MIS diode structure in As+-implanted CdS
Increased turnover voltage suggests metal-insulator-semiconductor structure.
Hutchby, J. A.↗
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Results for “Semiconductor structures”
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Dangling bonds, the charge neutrality level, and band alignment in semiconductors
We present a systematic study of the electronic properties of dangling bonds (DBs) in a variety of semiconductors and examine the relationship between DBs and the charge neutrality level (CNL) in the context of band alignments of semiconductors. We use first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to assess the energetics of DBs in a set of diamond-structure group-IV and III–V or II–VI zinc-blende-structure semiconductors, considering both cation and anion-derived states. We examine the charge-state transition levels of DBs to assess whether they can serve as a CNL to align band structures, by comparing with offsets calculated from interface calculations. Our results show that this approach for evaluating the CNL yields quantitative results for band offsets and provides useful insights. We discuss the relation with alternative approaches for determination of CNLs based on branch-point energies or transition levels of interstitial hydrogen.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Trap-assisted Auger-Meitner recombination in GaN p-i-n diodes
Most properties of semiconductor devices are dominated by shallow impurities. However, deep defects often play an important role, for instance, in recombination processes or high field transport. While a variety of techniques are available to assess the density and energy levels of impurities, other properties, such as the recombination mechanisms of the defects, escape observation. We report on the direct measurement of hot electrons generated by trap-assisted Auger-Meitner recombination (TAAR) in GaN p-i-n diodes. By performing electron emission spectroscopy (EES) on diodes with surfaces activated to negative electron affinity by cesium, we observe the expected overflow electrons of p-i-n diodes under low current injection. However, when operating the devices at higher current densities, as low as ∼25 A/cm 2 , we measure the emission of high-energy electrons. At variance with the observed hot electrons in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using EES, the hot electrons generated in p-i-n diodes at our tested currents cannot be from eeh Auger-Meitner recombination due to the diodes' significantly lower carrier densities compared to those in LEDs. During our measurements, we observe the emission of accumulated electrons with energies ∼0.42 eV, ∼0.99 eV, ∼1.43 eV, and ∼2.32 eV above the conduction-band minimum (CBM) at various bias conditions, suggesting the existence of conduction-band features in GaN at these energies where electrons can be long-lived, such as satellite-valley minima and inflection points. We also measure incompletely relaxed hot electrons approaching energies 1.97 ± 0.13 eV and 2.94 ± 0.13 eV above the CBM, as the diodes are biased to high currents, suggesting at least some of the TAAR partaking defects have an energy level ≳1.97 eV and ≳2.94 eV away from either the conduction or valence band edges. Additionally, at our highest operating currents, we measure hot electrons with energies 3.28 ± 0.13 eV above the CBM, providing direct evidence of TAAR processes involving shallow impurities. This unexpected observation of TAAR in GaN p-i-n diodes spotlights the importance of further studies of defects in GaN and the necessity to incorporate the multi-phonon emission, radiative, and TAAR capture steps of defect-assisted recombination cycles into device modeling. Furthermore, this experiment demonstrates the applicability of the simplest semiconductor structures, p-i-n diodes, as a test bed to study the rich recombination physics of semiconductor materials.
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
Solid-State Neutron Detector Device
The structure and methods of fabricating a high efficiency compact solid state neutron detector based on III-Nitride semiconductor structures deposited on a substrate. The operation of the device is based on absorption of neutrons, which results in generation of free carriers.
