the thermal temperature of plasma species, at a particular temperature, we receive a higher instability due to the contribution of magnetic quantization of fermions to it.

The basics of experimental determination of the Fano factor in intrinsic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samedov, Victor-V.

2013-06-01

Intrinsic semiconductors such as High Purity Germanium Detectors are exceptional X-ray and gamma-ray detectors because of their large sizes and small band gap. They are used for fundamental scientific researches, nuclear material safeguards and security, environmental protection, and human health and safety. The fundamental limit of the energy resolution of a semiconductor detector is determined by variance in the number of electron-hole pairs produced by X-rays in detector volume. The principal characteristic of material for using as semiconductor detector is the Fano factor that determines the fluctuation in the number of electron-hole pairs. Now, all existing methods of experimental determination of the Fano factor in semiconductors are based on the subtraction of electronic noise from the signal variance. In this work, I propose the method of experimental determination of the Fano factor in a planar semiconductor detector based on dependences of the mean amplitude and the energy resolution on the electric field. It was shown that inverse electric field expansion of these dependences allow determining the Fano factor, electron mobility lifetime product, and relative variance of electron lifetime due to inhomogeneous charge transport in semiconductor material. The important advantage of the proposed method is independence on detector electronic noise. (authors)

Electron mobilities of n-type organic semiconductors from time-dependent wavepacket diffusion method: pentacenequinone derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, WeiWei; Zhong, XinXin; Zhao, Yi

2012-11-26

The electron mobilities of two n-type pentacenequinone derivative organic semiconductors, 5,7,12,14-tetraaza-6,13-pentacenequinone (TAPQ5) and 1,4,8,11-tetraaza-6,13-pentacenequinone (TAPQ7), are investigated with use of the methods of electronic structure and quantum dynamics. The electronic structure calculations reveal that the two key parameters for the control of electron transfer, reorganization energy and electronic coupling, are similar for these two isomerization systems, and the charge carriers essentially display one-dimensional transport properties. The mobilities are then calculated by using the time-dependent wavepacket diffusion approach in which the dynamic fluctuations of the electronic couplings are incorporated via their correlation functions obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The predicted mobility of TAPQ7 crystal is about six times larger than that of TAPQ5 crystal. Most interestingly, Fermi's golden rule predicts the mobilities very close to those from the time-dependent wavepacket diffusion method, even though the electronic couplings are explicitly large enough to make the perturbation theory invalid. The possible reason is analyzed from the dynamic fluctuations.

Chemical method for producing nanoscale semiconductor compound CdS in a polymer matrix; Khimicheskij metod polucheniya nanorazmernogo poluprovodnikovogo soedineniya CdS v polimernoj matritse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goglidze, Natalia; Dement' ev, Igor' ; Zadorozhnyj, Aleksandru; Koval' , Andrej; Gashin, Petr [Moldavskij gosudarstvennyj univ., Chisinau (Moldova, Republic of); Gutsul, Tatiana; Taraburkin, Aleksandr [Academiya nauk Moldovy, Chisinau (Moldova, Republic of)

2012-07-15

The results of cadmium sulfide synthesis in a polymer matrix from cadmium stearate and tiourea are given. Luminescent properties of the obtained materials were studied. It was shown that the elaborated method allows to efficiently synthesize 2-6 semiconductor compounds with the nano-granulated particles in various organic media including biopolymers. (authors)

Spin–orbit induced electronic spin separation in semiconductor nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Kohda, Makoto; Nakamura, Shuji; Nishihara, Yoshitaka; Kobayashi, Kensuke; Ono, Teruo; Ohe, Jun-ichiro; Tokura, Yasuhiro; Mineno, Taiki; Nitta, Junsaku

2012-01-01

The demonstration of quantized spin splitting by Stern and Gerlach is one of the most important experiments in modern physics. Their discovery was the precursor of recent developments in spin-based technologies. Although electrical spin separation of charged particles is fundamental in spintronics, in non-uniform magnetic fields it has been difficult to separate the spin states of charged particles due to the Lorentz force, as well as to the insufficient and uncontrollable field gradients. Here we demonstrate electronic spin separation in a semiconductor nanostructure. To avoid the Lorentz force, which is inevitably induced when an external magnetic field is applied, we utilized the effective non-uniform magnetic field which originates from the Rashba spin–orbit interaction in an InGaAs-based heterostructure. Using a Stern–Gerlach-inspired mechanism, together with a quantum point contact, we obtained field gradients of 108 T m−1 resulting in a highly polarized spin current. PMID:23011136

