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Showing papers in "Journal of Applied Physics in 2000"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed and explained the reasons for the instability of a viscous jet of polymer solution at a pendent droplet, showing that the longitudinal stress caused by the external electric field acting on the charge carried by the jet stabilized the straight jet for some distance.
Abstract: Nanofibers of polymers were electrospun by creating an electrically charged jet of polymer solution at a pendent droplet. After the jet flowed away from the droplet in a nearly straight line, it bent into a complex path and other changes in shape occurred, during which electrical forces stretched and thinned it by very large ratios. After the solvent evaporated, birefringent nanofibers were left. In this article the reasons for the instability are analyzed and explained using a mathematical model. The rheological complexity of the polymer solution is included, which allows consideration of viscoelastic jets. It is shown that the longitudinal stress caused by the external electric field acting on the charge carried by the jet stabilized the straight jet for some distance. Then a lateral perturbation grew in response to the repulsive forces between adjacent elements of charge carried by the jet. The motion of segments of the jet grew rapidly into an electrically driven bending instability. The three-dimensional paths of continuous jets were calculated, both in the nearly straight region where the instability grew slowly and in the region where the bending dominated the path of the jet. The mathematical model provides a reasonable representation of the experimental data, particularly of the jet paths determined from high speed videographic observations.

2,324 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The field of viscous liquid and glassy solid dynamics is reviewed by a process of posing the key questions that need to be answered, and then providing the best answers available to the authors and their advisors at this time as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The field of viscous liquid and glassy solid dynamics is reviewed by a process of posing the key questions that need to be answered, and then providing the best answers available to the authors and their advisors at this time. The subject is divided into four parts, three of them dealing with behavior in different domains of temperature with respect to the glass transition temperature, Tg , and a fourth dealing with ‘‘short time processes.’’ The first part tackles the high temperature regime T.Tg ,i n which the system is ergodic and the evolution of the viscous liquid toward the condition at Tg is in focus. The second part deals with the regime T;Tg , where the system is nonergodic except for very long annealing times, hence has time-dependent properties ~aging and annealing!. The third part discusses behavior when the system is completely frozen with respect to the primary relaxation process but in which secondary processes, particularly those responsible for ‘‘superionic’’ conductivity, and dopart mobility in amorphous silicon, remain active. In the fourth part we focus on the behavior of the system at the crossover between the low frequency vibrational components of the molecular motion and its high frequency relaxational components, paying particular attention to very recent developments in the short time dielectric response and the high Q mechanical response. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.@S0021-8979~00!02213-1#

1,958 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a combination of high resolution x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Hall effect, and capacitance-voltage profiling measurements is used to calculate the polarization induced sheet charge bound at the AlGaN/GaN interfaces.
Abstract: Two dimensional electron gases in Al x Ga 12x N/GaN based heterostructures, suitable for high electron mobility transistors, are induced by strong polarization effects. The sheet carrier concentration and the confinement of the two dimensional electron gases located close to the AlGaN/GaN interface are sensitive to a large number of different physical properties such as polarity, alloy composition, strain, thickness, and doping of the AlGaN barrier. We have investigated these physical properties for undoped and silicon doped transistor structures by a combination of high resolution x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Hall effect, and capacitance‐voltage profiling measurements. The polarization induced sheet charge bound at the AlGaN/GaN interfaces was calculated from different sets of piezoelectric constants available in the literature. The sheet carrier concentration induced by polarization charges was determined

1,439 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the splitting of the valence band by crystal field and spin-orbit interaction has been calculated and measured, and the measured values agree with the calculated values and the effects of strain on the splitting and optical properties have been studied in detail.
Abstract: During the last few years the developments in the field of III–nitrides have been spectacular. High quality epitaxial layers can now be grown by MOVPE. Recently good quality epilayers have also been grown by MBE. Considerable work has been done on dislocations, strain, and critical thickness of GaN grown on different substrates. Splitting of valence band by crystal field and by spin-orbit interaction has been calculated and measured. The measured values agree with the calculated values. Effects of strain on the splitting of the valence band and on the optical properties have been studied in detail. Values of band offsets at the heterointerface between several pairs of different nitrides have been determined. Extensive work has been done on the optical and electrical properties. Near band-edge spectra have been measured over a wide range of temperatures. Free and bound exciton peaks have been resolved. Valence band structure has been determined using the PL spectra and compared with the theoretically calcu...