Bensaoula, Abdelhak↗
Room-temperature spin injection across a chiral perovskite/III–V interface
Spin accumulation in semiconductor structures at room temperature and without magnetic fields is key to enable a broader range of optoelectronic functionality. Current efforts are limited owing to inherent inefficiencies associated with spin injection across semiconductor interfaces. Here we demonstrate spin injection across chiral halide perovskite/III-V interfaces achieving spin accumulation in a standard semiconductor III-V (Al x Ga 1-x ) 0.5 In 0.5 P multiple quantum well light-emitting diode. The spin accumulation in the multiple quantum well is detected through emission of circularly polarized light with a degree of polarization of up to 15 ± 4%. The chiral perovskite/III-V interface was characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cross-sectional scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy imaging, showing a clean semiconductor/semiconductor interface at which the Fermi level can equilibrate. Finally, these findings demonstrate that chiral perovskite semiconductors can transform well-developed semiconductor platforms into ones that can also control spin.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy of Metal/Group IV Interfaces
Ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy, together with related techniques, have been applied with great success to the study of buried interfaces. These probes, known collectively as BEEM, have yielded important information on interface transport, interface band structure, and carrier scattering, with lateral spatial resolution on the nanometer scale. Recent applications of the technique to polycrystalline metal/semiconductor interfaces have demonstrated an ability to spatially map both conduction band and valence band semiconductor structure. BEEM studies of epitaxial silicide/silicon interfaces have been particularly fruitful, as the rich silicide band structure results in complex and often surprising transport behavior...
Hecht, M. H.↗
Tunable-Quantum-Well Infrared Detector
Proposed detector of infrared photons based on photon-assisted, resonant quantum-mechanical tunneling between adjacent energy wells in its semiconductor structure. Wavelength adjusted by changing applied voltage. Device contains alternating layers of different seminconductors which form double-quantum-well electron-energy structure. Tunable-quantum-well detectors made on single chip constitutes line imager. Many such devices stacked to form two-dimensional imaging device. Signal-processing circuitry integrated into chip at its lower end. Potential barriers and wells produced by alternating layers of different semiconductor materials. Steepness of slope proportional to applied electric field. Electric field and thicknesses and heights of barriers selected to favor photon-assisted, resonant quantum-mechanical tunneling at chosen photon frequency.
Maserjian, Joseph↗
Optical and photoelectric properties of surface barrier diodes based on n- Hg3In2Te6 crystals
The high radiation resistance of Hg3In2Te6 (MIT) single crystals to large doses of ionizing radiation makes devices quite attractive. Such a feature of the crystal structure has not only important advantages, but also causes serious technological difficulties in doping and controlling the specific resistance within the required limits and type of conductivity of single crystals. These technological difficulties create serious problems when creating structures with a potential barrier, especially with a p-n junction. At the moment, there are no publications on the creation of a p-n junction based on MIT. The only alternative is to create a potential barrier such as a Schottky diode or a metal-dielectric-semiconductor structure. This limits the use of MIT to produce, for example, rectifier diodes that can operate at relatively high reverse bias voltages. The typical resistivity of single crystals of MIT of n-type conductivity, which are used for the manufacture of diodes and photodiodes, is approximately equal to ρ≈103-104 Ω×cm. Such a specific resistance leads to a relatively large resistance of the neutral part of the single crystal, which in turn limits the direct currents of the rectifier diodes and significantly limits an important parameter of photodiodes - the dynamic range of the watt-ampere characteristic. This problem arises from the relatively high series resistance of the substrate. For rectifier diodes, this relatively large series resistance leads to a significant forward bias voltage drop, which reduces both the rectification factor and the amount of rectified current. We have already created diodes and photodiodes on Cr/MIT/Cr single crystals with a specific resistance of ρ≈103-104 Ω×cm. The diodes had relatively small dark currents but had the disadvantage of a relatively large specific resistance of the substrate, which we have already discussed above [1,2,3].
Sklyarchuk, V.↗
Determining the Structure-Property Relationships of Quasi-Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanoplatelets.