Spin-orbit induced electronic spin separation in semiconductor nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohda, Makoto; Nakamura, Shuji; Nishihara, Yoshitaka; Kobayashi, Kensuke; Ono, Teruo; Ohe, Jun-ichiro; Tokura, Yasuhiro; Mineno, Taiki; Nitta, Junsaku

2012-01-01

The demonstration of quantized spin splitting by Stern and Gerlach is one of the most important experiments in modern physics. Their discovery was the precursor of recent developments in spin-based technologies. Although electrical spin separation of charged particles is fundamental in spintronics, in non-uniform magnetic fields it has been difficult to separate the spin states of charged particles due to the Lorentz force, as well as to the insufficient and uncontrollable field gradients. Here we demonstrate electronic spin separation in a semiconductor nanostructure. To avoid the Lorentz force, which is inevitably induced when an external magnetic field is applied, we utilized the effective non-uniform magnetic field which originates from the Rashba spin-orbit interaction in an InGaAs-based heterostructure. Using a Stern-Gerlach-inspired mechanism, together with a quantum point contact, we obtained field gradients of 10(8) T m(-1) resulting in a highly polarized spin current.

Measurement of laser activated electron tunneling from semiconductor zinc oxide to adsorbed organic molecules by a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Hongying; Fu Jieying; Wang Xiaoli; Zheng Shi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Irradiation of photons with energies more than the band gap generates electron–hole pairs. ► Electron tunneling probability is dependent on the electron mobility. ► Tunneling electrons are captured by charge deficient atoms. ► Unpaired electrons induce cleavages of chemical bonds. - Abstract: Measurement of light induced heterogeneous electron transfer is important for understanding of fundamental processes involved in chemistry, physics and biology, which is still challenging by current techniques. Laser activated electron tunneling (LAET) from semiconductor metal oxides was observed and characterized by a MALDI (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization) mass spectrometer in this work. Nanoparticles of ZnO were placed on a MALDI sample plate. Free fatty acids and derivatives were used as models of organic compounds and directly deposited on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. Irradiation of UV laser (λ = 355 nm) with energy more than the band gap of ZnO produces ions that can be detected in negative mode. When TiO 2 nanoparticles with similar band gap but much lower electron mobility were used, these ions were not observed unless the voltage on the sample plate was increased. The experimental results indicate that laser induced electron tunneling is dependent on the electron mobility and the strength of the electric field. Capture of low energy electrons by charge-deficient atoms of adsorbed organic molecules causes unpaired electron-directed cleavages of chemical bonds in a nonergodic pathway. In positive detection mode, electron tunneling cannot be observed due to the reverse moving direction of electrons. It should be able to expect that laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry is a new technique capable of probing the dynamics of electron tunneling. LAET offers advantages as a new ionization dissociation method for mass spectrometry.

Ab initio electronic band structure study of III-VI layered semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Olguín, Daniel; Rubio-Ponce, Alberto; Cantarero, Andrés

2013-08-01

We present a total energy study of the electronic properties of the rhombohedral γ-InSe, hexagonal ɛ-GaSe, and monoclinic GaTe layered compounds. The calculations have been done using the full potential linear augmented plane wave method, including spin-orbit interaction. The calculated valence bands of the three compounds compare well with angle resolved photoemission measurements and a discussion of the small discrepancies found has been given. The present calculations are also compared with recent and previous band structure calculations available in the literature for the three compounds. Finally, in order to improve the calculated band gap value we have used the recently proposed modified Becke-Johnson correction for the exchange-correlation potential.

