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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,423 records · Page 79
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DOE OSTI2013

Formation behavior of Be{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O alloys grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

We report the phase formation behavior of Be{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O alloys grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. We find the alloy with low- and high-Be contents could be obtained by alloying BeO into ZnO films. X-ray diffraction measurements shows the c lattice constant value shrinks, and room temperature absorption shows the energy band-gap widens after Be incorporated. However, the alloy with intermediate Be composition are unstable and segregated into low- and high-Be contents BeZnO alloys. We demonstrate the phase segregation of Be{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O alloys with intermediate Be composition resulted from large internal strain induced by large lattice mismatch between BeO and ZnO.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Reduced leakage in epitaxial BiFeO{sub 3} films following oxygen radio frequency plasma treatment

Epitaxial BiFeO{sub 3} (BFO) films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition method. The prepared films were characterized using x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, ferroelectric loop tracer, and leakage current measurements before and after oxygen plasma treatment. The leakage current of the films, a crucial parameter in device applications, is observed to be reduced by two orders of magnitude with oxygen plasma treatment at room temperature. P-E hysteresis loops were observed in oxygen plasma treated BFO films. The observed results indicate the usefulness of oxygen radio frequency plasma treatment (RF 13.56 MHz), which is an effective and low temperature processing technique, in such lossy ferroelectric thin films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Inhomogeneous Si-doping of gold-seeded InAs nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We have investigated in situ Si doping of InAs nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy from gold seeds. The effectiveness of n-type doping is confirmed by electrical measurements showing an increase of the electron density with the Si flux. We also observe an increase of the electron density along the nanowires from the tip to the base, attributed to the dopant incorporation on the nanowire facets whereas no detectable incorporation occurs through the seed. Furthermore, the Si incorporation strongly influences the lateral growth of the nanowires without giving rise to significant tapering, revealing the complex interplay between axial and lateral growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of high electron mobility InAs/AlSb deep quantum well structure

InAs/AlSb deep quantum well (QW) structures with high electron mobility were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating GaAs substrates. AlSb and Al{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Sb buffer layers were grown to accommodate the lattice mismatch (7%) between the InAs/AlSb QW active region and GaAs substrate. Transmission electron microscopy shows abrupt interface and atomic force microscopy measurements display smooth surface morphology. Growth conditions of AlSb and Al{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Sb buffer were optimized. Al{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Sb is better than AlSb as a buffer layer as indicated. The sample with optimal Al{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Sb buffer layer shows a smooth surface morphology with root-mean-square roughness of 6.67 A. The electron mobility has reached as high as 27 000 cm{sup 2}/Vs with a sheet density of 4.54 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11}/cm{sup 2} at room temperature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Infrared electroluminescence from GeSn heterojunction diodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Infrared electroluminescence was observed from GeSn/Ge p-n heterojunction diodes with 8% Sn, grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The GeSn layers were boron doped, compressively strained, and pseudomorphic on Ge substrates. Spectral measurements indicated an emission peak at 0.57 eV, about 50 meV wide, increasing in intensity with applied pulsed current, and with reducing device temperatures. The total integrated emitted power from a single edge facet was 54 {mu}W at an applied peak current of 100 mA at 100 K. These results suggest that GeSn-based materials maybe useful for practical light emitting diodes operating in the infrared wavelength range near 2 {mu}m.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characterization of GaN microstructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The characterization of GaN microstructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on LiAlO{sub 2} substrate was studied by cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrated that the cathodoluminescence from oblique semi-polar surfaces of mushroom-shaped GaN was much brighter than that from top polar surface due to the reduction of polarization field on the oblique semi-polar surfaces. It implies that the oblique semi-polar surface is superior for the light-emitting surface of wurtzite nano-devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Surface morphology evolution of m-plane (1100) GaN during molecular beam epitaxy growth: Impact of Ga/N ratio, miscut direction, and growth temperature

We present a systematic study of morphology evolution of [1100] m-plane GaN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on free-standing m-plane substrates with small miscut angles towards the -c [0001] and +c [0001] directions under various gallium to nitrogen (Ga/N) ratios at substrate temperatures T = 720 Degree-Sign C and T = 740 Degree-Sign C. The miscut direction, Ga/N ratio, and growth temperature are all shown to have a dramatic impact on morphology. The observed dependence on miscut direction supports the notion of strong anisotropy in the gallium adatom diffusion barrier and growth kinetics. We demonstrate that precise control of Ga/N ratio and substrate temperature yields atomically smooth morphology on substrates oriented towards +c [0001] as well as the more commonly studied -c [0001] miscut substrates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Structure and magnetism in strained Ge{sub 1-x-y}Sn{sub x}Mn{sub y} films grown on Ge(001) by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy

