The progress in device performance of modern microelectronic technology is mainly driven by down-scaling. In the near future, this road will probably reach a point where physical limits make even more down-scaling impossible. The substitution of single components materialwise over the last decades, like high-k dielectrics or metal gates, has been a suitable approach to foster performance improvements. In this scheme, the integration of high-mobility III-V compound semiconductors as channel materials into Si technology is a promising route to follow for the next one or two device generations. III-V integration, today, is conventionally performed by using techniques like molecular beam epitaxy or wafer bonding which utilize solid phase crystallization but suffer to strain due to the lattice mismatch between III-V compounds and Si. An alternative approach using sequential ion beam implantation in combination with a subsequent flash lamp annealing is presented in this work. Using this technique, nanocrystals from various III-V compounds have been successfully integrated into bulk Si and Ge as well as into thin Si layers which used either SOI substrates or were grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The III-V compounds which have been fabricated are GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, GaSb and InxGa1-xAs with variable composition. The structural properties of these nanocrystals have been investigated by Rutherford backscattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, including bright-field, dark-field, high-resolution, high-angle annular dark-field and scanning mode imaging, electron-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and energy-filtered element mapping. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction have been performed to characterise the nanocrystals optically. In Raman spectroscopy, the characteristic transversal and longitudinal optical phonon modes of the different III-V compounds have been observed. These signals proof that the nanocrystals have formed by the combination of ion implantation and flash lamp annealing. Additionally, the appearance of the typical phonon modes of the respective substrate materials verifies recrystallization of the substrate by the flash lamp after amorphisation during implantation. In the bulk Si samples, the nanocrystals have a circular or rectangular lateral shape and they are randomly distributed at the surface. Their cross-section has either a hemispherical or triangular shape. In bulk Ge, there are two types of precipitates: one at the surface with arbitrary shape and another one buried with circular shape. For the thin film samples, the lateral shape of the nanocrystals is more or less arbitrary and they feature a block-like cross-section which is limited in height by the Si layer thickness. Regarding crystalline quality, the nanocrystals in all samples are mainly single-crystalline with only a few number of stacking faults. However, the crystalline quality in the bulk samples is slightly better than in the thin films. The X-ray diffraction measurements display the (111), (220) and (311) Bragg peaks for InAs and GaAs as well as for the InxGa1-xAs where the peaks shift with increasing In content from GaAs towards InAs. The underlying formation mechanism is identified as liquid phase epitaxy. Hereby, the ion implantation leads to an amorphisation of the substrate material which is then molten by the subsequent flash lamp annealing. This yields a homogeneous distribution of the implanted elements within the melt due to their strongly increased diffusivity in the liquid phase. Afterwards, the substrate material starts to recrystallize at first and an enrichment of the melt with group-III and group-V elements takes place due to segregation. When the temperature is low enough, the III-V compound semiconductor starts to crystallize using the recrystallized substrate material as a template for epitaxial growth. In order to gain control over the lateral nanocrystal distribution, an implantation mask of either aluminium or nickel is introduced. Using this mask, only small areas of the samples are implanted. After flash lamp treatment, nanocrystals form only in these small areas, which allows precise positioning of them. An optimal implantation window size with an edge length of around 300nm has been determined to obtain one nanocrystal per implanted area. During an additional experiment, the preparation of Si nanowires using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching has been conducted. Hereby, two different processes have been investigated; one using a ZEP resist, a lift-off step and a Ni hard mask and another one using a hydrogen silsesquioxane resist which is used directly as a mask for etching. The HSQ-based process turned out to yield Si nanowires of better quality. Combining both, the masked implantation and the Si nanowire fabrication, it might be possible to integrate a single III-V nanocrystal into a Si nanowire to produce a III-V-in-Si-nanowire structure for electrical testing. / Der Fortschritt in der Leistungsfähigkeit der Bauelemente moderner Mikroelektroniktechnologie wird hauptsächlich durch das Skalieren vorangetrieben. In naher Zukunft wird dieser Weg wahrscheinlich einen Punkt erreichen, an dem physikalische Grenzen weiteres Herunterskalieren unmöglich machen. Der Austausch einzelner Teile auf Materialebene, wie Hoch-Epsilon-Dielektrika oder Metall-Gate-Elektroden, war während der letzten Jahrzehnte ein geeigneter Ansatz, um die