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At least 775 records · Page 43

Light emission from conductive paths in nanocrystalline CdSe embedded Zr-doped HfO{sub 2} high-k stack

Electrical and optical properties of the solid state incandescent light emitting devices made of zirconium doped hafnium oxide high-k films with and without an embedded nanocrystalline CdSe layer on the p-type Si wafer have been studied. The broad band white light was emitted from nano sized conductive paths through the thermal excitation mechanism. Conductive paths formed from the dielectric breakdown have been confirmed from scanning electron microscopic and atomic force microscopic images and the secondary ion mass spectrometric elemental profiles. Si was diffused from the wafer to the device surface through the conductive path during the high temperature light emission process. There are many potential applications of this type of device.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Transparent conductor-embedding nanolens for Si solar cells

We present a large-scale applicable nanolens-embedding solar cell. An electrically conductive and optically transparent indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film was coated on a Si substrate. After then, periodically patterned ITO nanodome-arrays were formed on the ITO film by using a nano-imprint method. This structure is effective to reduce the incident light reflection for broad wavelengths and also efficient to drive the incident photons into a light-absorbing Si substrate. There exist two electric fields. One is by a p/n junction and the other is by the light absorption into Si. We designed nanolens structures to overlap two electric fields and demonstrate highly improved solar cell performances of current and voltage values from a planar structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Magneto-optical studies of SrGa{sub 0.7} Co{sub 0.3} O{sub 3−δ} perovskite thin films with embedded cobalt nanoparticles

Sr(Ga{sub 0.7} Co{sub 0.3})O{sub 3−δ}/Co perovskite/metal thin films have been systematically studied by means of Faraday and Kerr magneto-optical spectroscopies. The samples were prepared by pulsed laser deposition on (001) (LaAlO{sub 3}) {sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}) {sub 0.7} (LSAT) and Si substrates, and grew as a perovskite matrix containing approximately 6% by volume of embedded metallic Co nanoparticles with diameter less than 20 nm, which were distributed throughout the film and at the film-substrate interface. The film thickness ranged from 130 to 310 nm. The perovskite matrix was single crystal on LSAT and polycrystalline on Si. The magneto-optical spectroscopy was carried out in both Faraday and Kerr configurations in the photon energy range from 0.5 to 5 eV in magnetic fields sufficient for sample saturation, showing a strong thickness dependence of the magneto-optical effect. This dependence was attributed to the different metallic Co content, nanoparticle size, and accumulation at the film-substrate interface.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Electronic and chemical structure of an organic light emitter embedded in an inorganic wide-bandgap semiconductor: Photoelectron spectroscopy of layered and composite structures of Ir(BPA) and ZnSe

Luminescent organic phases embedded in conductive inorganic matrices are proposed for hybrid organic-inorganic light-emitting diodes. In this configuration, the organic dye acts as the radiative recombination site for charge carriers injected into the inorganic matrix. Our investigation is aimed at finding a material combination where the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the organic dye are situated in between the valence and conduction bands of the inorganic matrix in order to promote electron and hole transfer from the matrix to the dye. Bilayer and composite thin films of zinc selenide (ZnSe) and a red iridium complex (Ir(BPA)) organic light emitter were prepared in situ via UHV thermal evaporation technique. The electronic and atomic structures were studied applying X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies. The measured energy band alignments for the ZnSe/Ir(BPA) bilayer and ZnSe+Ir(BPA) composite reveal that the HOMO and LUMO of the organic dye are positioned in the ZnSe bandgap. For the initial steps of ZnSe deposition on a dye film to form Ir(BPA)/ZnSe bilayers, zinc atoms intercalate into the dye film leaving behind an excess of selenium at the interface that partly reacts with dye molecules. Photoelectron spectroscopy of the composites shows the same species suggesting a similar mechanism. This mechanism leads to composite films with increased content of amorphous phases in the inorganic matrix, thereby affecting its conductivity, as well as to the presence of nonradiative recombination sites provided by the intercalated Zn atoms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Detection of nanoscale embedded layers using laboratory specular X-ray diffraction