We report a theoretical study of CdSe nanoplatelets aimed at identifying the main factors determining their photophysical properties. Using atomic configurations optimized with density functional theory calculations, we computed quasiparticle and exciton binding energies of nanoplatelets with two to seven monolayers. We employed many body perturbation theory at the GW level and solved the Bethe-Salpeter equation to obtain absorption spectra and excitonic properties. Our results, which agree well with recent experiments, were then used to design a model that allows us to disentangle the effects of quantum confinement, strain induced by passivating ligands, and dielectric environment on the electronic properties of nanoplatelets. We found that, for the model to accurately reproduce our first principle results, it is critical to account for surface stress and consider a finite potential barrier and energy-dependent effective masses when describing quantum confinement. Our findings call into question previous assumptions on the validity of an infinite barrier to describe carrier confinement in nanoplatelets, suggesting that it may be possible to optimize interfacial charge transfer and extraction by appropriately choosing passivating ligands. The model developed here is generalizable to core-shell platelets and enables the description of system sizes not yet directly treatable by first-principles calculations.
Greenwood, Arin R.↗
Disorder effects in nitride semiconductors: impact on fundamental and device properties
Abstract Semiconductor structures used for fundamental or device applications most often incorporate alloy materials. In “usual” or “common” III–V alloys, based on the InGaAsP or InGaAlAs material systems, the effects of compositional disorder on the electronic properties can be treated in a perturbative approach. This is not the case in the more recent nitride-based GaInAlN alloys, where the potential changes associated with the various atoms induce strong localization effects, which cannot be described perturbatively. Since the early studies of these materials and devices, disorder effects have indeed been identified to play a major role in their properties. Although many studies have been performed on the structural characterization of materials, on intrinsic electronic localization properties, and on the impact of disorder on device operation, there are still many open questions on all these topics. Taking disorder into account also leads to unmanageable problems in simulations. As a prerequisite to address material and device simulations, a critical examination of experiments must be considered to ensure that one measures intrinsic parameters as these materials are difficult to grow with low defect densities. A specific property of nitride semiconductors that can obscure intrinsic properties is the strong spontaneous and piezoelectric fields. We outline in this review the remaining challenges faced when attempting to fully describe nitride-based material systems, taking the examples of LEDs. The objectives of a better understanding of disorder phenomena are to explain the hidden phenomena often forcing one to use ad hoc parameters, or additional poorly defined concepts, to make simulations agree with experiments. Finally, we describe a novel simulation tool based on a mathematical breakthrough to solve the Schrödinger equation in disordered potentials that facilitates 3D simulations that include alloy disorder.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Electronic states of semiconductor-metal-semiconductor quantum-well structures
Quantum-size effects are calculated in thin layered semiconductor-metal-semiconductor structures using an ideal free-electron model for the metal layer. The results suggest new quantum-well structures having device applications. Structures with sufficiently high-quality interfaces should exhibit effects such as negative differential resistance due to tunneling between allowed states. Similarly, optical detection by intersubband absorption may be possible. Ultrathin metal layers are predicted to behave as high-density dopant sheets.
Huberman, M. L.↗
Giant g-factors and fully spin-polarized states in metamorphic short-period InAsSb/InSb superlattices
Abstract Realizing a large Landé g -factor of electrons in solid-state materials has long been thought of as a rewarding task as it can trigger abundant immediate applications in spintronics and quantum computing. Here, by using metamorphic InAsSb/InSb superlattices (SLs), we demonstrate an unprecedented high value of g ≈ 104, twice larger than that in bulk InSb, and fully spin-polarized states at low magnetic fields. In addition, we show that the g -factor can be tuned on demand from 20 to 110 via varying the SL period. The key ingredients of such a wide tunability are the wavefunction mixing and overlap between the electron and hole states, which have drawn little attention in prior studies. Our work not only establishes metamorphic InAsSb/InSb as a promising and competitive material platform for future quantum devices but also provides a new route toward g -factor engineering in semiconductor structures.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Gate control of electron correlations towards Mott field effect transistors (MottFET)
The modulation of channel conductance in field-effect transistors (FETs) via metal-insulator-semiconductor structures has revolutionized information processing and storage. However, the limitations of silicon-based FETs in electrical switching have driven the search for new materials capable of overcoming these constraints. Electrostatic gating of competing electronic phases in a Mott material near its metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) offers the prospects of substantial modulation of the conducting electrons and electrical resistivity through small changes in band filling. While electrostatic control of the MIT has been previously reported, the advancement of Mott materials toward novel Mott-based transistors, MottFETs requires the realization of their unique physical properties in a solid-state device. In this study, we present gate control of electron correlation using a solid-state device utilizing the oxide Mott system La 1-x Sr x VO 3 as a correlated FET channel. We report on a gate resistance response that cannot be explained in a purely electrostatic framework. This behavior suggests an enhancement in effective mass and a reduction in effective carrier density as the system approaches its insulating state, consistent with theoretical predictions for Mott systems, suggesting at least 100× charge gain originating from the correlated behavior. These preliminary results pave the way toward the development of highly efficient, low-power electronic devices that could surpass the performance bottlenecks of conventional FETs by leveraging the electronic phase transitions of correlated electron systems.