Tl{sub 4}CdI{sub 6} – Wide band gap semiconductor: First principles modelling of the structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piasecki, M., E-mail: m.piasecki@ajd.czest.pl [Institute of Physics, Jan Dlugosz University, Armii Krajowej 13/15, 42-200 Czestochowa (Poland); Brik, M.G. [College of Sciences, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065 (China); Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14C, Tartu 50411 (Estonia); Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Kityk, I.V. [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Armii Krajowej 17, 42-200 Czestochowa (Poland)

2015-08-01

A novel infrared optoelectronic material Tl{sub 4}CdI{sub 6} was studied using the density functional theory (DFT)-based techniques. Its structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties were all calculated in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) and the local density approximation (LDA) with the Ceperley-Alder–Perdew-Zunger (CA–PZ) functionals. The studied material is a direct band gap semiconductor with the calculated band gaps of 2.043 eV (GGA) and 1.627 eV (LDA). The wavelength dependence of the refractive index was fitted to the Sellmeier equation in the spectral range from 400 to 2000 nm. Good agreement between the GGA-calculated values of refractive index and experimental data was achieved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first consistent theoretical description of the title compound, which includes calculations and analysis of the structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Infrared optoelectronic material Tl{sub 4}CdI{sub 6} was studied using ab initio methods. • Structural, electronic, optical and elastic properties were calculated. • Independent components of the elastic constants tensor were calculated. • Good agreement with available experimental results was achieved.

Temperature dependence of the electronic structure of semiconductors and insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poncé, S., E-mail: samuel.pon@gmail.com; Gillet, Y.; Laflamme Janssen, J.; Gonze, X. [European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility and Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Chemin des étoiles 8, bte L07.03.01, B-1348 Louvain-la-neuve (Belgium); Marini, A. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP 10, 00016 Monterotondo Stazione (Italy); Verstraete, M. [European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility and Physique des matériaux et nanostructures, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août 17, B-4000 Liège (Belgium)

2015-09-14

The renormalization of electronic eigenenergies due to electron-phonon coupling (temperature dependence and zero-point motion effect) is sizable in many materials with light atoms. This effect, often neglected in ab initio calculations, can be computed using the perturbation-based Allen-Heine-Cardona theory in the adiabatic or non-adiabatic harmonic approximation. After a short description of the recent progresses in this field and a brief overview of the theory, we focus on the issue of phonon wavevector sampling convergence, until now poorly understood. Indeed, the renormalization is obtained numerically through a slowly converging q-point integration. For non-zero Born effective charges, we show that a divergence appears in the electron-phonon matrix elements at q → Γ, leading to a divergence of the adiabatic renormalization at band extrema. This problem is exacerbated by the slow convergence of Born effective charges with electronic wavevector sampling, which leaves residual Born effective charges in ab initio calculations on materials that are physically devoid of such charges. Here, we propose a solution that improves this convergence. However, for materials where Born effective charges are physically non-zero, the divergence of the renormalization indicates a breakdown of the adiabatic harmonic approximation, which we assess here by switching to the non-adiabatic harmonic approximation. Also, we study the convergence behavior of the renormalization and develop reliable extrapolation schemes to obtain the converged results. Finally, the adiabatic and non-adiabatic theories, with corrections for the slow Born effective charge convergence problem (and the associated divergence) are applied to the study of five semiconductors and insulators: α-AlN, β-AlN, BN, diamond, and silicon. For these five materials, we present the zero-point renormalization, temperature dependence, phonon-induced lifetime broadening, and the renormalized electronic band structure.

Dissipative chaos in semiconductor superlattices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Moghadam

2008-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper the motion of electron in a miniband of a semiconductor superlattice (SSL under the influence of external electric and magnetic fields is investigated. The electric field is applied in a direction perpendicular to the layers of the semiconductor superlattice, and the magnetic field is applied in different direction Numerical calculations show conditions led to the possibility of chaotic behaviors.

Tunable electronic transport properties of silicon-fullerene-linked nanowires: Semiconductor, conducting wire, and tunnel diode

OpenAIRE

Nishio, Kengo; Ozaki, Taisuke; Morishita, Tetsuya; Mikami, Masuhiro

2010-01-01

We explore the possibility of controllable tuning of the electronic transport properties of silicon-fullerene-linked nanowires by encapsulating guest atoms into their cages. Our first-principles calculations demonstrate that the guest-free nanowires are semiconductors, and do not conduct electricity. The iodine or sodium doping improves the transport properties, and makes the nanowires metallic. In the junctions of I-doped and Na-doped NWs, the current travels through the boundary by quantum ...