Unusual specular X-ray diffraction patterns have been observed from certain thin film intergrowths of metal monochalcogenide (MX) and transition metal dichalcogenide (TX{sub 2}) structures. These patterns exhibit selective “splitting” or broadening of selected (00l) diffraction peaks, while other (00l) reflections remain relatively unaffected [Atkins et al., Chem. Mater. 24, 4594 (2012)]. Using a simplified optical model in the kinematic approximation, we illustrate that these peculiar and somewhat counterintuitive diffraction features can be understood in terms of additional layers of one of the intergrowth components, MX or TX{sub 2}, interleaved between otherwise “ideal” regions of MX-TX{sub 2} intergrowth. The interpretation is in agreement with scanning transmission electron microscope imaging, which reveals the presence of such stacking “defects” in films prepared from non-ideal precursors. In principle, the effect can be employed as a simple, non-destructive laboratory probe to detect and characterize ultrathin layers of one material, e.g., 2-dimensional crystals, embedded between two slabs of a second material, effectively using the two slabs as a highly sensitive interferometer of their separation distance.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Strong visible electroluminescence from silicon nanocrystals embedded in a silicon carbide film

We report the strong visible light emission from silicon (Si) nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in a Si carbide (SiC) film. Compared to Si NC light-emitting diode (LED) by employing the Si nitride (SiN{sub x}) film as a surrounding matrix, the turn-on voltage of the Si NC LED with the SiC film was significantly decreased by 4 V. This was attributed to a smaller barrier height for injecting the electrons into the Si NCs due to a smaller band gap of SiC film than a SiN{sub x} film. The electroluminescence spectra increases with increasing forward voltage, indicating that the electrons are efficiently injected into the Si NCs in the SiC film. The light output power shows a linear increase with increasing forward voltage. The light emission originated from the Si NCs in a SiC film was quite uniform. The power efficiency of the Si NC LED with the SiC film was 1.56 times larger than that of the Si NC LED with the SiN{sub x} film. The Si NCs in a SiC film show unique advantages and are a promising candidate for application in optical devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Stimulated Brillouin scattering of laser in semiconductor plasma embedded with nano-sized grains

A high power laser propagating through semiconductor plasma undergoes Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) from the electrostrictively generated acoustic perturbations. We have considered that nano-sized grains (NSGs) ions are embedded in semiconductor plasma by means of ion implantation. The NSGs are bombarded by the surrounding plasma particles and collect electrons. By considering a negative charge on the NSGs, we present an analytically study on the effects of NSGs on threshold field for the onset of SBS and Brillouin gain of generated Brillouin scattered mode. It is found that as the charge on the NSGs builds up, the Brillouin gain is significantly raised and the threshold pump field for the onset of SBS process is lowered.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

On-chip beamsplitter operation on single photons from quasi-resonantly excited quantum dots embedded in GaAs rib waveguides

We present an on-chip beamsplitter operating on a single-photon level by means of a quasi-resonantly driven InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot. The single photons are guided by rib waveguides and split into two arms by an evanescent field coupler. Although the waveguides themselves support the fundamental TE and TM modes, the measured degree of polarization (∼90%) reveals the main excitation and propagation of the TE mode. We observe the preserved single-photon nature of a quasi-resonantly excited quantum dot by performing a cross-correlation measurement on the two output arms of the beamsplitter. Additionally, the same quantum dot is investigated under resonant excitation, where the same splitting ratio is observed. An autocorrelation measurement with an off-chip beamsplitter on a single output arm reveal the single-photon nature after evanescent coupling inside the on-chip splitter. Due to their robustness, adjustable splitting ratio, and their easy implementation, rib waveguide beamsplitters with embedded quantum dots provide a promising step towards fully integrated quantum circuits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Ag doped silicon nitride nanocomposites for embedded plasmonics