Leistungsverbesserung voranzubringen. Nach diesem Schema ist die Integration von III-V-Verbindungshalbleiter mit hoher Mobilität ein vielversprechender Weg, dem man für die nächsten ein oder zwei Bauelementgenerationen folgen kann. Heutzutage erfolgt die III-V-Integration konventionell mit Verfahren wie der Molekularstrahlepitaxie oder dem Waferbonden, welche die Festphasenkristallisation nutzen, die aber aufgrund der Gitterfehlanpassung zwischen III-V-Verbindungen und Silizium an Verspannungen leiden. In dieser Arbeit wird ein alternativer Ansatz präsentiert, welcher die sequenzielle Ionenstrahlimplantation in Verbindung mit einer darauffolgenden Blitzlampentemperung ausnutzt. Mit Hilfe dieses Verfahrens wurden Nanokristalle verschiedener III-V-Verbindungshalbleiter erfolgreich in Bulksilizium- und -germaniumsubstrate sowie in dünne Siliziumschichten integriert. Für die dünnen Schichten wurden hierbei entweder SOI-Substrate verwendet oder sie wurden mittels plasmagestützer chemischer Gasphasenabscheidung gewachsen. Die hergestellten III-V-Verbindungen umfassen GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, InSb und InxGa1-xAs mit veränderbarer Zusammensetzung. Die strukturellen Eigenschaften dieser Nanokristalle wurden mit Rutherford-Rückstreu-Spektroskopie, Rasterelektronenmikroskopie und Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie untersucht. Bei der Transmissionelektronenmikroskopie wurden die Hellfeld-, Dunkelfeld-, hochauflösenden, “high-angle annular dark-field” und Rasteraufnahmemodi sowie die energiedispersive Röntgenspektroskopie und die energiegefilterte Elementabbildung eingesetzt. Darüber hinaus wurden Ramanspektroskopie- und Röntgenbeugungsmessungen durchgeführt, um die Nanokristalle optisch zu charakterisieren. Mittels Ramanspektroskopie wurden die charakteristischen transversal- und longitudinal-optischen Phononenmoden der verschiedenen III-V-Verbindungen beobachtet. Diese Signale beweisen, dass sich unter Verwendung der Kombination von Ionenstrahlimplantation und Blitzlampentemperung Nanokristalle bilden. Weiterhin zeigt das Vorhandensein der typischen Phononenmoden der jeweiligen Substratmaterialien, dass die Substrate aufgrund der Blitzlampentemperung rekristallisiert sind, nachdem sie durch Ionenimplantation amorphisiert wurden. In den Bulksiliziumproben besitzen die Nanokristalle eine kreisförmige oder rechteckige Kontur und sind in zufälliger Anordnung an der Oberfläche verteilt. Ihr Querschnitt zeigt entweder eine Halbkugel- oder dreieckige Form. Im Bulkgermanium gibt es zwei Arten von Ausscheidungen: eine mit willkürlicher Form an der Oberfläche und eine andere, vergrabene mit sphärischer Form. Betrachtet man die Proben mit den dünnen Schichten, ist die laterale Form der Nanokristalle mehr oder weniger willkürlich und sie zeigen einen blockähnlichen Querschnitt, welcher in der Höhe durch die Siliziumschichtdicke begrenzt ist. Bezüglich der Kristallqualität sind die Nanokristalle in allen Proben mehrheitlich einkristallin und weisen nur eine geringe Anzahl an Stapelfehlern auf. Jedoch ist die Kristallqualität in den Bulkmaterialien ein wenig besser als in den dünnen Schichten. Die Röntgenbeugungsmessungen zeigen die (111), (220) und (311) Bragg-Reflexe des InAs und GaAs sowie des InxGa1-xAs, wobei sich hier die Signalpositionen mit steigendem Gehalt an Indium von GaAs zu InAs verschieben. Als zugrundeliegender Bildungsmechanismus wurde die Flüssigphasenepitaxie identifiziert. Hierbei führt die Ionenstrahlimplantation zu einer Amorphisierung des Substratmaterials, welches dann durch die anschließende Blitzlampentemperung aufgeschmolzen wird. Daraus resultiert eine homogene Verteilung der implantierten Elemente in der Schmelze, da diese eine stark erhöhte Diffusivität in der flüssigen Phase aufweisen. Danach beginnt zuerst das Substratmaterial zu rekristallisieren und es kommt aufgrund von Segregationseffekten zu einer Anreicherung der Schmelze mit den Gruppe-III- und Gruppe-V-Elementen. Wenn die Temperatur niedrig genug ist, beginnt auch der III-V-Verbindungshalbleiter zu kristallisieren, wobei er das rekristallisierte Substratmaterial als Grundlage für ein epitaktisches Wachstum nutzt. In der Absicht Kontrolle über die laterale Verteilung der Nanokristalle zu erhalten, wurde eine Implantationsmaske aus Aluminium beziehungsweise Nickel eingeführt. Durch die Benutzung einer solchen Maske wurden nur kleine Bereiche der Proben implantiert. Nach der Blitzlampentemperung werden nur in diesen kleinen Bereichen Nanokristalle gebildet, was eine genaue Positionierung dieser erlaubt. Es wurde eine optimale Implantationsfenstergröße mit einer Kantenlänge von ungefähr 300 nm ermittelt, damit sich nur ein Nanokristall pro implantierten Bereich bildet. Während eines zusätzlichen Experiments wurde die Präparation von Siliziumnanodrähten mit Hilfe von Elektronenstrahllithografie und reaktivem Ionenätzen durchgeführt. Hierbei wurden zwei verschiedene Prozesse getestet: einer, welcher einen ZEP-Lack, einen Lift-off-Schritt und eine Nickelhartmaske nutzt, und ein anderer, welcher einen HSQ-Lack verwendet, der wiederum direkt als Maske für die Ätzung dient. Es stellte sich heraus, dass der HSQ-basierte Prozess Siliziumnanodrähte von höherer Qualität liefert. Kombiniert man beides, die maskierte Implantation und die Siliziumnanodrahtherstellung, miteinander, sollte es möglich sein, einzelne III-V-Nanokristalle in einen Siliziumnanodraht zu integrieren, um eine III-V-in-Siliziumnanodrahtstruktur zu fertigen, welche für elektrische Messungen geeignet ist.