Highly stable and imperceptible electronics utilizing photoactivated heterogeneous sol-gel metal-oxide dielectrics and semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Jeong-Wan; Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Kyung-Tae; Kang, Jin-Gu; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Kwang-Ho; Ko, Hyungduk; Kim, Jiwan; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Park, Sung Kyu

2015-02-18

Incorporation of Zr into an AlOx matrix generates an intrinsically activated ZAO surface enabling the formation of a stable semiconducting IGZO film and good interfacial properties. Photochemically annealed metal-oxide devices and circuits with the optimized sol-gel ZAO dielectric and IGZO semiconductor layers demonstrate the high performance and electrically/mechanically stable operation of flexible electronics fabricated via a low-temperature solution process. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular semiconductors photoelectrical properties and solar cells

CERN Document Server

Rees, Ch

1985-01-01

During the past thirty years considerable efforts have been made to design the synthesis and the study of molecular semiconductors. Molecular semiconductors - and more generally molecular materials - involve interactions between individual subunits which can be separately synthesized. Organic and metallo-organic derivatives are the basis of most of the molecular materials. A survey of the literature on molecular semiconductors leaves one rather confused. It does seem to be very difficult to correlate the molecular structure of these semiconductors with their experimental electrical properties. For inorganic materials a simple definition delimits a fairly homogeneous family. If an inorganic material has a conductivity intermediate between that of an 12 1 1 3 1 1 insulator « 10- n- cm- ) and that of a metal (> 10 n- cm- ), then it is a semiconductor and will exhibit the characteristic properties of this family, such as junction formation, photoconductivity, and the photovoltaic effect. For molecular compounds,...

Lattice Location of Radioactive Probes in Semiconductors and Metals by Electron and Positron Channelling

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The channelling effect of decay-electrons and positrons is used for the localization of radioactive impurities implanted into single crystals. Because of the low implantation doses and the variety of different isotopes available at ISOLDE, this technique is especially suited for applications in semiconducting materials. \\\\ \\\\ Channelling measurements in Si, GaAs and GaP implanted with In-, Cd- and Xe-isotopes have demonstrated that impurity lattice sites can be studied directly after implantation without any annealing. The electron-channelling technique can be ideally combined with hyperfine interaction techniques like Moessbauer s This was shown for the formation of In-vacancy complexes in ion-implanted Ni. \\\\ \\\\ We intend to continue the lattice location measurements in semiconductors implanted with various radioactive impurities of Cd, In, Sn, Sb and Te.

Dielectric function of semiconductor superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Guoyi.

1990-08-01

We present a calculation of the dielectric function for semiconductor GaAs/Ga 1-x Al x As superlattice taking account of the extension of the electron envelope function and the difference of both the dielectric constant and width between GaAs and Ga 1-x Al x As layers. In the appropriate limits, our results exactly reduce to the well-known results of the quasi two-dimensional electron gas obtained by Lee and Spector and of the period array of two-dimensional electron layers obtained by Das Sarma and Quinn. By means of the dielectric function of the superlattice, the dispersion relation of the collective excitation and the screening property of semiconductor superlattice are discussed and compared with the results of the quasi two-dimensional system and with the results of the periodic array of the two-dimensional electron layers. (author). 4 refs, 3 figs

New real space correlated-basis-functions approach for the electron correlations of the semiconductor inversion layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Weiguo; Wang Hongwei; Wu Xiang

1989-12-01

Based on the real space Correlated-Basis-Functions theory and the collective oscillation behaviour of the electron gas with effective Coulomb interaction, the many body wave function is obtained for the quasi-two-dimensional electron system in the semiconductor inversion layer. The pair-correlation function and the correlation energy of the system have been calculated by the integro-differential method in this paper. The comparison with the other previous theoretical results is also made. The new theoretical approach and its numerical results show that the pair-correlation functions are definitely positive and satisfy the normalization condition. (author). 10 refs, 2 figs

Method to quantify the delocalization of electronic states in amorphous semiconductors and its application to assessing charge carrier mobility of p -type amorphous oxide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

de Jamblinne de Meux, A.; Pourtois, G.; Genoe, J.; Heremans, P.