1,202 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a gate dielectric film with metal contents ranging from ∼3 to 30 at. % Hf and Zr has been investigated, and the results show that Hf exhibits excellent electrical properties and high thermal stability in direct contact with Si, while Al electrodes produce very good electrical properties, but also react with the silicates.
Abstract: Hafnium and zirconium silicate (HfSixOy and ZrSixOy, respectively) gate dielectric films with metal contents ranging from ∼3 to 30 at. % Hf, or 2 to 27 at. % Zr (±1 at. % for Hf and Zr, respectively, within a given film), have been investigated, and films with ∼2–8 at. % Hf or Zr exhibit excellent electrical properties and high thermal stability in direct contact with Si. Capacitance–voltage measurements show an equivalent oxide thickness tox of about 18 A (21 A) for a 50 A HfSixOy (50 A ZrSixOy) film deposited directly on a Si substrate. Current–voltage measurements show for the same films a leakage current of less than 2×10−6 A/cm2 at 1.0 V bias. Hysteresis in these films is measured to be less than 10 mV, the breakdown field is measured to be EBD∼10 MV/cm, and the midgap interface state density is estimated to be Dit∼1–5×1011 cm−2 eV−1. Au electrodes produce excellent electrical properties, while Al electrodes produce very good electrical results, but also react with the silicates, creating a lower e l...

1,001 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors obtained blue shifts corresponding to the absorption edge in the UV-A (310-400 nm) range from ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra of monodisperse CeO2−x (0
Abstract: Blue shifts corresponding to the absorption edge in the UV-A (310–400 nm) range are obtained from ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra of monodisperse CeO2−x (0

657 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, temperature dependent measurements of the electrical resistance have been employed to study structural changes in sputtered Ge2Sb2Te5 films, which enable a precise determination of transition temperatures and activation energies.
Abstract: Temperature dependent measurements of the electrical resistance have been employed to study structural changes in sputtered Ge2Sb2Te5 films. The pronounced changes of film resistance due to structural changes enable a precise determination of transition temperatures and activation energies. Furthermore the technique is sensitive enough to measure the influence of ultrathin capping layers on the transformation kinetics. With increasing temperature the Ge2Sb2Te5 films undergo a structural change from an amorphous to rock salt structure (Fm3m) around 140 °C and finally a hexagonal structure (p3m) around 310 °C. Both structural changes are accompanied by a major drop of resistance. Applying the Kissinger method [Anal. Chem. 29, 1702 (1957)] the activation energy for crystallization to the rock salt structure is determined to be 2.24±0.11 eV, and for the phase transformation to the hexagonal phase to be 3.64±0.19 eV, respectively. A thin capping layer of ZnS–SiO2 leads to an increase of the first transition temperature as well as of the corresponding activation energy (2.7±0.2 eV).

640 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Nemat-Nasser and Hori as mentioned in this paper developed a micromechanical model which accounts for the coupled ion transport, electric field, and elastic deformation to predict the response of the IPMC, qualitatively and quantitatively.
Abstract: An ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) consisting of a thin Nafion sheet, platinum plated on both faces, undergoes large bending motion when an electric field is applied across its thickness. Conversely, a voltage is produced across its faces when it is suddenly bent. A micromechanical model is developed which accounts for the coupled ion transport, electric field, and elastic deformation to predict the response of the IPMC, qualitatively and quantitatively. First, the basic three-dimensional coupled field equations are presented, and then the results are applied to predict the response of a thin sheet of an IPMC. Central to the theory is the recognition that the interaction between an imbalanced charge density and the backbone polymer can be presented by an eigenstress field (Nemat-Nasser and Hori, Micromechanics, Overall Properties of Heterogeneous Materials, 2nd Ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1999). The constitutive parameter connecting the eigenstress to the charge density is calculated directly using a s...

