H-Terminated Diamond Surface Band Bending Characterization by Angle-Resolved XPS

Concerning diamond-based electronic devices, the H-terminated diamond surface is one of the most used terminations as it can be obtained directly by using H2 plasma, which also is a key step for diamond growth by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The resultant surfaces present a p-type surface conductive layer with interest in power electronic applications. However, the mechanism for this behavior is still under discussion. Upward band bending due to surface transfer doping is the most accepted model, but has not been experimentally probed as of yet. Recently, a downward band bending very near the surface due to shallow acceptors has been proposed to coexist with surface transfer doping, explaining most of the observed phenomena. In this work, a new approach to the measurement of band bending by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) is proposed. Based on this new interpretation, a downward band bending of 0.67 eV extended over 0.5 nm was evidenced on a (100) H-terminated diamond surface.

Optical and Microstructural Investigation of Heavy B-Doping Effects in Sublimation-Grown 3C-SiC

In this work, a complementary microstructural and optical approach is used to define processing conditions favorable for the formation of deep boron-related acceptor centers that may provide a pathway for achieving an intermediate band behavior in highly B-doped 3C-SiC. The crystallinity, boron solubility and precipitation mechanisms in sublimation-grown 3C-SiC crystals implanted to 1-3 at.% B concentrations were investigated by STEM. The revealed defect formation and boron precipitation trends upon thermal treatment in the range 1100-2000°C have been cross-correlated with the optical characterization results provided by imaging PL spectroscopy. We discuss optical activity of the implanted B ions in terms of both shallow acceptors and deep D-centers, a complex formed by a boron atom and a carbon vacancy, and associate the observed spectral developments upon annealing with the strong temperature dependence of the D-center formation efficiency, which is further enhanced by the presence of implantation-induced defects.

Electrical Instability of CdTe:Si Crystals

Results of Hall effect measurements of cadmium telluride crystals, doped by silicon (dopant concentration in the melt was 1018 - 1019 cm-3), allowed to classify the studied samples and the conditions under which probably the definite crystal and impurity states are realized. We have found the distinction between 3 type of CdTe:Si crystals: (1) low-resistance p-type crystals with shallow acceptors, in which Si impurity is localized mainly in the large inclusions; (2) semi-insulating crystal with deep acceptors and submicron size dopant precipitates that are source/drain for interstitials Sii - shallow donors; and (3) low-resistance crystals in which the n-type conductivity is provided by shallow donors: Sii (and/or SiCd). Therefore the silicon is responsible for n-type conductivity of doped samples, introducing as a donor Siі and provides semi-insulating state by forming deep acceptor complexes (SiCd-VCd2-)- with (Еv + 0.65 eV). Besides, the submicron silica precipitates, that have a tendto"dissolution" at relatively low temperatures, can act aselectricallyactive centers.

ENERGETICS OF VHg-RELATED DEFECTS IN As-DOPED HgCdTe

Arsenic-doped HgCdTe usually exhibits compensated n-type conductivity, which is ambiguously attributed to isolated vacancies (V Hg ) or arsenic-vacancy complexes ( As Hg – V Hg and As Hg –2V Hg ). Our first-principles calculations clarified the correlation of these V Hg -related defects with the carrier compensation in As -doped HgCdTe by calculating the defect formation energies, as a function of atomic/electron chemical potentials. Under n-type condition, the lowest formation energy defect is found to be the As Hg donor followed by the V Hg acceptor, leading to a compensated n-type material. The arsenic-vacancy complexes are shallow acceptors but their high formation energies render them unlikely to be the compensating candidates. Their large binding energies, however, allow us to predict that the formation of the As Hg –2V Hg complex defect will be enhanced under postgrowth annealing treatment, in agreement with the arsenic activation model by Berding et al. [J. Electron. Mater.27, 605 (1998)].