2018-01-01

Amorphous semiconductors are usually characterized by a low charge carrier mobility, essentially related to their lack of long-range order. The development of such material with higher charge carrier mobility is hence challenging. Part of the issue comes from the difficulty encountered by first-principles simulations to evaluate concepts such as the electron effective mass for disordered systems since the absence of periodicity induced by the disorder precludes the use of common concepts derived from condensed matter physics. In this paper, we propose a methodology based on first-principles simulations that partially solves this problem, by quantifying the degree of delocalization of a wave function and of the connectivity between the atomic sites within this electronic state. We validate the robustness of the proposed formalism on crystalline and molecular systems and extend the insights gained to disordered/amorphous InGaZnO4 and Si. We also explore the properties of p -type oxide semiconductor candidates recently reported to have a low effective mass in their crystalline phases [G. Hautier et al., Nat. Commun. 4, 2292 (2013), 10.1038/ncomms3292]. Although in their amorphous phase none of the candidates present a valence band with delocalization properties matching those found in the conduction band of amorphous InGaZnO4, three of the seven analyzed materials show some potential. The most promising candidate, K2Sn2O3 , is expected to possess in its amorphous phase a slightly higher hole mobility than the electron mobility in amorphous silicon.

GaN/NbN epitaxial semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Rusen; Khalsa, Guru; Vishwanath, Suresh; Han, Yimo; Wright, John; Rouvimov, Sergei; Katzer, D. Scott; Nepal, Neeraj; Downey, Brian P.; Muller, David A.; Xing, Huili G.; Meyer, David J.; Jena, Debdeep

2018-03-01

Epitaxy is a process by which a thin layer of one crystal is deposited in an ordered fashion onto a substrate crystal. The direct epitaxial growth of semiconductor heterostructures on top of crystalline superconductors has proved challenging. Here, however, we report the successful use of molecular beam epitaxy to grow and integrate niobium nitride (NbN)-based superconductors with the wide-bandgap family of semiconductors—silicon carbide, gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN). We apply molecular beam epitaxy to grow an AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructure directly on top of an ultrathin crystalline NbN superconductor. The resulting high-mobility, two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor exhibits quantum oscillations, and thus enables a semiconductor transistor—an electronic gain element—to be grown and fabricated directly on a crystalline superconductor. Using the epitaxial superconductor as the source load of the transistor, we observe in the transistor output characteristics a negative differential resistance—a feature often used in amplifiers and oscillators. Our demonstration of the direct epitaxial growth of high-quality semiconductor heterostructures and devices on crystalline nitride superconductors opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic and piezoelectric properties of the group III/nitride semiconductor family.

Synchrotron-based measurements of the electronic structure of the organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downes, J.E.

2004-01-01

Full text: Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is a prototypical molecular organic semiconductor that is currently used in the construction of many organic electronic devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Although the material is currently being used, and despite many experimental and theoretical studies, it's detailed electronic structure is still not completely understood. This is likely due to two key factors. Firstly, the interaction of the Cu 3d and phthalocyanine ligand 2p electrons leads to the formation of a complex arrangement of localized and delocalized states near the Fermi level. Secondly, thin films of the material are subject to damage by the photon beam used to make measurements of their electronic structure. Using the synchrotron-based techniques of soft x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), we have measured the detailed electronic structure of in-situ grown thin film samples of CuPc. Beam damage was minimized by continuous translation of the sample during data acquisition. The results obtained differ significantly from previous XES and ultraviolet photoemission measurements, but are in excellent agreement with recent density functional calculations. The reasons for these discrepancies will be explained, and their implications for future measurements on similar materials will be explored

Medical Applications and Toxicities of Gallium Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher R. Chitambar