597 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The vertical magnetoresistive random access memory design based on micromagnetic simulation analysis is presented and it is suggested that this memory design has the potential to not only replace the present semiconductor memory devices, such as FLASH, but also the ability to replace DRAM, SRAM, and even disk drives.
Abstract: In this paper, we present the vertical magnetoresistive random access memory (VMRAM) design based on micromagnetic simulation analysis. The design utilizes the vertical giant magnetoresistive effect of the magnetic multilayer. By making the memory element into a ring-shaped magnetic multilayer stack with orthogonal paired word lines, magnetic switching of the memory device becomes very robust. The design also adopts the readback scheme in pseudo spin valve MRAM so that only one transistor is needed for each bit line which can connect hundreds of memory elements, yielding a very high area density. It is estimated that the ultimate area density for the VMRAM is 400 Gbits/in.2. It is suggested that this memory design has the potential to not only replace the present semiconductor memory devices, such as FLASH, but also the potential to replace DRAM, SRAM, and even disk drives.

561 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a method was developed to extract the carrier mobility from an analysis of the transfer characteristics of polycrystalline sexithiophene (6 T) transistors at temperatures ranging from 10 to 300 K.
Abstract: We have performed current–voltage measurement on polycrystalline sexithiophene (6 T) thin film transistors at temperatures ranging from 10 to 300 K. A method is developed to extract the carrier mobility from an analysis of the transfer characteristics. In particular, data are corrected for contact resistance. The carrier mobility is found to increase quasilinearly with gate voltage at room temperature. The dependence becomes superlinear at low temperatures. The temperature dependence shows three domains. For 100 K

552 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of the method used to clean indium-tin-oxide (ITO) on its work function was investigated by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and x-ray photo-emission spectrum analysis (X-ray PSA) and it was shown that C-containing contaminants, O/In ratio, and In/Sn ratio on the ITO surface affect the work function.
Abstract: The effect of the method used to clean indium–tin–oxide (ITO) on its work function was investigated by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. With only ultrasonic cleaning in the organic solvent, considerable carbon contamination remained on the ITO surface and the work function was low (4.5 eV). In contrast, ultraviolet (UV)–ozone treatment removed significant carbon contamination, with an increase in the work function to 4.75 eV, which improves the hole-injection efficiency into the organic hole-transport layer in organic electroluminescent devices. Although carbon contamination on the ITO surface was also removed by Ar+ sputtering, it was accompanied by the removal of oxygen from ITO, and the work function was reduced (4.3 eV). Three factors, i.e.,: (i) C-containing contaminants, (ii) the O/In ratio, and (iii) the In/Sn ratio on the ITO surface affect the work function. The present results and those of other workers suggest that these three factors affect the...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, strong room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) in the wavelength range 650-950 nm has been observed in high temperature annealed (1000-1300 °C) substoichiometric silicon oxide (SiOx) thin films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
Abstract: Strong room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) in the wavelength range 650–950 nm has been observed in high temperature annealed (1000–1300 °C) substoichiometric silicon oxide (SiOx) thin films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. A marked redshift of the luminescence peak has been detected by increasing the Si concentration of the SiOx films, as well as the annealing temperature. The integrated intensity of the PL peaks spans along two orders of magnitude, and, as a general trend, increases with the annealing temperature up to 1250 °C. Transmission electron microscopy analyses have demonstrated that Si nanocrystals (nc), having a mean radius ranging between 0.7 and 2.1 nm, are present in the annealed samples. Each sample is characterized by a peculiar Si nc size distribution that can be fitted with a Gaussian curve; by increasing the Si content and/or the annealing temperature of the SiOx samples, the distributions become wider and their mean value increases. The strong correlation betw...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The surface morphologies of GaN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy under various growth conditions have been investigated in this article, where three growth regimes (one N stable and two Ga stable) are identified on a surface structure diagram (Ga/N ratio versus substrate temperature).
