Silicon implantation in GaAs

The electrical properties of room-temperature Si implants in GaAs have been studied. The implantations were done at 300 keV with doses ranging from 1.7×10^13 to 1.7×10^15 cm^–2. The implanted samples were annealed with silicon nitride encapsulants in H2 atmosphere for 30 min at temperatures ranging from 800 to 900°C to electrically activate the implanted ions. Results show that the implanted layers are n type, which implies that the Si ions preferentially go into Ga sites substitutionally. For low-dose implants, high (~90%) electrical activation of the implanted ions is achieved and the depth distribution of the free-electron concentration in the implanted layer roughly follows a Gaussian. However, for high-dose implants, the activation is poor (<15% for a 900 °C anneal) and the electron concentration profile is flat and deeper than the expected range

An Imaging Polarimeter(IMPOL) for multi-wavelength observations

Taking advantage of the advances in array detector technology, an imaging polarimeter (IMPOL) has been constructed for measuring linear polarization in the wavelength band from 400-800 nm. It makes use of a Wollaston prism as the analyser to measure simultaneously the two orthogonal polarization components that define a Stoke's parameter. An achromatic half-wave plate is used to rotate the plane of polarization with respect to the axis of the analyser so that the second Stoke's parameter also can be determined. With a field of view correponding to about 30x30 sq. mm for a 1.2 m, f/13 telescope, a sensitive, liquid-nitrogen cooled CCD camera as the detector and a built-in acquisition and guidance unit, the instrument can be used for studying stellar fields or extended objects with an angular resolution close to 2 arcsec. The instrumental polarization is less than 0.05% and the accuracies of measurement are primarily limited by photon noise for typical observations.Comment: 10 pages including 5 embedded figures; submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series; available on request to A. N. Ramaprakash ([email protected] or [email protected]); quote report n

Steady-state thermally annealed GaAs with room-temperature-implanted Si

Semi-insulating Cr-doped single-crystal GaAs samples were implanted at room temperature with 300-keV Si ions in the dose range of (0.17–2.0)×1015 cm–2 and were subsequently steady-state annealed at 900 and 950°C for 30 min in a H2 ambient with a Si3N4 coating. Differential Hall measurements showed that an upper threshold of about 2×1018/cm3 exists for the free-electron concentration. The as-implanted atomic-Si profile measured by SIMS follows the theoretical prediction, but is altered during annealing. The Cr distribution also changes, and a band of dislocation loops ~2–3 kÅ wide is revealed by cross-sectional TEM at a mean depth of Rp~3 kÅ. Incomplete electrical activation of the Si is shown to be the primary cause for the effect

Pulsed electron beam induced recrystallization and damage in GaAs

Single-pulse electron-beam irradiations of 300-keV 10^(15)Kr+/cm^2 or 300-keV 3×10^(12)Se+/cm^2 implanted layers in unencapsulated GaAs are studied as a function of the electron beam fluence. The electron beam pulse had a mean electron energy of ~-20 keV and a time duration of ~-10^(–7) s. Analyses by means of MeV He + channeling and TEM show the existence of narrow fluence window (0.4–0.7 J/cm^2) within which amorphous layers can be sucessfully recrystallized, presumably in the liquid phase regime. Too high a fluence produces extensive deep damage and loss of As

Interfacial strain in AlxGa1–xAs layers on GaAs

Detailed analysis of x-ray rocking curves was used to determine the depth profile of strain and composition in a 2500-Å-thick layer of AlxGa1–xAs grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on 100 GaAs. The x value and layer thickness were in good agreement with the values expected from growth parameters. The presence of a transition region, 280 Å thick, was detected by the rocking curve. In this region, the Al concentration varies smoothly from 0 to 0.87. Measurement and control of the sharpness of such interfaces has important implications for heterojunction devices

Sequential nature of damage annealing and activation in implanted GaAs

Rapid thermal processing of implanted GaAs reveals a definitive sequence in the damage annealing and the electrical activation of ions. Removal of implantation-induced damage and restoration of GaAs crystallinity occurs first. Irrespective of implanted species, at this stage the GaAs is n-type and highly resistive with almost ideal values of electron mobility. Electrical activation is achieved next when, in a narrow anneal temperature window, the material becomes n- or p-type, or remains semi-insulating, commensurate to the chemical nature of the implanted ion. Such a two-step sequence in the electrical doping of GaAs by ion implantation may be unique of GaAs and other compound semiconductors