Higher conversion efficiencies while reducing costs at the same time is the ultimate goal driving the development of solar cells. Multi-crystalline silicon has attracted considerable attention because of its high stability against light soaking. In case of solar grade multi-crystalline silicon the rigorous control of metal impurities is desirable for solar cell fabrication. It is the aim of this thesis to develop a new manufacturing process optimized for solar-grade multi-crystalline silicon solar cells. In this work the goal is to form solar cell emitters in silicon substrates by plasma immersion ion implantation of phosphine and posterior millisecond-range flash lamp annealing. These techniques were chosen as a new approach in order to decrease the production cost by reducing the amount of energy needed during fabrication. Therefore, this approach is called “Low Thermal Budget” process. After ion implantation the silicon surface is strongly disordered or amorphous up to the depth of the projected ion range. Therefore, subsequent annealing is required to remove the implantation damage and activate the doping element. Flash lamp annealing in the millisecond-range is demonstrated here as a very promising technique for the emitter formation at an overall low thermal budget. During flash lamp annealing, only the wafer surface is heated homogeneously to high temperatures at a time scales of ms. Thereby, implantation damages are annealed and phosphorous is electrically activated. The variation of pulse time allows to modify the degree of annealing of the bulk region to some extent as well. This can have an influence on the gettering behavior of metallic impurities. Ion implantation doping got in distinct consideration for doping of single-crystalline solar cells very recently. The efficient doping of multi-crystalline silicon remains the main challenge to reduce costs. The influence of different annealing techniques on the optical and electrical properties of multi-crystalline silicon solar cells was investigated. The Raman spectroscopy showed that the silicon surface is amorphous after ion implantation. It could be demonstrated that flash lamp annealing at 1000 °C for 3 ms even without preheating is sufficient to recrystallize implanted silicon. The sheet resistance of flash lamp annealed samples is in the range of about 60 Ω/□. Without surface passivation the minority carrier diffusion length in the flash lamp annealed samples is in the range of 85 µm. This is up to one order of magnitude higher than that observed for rapid thermal or furnace annealed samples. The highest carrier concentration and efficiency as well as the lowest resistivity were obtained after annealing at 1200 °C for 20 ms for both, single- and multi-crystalline silicon wafers. Photoluminescence results point towards phosphorous cluster formation at high annealing temperatures which affects metal impurity gettering within the emitter. Additionally, in silicon based solar cells, hydrogen plays a fundamental role due to its excellent passivation properties. The optical and electrical properties of the fabricated emitters were studied with particular interest in their dependence on the hydrogen content present in the samples. The influence of different flash lamp annealing parameters and a comparison with traditional thermal treatments such as rapid thermal and furnace annealing are presented. The samples treated by flash lamp annealing at 1200 °C for 20 ms in forming gas show sheet resistance values in the order of 60 Ω/□, and minority carrier diffusion lengths in the range of ~200 µm without the use of a capping layer for surface passivation. These results are significantly better than those obtained from rapid thermal or furnace annealed samples. The simultaneous implantation of hydrogen during the doping process, combined with optimal flash lamp annealing parameters, gave promising results for the application of this technology in replacing the conventional phosphoroxychlorid deposition and diffusion.:1 Motivation and objectives 1 2 Progress and prospects of silicon solar cells 5 3 Basics of a silicon solar cell 8 3.1 Specific characteristic of a standard silicon solar cell 12 3.2 Fundamental efficiency limits of standard silicon solar cells 14 4 Industrial process featuring low thermal