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M. K. Weldon

Bio: M. K. Weldon is an academic researcher from Alcatel-Lucent. The author has contributed to research in topics: Infrared spectroscopy & Silicon. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 20 publications receiving 1254 citations.

Papers
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TL;DR: In this paper, the fundamental mechanism underlying hydrogen-induced exfoliation of silicon, using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, was investigated, and the evolution of the internal defect structure as a function of implanted hydrogen concentration and annealing temperature was studied.
Abstract: We have investigated the fundamental mechanism underlying the hydrogen-induced exfoliation of silicon, using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. We have studied the evolution of the internal defect structure as a function of implanted hydrogen concentration and annealing temperature and found that the mechanism consists of a number of essential components in which hydrogen plays a key role. Specifically, we show that the chemical action of hydrogen leads to the formation of (100) and (111) internal surfaces above 400 °C via agglomeration of the initial defect structure. In addition, molecular hydrogen is evolved between 200 and 400 °C and subsequently traps in the microvoids bounded by the internal surfaces, resulting in the build-up of internal pressure. This, in turn, leads to the observed “blistering” of unconstrained silicon samples, or complete layer transfer for silicon wafers joined to a supporting (handle) wafer which acts as a mechanical “stiffener.”

319 citations

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TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the nature of the silicon oxide transition region in the vicinity of the Si/SiO2 interface using infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies.
Abstract: The nature of the silicon oxide transition region in the vicinity of the Si/SiO2 interface is probed by infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The layer-by-layer composition of the interface is evaluated by uniformly thinning thermal oxide films from 31 A down to 6 A. We find that the thickness dependence of the frequencies of the transverse optical and longitudinal optical phonons of the oxide film cannot be reconciled by consideration of simple homogeneous processes such as image charge effects or stress near the interface. Rather, by applying the Bruggeman effective medium approximation, we show that film inhomogeneity in the form of substoichiometric silicon oxide species accounts for the observed spectral changes as the interface is approached. The presence of such substoichiometric oxide species is supported by the thickness dependence of the integrated Si suboxide signal in companion x-ray photoelectron spectra.

243 citations

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TL;DR: In this paper, He acts physically as a source of internal pressure but also in an indirect chemical sense, leading to the reconversion of molecular H2 to bound Si-H in VH2-like defects.
Abstract: Infrared spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry are used to elucidate the mechanism by which co-implantation of He with H facilitates the shearing of crystalline Si. By studying different implant conditions, we can separate the relative contributions of damage, internal pressure generation, and chemical passivation to the enhanced exfoliation process. We find that the He acts physically as a source of internal pressure but also in an indirect chemical sense, leading to the reconversion of molecular H2 to bound Si–H in “VH2-like” defects. We postulate that it is the formation of these hydrogenated defects at the advancing front of the expanding microcavities that enhances the exfoliation process.

183 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used multiple internal transmission infrared absorption spectroscopy to probe the interface between the wafers upon initial joining and also during subsequent annealing steps, and observed a pronounced shift in the Si-H stretching frequency due to the physical interaction (van der Waals attraction) that occurs when the surfaces come into intimate contact.
Abstract: Silicon wafer bonding is achieved by joining two particle‐free silicon wafers and annealing to elevated temperatures (∼1100 °C). We have used multiple internal transmission infrared absorption spectroscopy to probe the interface between the wafers upon initial joining and also during subsequent annealing steps. For atomically flat hydrophobic wafers (H passivated), we observe a pronounced shift in the Si–H stretching frequency due to the physical interaction (van der Waals attraction) that occurs when the surfaces come into intimate contact. The hydrogen eventually disappears at high temperatures (1000 °C) and Si–Si bonds are formed between the two surfaces. For hydrophilic wafers (oxide passivated), we initially observe three to five monolayers of water at the interface (providing the initial attraction through H bonding), as well as the presence of hydroxyl groups that terminate the oxide at low temperature. Upon moderate heating (<400 °C), the water trapped at the interface dissociates and leads to the formation of additional oxide. Between 400 and 800 °C, the hydroxyl groups disappear, resulting in a corresponding increase in oxide and the formation of Si–O–Si bridging linkages across the two surfaces.