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
Tradeoffs in single stage drift step recovery diode generator design
A high-voltage generator of nanosecond pulses utilizing a drift step recovery diode (DSRD) as an opening switch in the compression section is designed to operate at peak voltages of 4 kV and repetition rates of 2 MHz in burst mode at reduced voltages. The generator is used to perform empirical studies on the output metrics of a DSRD generator with a focus on matching the circuit of the reverse current loop parameters and DSRD to the load. The dynamic impedance introduced by nonlinear elements in the DSRD was investigated with respect to the driving circuit by varying the number of DSRDs connected in series. Experimental results indicate that optimization of the driving circuit for the DSRD is key to minimizing losses and achieving optimal pulse compression. Furthermore, the results also indicate trends in DSRD performance as larger storage inductances and longer pumping times are used, limiting the pulse compression capabilities of a single stage DSRD generator.
Electrical properties and parameters↗
World’s First Vertical GaN based High Power (200 kW) Multi-level Traction Electric Drive Design
Vertical GaN (vGaN) technology leverages a fully conductive 3D semiconductor structure, enabling superior power density compared to GaN-on-Si and other wide bandgap devices. It offers a pathway to surpass cost and efficiency limitations of Si and SiC devices in traction applications. However, scaling for high-voltage, high-power systems remains challenging. This paper presents the design of an 800V, 200kW traction inverter utilizing vertical GaN devices. The inverter achieves ultra-high efficiency (> 99.5%) through advanced power module integration and employs multilevel neutral-point-less X-type (NPL.X) inverter topology to ensure optimal traction drive system performance. These innovations demonstrate the potential of vGaN for nextgeneration electric propulsion systems.
Alam, Khorshed [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (U↗
Development of MNOS technology Final report
Metal nitride oxide semiconductor structures for amplifying and memory
Source record↗
Collaborative research in tunneling and field emission pumped surface wave local oscillators and amplifiers for infrared and submillimeter wavelengths under director's discretionary fund
Progress is reported in work towards the development of surface wave sources for the infrared and sub-millimeter portion of the spectrum to be based upon electron pumping by tunneling electrons in metal-barrier-metal or metal-barrier-semiconductor devices. Tunneling phenomena and the coupling of radiation to tunnel junctions were studied. The propagation characteristics of surface electro-magnetic modes in metal-insulator-p(++) semiconductor structures as a function of frequency were calculated. A model for the gain process based upon Tucker's formalism was developed and used to estimate what low frequency gain might be expected from such structures. The question of gain was addressed from a more fundamental viewpoint using the method of Lasher and Stern.
Gustafson, T. K.↗
High frequency capacitance-voltage characteristics of thermally grown SiO2 films on beta-SiC
Silicon dioxide films grown under dry and wet oxidation environment on beta-SiC films have been studied. The beta-SiC films had been heteroepitaxially grown on both on-axis and 2-deg off-axis (001) Si substrates. Capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor structures were measured in a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz. From these measurements, the interface trap density and the effective fixed oxide charge density were observed to be generally lower for off-axis samples.
Tang, S. M.↗