budget process 17 4.1 Cleaning and etching steps 19 4.2 Emitter formation in p-type silicon 20 4.2.1 Thermal diffusion of phosphorous (industrial) 22 4.2.2 Ion beam implantation 24 4.2.3 Plasma immersion ion implantation as potential tool for the LTB process 26 4.2.4 Thermal processing of ion implanted solar cells - FLA as a novel method 28 4.3 Contact formation 30 4.3.1 Screen printing and sintering (industrial) 30 4.3.2 Gettering and BSF formation by aluminum diffusion (industrial) 32 4.3.3 Sputtering (LTB) 33 4.4 Surface passivation 33 5 Fabrication and characterization 35 5.1 Fabrication 35 5.2 Characterization of the p-n junction by ion implantation and FLA 39 5.2.1 Four-Point-Probe measurement (4-PPM) 39 5.2.2 Raman Spectroscopy (RS) 40 5.2.3 Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL) 41 5.2.4 Surface Photo-Voltage (SPV) 41 5.3 Analysis of hydrogen and metal impurities 46 5.3.1 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) 46 5.3.2 Elastic Recoil Detection Analyses (ERDA) and 47 Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) 47 5.4 Solar cell characterization 49 5.4.1 Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) 49 5.4.2 Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) 50 5.4.3 Light Beam Induced Current (LBIC) 51 5.4.4 Sun Simulator 52 6 Solar cell performance 53 6.1 Processing of the p-n junction by IBI and FLA 54 6.1.1 Variation FLA parameters 54 6.1.2 Influence of the grain size on the LD 71 6.2 Influence of the hydrogen introduced by PIII 76 6.2.1 Hydrogen profile by SIMS 76 6.2.2 H content as function of the thermal treatments 78 6.2.3 Optical properties of the silicon substrate 80 6.3 Influence of PIII and FLA on implanted iron 82 6.4 Contact formation 88 6.4.1 Antireflection layer 89 6.4.2 Back surface formation 90 6.4.3 Electrical and optical characterization 93 7 Overview of the achieved results 98 I References VIII II Publications XVII III Symbols index XVIII IV Acronyms XXI

Thema der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung und Konstruktion einer Gasentladungslampe unter Verwendung von transparenten, lumineszenten Dünnfilmen. Zunächst wurden Leuchtstoffe in nanoskaligem Maßstab hergestellt, um daraus anschließend dünne Filme herzustellen, die für Licht im sichtbaren Wellenlängenbereich durchlässig sind. Diese Filme können nach Anregung mit UV-Strahlung sichtbares Licht emittieren und eignen sich daher für den Bau einer transparenten Gasentladungslampe. Als Leuchtstoffe kommen Verbindungen in Frage, die auch in herkömmlichen Leuchtstoffröhren verwendet werden. Dazu zählt unter anderem YVO4:Eu als viel genutzter rot emittierender Leuchtstoff und LaPO4:Ce,Tb mit charakteristischer grüner Emission. Diese beiden Verbindungen wurden zunächst als funktionalisierte Nanopartikel hergestellt. Unter Verwendung einer Mikrowelle wurden agglomeratfreie, wässrige YVO4:Eu Dispersionen synthetisiert, deren Partikel einen hydrodynamischen Durchmesser im Bereich von 45,6 nm bis 51,7 nm aufwiesen. Diese Partikel kristallisieren im tetragonalen Kristallsystem und besitzen eine Kristallitgröße zwischen 9 nm bis 10 nm. Die in wässriger Dispersion ausgelöschte Lumineszenz ist nachweisbar, nachdem die Partikel mit Aceton destablisiert wurden. Die getrockneten Pulverproben zeigen dann nach Anregung mit UV-Licht die typische rote Emission des Eu3+ mit Intensitätsmaximum bei 618 nm und besitzen eine Quantenausbeute von ca. 17,3 %. Durch eine Temperaturbehandlung bei 600 °C konnte die Kristallinität der Partikel erhöht werden. Dies führte zu einer Erhöhung der Quantenausbeute auf bis zu 37,2 %. Die Stabilisierung der LaPO4:Ce,Tb Partikel erfolgte im Gegensatz zu YVO4:Eu aus einem Gemisch von Zitronensäure und Phosphorhexansäure. Auf diese Weise konnten stabile wässrige Dispersionen mit 39 nm (hydrodynamischer Durchmesser) großen Partikeln hergestellt werden. Allerdings konnte nicht eindeutig belegt werden, dass es sich LaPO4 mit hexagonalem Kristallsystem handelt, da die Partikel nur sehr schlecht kristallisieren. Daher ist auch die Bestimmung der Kristallitgröße nicht möglich gewesen. Fällt man die Partikel aus wässriger Dispersion aus, so ist anschließend im Fluoreszenzspektrum die charakteristische Tb3+ Lumineszenz mit Intensitätsmaximum bei  = 544 nm nachweisbar. Die Kristallisierung dieser Partikel durch