Abstract: The characteristic surface morphologies of GaN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy under various growth conditions have been investigated. Three growth regimes (one N stable and two Ga stable) are identified on a surface structure diagram (Ga/N ratio versus substrate temperature). The boundary between the N-stable regime (low Ga/N ratios) and the two Ga-stable regimes (high Ga/N ratios) is determined by the growth rate of the films and is constant over the range of substrate temperatures investigated. The boundary between the two Ga-stable regimes (the Ga-droplet regime and the intermediate regime) is determined by the formation of Ga droplets and has an Arrhenius dependence with substrate temperature. The characteristic morphologies of films grown within each of these regimes are investigated using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. N-stable films have rough, heavily pitted morphologies. Films grown within the intermediate phase have areas of flat surface between la...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the relaxation time of BiFeO3 was estimated using the relaxation times of the intermediate compositions of the BaTiO3 mixture, and the authors showed that the capacitance observed is from the bulk of the sample.
Abstract: BiFeO3, when forming a solid solution with BaTiO3, shows structural transformations over the entire compositional range. Above 70 mole % of BiFeO3 the structure is rhombohedral and below 4 mole %, it is tetragonal. In between the structure is cubic. The ferroelectric TC decreases with increasing composition of BaTiO3 and a relatively small relaxation is observed. Impedance measurements showed a structural dependence and analysis of which has clearly shown that the capacitance observed is from the bulk of the sample. Relaxation time (τ) of BiFeO3 was estimated using the relaxation times of the intermediate compositions. Magnetization measurements showed field induced ferromagnetism. As the structure becomes cubic with increasing concentration of BaTiO3, paramagnetism sets in, as evidenced by the electron spin resonance spectra.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of confinement on optical phonons of different symmetries in the nanoparticles of zinc oxide with wurtzite structure using Raman spectroscopy.
Abstract: Effect of confinement is investigated on optical phonons of different symmetries in the nanoparticles of zinc oxide with wurtzite structure using Raman spectroscopy. An optical phonon confinement model is used for calculating the theoretical line shapes, which exhibit different asymmetric broadening and shifts, depending on the symmetries of phonon and their dispersion curves. The best fit to the data is found for particle diameters consistent with those estimated using x-ray diffraction.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple half-space optical model that accounts for optical interference effects of the metal cathode-reflector is developed to extract the location and orientation of the emitting dipoles from these patterns.
Abstract: The electroluminescence (EL) pattern emitted through the surface and edge of the glass substrate of two efficient polymer light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been characterized. The surface emission is nearly Lambertian, while the edge emission comprises discrete substrate reflection and leaky waveguide modes. A simple “half-space” optical model that accounts for optical interference effects of the metal cathode–reflector is developed to extract the location and orientation of the emitting dipoles from these patterns. Numerical simulations for a range of polymer and metal refractive indices show that the surface out-coupling efficiency ξ of the internally generated photons can be greater than the 0.5 n−2 relation (where n is the refractive index of the emitter layer) valid for isotropic emitters that are not subjected to optical interference effects. When the emitting dipoles are optimally located for maximum rate of surface emission, the model predicts ξ to vary as 0.75 n−2 for the isotropic case, and as 1....

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the alloy bowing coefficients, alloy mixing enthalpies, and interfacial valence band offsets for three Cd-based (CdS, CdSe, and CdTe) compounds were calculated.
Abstract: Using first principles band structure theory we have calculated (i) the alloy bowing coefficients, (ii) the alloy mixing enthalpies, and (iii) the interfacial valence band offsets for three Cd-based (CdS, CdSe, CdTe) compounds. We have also calculated defect formation energies and defect transition energy levels of Cd vacancy VCd and CuCd substitutional defect in CdS and CdTe, as well as the isovalent defect TeS in CdS. The calculated results are compared with available experimental data.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, electrical and optical properties of CuAlO2, a p-type conducting transparent oxide, were examined for the thin films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique, and the indirect and direct allowed optical band gaps were evaluated to be ∼1.8 and ∼3.5 eV, respectively.