In this letter, we study the structural and magnetic properties of Ge{sub 1-x-y}Sn{sub x}Mn{sub y} films grown on Ge(001) by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy using X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device. Like in Mn doped Ge films, Mn atoms diffuse during the growth and aggregate into vertically aligned Mn-rich nanocolumns of a few nanometers in diameter. Transmission electron microscopy observations in plane view clearly indicate that the Sn incorporation is not uniform with concentration in Mn rich vertical nanocolumns lower than the detection limit of electron energy loss spectroscopy. The matrix exhibits a GeSn solid solution while there is a Sn-rich GeSn shell around GeMn nanocolumns. The magnetization in Ge{sub 1-x-y}Sn{sub x}Mn{sub y} layers is higher than in Ge{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x} films. This magnetic moment enhancement in Ge{sub 1-x-y}Sn{sub x}Mn{sub y} is probably related to the modification of the electronic structure of Mn atoms in the nanocolumns by the Sn-rich shell, which is formed around the nanocolumns.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Dependence of the Mg-related acceptor ionization energy with the acceptor concentration in p-type GaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Hall effect and capacitance-voltage C(V) measurements were performed on p-type GaN:Mg layers grown on GaN templates by molecular beam epitaxy with a high range of Mg-doping concentrations. The free hole density and the effective dopant concentration N{sub A}-N{sub D} as a function of magnesium incorporation measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy clearly reveal both a magnesium doping efficiency up to 90% and a strong dependence of the acceptor ionization energy Ea with the acceptor concentration N{sub A}. These experimental observations highlight an isolated acceptor binding energy of 245{+-}25 meV compatible, at high acceptor concentration, with the achievement of p-type GaN:Mg layers with a hole concentration at room temperature close to 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

The effect of oxygen flow rate and radio frequency plasma power on cubic ZnMgO ultraviolet sensors grown by plasma-enhanced molecular beam epitaxy

Cubic Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O thin films were produced by Plasma-Enhanced Molecular Beam Epitaxy. Oxygen flow rate and applied Radio-Frequency (RF) plasma power were varied to investigate the impact on film growth and optoelectronic device performance. Solar-blind and visible-blind detectors were fabricated with metal-semiconductor-metal interdigitated Ni/Mg/Au contacts and responsivity is compared under different growth conditions. Increasing oxygen flow rate and RF plasma power increased Zn incorporation in the film, which leads to phase segregation at relatively high Zn/Mg ratio. Responsivity as high as 61 A/W was measured in phase-segregated ZnMgO visible-blind detectors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Contactless electroreflectance studies of surface potential barrier for N- and Ga-face epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Two series of N- and Ga-face GaN Van Hoof structures were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy to study the surface potential barrier by contactless electroreflectance (CER). A clear CER resonance followed by strong Franz-Keldysh oscillation of period varying with the thickness of undoped GaN layer was observed for these structures. This period was much shorter for N-polar structures that means smaller surface potential barrier in these structures than in Ga-polar structures. From the analysis of built-in electric field it was determined that the Fermi-level is located 0.27 ± 0.05 and 0.60 ± 0.05 eV below the conduction band for N- and Ga-face GaN surface, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Epitaxial ferroelectric BiFeO{sub 3} thin films for unassisted photocatalytic water splitting

Considering energy band alignment and polarization effect, ferroelectric BiFeO{sub 3} thin films are proposed as the photoanode in a monolithic cell to achieve unassisted photocatalytic water splitting. Significant anodic photocurrent was observed in our epitaxial ferroelectric BiFeO{sub 3} films prepared from sputter deposition. Both negative polarization charges and thinner films were found to promote the anodic photocatalytic reaction. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy proved that the conduction and valence band edges of BiFeO{sub 3} straddle the water redox levels. Theoretical analyses show that the large switchable polarization can modify the surface properties to promote the hydrogen and oxygen evolutions on the surfaces with positive and negative polarization charges, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Domain formation due to surface steps in topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films grown on Si (111) by molecular beam epitaxy