eine Temperaturbehandlung bei 600 °C führte zur Bildung von monoklinem LaPO4. Dabei kam es jedoch zu einem unerwünschten Nebeneffekt. Das im LaPO4:Ce,Tb enthaltene Cer wurde von Ce3+ zu Ce4+ oxidiert und damit die komplette Tb3+-Emission ausgelöscht. Dieser Vorgang ist reversibel, so dass Tempern unter reduktiven Bedingungen die Lumineszenz wieder aktivierte. Um die Partikel in organischen Medien dispergieren zu können, wurde die Oberfläche beider Partikelsysteme mit Octylamin funktionalisiert. Die agglomeratfreien Dispersionen in THF konnten anschließend für Schleuderprozesse zur Dünnfilmerzeugung genutzt werden. Dünne Schichten von YVO4:Eu bzw. LaPO4:Ce,Tb auf Glassubstraten besaßen auch nach Tempern bei 600 °C eine sehr hohe Transmission im sichtbaren Wellenlängenbereich und emittierten charakteristische Fluoreszenz nach Anregung mit UV-Licht. YVO4:Eu beschichtete Substrate wiesen trotz geringer Schichtdicken von ca. 350 nm hohe Quantenausbeuten in Höhe von 22,9 % auf und eignen sich hervorragend für die Verwendung in Gasentladungslampen. Dagegen sind LaPO4:Ce,Tb beschichtete Substrate problematisch, da die Lumineszenz erst durch Reduktion im Wasserstoffstrom aktiviert werden muss (Reduzierung von Ce4+ zu Ce3+). Ziel war es, mit den hergestellten lumineszenten Dünnfilmen eine transparente Gasentladungslampe herzustellen. Bei der Planung der Konstruktion mussten viele Punkte beachtet werden. Dazu gehörte unter anderem die Art des Füllgases, das Elektrodenmaterial, die Abdichtung der Gaskammer, Messung des Kammerdrucks, Art des Dielektrikums und vor allem Spannungsversorgung. Im Verlauf mehrerer Serien wurden die hergestellten Lampen bis zu einem Prototyp laufend in Hinsicht Gasabdichtung, Gaszuführung und Druckkontrolle weiterentwickelt. Letztlich konnte eine funktionierende Gasentladungslampe gebaut werden, die nach Anlegen einer Spannung von 4 kV bei 50 kHz Licht in der Farbe des Leuchtstoffes der Schicht (rot – YVO4:Eu) emittierte.

Intermediate band (IB) materials have attracted considerable research interest since they can dramatically enhance the near infrared light absorption and lead to applications in the fields of so-called intermediate band solar cells or infrared photodetectors. Hyperdoping Si with deep level impurities is one of the most effective approaches to form an IB inside Si. In this thesis, titanium (Ti) or chalcogen doped Si with concentrations far exceeding the Mott transition limits (~ 5×10^19 cm-3 for Ti) are fabricated by ion implantation followed by pulsed laser annealing (PLA) or flash lamp annealing (FLA). The structural and electrical properties of the implanted layer are investigated by channeling Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (cRBS) and Hall measurements. For Si supersaturated with Ti, it is shown that Ti-implanted Si after liquid phase epitaxy shows cellular breakdown at high doping concentrations during the rapid solidification, preventing Ti incorporation into Si matrix. However, the out-diffusion and the cellular breakdown can be effectively suppressed by solid phase epitaxy during FLA, leading to a much higher Ti incorporation. In addition, the formed microstructure of cellular breakdown also complicates the interpretation of the electrical properties. After FLA, the samples remain insulating even with the highest Ti implantation fluence, whereas the sheet resistance decreases with increasing Ti concentration after PLA. According to the results from conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM), the decrease of the sheet resistance after PLA is attributed to the percolation of Ti-rich cellular walls, but not to the insulator-to-metal transition due to Ti-doping. Se-hyperdoped Si samples with different Se concentrations are fabricated by ion implantation followed by FLA. The study of the structural properties of the implanted layer reveals that most Se atoms are located at substitutional lattice sites. Temperature-dependent sheet resistance shows that the insulator-to-metal transition occurs at a Se peak concentration of around 6.3 × 10^20 cm-3, proving the formation of an IB in host semiconductors. The correlation between the structural and electrical properties under different annealing processes is also investigated. The results indicate that the degrees of crystalline lattice