Abstract: Electrical and optical properties of CuAlO2, a p-type conducting transparent oxide, were examined for the thin films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The indirect and direct allowed optical band gaps were evaluated to be ∼1.8 and ∼3.5 eV, respectively. The conductivity at 300 K was ∼3×10−1 S cm−1 and its temperature dependence is of the thermal-activation type (activation energy ≈0.2 eV) at temperatures >220 K but is of the variable-range hopping type (log σ∝T−1/4) at <220 K. It was inferred that an admixed state of Cu 3d and O 2p primarily constitutes the upper valence band, which controls transport of positive holes, from a combined information on ultraviolet photoemission spectrum with x-ray photoemission spectrum. An energy band calculation by full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method substantiated the experimental findings. The present results gave a solid basis for our working hypothesis [Nature (London) 389, 939 (1997)] for chemical design of p-type conducting transpar...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the mechanisms responsible for material ejection as well as most of the parameters of the ejection process have a strong dependence on the rate of the laser energy deposition.
Abstract: The results of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the mechanisms responsible for material ejection as well as most of the parameters of the ejection process have a strong dependence on the rate of the laser energy deposition. For longer laser pulses, in the regime of thermal confinement, a phase explosion of the overheated material is responsible for the collective material ejection at laser fluences above the ablation threshold. This phase explosion leads to a homogeneous decomposition of the expanding plume into a mixture of liquid droplets and gas phase molecules. The decomposition proceeds through the formation of a transient structure of interconnected liquid clusters and individual molecules and leads to the fast cooling of the ejected plume. For shorter laser pulses, in the regime of stress confinement, a lower threshold fluence for the onset of ablation is observed and attributed to photomechanical effects driven by the relaxation of the laser-induced pressure. Larger and more numerous clusters with higher ejection velocities are produced in the regime of stress confinement as compared to the regime of thermal confinement. For monomer molecules, the ejection in the stress confinement regime results in broader velocity distributions in the direction normal to the irradiated surface, higher maximum velocities, and stronger forward peaking of the angular distributions. The acoustic waves propagating from the absorption region are much stronger in the regime of stress confinement and the wave profiles can be related to the ejection mechanisms.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The mechanism for energy transfer leading to electroluminescence (EL) of a lanthanide complex, Eu(TTA)3phen (TTA=thenoyltrifluoroacetone,phen=1,10-phenanthroline), doped into 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) host is investigated in this paper.
Abstract: The mechanism for energy transfer leading to electroluminescence (EL) of a lanthanide complex, Eu(TTA)3phen (TTA=thenoyltrifluoroacetone,phen=1,10-phenanthroline), doped into 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) host is investigated. With the device structure of anode/hole transport layer/Eu(TTA)3phen(1%):CPB/electron transport layer/cathode, we achieve a maximum external EL quantum efficiency (η) of 1.4% at a current density of 0.4 mA/cm2. Saturated red Eu3+ emission based on 5Dx–7Fx transitions is centered at a wavelength of 612 nm with a full width at half maximum of 3 nm. From analysis of the electroluminescent and photoluminescent spectra, and the current density–voltage characteristics, we conclude that direct trapping of holes and electrons and subsequent formation of the excitons occurs on the dopant, leading to high quantum efficiencies at low current densities. With increasing current between 1 and 100 mA/cm2, however, a significant decrease of η along with an increase in CBP host emission is observed. We demonstrate that the decrease in η at high current densities can be explained by triplet–triplet annihilation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a general equation for the susceptibility of disordered systems is proposed based on the experimental observation of power laws at frequencies far from the peak frequency of the imaginary part of the frequency dependent relaxation function, the susceptibility.
Abstract: A general equation for the susceptibility of disordered systems is proposed. It is based on the experimental observation of power laws at frequencies far from the peak frequency of the imaginary part of the frequency dependent relaxation function, the susceptibility. The obtained general expression contains the equations of other proposed relaxation functions as special cases and, thus, it might be considered as a generalization of these. From this general equation we derive an equation specially adapted for the α relaxation in glass-forming materials. This equation contains only three fit parameters and it is thus very suitable for fitting real experimental data. It is shown that this equation is a good frequency domain representation of the time domain Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts stretched exponential. From the general equation we also derive a four-parameter “universal” equation that describes most types of responses and even inverted response data, i.e., response peaks more stretched on the low frequency side than on the (as is normal) high frequency side. The physical significance of the different parameters is qualitatively discussed and the proposed functions are shown to satisfactorily describe typical experimental data.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the structure of laser-crystallized thin films of Ge2Sb2+xTe5 (0.0
Abstract: The structure of laser-crystallized thin films of Ge2Sb2+xTe5 (0.0

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a Caughey-Thomas-like mobility model with temperature and composition dependent coefficients is used to describe the dependence of electron and hole mobilities on temperature, doping concentration, and alloy composition.