The localized surface plasmon-polariton resonance (LSPR) of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) is widely exploited for enhanced optical spectroscopies of molecules, nonlinear optics, photothermal therapy, photovoltaics, or more recently in plasmoelectronics and photocatalysis. The LSPR frequency depends not only of the noble metal NP material, shape, and size but also of its environment, i.e., of the embedding matrix. In this paper, Ag-NPs have been fabricated by low energy ion beam synthesis in silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) matrices. By coupling the high refractive index of SiN{sub x} to the relevant choice of dielectric thickness in a SiN{sub x}/Si bilayer for an optimum antireflective effect, a very sharp plasmonic optical interference is obtained in mid-range of the visible spectrum (2.6 eV). The diffusion barrier property of the host SiN{sub x} matrix allows for the introduction of a high amount of Ag and the formation of a high density of Ag-NPs that nucleate during the implantation process. Under specific implantation conditions, in-plane self-organization effects are obtained in this matrix that could be the result of a metastable coarsening regime.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Optically sensitive devices based on Pt nano particles fabricated by atomic layer deposition and embedded in a dielectric stack

We report a series of metal insulator semiconductor devices with embedded Pt nano particles (NPs) fabricated using a low temperature atomic layer deposition process. Optically sensitive nonvolatile memory cells as well as optical sensors: (i) varactors, whose capacitance-voltage characteristics, nonlinearity, and peak capacitance are strongly dependent on illumination intensity; (ii) highly linear photo detectors whose responsivity is enhanced due to the Pt NPs. Both single devices and back to back pairs of diodes were used. The different configurations enable a variety of functionalities with many potential applications in biomedical sensing, environmental surveying, simple imagers for consumer electronics and military uses. The simplicity and planar configuration of the proposed devices makes them suitable for standard CMOS fabrication technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Embedded Ge nanocrystals in SiO{sub 2} synthesized by ion implantation

200 nm thick SiO{sub 2} layers grown on Si substrates were implanted with 150 keV Ge ions at three different fluences. As-implanted samples were characterized with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry to obtain depth profiles and concentration of Ge ions. As-implanted samples were annealed at 950 °C for 30 min. Crystalline quality of pristine, as-implanted, and annealed samples was investigated using Raman scattering measurements and the results were compared. Crystalline structure of as-implanted and annealed samples of embedded Ge into SiO{sub 2} matrix was studied using x-ray diffraction. No secondary phase or alloy formation of Ge was detected with x-ray diffraction or Raman measurements. Scanning transmission electron microscope measurements were done to get the nanocrystal size and localized information. The results confirmed that fluence dependent Ge nanocrystals of different sizes are formed in the annealed samples. It is also observed that Ge is slowly diffusing deeper into the substrate with annealing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Determination of active doping in highly resistive boron doped silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO{sub 2} by capacitance voltage measurement on inverted metal oxide semiconductor structure

We investigate the Capacitance-Voltage (CV) measurement to study the electrically active boron doping in Si nanocrystals (ncSi) embedded in SiO{sub 2}. The ncSi thin films with high resistivity (200–400 Ω cm) can be measured by using an inverted metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structure (Al/ncSi (B)/SiO{sub 2}/Si). This device structure eliminates the complications from the effects of lateral current flow and the high sheet resistance in standard lateral MOS structures. The characteristic MOS CV curves observed are consistent with the effective p-type doping. The CV modeling method is presented and used to evaluate the electrically active doping concentration. We find that the highly boron doped ncSi films have electrically active doping of 10{sup 18}–10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} despite their high resistivity. The saturation of doping at about 1.4 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} and the low doping efficiency less than 5% are observed and discussed. The calculated effective mobility is in the order of 10{sup −3} cm{sup 2}/V s, indicating strong impurity/defect scattering effect that hinders carriers transport.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Waveguide splitting and squeezing in zero-index metamaterials embedded with defects

This paper theoretically investigates the reflective properties of splitting and squeezing devices based on a zero-index metamaterial (ZIM) waveguide embedded with defects. This structure can guarantee no reflections, making it possible to build reflectionless splitters and squeezers. Moreover, the proposed theory has been used to couple input and output waveguides with different cross sections and to achieve an arbitrary angle of exotic transmission. The proposed defect structure can offer potential advances in cloaking, splitting, and squeezing technologies without restricting the object’s shape. Active control of exotic transmission can occur by incorporating tunable parameters into the defects and the ZIM.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Dynamics and density distributions in a capillary-discharge waveguide with an embedded supersonic jet

