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At least 451 records · Page 25

Effective dopant activation by susceptor-assisted microwave annealing of low energy boron implanted and phosphorus implanted silicon

Rapid processing and reduced end-of-range diffusion result from susceptor-assisted microwave (MW) annealing, making this technique an efficient processing alternative for electrically activating dopants within ion-implanted semiconductors. Sheet resistance and Hall measurements provide evidence of electrical activation. Susceptor-assisted MW annealing, of ion-implanted Si, enables more effective dopant activation and at lower temperatures than required for rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Raman spectroscopy and ion channeling analyses are used to monitor the extent of ion implantation damage and recrystallization. The presence and behavior of extended defects are monitored by cross-section transmission electron microscopy. Phosphorus implanted Si samples experience effective electrical activation upon MW annealing. On the other hand, when boron implanted Si is MW annealed, the growth of extended defects results in reduced crystalline quality that hinders the electrical activation process. Further comparison of dopant diffusion resulting from MW annealing and rapid thermal annealing is performed using secondary ion mass spectroscopy. MW annealed ion implanted samples show less end-of-range diffusion when compared to RTA samples. In particular, MW annealed P{sup +} implanted samples achieve no visible diffusion and equivalent electrical activation at a lower temperature and with a shorter time-duration of annealing compared to RTA. In this study, the peak temperature attained during annealing does not depend on the dopant species or dose, for susceptor-assisted MW annealing of ion-implanted Si.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Microstructure and oxidation behavior of high strength steel AISI 410 implanted with nitrogen ion

Surface treatment by implantation with nitrogen-ion was performed on the commercial feritic high strength steel AISI 410 which is termed for high temperature applications. The aim of this research was focused on the surface modification to improve its high temperature oxidation property in the early stages. Ion implantation was carried out at acceleration energy of 100 KeV and ion current 10 mA for 30, 60 and 90 minutes. The samples were subjected to the high temperature oxidation test by means of thermogravimetry in a magnetic suspension balance (MSB) at 500 °C for 5 hours. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) and Vickers Hardness measurement were used for sample characterization. The formation of ferro-nitride phase after implantation did not occur, however a thin layer considered to contain nitrogen interstitials was detected. The oxidation of both samples before and after implantation followed parabolic kinetics indicating inward growth of oxide scale characteristically due to diffusion of oxygen anions towards matrix surface. After oxidation test relativelly stable oxide scales were observed. Oxidation rates decreased proportionally with the increasing of implantation time due to the formation of oxide layer which is considered to be effectiv inhibitor for the oxygen diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stress enhanced diffusion of krypton ions in polycrystalline titanium

An experimental investigation on the mutual influence of pre-existing residual stress and point defect following ion implantation is presented. The study has been carried out using polycrystalline titanium samples energetically implanted with krypton ions at different fluences. Ion beam analysis was used to determine the concentration profile of the injected krypton ions, while synchrotron X-ray diffraction has been used for stress determination. Ion beam analysis and synchrotron X-ray diffraction stress profile measurements of the implanted titanium samples show a clear evidence of stress-enhanced diffusion of krypton ions in titanium. It is further observed that for the titanium samples implanted at low fluence, ion implantation modifies the pre-existing residual stress through the introduction of point and open volume defects. The stress fields resulting from the ion implantation act to drift the krypton inclusions towards the surface of titanium.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Development of AlGaN‐Based Deep‐Ultraviolet Avalanche Photodetectors—Toward Their Intrinsic Characteristics

Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N deep‐UV p–i–n avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are demonstrated grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on a (0001) c‐plane aluminum nitride (AlN) bulk substrate and fabricated both with and without an ion implantation process for mesa‐edge electric‐field termination. Three design considerations are taken into account: the optical absorption of the AlN bulk substrate, the photosensitivity of the APD, and the breakdown electric field. The MOCVD growth conditions of the AlGaN APD layers are optimized. Then, a detailed description of the seven device fabrication steps of the APDs is provided, which includes nitrogen ion implantation. The APDs fabricated by the ion implant process exhibit a dark‐current density under low reverse bias ≈1 × 10 −9 A cm −2 . This is one order of magnitude lower than the APD fabricated without ion implantation from the same wafer. The breakdown voltage of the APD is ≈−140 V. The calculated optical gain of the ion‐implanted APD beyond avalanche breakdown is ≈5.2 × 10 5 (current limited) and the device has an average zero‐bias photoresponse of ≈68 mA W −1 at a wavelength of 250 nm.