Abstract: A Caughey–Thomas-like mobility model with temperature and composition dependent coefficients is used in this work to describe the dependence of electron and hole mobilities on temperature, doping concentration, and alloy composition. Appropriate parameter sets are given for a large number of III–V binary and ternary compounds, including: GaAs, InP, InAs, AlAs, GaP, Al0.3Ga0.7As, In0.52Al0.48As, In0.53Ga0.47As, and In0.49Ga0.51P. Additionally, physically justifiable interpolation schemes are suggested to find the mobilities of various ternary and quaternary compounds (such as AlxGa1−xAs, In1−xGaxP, In1−xGaxAs, In1−xAlxAs, and In1−xGaxAsyP1−y) in the entire range of composition. The models are compared with numerous measured Hall data in the literature and very good agreement is observed. The limitations of the present model are also discussed. The results of this work should be extremely useful in device simulation packages, which are currently lacking a reliable mobility model for the above materials.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of a systematic study on how the processing conditions of spin casting affect the morphology of polymer thin films, and how the morphology affects polymer light-emitting diode (LED) performance.
Abstract: We present the results of a systematic study on how the processing conditions of spin casting affect the morphology of polymer thin films, and how the morphology affects polymer light-emitting diode (LED) performance. The absorption peaks of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) thin films, which reflects the conjugation of π electrons, are strongly correlated to the spin-casting conditions. At high spin speed, better conjugation is observed. In addition, the photoluminescence emission peak of MEH-PPV films at ∼630 nm has a strong correlation to polymer aggregation. By proper selection of organic solvents, polymer solution concentrations, and spin speeds, we are able to control the aggregation of the polymer chains. Subsequently, we are able to control the emission color and the quantum efficiency of the MEH-PPV LEDs by simply adjusting the spin-casting conditions. Although spin casting is the most commonly used technique for the preparation of polymer thin films, our fin...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the electrical properties of p-type Mg-doped GaN were investigated through variable-temperature Hall effect measurements, and the measured doping efficiency drops in samples with Mg concentration above 2×1020 cm−3.
Abstract: The electrical properties of p-type Mg-doped GaN are investigated through variable-temperature Hall effect measurements. Samples with a range of Mg-doping concentrations were prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor phase deposition. A number of phenomena are observed as the dopant density is increased to the high values typically used in device applications: the effective acceptor energy depth decreases from 190 to 112 meV, impurity conduction at low temperature becomes more prominent, the compensation ratio increases, and the valence band mobility drops sharply. The measured doping efficiency drops in samples with Mg concentration above 2×1020 cm−3.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon is studied as a promising low-temperature alternative to solid-phase and laser crystallization in this article, where the overall process of the Al and Si layer exchange during annealing at temperatures below the eutectic temperature of 577 °C is investigated by various microscopy techniques.
Abstract: Aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon is studied as a promising low-temperature alternative to solid-phase and laser crystallization. Its advantages for the formation of polycrystalline silicon on foreign substrates are the possible usage of simple techniques, such as thermal evaporation and dc magnetron sputtering deposition, and relatively short processing times in the range of 1 h. The overall process of the Al and Si layer exchange during annealing at temperatures below the eutectic temperature of 577 °C is investigated by various microscopy techniques. It is shown that the ratio of the Al and a-Si layer thicknesses is vitally important for the formation of continuous polycrystalline silicon films on glass substrates. The grain size of these films is dependent on the annealing temperature and evidence is given that grain sizes of 20 μm and more can be achieved. The poly-Si films are described as solid solutions containing 3×1019 cm−3 Al atoms as solute. Only a fraction of the solute is...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The electron emission from ferroelectrics (FEE) is an unconventional electron emission effect as discussed by the authors, which is a tunneling emission current which screens uncompensated polarization charges, generated by a deviation of macroscopic spontaneous polarization from its equilibrium state under pyroelectric effect, piezoelectric effect, or polarization switching.