We present an analysis of the gas dynamics and density distributions within a capillary-discharge waveguide with an embedded supersonic jet. This device provides a target for a laser plasma accelerator which uses longitudinal structuring of the gas-density profile to enable control of electron trapping and acceleration. The functionality of the device depends sensitively on the details of the density profile, which are determined by the interaction between the pulsed gas in the jet and the continuously-flowing gas in the capillary. These dynamics are captured by spatially resolving recombination light from several emission lines of the plasma as a function of the delay between the jet and the discharge. We provide a phenomenological description of the gas dynamics as well as a quantitative evaluation of the density evolution. In particular, we show that the pressure difference between the jet and the capillary defines three regimes of operation with qualitatively different longitudinal density profiles and show that jet timing provides a sensitive method for tuning between these regimes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Modeling and de-embedding the interferometric scanning microwave microscopy by means of dopant profile calibration

This paper presents the full modeling and a methodology for de-embedding the interferometric scanning microwave microscopy measurements by means of dopant profile calibration. A Si calibration sample with different boron-doping level areas is used to that end. The analysis of the experimentally obtained S{sub 11} amplitudes based on the proposed model confirms the validity of the methodology. As a specific finding, changes in the tip radius between new and used tips have been clearly identified, leading to values for the effective tip radius in the range of 45 nm to 85 nm, respectively. Experimental results are also discussed in terms of the effective area concept, taking into consideration details related to the nature of tip-to-sample interaction.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Static and dynamic behavior of ultrathin cobalt nanowires embedded in transparent matrix

Two self-assembly of ultrathin Co nanowires (NWs) embedded in a CeO{sub 2} matrix was grown on SrTiO{sub 3}(001) and oxidized Si(001) substrates. A common feature of the two arrays of NWs is the small diameter of the wires, falling in the 4–5 nm range. Combined with their length, the aspect ratio is large enough to ensure large magnetostatic anisotropy with an easy axis along the axis of the nanowires as revealed by magnetometry measurements. The Brillouin light scattering technique has been used to investigate the behavior of the spin waves under a field perpendicular to the NWs axes. The transparency of the matrix ensures the penetration of the probing light inside the sample. Importantly, Brillouin light scattering from the magnetic modes obeys the volume Bragg condition, which is characteristic of the configuration in which the observed modes are propagating along the nanowires and due to their very small diameter are nearly constant across the section. Both series of experimental results are satisfactorily analyzed by means of a single analytical model, based on a mean-field approach, assuming the presence at remanence of two populations of NWs with up and down magnetizations and including the dipolar coupling between the cylinders.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Electronic states in spherical GaN nanocrystals embedded in various dielectric matrices: The k ⋅ p-calculations

Using the envelope-function approximation, the single-particle states of electrons and holes in spherical GaN nanocrystals embedded in different amorphous dielectric matrices (SiO{sub 2}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, HfO{sub 2} and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}) have been calculated. Ground state energies of electrons and holes in GaN nanocrystals are determined using the isotropic approximation of the k ⋅ p -Hamiltonian. All the ground state energies are found to increase with lowering the nanocrystal size and are proportional to the R{sup −n}, where R is the nanocrystal radius, n =1.5-1.9 for electrons and 1.7-2.0 for holes. The optical gap of GaN nanocrystals changes from 3.8 to 5 eV for the nanocrystal radius ranging from 3 to 1 nm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Efficient spin-filter and negative differential resistance behaviors in FeN{sub 4} embedded graphene nanoribbon device

In this paper, we propose a new device of spintronics by embedding two FeN{sub 4} molecules into armchair graphene nanoribbon and sandwiching them between N-doped graphene nanoribbon electrodes. Our first-principle quantum transport calculations show that the device is a perfect spin filter with high spin-polarizations both in parallel configuration (PC) and antiparallel configuration (APC). Moreover, negative differential resistance phenomena are obtained for the spin-down current in PC, and the spin-up and spin-down currents in APC. These transport properties are explained by the bias-dependent evolution of molecular orbitals and the transmission spectra.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