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Over the past two to three decades, gallium compounds have gained importance in the fields of medicine and electronics. In clinical medicine, radioactive gallium and stable gallium nitrate are used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in cancer and disorders of calcium and bone metabolism. In addition, gallium compounds have displayed anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity in animal models of human disease while more recent studies have shown that gallium compounds may function as antimicrobial agents against certain pathogens. In a totally different realm, the chemical properties of gallium arsenide have led to its use in the semiconductor industry. Gallium compounds, whether used medically or in the electronics field, have toxicities. Patients receiving gallium nitrate for the treatment of various diseases may benefit from such therapy, but knowledge of the therapeutic index of this drug is necessary to avoid clinical toxicities. Animals exposed to gallium arsenide display toxicities in certain organ systems suggesting that environmental risks may exist for individuals exposed to this compound in the workplace. Although the arsenic moiety of gallium arsenide appears to be mainly responsible for its pulmonary toxicity, gallium may contribute to some of the detrimental effects in other organs. The use of older and newer gallium compounds in clinical medicine may be advanced by a better understanding of their mechanisms of action, drug resistance, pharmacology, and side-effects. This review will discuss the medical applications of gallium and its mechanisms of action, the newer gallium compounds and future directions for development, and the toxicities of gallium compounds in current use.

Design of medium band gap Ag-Bi-Nb-O and Ag-Bi-Ta-O semiconductors for driving direct water splitting with visible light.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Limin; Cao, Bingfei; Kang, Wei; Hybertsen, Mark; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Domen, Kazunari; Khalifah, Peter G

2013-08-19

Two new metal oxide semiconductors belonging to the Ag-Bi-M-O (M = Nb, Ta) chemical systems have been synthesized as candidate compounds for driving overall water splitting with visible light on the basis of cosubstitution of Ag and Bi on the A-site position of known Ca2M2O7 pyrochlores. The low-valence band edge energies of typical oxide semiconductors prevents direct water splitting in compounds with band gaps below 3.0 eV, a limitation which these compounds are designed to overcome through the incorporation of low-lying Ag 4d(10) and Bi 6s(2) states into compounds of nominal composition "AgBiM2O7". It was found that the "AgBiTa2O7" pyrochlores are in fact a solid solution with an approximate range of Ag(x)Bi(5/6)Ta2O(6.25+x/2) with 0.5 semiconductors with the onset of strong direct absorption at 2.72 and 2.96 eV, respectively. Electronic structure calculations for an ordered AgBiNb2O7 structure show that the band gap reduction and the elevation of the valence band primarily result from hybridized Ag d(10)-O 2p orbitals that lie at higher energy than the normal O 2p states in typical pyrochlore oxides. While the minimum energy gap is direct in the band structure, the lowest energy dipole allowed optical transitions start about 0.2 eV higher in energy than the minimum energy transition and involve different bands. This suggests that the minimum electronic band gap in these materials is slightly smaller than the onset energy for strong absorption in the optical measurements. The elevated valence band energies of the niobate and tantalate compounds are experimentally confirmed by the ability of these compounds to reduce 2 H(+) to H2 gas when illuminated after functionalization with a Pt cocatalyst.

Radiation effects in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

2011-01-01

There is a need to understand and combat potential radiation damage problems in semiconductor devices and circuits. Written by international experts, this book explains the effects of radiation on semiconductor devices, radiation detectors, and electronic devices and components. These contributors explore emerging applications, detector technologies, circuit design techniques, new materials, and innovative system approaches. The text focuses on how the technology is being used rather than the mathematical foundations behind it. It covers CMOS radiation-tolerant circuit implementations, CMOS pr

Single-layer group IV-V and group V-IV-III-VI semiconductors: Structural stability, electronic structures, optical properties, and photocatalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jia-He; Zhang, Hong; Cheng, Xin-Lu; Miyamoto, Yoshiyuki