The atomic structure of topological insulators Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films on Si (111) substrates grown in van der Waals mode by molecular beam epitaxy has been investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Besides single and multiple quintuple layer (QL) steps, which are typical for the step-flow mode of growth, a number of 0.4 QL steps is observed. We determine that these steps originate from single steps at the substrate surface causing domain boundaries in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} film. Due to the peculiar structure of these domain boundaries the domains are stable and penetrate throughout the entire film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Control of tensile strain and interdiffusion in Ge/Si(001) epilayers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Tensile-strained and n-doped Ge has emerged as a potential candidate for the realization of optoelectronic devices that are compatible with the mainstream silicon technology. Tensile-strained Ge/Si epilayers can be obtained by using the difference of thermal expansion coefficients between Ge and Si. We have combined various surface, structural, and compositional characterizations to investigate the growth mode and the strain state in Ge/Si epilayers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The Ge growth was carried out using a two-step approach: a low-temperature growth to produce relaxed and smooth buffer layers, which is followed by a high-temperature growth to get high quality Ge layers. The existence of a substrate temperature window from 260 to 300 °C is evidenced, which allows to completely suppress the Ge/Si Stranski-Krastanov growth. As a consequence of the high temperature growth, a tensile strain lying in the range of 0.22%–0.24% is obtained. Concerning the effect of thermal annealing, it is shown that cyclic annealing may allow increasing the tensile strain up to 0.30%. Finally, we propose an approach to use carbon adsorption to suppress Si/Ge interdiffusion, which represents one of the main obstacles to overcome in order to realize pure Ge-based optoelectronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electrical characterization of ensemble of GaN nanowires grown by the molecular beam epitaxy technique

High quality Schottky contacts are formed on GaN nanowires (NWs) structures grown by the molecular beam epitaxy technique on Si(111) substrate. The current-voltage characteristics show the rectification ratio of about 10{sup 3} and the leakage current of about 10{sup −4} A/cm{sup 2} at room temperature. From the capacitance-voltage measurements the free carrier concentration in GaN NWs is determined as about 10{sup 16} cm{sup −3}. Two deep levels (H200 and E280) are found in the structures containing GaN NWs. H200 is attributed to an extended defect located at the interface between the substrate and SiN{sub x} or near the sidewalls at the bottom of the NWs whereas E280 is tentatively assigned to a gallium-vacancy- or nitrogen interstitials-related defect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Germanium doping of self-assembled GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Germanium doping of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Si(111) substrates is studied. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements reveal a constant Ge-concentration along the growth axis. A linear relationship between the applied Ge-flux and the resulting ensemble Ge-concentration with a maximum content of 3.3×10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} is extracted from energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements and confirmed by a systematic increase of the conductivity with Ge-concentration in single nanowire measurements. Photoluminescence analysis of nanowire ensembles and single nanowires reveals an exciton localization energy of 9.5 meV at the neutral Ge-donor. A Ge-related emission band at energies above 3.475 eV is found that is assigned to a Burstein-Moss shift of the excitonic emission.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electronic structure, morphology and emission polarization of enhanced symmetry InAs quantum-dot-like structures grown on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

The optical and structural properties of a new kind of InAs/InGaAlAs/InP quantum dot (QD)-like objects grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated. These nanostructures were found to have significantly more symmetrical shapes compared to the commonly obtained dash-like geometries typical of this material system. The enhanced symmetry has been achieved due to the use of an As{sub 2} source and the consequent shorter migration length of the indium atoms. Structural studies based on a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) provided detailed information on both the structure and composition distribution within an individual nanostructure. However, it was not possible to determine the lateral aspect ratio from STEM or APT. To verify the in-plane geometry, electronic structure calculations, including the energy levels and transition oscillator strength for the QDs have been performed using an eight-band k·p model and realistic system parameters. The results of calculations were compared to measured polarization-resolved photoluminescence data. On the basis of measured degree of linear polarization of the surface emission, the in-plane shape of the QDs has been assessed proving a substantial increase in lateral symmetry. This results in quantum-dot rather than quantum-dash like properties, consistent with expectations based on the growth conditions and the structural data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Epitaxial growth of (111)-oriented BaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} perovskite superlattices on Pt(111)/Ti/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) substrates

Symmetric BaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} (BTO/STO) superlattices (SLs) were epitaxially grown on Pt(111)/Ti/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) substrates with various modulation periods (Λ = 4.8 − 48 nm) using double ion beam sputter deposition. The BTO/STO SLs exhibit high (111) orientation with two in-plane orientation variants related by a 180° rotation along the [111]{sub Pt} axis. The BTO layer is under an in-plane compressive state, whereas the STO layer is under an in-plane tensile state due to the effect of lattice mismatch. A remarkable enhancement of dielectric constant is observed for the SL with relatively small modulation period, which is attributed to both the interlayer biaxial strain effect and the Maxwell-Wagner effect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