Jeong, Hoon [Department of Electronic Engineering ↗

Suppressing light reflection from polycrystalline silicon thin films through surface texturing and silver nanostructures

This work demonstrates a novel method combining ion implantation and silver nanostructures for suppressing light reflection from polycrystalline silicon thin films. Samples were implanted with 20-keV hydrogen ions to a dose of 10¹⁷/cm², and some of them received an additional argon ion implant to a dose of 5×10¹⁵ /cm² at an energy between 30 and 300 keV. Compared to the case with a single H implant, the processing involved both H and Ar implants and post-implantation annealing has created a much higher degree of surface texturing, leading to a more dramatic reduction of light reflection from polycrystalline Si films over a broadband range between 300 and 1200 nm, e.g., optical reflection from the air/Si interface in the AM1.5 sunlight condition decreasing from ~30% with an untextured surface to below 5% for a highly textured surface after post-implantation annealing at 1000°C. Formation of Ag nanostructures on these ion beam processed surfaces further reduces light reflection, and surface texturing is expected to have the benefit of diminishing light absorption losses within large-size (>100 nm) Ag nanoparticles, yielding an increased light trapping efficiency within Si as opposed to the case with Ag nanostructures on a smooth surface. A discussion of the effects of surface textures and Ag nanoparticles on light trapping within Si thin films is also presented with the aid of computer simulations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Microstructural study of He{sup +}-implanted and thermally annealed silicon-on-sapphire layers

The effect of He{sup +} ion implantation and subsequent annealing on the silicon-on-sapphire microstructure is studied by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is established that He{sup +} ion implantation leads to the formation of defects in the Si layer and α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, while subsequent annealing causes dissociation of radiation defects in Si and formation of nanopores in α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The effect of implanted-ion dose and annealing temperature on the parameters of the porous α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer and structural quality of the Si layer is investigated.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Development of Single Photon Sources in GaN

The recent discovery of bright, room-temperature, single photon emitters in GaN leads to an appealing alternative to diamond best single photon emitters given the widespread use and technological maturity of III-nitrides for optoelectronics (e.g. blue LEDs, lasers) and high-speed, high-power electronics. This discovery opens the door to on-chip and on-demand single photon sources integrated with detectors and electronics. Currently, little is known about the underlying defect structure nor is there a sense of how such an emitter might be controllably created. A detailed understanding of the origin of the SPEs in GaN and a path to deterministically introduce them is required. In this project, we develop new experimental capabilities to then investigate single photon emission from GaN nanowires and both GAN and AlN wafers. We ion implant our wafers with the ion implanted with our focused ion beam nanoimplantation capabilities at Sandia, to go beyond typical broad beam implantation and create single photon emitting defects with nanometer precision. We've created light emitting sources using Li + and He + , but single photon emission has yet to be demonstrated. In parallel, we calculate the energy levels of defects and transition metal substitutions in GaN to gain a better understanding of the sources of single photon emission in GaN and AlN. The combined experimental and theoretical capabilities developed throughout this project will enable further investigation into the origins of single photon emission from defects in GaN, AlN, and other wide bandgap semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

LEC GaAs for integrated circuit applications

Recent developments in liquid encapsulated Czochralski techniques for the growth of semiinsulating GaAs for integrated circuit applications have resulted in significant improvements in the quality and quantity of GaAs material suitable for device processing. The emergence of high performance GaAs integrated circuit technologies has accelerated the demand for high quality, large diameter semiinsulating GaAs substrates. The new device technologies, including digital integrated circuits, monolithic microwave integrated circuits and charge coupled devices have largely adopted direct ion implantation for the formation of doped layers. Ion implantation lends itself to good uniformity and reproducibility, high yield and low cost; however, this technique also places stringent demands on the quality of the semiinsulating GaAs substrates. Although significant progress was made in developing a viable planar ion implantation technology, the variability and poor quality of GaAs substrates have hindered progress in process development.

Kirkpatrick, C. G.↗

Unraveling the Early-Stage Ordering of Krypton Solid Bubbles in Molybdenum: A Multimodal Study