97 citations

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TL;DR: In this paper, surface infrared spectroscopy and density functional cluster calculations are used to study the thermal and atomic hydrogen-induced decomposition of water molecules on the clean Si(100)-(2×1) surface.
Abstract: Surface infrared spectroscopy and density functional cluster calculations are used to study the thermal and atomic hydrogen-induced decomposition of water molecules on the clean Si(100)-(2×1) surface. We report the first observation of the Si–H bending modes associated with the initial insertion of oxygen into the dimer and backbonds of a silicon dimer. We find that, while one and two oxygen-containing dimers are formed almost simultaneously during the thermal decomposition of water on this surface, atomic H can be used to drive the preferential formation of the singly oxidized dimer. This work highlights the sensitivity of Si–H bending modes to the details of local chemical structure in an inhomogeneous system, suggesting that the combined experimental and theoretical approach demonstrated herein may be extremely useful in studying even more complex systems such as the hydrogenation of defects in SiO2 films.

75 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the fundamental interactions of water with solid surfaces can be found in this paper, where the authors assimilated the results of the TM review with those covered by the authors to provide a current picture of water interactions on solid surfaces, such as how water adsorbs, what are the chemical and electrostatic forces that constitute the adsorbed layer, how is water thermally or non-thermally activated and how do coadsorbates influence these properties of water.

2,022 citations

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TL;DR: It is shown that the ambient degradation of BP can be managed effectively when the flakes are sufficiently passivated, and the strategy for enhancing BP environmental stability will accelerate efforts to implement BP in electronic and optoelectronic applications.
Abstract: Unencapsulated, exfoliated black phosphorus (BP) flakes are found to chemically degrade upon exposure to ambient conditions. Atomic force microscopy, electrostatic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are employed to characterize the structure and chemistry of the degradation process, suggesting that O2 saturated H2O irreversibly reacts with BP to form oxidized phosphorus species. This interpretation is further supported by the observation that BP degradation occurs more rapidly on hydrophobic octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayers and on H-Si(111) versus hydrophilic SiO2. For unencapsulated BP field-effect transistors, the ambient degradation causes large increases in threshold voltage after 6 h in ambient, followed by a ∼103 decrease in FET current on/off ratio and mobility after 48 h. Atomic layer deposited AlOx overlayers effectively suppress ambient degradation, allowing encapsulated BP FETs to ma...

1,266 citations

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TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss methods of forming silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, their physical properties, and the latest improvements in controlling the structure parameters.
Abstract: Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers are precisely engineered multilayer semiconductor/dielectric structures that provide new functionality for advanced Si devices. After more than three decades of materials research and device studies, SOI wafers have entered into the mainstream of semiconductor electronics. SOI technology offers significant advantages in design, fabrication, and performance of many semiconductor circuits. It also improves prospects for extending Si devices into the nanometer region (<10 nm channel length). In this article, we discuss methods of forming SOI wafers, their physical properties, and the latest improvements in controlling the structure parameters. We also describe devices that take advantage of SOI, and consider their electrical characteristics.

772 citations

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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized recent progress and current scientific understanding of ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si-O-N (silicon oxynitride) gate dielectrics on Si-based devices.
Abstract: The outstanding properties of SiO2, which include high resistivity, excellent dielectric strength, a large band gap, a high melting point, and a native, low defect density interface with Si, are in large part responsible for enabling the microelectronics revolution. The Si/SiO2 interface, which forms the heart of the modern metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor, the building block of the integrated circuit, is arguably the worlds most economically and technologically important materials interface. This article summarizes recent progress and current scientific understanding of ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si–O–N (silicon oxynitride) gate dielectrics on Si based devices. We will emphasize an understanding of the limits of these gate dielectrics, i.e., how their continuously shrinking thickness, dictated by integrated circuit device scaling, results in physical and electrical property changes that impose limits on their usefulness. We observe, in conclusion, that although Si microelectronic devices...

747 citations

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TL;DR: Wafer bonding allows a new degree of freedom in design and fabrication of material combinations that previously would have been excluded because these material combinations cannot be realized by the conventional approach of epitaxial growth.
Abstract: When mirror-polished, flat, and clean wafers of almost any material are brought into contact at room temperature, they are locally attracted to each other by van der Waals forces and adhere or bond. This phenomenon is referred to as wafer bonding. The most prominent applications of wafer bonding are silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, silicon-based sensors and actuators, as well as optical devices. The basics of wafer-bonding technology are described, including microcleanroom approaches, prevention of interface bubbles, bonding of III-V compounds, low-temperature bonding, ultra-high vacuum bonding, thinning methods such as smart-cut procedures, and twist wafer bonding for compliant substrates. Wafer bonding allows a new degree of freedom in design and fabrication of material combinations that previously would have been excluded because these material combinations cannot be realized by the conventional approach of epitaxial growth.

658 citations