recovery of the implanted layers and the Se substitutional fraction depend on pulse duration and energy density of the flash. The sample annealed at short pulse durations (1.3 ms) shows better conductivity than long pulse durations (20 ms). The electrical properties of the hyperdoped layers can be well-correlated to the structural properties resulting from different annealing processes.:Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Shallow and Deep level impurities in semiconductors 1 1.2 Challenges for hyperdoping semiconductors with deep level Impurities 2 1.3 Solid vs. liquid phase epitaxy 5 1.4 Previous work 7 1.4.1 Transition metal in Si 7 1.4.2 Chalcogens in Si 10 1.5 The organization of this thesis 15 Chapter 2 Experimental methods 18 2.1 Ion implantation 18 2.1.1 Basic principle of ion implantation 18 2.1.2 Ion implantation equipment 19 2.1.3 Energy loss 20 2.2 Pulsed laser annealing (PLA) 23 2.3 Flash lamp annealing (FLA) 24 2.4 Rutherford backscattering and channeling spectrometry (RBS/C) 27 2.4.1 Basic principles 27 2.4.2 Analysis of the elements in the target 28 2.4.3 Channeling and RBS/C 29 2.4.4 Analysis of the impurity lattice location 31 2.5 Hall measurements 31 2.5.1 Sample preparation 32 2.5.2 Resistivity 32 2.5.3 Hall measurements 33 Chapter 3 Suppressing the cellular breakdown in silicon supersaturated with titanium 34 3.1 Introduction 34 3.2 Experimental 35 3.3 Results 36 3.4 Conclusions 42 Chapter 4 Titanium-implanted silicon: does the insulator-to-metal transition really happen? 44 4.1 Introduction 44 4.2 Experimental section 45 4.3 Results 47 4.3.1 Recrystallization of Ti-implanted Si 47 4.3.2 Lattice location of Ti impurities 48 4.3.3 Electrical conduction 50 4.3.4 Surface morphology 52 4.3.5 Spatially resolved conduction 53 4.4 Discussion 55 4.5 Conclusion 56 Chapter 5 Realizing the insulator-to-metal transition in Se hyperdoped Si via non-equilibrium material processing 57 5.1 Introduction 57 5.2 Experimental 59 5.3 Results 60 5.4 Conclusions 65 Chapter 6 Structural and electrical properties of Se-hyperdoped Si via ion implantation and flash lamp annealing 67 6.1 Introduction 67 6.2 Experimental 68 6.3 Results 69 6.4 Conclusions 76 Chapter 7 Summary and outlook 78 7.1 Summary 78 7.2 Outlook 81 References 83 Publications 89

Germanium (Ge) is the most compatible semiconductor material with silicon-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology, which has higher electron and hole mobility than Si, leading to enhanced device performance. In addition, semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have attracted significant attention as promising candidates for next-generation nanoscale devices. Due to their unique geometry and physical properties, NWs show excellent optical and electrical properties such as quantum size effects, enhanced light absorption, and high biological and chemical sensitivity. Furthermore, high response to light irradiation is one of the most significant properties of semiconductor NWs, which makes them excellent candidates for photodetectors. Hence, Ge NWs are promising high-mobility nanostructures for optoelectronic devices. Despite constant improvement in the performance of single NW-based devices, determining their electrical properties remains challenging. Here, a symmetric six-contact Hall bar configuration is developed for top-down fabricated highly doped Ge NWs with different widths down to 30 nm, which simultaneously facilitates Hall effect and four-probe resistance measurements. Furthermore, accurate control of doping and fabrication of metal contacts on n-type doped Ge NWs with low resistance and linear characteristics remain significant challenges in Ge-based devices. Therefore, a combined approach is reported to fabricate Ohmic contacts on n-type doped Ge NWs using ion implantation and rear-side flash lamp annealing. This approach allows the fabrication of axial p–n junctions along the single NWs with different widths. The fabricated devices demonstrated rectifying characteristics in dark conditions. The photoresponse of the axial p–n junction photodetectors was investigated under three different illumination wavelengths of 637 nm, 785 nm, and 1550 nm. Moreover, the fabricated axial p–n junction photodetector demonstrated a high-frequency response up to 1 MHz at zero bias.