Self-organization of defects such as fission gas bubbles in materials can lead to high inventory capacity for fission gas storage and help mitigate swelling caused by fission gases in nuclear fuel materials under radiation in nuclear reactors. Here, we report the physical mechanism of self-organization of krypton (Kr) gas bubbles in molybdenum (Mo) under ion implantation. The ion fluence and temperature-dependent formation of Kr solid bubble superlattice (SBS) in Mo were investigated by using both synchrotron-based small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Early stage self-organization of gas bubbles is observed at a fluence of 2.5 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 at temperatures of 300–400 °C. The bubble lattice constant increases with increasing implantation temperature from 300 to 400 °C. Both experiments and atomic kinetic Monte Carlo modeling indicate that the Kr solid bubbles are weakly ordered in comparison to previously studied helium (He) gas bubble superlattice (GBS) while the lattice constant are relatively smaller for Kr SBS compared to that of He GBS. The irradiation conditions suggest that spinodal decomposition, which is a form of phase separation, probably precedes gas bubble ordering in Mo. Altogether, our work sheds light on the formation mechanism of noble gas superlattice toward the development of radiation-tolerant materials which are important for the design of advanced nuclear reactors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Resistance to Helium Bubble Formation in Amorphous SiOC/Crystalline Fe Nanocomposite

The management of radiation defects and insoluble He atoms represent key challenges for structural materials in existing fission reactors and advanced reactor systems. To examine how crystalline/amorphous interface, together with the amorphous constituents affects radiation tolerance and He management, we studied helium bubble formation in helium ion implanted amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe composites by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SiOC/Fe composites were grown via magnetron sputtering with controlled length scale on a surface oxidized Si (100) substrate. These composites were subjected to 50 keV He+ implantation with ion doses chosen to produce a 5 at% peak He concentration. TEM characterization shows no sign of helium bubbles in SiOC layers nor an indication of secondary phase formation after irradiation. Compared to pure Fe films, helium bubble density in Fe layers of SiOC/Fe composite is less and it decreases as the amorphous/crystalline SiOC/Fe interface density increases. Our findings suggest that the crystalline/amorphous interface can help to mitigate helium defect generated during implantation, and therefore enhance the resistance to helium bubble formation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigation of the effect of low energy ion beam irradiation on mono-layer graphene

In this paper, the effect of low energy irradiation on mono-layer graphene was studied. Mono-layer graphene films were irradiated with B, N and F ions at different energy and fluence. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that foreign ions implanted at ion energies below 35 eV could dope into the graphene lattice and form new chemical bonds with carbon atoms. The results of Raman measurement indicate that ion beam irradiation causes defects and disorder to the graphene crystal structure, and the level of defects increases with increasing of ion energy and fluence. Surface morphology images also prove that ion beam irradiation creates damages to graphene film. The experiment results suggest that low-energy irradiation with energies of about 30 eV and fluences up to 5·10{sup 14} cm{sup −2} could realize small amount of doping, while introducing weak damage to graphene. Low energy ion beam irradiation, provides a promising approach for controlled doping of graphene.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Direct-Write Ion Beam Lithography

Patterning with a focused ion beam (FIB) is an extremely versatile fabrication process that can be used to create microscale and nanoscale designs on the surface of practically any solid sample material. Based on the type of ion-sample interaction utilized, FIB-based manufacturing can be both subtractive and additive, even in the same processing step. Indeed, the capability of easily creating three-dimensional patterns and shaping objects by milling and deposition is probably the most recognized feature of ion beam lithography (IBL) and micromachining. However, there exist several other techniques, such as ion implantation- and ion damage-based patterning and surface functionalization types of processes that have emerged as valuable additions to the nanofabrication toolkit and that are less widely known. While fabrication throughput, in general, is arguably low due to the serial nature of the direct-writing process, speed is not necessarily a problem in these IBL applications that work with small ion doses. Here we provide a comprehensive review of ion beam lithography in general and a practical guide to the individual IBL techniques developed to date. Special attention is given to applications in nanofabrication.

Joshi-Imre, Alexandra↗

Ion Beam Formation and Modification of Cobalt Nanoparticles

This article reviews the size-dependent structural properties of ion beam synthesized Co nanoparticles (NPs) and the influence of ion irradiation on the size, shape, phase and structure. The evolution of the aforementioned properties were determined using complementary laboratory- and advanced synchrotron-based techniques, including cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Combining such techniques reveals a rich array of transformations particular to Co NPs. This methodology highlights the effectiveness of ion implantation and ion irradiation procedures as a means of fine tuning NP properties to best suit specific technological applications. Furthermore, our results facilitate a better understanding and aid in identifying the underlying physics particular to this potentially technologically important class of nanomaterials.