2017-07-01

Recently, single-layer group III monochalcogenides have attracted both theoretical and experimental interest at their potential applications in photonic devices, electronic devices, and solar energy conversion. Excited by this, we theoretically design two kinds of highly stable single-layer group IV-V (IV =Si ,Ge , and Sn; V =N and P) and group V-IV-III-VI (IV =Si ,Ge , and Sn; V =N and P; III =Al ,Ga , and In; VI =O and S) compounds with the same structures with single-layer group III monochalcogenides via first-principles simulations. By using accurate hybrid functional and quasiparticle methods, we show the single-layer group IV-V and group V-IV-III-VI are indirect bandgap semiconductors with their bandgaps and band edge positions conforming to the criteria of photocatalysts for water splitting. By applying a biaxial strain on single-layer group IV-V, single-layer group IV nitrides show a potential on mechanical sensors due to their bandgaps showing an almost linear response for strain. Furthermore, our calculations show that both single-layer group IV-V and group V-IV-III-VI have absorption from the visible light region to far-ultraviolet region, especially for single-layer SiN-AlO and SnN-InO, which have strong absorption in the visible light region, resulting in excellent potential for solar energy conversion and visible light photocatalytic water splitting. Our research provides valuable insight for finding more potential functional two-dimensional semiconductors applied in optoelectronics, solar energy conversion, and photocatalytic water splitting.

Transmission electron microscopy of InP-based compound semiconductor materials and devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, S.N.G.

1990-01-01

InP/InGaAsP-based heteroepitaxial structures constitute the major optoelectronic devices for state-of-the-art long wavelength optical fiber communication system.s Future advanced device structures will require thin heteroepitaxial quantum wells and superlattices a few tens of angstrom or less in thickness, and lateral dimensions ranging from a few tens angstrom for quantum dots and wires to a few μm in width for buried heterostructure lasers. Due to the increasing complexity of the device structure required by band-gap engineering, the performance of these devices becomes susceptible to any lattice imperfections present in the structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), therefore, becomes the most important technique in characterizing the structural integrity of these materials. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) not only provides the necessary geometric information on the device structure; a careful study of the materials science behind the observed lattice imperfections provides directions for optimization of both the epitaxial growth parameters and device processing conditions. Furthermore, for device reliability studies, TEM is the only technique that unambiguously identifies the cause of device degradation. In this paper, the authors discuss areas of application of various TEM techniques, describe the TEM sample preparation technique, and review case studies to demonstrate the power of the TEM technique

Computer-automated tuning of semiconductor double quantum dots into the single-electron regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baart, T. A.; Vandersypen, L. M. K. [QuTech, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5046, 2600 GA Delft (Netherlands); Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5046, 2600 GA Delft (Netherlands); Eendebak, P. T. [QuTech, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5046, 2600 GA Delft (Netherlands); Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), P.O. Box 155, 2600 AD Delft (Netherlands); Reichl, C.; Wegscheider, W. [Solid State Physics Laboratory, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland)

2016-05-23

We report the computer-automated tuning of gate-defined semiconductor double quantum dots in GaAs heterostructures. We benchmark the algorithm by creating three double quantum dots inside a linear array of four quantum dots. The algorithm sets the correct gate voltages for all the gates to tune the double quantum dots into the single-electron regime. The algorithm only requires (1) prior knowledge of the gate design and (2) the pinch-off value of the single gate T that is shared by all the quantum dots. This work significantly alleviates the user effort required to tune multiple quantum dot devices.

Propagation and collision of soliton rings in quantum semiconductor plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shamy, E.F.; Gohman, F.S.

2014-01-01

The intrinsic localization of electrostatic wave energies in quantum semiconductor plasmas can be described by solitary pulses. The collision properties of these pulses are investigated. In the present study, the fundamental model includes the quantum term, degenerate pressure of the plasma species, and the electron/hole exchange–correlation effects. In cylindrical geometry, using the extended Poincaré–Lighthill–Kuo (PLK) method, the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equations and the analytical phase shifts after the collision of two soliton rings are derived. Typical values for GaSb and GaN semiconductors are used to estimate the basic features of soliton rings. It is found that the pulses of GaSb semiconductor carry more energies than the pulses of GaN semiconductor. In addition, the degenerate pressure terms of electrons and holes have strong impact on the phase shift. The present theory may be useful to analyze the collision of localized coherent electrostatic waves in quantum semiconductor plasmas. - Highlights: • The propagation and the collision of pulses in quantum semiconductor plasmas are studied. • Numerical calculations reveal that pulses may exist only in dark soliton rings for electron–hole quantum plasmas. • Typical values for GaSb and GaN semiconductors are used to estimate the basic features of soliton rings. • It is found that the pulses of GaSb semiconductor carry more energies than the pulses of GaN semiconductor. • The degenerate pressure terms of electrons and holes have strong impact on the phase shift