<p>  </p> <p>Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), <em>Drosophila suzukii</em> (Matsumura), is an economically-important pest of small fruits worldwide. Currently, timing of management is based on morphological identification of adult flies captured in baited monitoring traps; however, distinguishing SWD from other native drosophilids in traps is a time-consuming process that requires magnification. And a degree-day model that could help small fruit growers understand and predict the seasonal activity of this pest has not been developed for Indiana. Due to the low tolerance for maggots in fruit market, most small fruit growers rely on intensive, insecticide applications on a calendar-based schedule without guidance on the activity levels of SWD. </p> <p>A total of 6,051 SWD adults were monitored weekly using commercial Scentry traps at three highbush blueberry orchards during May to August. I applied the published SWD developmental thresholds of 7.2 °C (lower) and 31.5 °C (upper) and the single-sine method to calculate accumulated degree days in the year of 2021 and 2022. A predictive model from two years of data at three locations exhibited an S-shaped curve, with 5%, 25%, and 50% of adults detected at ~907, 1,293, and 1,523 CDD, respectively. By examining infestations in three varieties, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Blueray’, and ‘Elliot’, I found that blueberry infestation rate increased as the trap captures increased. The use of early-ripening highbush blueberry varieties can reduce infestation and regardless of variety, as berries became softer, the number of SWD egg scars in berries increased.</p> <p>DNA-based diagnostic methods, like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), have the potential to improve SWD detection by replacing morphological identification with DNA-based identification. Positive results of the LAMP assay are based on a visible color change from pink to yellow when focal DNA is present. I tested the reliability of LAMP results using SWD DNA and then evaluated the sensitivity of LAMP in discriminating between SWD and two native drosophilids common captured in monitoring traps in Indiana, <em>Drosophila affinis</em> and <em>D. simulans</em>. I found the LAMP assay can quickly and accurately identify SWD with as little as 0.1 ng/μl of DNA. Following optimization, the assay also suggested success in discriminating between SWD and these two native species: it only requires an individual fly, DNA extraction is not necessary. </p> <p>By better predicting seasonal SWD activity and optimizing DNA-based diagnostics for this pest, this study can help improve the timely detection of SWD and the management in small fruit systems. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Nucleic acid testing has become a prominent method for rapid microbial detection. Unlike polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a simple method of nucleic acid amplification where the reaction can be performed at a constant temperature and the output provided in a colorimetric format. A transparent water bath heater is a desirable instrument to perform the heating and observe the visual results of nucleic acid amplification. However, existing methods of heating the water are not convenient for loading and unloading the nucleic acid samples. Here, we developed a field-deployable water bath heating device—an isothermal heater called IsoHeat for short–which is solely dedicated to performing LAMP reactions and can heat the water up to 85 °C (if needed). Using 3D-printing and LASER-cutting technology, we fabricated different parts of the device and mechanically assembled the parts to develop the entire device. Users can commence the heating by pressing the start button on the screen after entering the target temperature. Subsequently, the device heats up the water bath and maintains the target temperature through a PID algorithm-based control system. We demonstrate that IsoHeat can operate in environmental temperatures ranging from 5-33 °C and it can conduct LAMP reactions in a liquid format as well as in paper-based devices. IsoHeat is more efficient and user-friendly compared to a commercially available immersion-heating device, which is often used to perform LAMP reactions. This newly developed device would be helpful to detect pathogens conveniently in the field (e.g., at the point-of-care for human applications, on farms for plant and animal applications, and in production facilities for food safety applications).</p>

Many environmental compartments are acknowledged transmission routes for infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and anthropogenic pollution. The need for environmental sensing has consistently been stressed as a means to minimize public health threats caused by such contaminants. Many analytical detection techniques have been developed and applied for environmental sensing. However, these techniques are often reliant upon centralized facilities and require intensive resources. For these reasons their use can be challenging under resource-constrained conditions characterized by poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. In this dissertation, we developed biotechnology- and/or nanotechnology-advanced analytical tools for environmental sensing that have potential for future application in regions with poor WASH services. First, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and nanopore sequencing were applied to develop assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in wastewater samples. Second, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was applied for environmental detection of a range of analytes. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based SERS substrates were fabricated by droplet evaporation-induced aggregation on a hydrophobic substrate. These SERS substrates were then applied for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and other environmental contaminants (e.g., dye or hydrophobic organic contaminants). In a separate study, Au nanostructured SERS substrates were fabricated and applied for pH sensing in a range of environmental media. Finally, the environmental impact of an AuNP-based colorimetric detection assay was assessed via life cycle assessment. / Doctor of Philosophy / Environmental sensing is an important means to intervene against public health threats of infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. However, currently available analytical tools for environmental samples often require intensive resources that are not available in low- and middle-income countries. In this dissertation, we developed biotechnology and/or nanotechnology advanced analytical tools for environmental sensing that have potential future application applied under resource-constrained conditions. First, we applied loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and nanopore sequencing to develop detection assays for SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in wastewater samples. Second, we applied surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to develop assays for environmental analytes. We fabricated SERS substrates by evaporation-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a hydrophobic substrate and applied these for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and other environmental contaminants. In addition, Au nanostructured SERS substrates were fabricated and applied for pH sensing in a range of environmental media. Finally, we used life cycle assessment to quantitatively evaluate the environmental impacts of an AuNP-based sensing applications.