Abstract: Electron emission from ferroelectrics (FEE) is an unconventional electron emission effect. Methods of FEE excitation are quite different compared to classic electron emission from solids. Two kinds of FEE have been observed, “weak” and “strong.” “Weak” electron emission (current density 10−12–10−7 A/cm2) occurs from polar surfaces of ferroelectric materials in the ferroelectric phase only. A source of the electric field for “weak” FEE excitation is an uncompensated charge, generated by a deviation of macroscopic spontaneous polarization from its equilibrium state under a pyroelectric effect, piezoelectric effect, or polarization switching. The FEE is a tunneling emission current which screens uncompensated polarization charges. It is shown that the FEE is an effective tool for direct domain imaging and studies of electronic properties of ferroelectrics. “Strong” FEE, which is 10–12 orders of magnitude higher than “weak” FEE, achieves 100 A/cm2 and is plasma-assisted electron emission. Two modes of the sur...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the frequency response of a cantilever beam, that is immersed in a viscous fluid and excited by an arbitrary driving force, has been investigated and a critical assessment of the well-known inviscid model is presented.
Abstract: Detailed measurements of the frequency responses of a series of rectangular atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever beams, immersed in a range of fluids, have been performed to test the validity and accuracy of the recent theoretical model of Sader [J. Appl. Phys. 84, 64 (1998)]. This theoretical model gives the frequency response of a cantilever beam, that is immersed in a viscous fluid and excited by an arbitrary driving force. Very good agreement between experimental measurements and theoretical calculations is found for all fluids considered. Furthermore, a critical assessment of the well-known inviscid model is presented, which demonstrates that this model is not applicable to AFM cantilever beams in general.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the conditions of elasticity, roughness, and energy of adhesion to establish conformal contact between an elastomer and the target surface were analyzed, and the authors addressed questions of replication accuracy and evaluated local elastic deformation induced by normal forces.
Abstract: Patterning in soft lithography techniques such as microcontact printing or light-coupling mask lithography is mediated by surface topographical patterns of elastomeric stamps: intimate contact with the substrate is achieved locally at the protruding areas, whereas a gap remains between the substrate and recessed zones. This principle challenges the properties of the stamp, especially when printing high-resolution or extreme aspect-ratio patterns with high accuracy. On the one hand, the stamp must be soft enough to enable conformal contact with the substrate, which means that it must adapt elastically without leaving voids created by the natural roughness of the substrate. On the other hand, a precise definition of micropatterns requires a rigid material. In this article, we analyze the conditions of elasticity, roughness, and energy of adhesion to establish conformal contact between an elastomer and the target surface. Furthermore, we address questions of replication accuracy and evaluate local elastic deformation induced by normal forces using model calculations for simple pattern geometries. Pressure applied during contact leads to a sagging or collapse of the unsupported areas. We discuss implications on both material and pattern design that allow spontaneous propagation of conformal contact while inhibiting the spreading of collapse.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the electrical characteristics of SiOx/ZrO2 and Si Ox/Ta2O5 gate dielectric stacks were investigated and the current density was shown to be strongly temperature dependent at low voltage (below about 2 V).
Abstract: The electrical characteristics of SiOx/ZrO2 and SiOx/Ta2O5 gate dielectric stacks are investigated. The current–density JG in these dielectric stacks is shown to be strongly temperature dependent at low voltage (below about 2 V), the more so in the ZrO2 stack. On the other hand, JG is much less temperature dependent at higher voltage. These results are consistent with a model which takes into account the direct tunneling of electrons across the SiOx layer and the trap-assisted tunneling of electrons through traps with energy levels below the conduction band of the high permittivity dielectric layer. The energy levels and densities of these electron trapping centers are estimated by fitting this trap-assisted tunneling model to the experimental results.