The Effects of Different Electron-Phonon Couplings on the Spectral and Transport Properties of Small Molecule Single-Crystal Organic Semiconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmine Antonio Perroni

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Spectral and transport properties of small molecule single-crystal organic semiconductors have been theoretically analyzed focusing on oligoacenes, in particular on the series from naphthalene to rubrene and pentacene, aiming to show that the inclusion of different electron-phonon couplings is of paramount importance to interpret accurately the properties of prototype organic semiconductors. While in the case of rubrene, the coupling between charge carriers and low frequency inter-molecular modes is sufficient for a satisfactory description of spectral and transport properties, the inclusion of electron coupling to both low-frequency inter-molecular and high-frequency intra-molecular vibrational modes is needed to account for the temperature dependence of transport properties in smaller oligoacenes. For rubrene, a very accurate analysis in the relevant experimental configuration has allowed for the clarification of the origin of the temperature-dependent mobility observed in these organic semiconductors. With increasing temperature, the chemical potential moves into the tail of the density of states corresponding to localized states, but this is not enough to drive the system into an insulating state. The mobility along different crystallographic directions has been calculated, including vertex corrections that give rise to a transport lifetime one order of magnitude smaller than the spectral lifetime of the states involved in the transport mechanism. The mobility always exhibits a power-law behavior as a function of temperature, in agreement with experiments in rubrene. In systems gated with polarizable dielectrics, the electron coupling to interface vibrational modes of the gate has to be included in addition to the intrinsic electron-phonon interaction. While the intrinsic bulk electron-phonon interaction affects the behavior of mobility in the coherent regime below room temperature, the coupling with interface modes is dominant for the

Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Semiconductor Micro- And Nanocrystals: From Colloidal Syntheses to (Opto-)Electronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Organic pigments such as indigos, quinacridones, and phthalocyanines are widely produced industrially as colorants for everyday products as various as cosmetics and printing inks. Herein we introduce a general procedure to transform commercially available insoluble microcrystalline pigment powders into colloidal solutions of variously sized and shaped semiconductor micro- and nanocrystals. The synthesis is based on the transformation of the pigments into soluble dyes by introducing transient protecting groups on the secondary amine moieties, followed by controlled deprotection in solution. Three deprotection methods are demonstrated: thermal cleavage, acid-catalyzed deprotection, and amine-induced deprotection. During these processes, ligands are introduced to afford colloidal stability and to provide dedicated surface functionality and for size and shape control. The resulting micro- and nanocrystals exhibit a wide range of optical absorption and photoluminescence over spectral regions from the visible to the near-infrared. Due to excellent colloidal solubility offered by the ligands, the achieved organic nanocrystals are suitable for solution processing of (opto)electronic devices. As examples, phthalocyanine nanowire transistors as well as quinacridone nanocrystal photodetectors, with photoresponsivity values by far outperforming those of vacuum deposited reference samples, are demonstrated. The high responsivity is enabled by photoinduced charge transfer between the nanocrystals and the directly attached electron-accepting vitamin B2 ligands. The semiconducting nanocrystals described here offer a cheap, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly alternative to inorganic nanocrystals as well as a new paradigm for obtaining organic semiconductor materials from commercial colorants. PMID:25253644

Transversal light forces in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Lindberg, M

2003-01-01

The transversal light force is a well established effect in atomic and molecular systems that are exposed to spatially inhomogeneous light fields. In this paper it is shown theoretically that in an excited semiconductor, containing an electron-hole plasma or excitons, a similar light force exists, if the semiconductor is exposed to an ultrashort spatially inhomogeneous light field. The analysis is based on the equations of motion for the Wigner distribution functions of charge carrier populations and interband polarizations. The results show that, while the light force on the electron-hole plasma or the excitons does exist, its effects on the kinetic behaviour of the electron-hole plasma or the excitons are different compared to the situation in an atomic or molecular system. A detailed analysis presented here traces this difference back to the principal differences between atoms and molecules on the one hand and electron-hole plasmas or excitons on the other hand.