EXAFS↗

Domed, 40-cm-Diameter Ion Optics for an Ion Thruster

Improved accelerator and screen grids for an ion accelerator have been designed and tested in a continuing effort to increase the sustainable power and thrust at the high end of the accelerator throttling range. The accelerator and screen grids are undergoing development for intended use as NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) a spacecraft thruster that would have an input-power throttling range of 1.2 to 6.9 kW. The improved accelerator and screen grids could also be incorporated into ion accelerators used in such industrial processes as ion implantation and ion milling. NEXT is a successor to the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) thruster - a state-of-the-art ion thruster characterized by, among other things, a beam-extraction diameter of 28 cm, a span-to-gap ratio (defined as this diameter divided by the distance between the grids) of about 430, and a rated peak input power of 2.3 kW. To enable the NEXT thruster to operate at the required higher peak power, the beam-extraction diameter was increased to 40 cm almost doubling the beam-extraction area over that of NSTAR (see figure). The span-to-gap ratio was increased to 600 to enable throttling to the low end of the required input-power range. The geometry of the apertures in the grids was selected on the basis of experience in the use of grids of similar geometry in the NSTAR thruster. Characteristics of the aperture geometry include a high open-area fraction in the screen grid to reduce discharge losses and a low open-area fraction in the accelerator grid to reduce losses of electrically neutral gas atoms or molecules. The NEXT accelerator grid was made thicker than that of the NSTAR to make more material available for erosion, thereby increasing the service life and, hence, the total impulse. The NEXT grids are made of molybdenum, which was chosen because its combination of high strength and low thermal expansion helps to minimize thermally and inertially induced deflections of the grids. A secondary reason for choosing molybdenum is the availability of a large database for this material. To keep development costs low, the NEXT grids have been fabricated by the same techniques used to fabricate the NSTAR grids. In tests, the NEXT ion optics have been found to outperform the NSTAR ion optics, as expected.

Soulas, George C.↗

Iron nitride permanent magnet and technique for forming iron nitride permanent magnet

A bulk permanent magnetic material may include between about 5 volume percent and about 40 volume percent Fe16N2 phase domains, a plurality of nonmagnetic atoms or molecules forming domain wall pinning sites, and a balance soft magnetic material, wherein at least some of the soft magnetic material is magnetically coupled to the Fe16N2 phase domains via exchange spring coupling. In some examples, a bulk permanent magnetic material may be formed by implanting N+ ions in an iron workpiece using ion implantation to form an iron nitride workpiece, pre-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to attach the iron nitride workpiece to a substrate, and post-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to form Fe16N2 phase domains within the iron nitride workpiece.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Iron nitride permanent magnet and technique for forming iron nitride permanent magnet

A bulk permanent magnetic material may include between about 5 volume percent and about 40 volume percent Fe16N2 phase domains, a plurality of nonmagnetic atoms or molecules forming domain wall pinning sites, and a balance soft magnetic material, wherein at least some of the soft magnetic material is magnetically coupled to the Fe16N2 phase domains via exchange spring coupling. In some examples, a bulk permanent magnetic material may be formed by implanting N+ ions in an iron workpiece using ion implantation to form an iron nitride workpiece, pre-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to attach the iron nitride workpiece to a substrate, and post-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to form Fe16N2 phase domains within the iron nitride workpiece.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Iron nitride permanent magnet and technique for forming iron nitride permanent magnet

A bulk permanent magnetic material may include between about 5 volume percent and about 40 volume percent Fe16N2 phase domains, a plurality of nonmagnetic atoms or molecules forming domain wall pinning sites, and a balance soft magnetic material, wherein at least some of the soft magnetic material is magnetically coupled to the Fe16N2 phase domains via exchange spring coupling. In some examples, a bulk permanent magnetic material may be formed by implanting N+ ions in an iron workpiece using ion implantation to form an iron nitride workpiece, pre-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to attach the iron nitride workpiece to a substrate, and post-annealing the iron nitride workpiece to form Fe16N2 phase domains within the iron nitride workpiece.

Wang, Jian-Ping↗

Self-neutralized ion beam

A vacuum arc ion source provides high current beams of metal ions that have been used both for accelerator injection and for ion implantation, and in both of these applications the degree of space charge neutralization of the beam is important. In accelerator injection application, the beam from the ion source may be accelerated further (post-acceleration), redirected by a bending magnet(s), or focused with magnetic or electrostatic lenses, and knowledge of the beam space charge is needed for optimal design of the optical elements. In ion implantation application, any build-up of positive charge in the insulating targets must be compensated by a simultaneous flux of cold electrons so as to provide overall charge neutrality of the target. We show that in line-of-sight ion implantation using a vacuum arc ion source, the high current ion beam carries along its own background sea of cold electrons, and this copious source of electrons provides a ''self-neutralizing'' feature to the beam. Here we describe experiments carried out in order to demonstrate this effect, and we provide an analysis showing that the beam is space-charge-neutralized to a very high degree.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