by Tse Ching-Yee. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-64). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / CHAPTER / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT OF CHINA --- p.3 / Chapter 3. --- COMPANY BACKGROUND --- p.9 / Chapter 4. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.10 / Chapter 5. --- ANALYSIS OF PRE-1996 STRATEGY --- p.11 / Chapter 5.1 --- Marketing --- p.11 / Chapter 5.2 --- Organization --- p.20 / Chapter 5.3 --- Logistics and Production --- p.22 / Chapter 5.4 --- Finance --- p.23 / Chapter 6. --- ANALYSIS OF THE 1996 STRATEGIC PLAN --- p.25 / Chapter 6.1 --- The New Strategic Direction --- p.25 / Chapter 6.2 --- Organization and Management --- p.27 / Chapter 6.3 --- Marketing --- p.31 / Chapter 6.4 --- Logistics and Production --- p.35 / Chapter 7. --- IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR CHALLENGES OF STRATEGIC CHANGE --- p.37 / Chapter 7.1 --- Potential Resistance to Change --- p.37 / Chapter 7.2 --- Marketing --- p.39 / Chapter 7.3 --- Personnel --- p.41 / Chapter 8. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.42 / Chapter 8.1 --- Reduce Potential Resistance --- p.45 / Chapter 8.2 --- Planning and Control --- p.46 / Chapter 8.3 --- Sales Forces Management --- p.48 / Chapter 8.4 --- Managing the Resources --- p.52 / Chapter 9. --- CONCLUSION --- p.55 / APPENDIX --- p.56 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.63

Grâce au développement de la technologie des semi-conducteurs, les ballasts électroniques fonctionnant en haute fréquence offrent des avantages considérables par rapport aux ballasts électromagnétiques conventionnels. Il en résulte une augmentation de la durée de vie de la lampe, une diminution du volume et du poids du système et surtout un meilleur contrôle de son fonctionnement afin de réduire notamment la consommation électrique. Parmi des lampes à décharge, la lampe sodium haute pression a une excellente efficacité lumineuse et une longue durée de vie. Pourtant, quand la lampe fonctionne en haut fréquence, des perturbations de type « résonance acoustique (RA) » peuvent entraîner l’instabilité de la décharge, son extinction ou pire, la destruction de la lampe. Cette thèse, intitulée « Modes d’Alimentation et de Commande des lampes sodium haute pression en vue d’éviter les résonances acoustiques », traite de plusieurs problèmes. Les caractéristiques de la décharge haute pression, le phénomène de RA, ses conditions d’excitation (notamment au travers d’un phénomène d’hystérésis original) et la variation des paramètres électriques due à la présence de résonances acoustiques dans la lampe, ont été étudiés. Les résultats sont issus de travaux de simulation et expérimentaux menés au sein du laboratoire LAPLACE. Grâce à ces acquis fondamentaux, plusieurs nouvelles méthodes d’alimentation par l’injection de signaux à fréquences proches ont été proposées dans nos travaux. Il s’agit d’éviter la résonance acoustique dans la lampe alimentée par un ballast de structure très réduite par rapport aux solutions classiques. Cette méthode est basée sur le choix judicieux des signaux injectés dans la lampe et leur répartition, (alimentation par deux, trois ou cinq signaux, répartition symétrique, asymétrique totale ou partielle). Le résultat est un meilleur étalement du spectre et donc une réduction de puissances harmoniques sélectionnées permettant de s’adapter, à terme aux conditions d’excitation des RA, mais aussi les limitations de ces méthodes compte tenu du facteur crête. Enfin, différents types de commande en boucle fermée sont proposés, ils permettent d’assurer la stabilité de la décharge et le contrôle des puissances imposées dans la lampe. Les études théoriques, en simulation et expérimentales qui ont été conduites nous ont permis d’aboutir à des résultats concluants. / For high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, the progress of semi-conductor technology has provided considerable advantages in the design of high frequency operated electronic ballasts, compared to conventional electromagnetic ballasts. The advantages deal with lamp lifetime improvement, ballast volume and mass reduction, and particularly with a better control of lamp operation for optimized power consumption. Among discharge lamps, high pressure sodium (HPS) lamp has excellent efficacy and long lifetime. However, when it is operated at high frequency, discharge perturbation namely “acoustic resonances (AR)” can provoke some lamp arc instabilities, extinction or, even worst, lamp destruction. The present thesis, entitled “Supply and control methods for acoustic resonances avoidance in high intensity discharge lamps” deals with several matters.  High intensity discharge (HID) characteristics, AR phenomenon, its excitation conditions (including the original features of AR hysteresis) and lamp electrical parameters variation due to AR presence, will be studied. The obtained results were provided by simulations and experimentations carried out in LAPLACE laboratory. Thanks to the acquired results of previous studies, several novel lamp supply strategies via adjacent frequency signals injection were proposed. The main concepts here consist in the avoidance of AR presented in a lamp supplied by designed electronic ballast with reduced structure, compared to classical solutions. Otherwise, the presented methods are based on pertinent choices of injected signals applied to the lamp and their frequency distributions (two, three or five signals and symmetric, partial asymmetric or total asymmetric signals). The studies actually showed better spreading of signal spectrum and power harmonic amplitudes reduction adapted to AR excitation conditions, while taking into account crest factor limitation. Finally, different control laws (PI, Hysteresis, Self-oscillation, Resonant controllers) were also proposed in order to guarantee lamp discharge stabilization and power controls. The theoretical and experimental studies including simulations were conducted to reach concluding results of our works.