published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

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No description available.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-99).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

In this thesis, the effects of various chemical treatments on the surface modification of bulk InAs are investigated. The study focuses on the chemical processes that occur upon the exposure of the surface to sulphur-, chlorine- and bromine-containing solutions and oxygen, and the resulting changes to the electronic structure of the surface, as deduced from photoluminescence (PL) measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Raman scattering and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three processing treatments were evaluated: i) treatment with sulphur-based solutions (Na2S:9H2O, (NH4)2S + S, [(NH4)2S / (NH4)2SO4] + S); ii) etching in halogen-based solutions (bromine-methanol and HCl: H2O); and iii) thermal oxidation. A significant overall enhancement in PL response was observed after chemical treatment or thermal oxidation, which is associated with a reduction in surface band bending. These changes correlate with the removal of the native oxide, in addition to the formation of well-ordered layers of In-S (or In-As)O as a passivating layer, indicating that electronic passivation occurs at the surface. The passivating effect on sulphide treated surfaces is unstable, however, with an increase in band bending, due to reoxidation, observed over periods of a few days. The lowest re-oxidation rate was observed for ([(NH4)2S / (NH4)2SO4] + S). Etching in HCl:H2O and Br-methanol solutions of appropriate concentrations and for moderate times (1 min) resulted in smooth and defect-free InAs surfaces. Etching completely removed the native oxides from the surface and enhanced the PL response. The adsorption of bromine and chlorine onto the InAs surface led to the formation of As-Brx , In-Brx, As-Clx and In-Clxcompounds (x = 1, 2, 3), as inferred from changes in the In 3d3/2; 5/2 and As 3d core level binding energies. The etch rate was found to decrease because of strong anisotropic effects. The improvements in surface properties were reversed, however, if the concentrations of the etchants increased or the etch time was too long. In the worst cases, pit formation and inverted pyramids with {111} side facets were observed. Surface treatments or thermal oxidisation significantly enhanced the PL intensity relative to that of the as-received samples. This was due to a reduction in the surface state density upon de-oxidation, or in some cases, to the formation of a well ordered oxide layer on the surface. The overall increase in PL intensity after treatment is ascribed to a reduction in band bending near the surface. This allows several welldefined peaks not observed or reported previously for bulk InAs (with a carrier concentration n~2x1016 cm-3), to be studied. A combination of PL and XPS measurements before and after the various treatments was used to identify the chemical nature of the impurities giving rise to bound exciton recombination in InAs (111).

We have determined that the temperature for desorption of gallium oxide from GaAs increases linearly with oxide thickness, for oxide layers between about 6Å and 26Å thick. The temperature for the oxide desorption ranged from 580°C to 630°C. The wafer temperature was determined from the optical band-gap measured from the diffuse reflectivity of the sample, which was polished on the front surface and textured on the back surface. Different thicknesses of oxide layers were created by varying the exposure time of the GaAs wafers to a low pressure oxygen plasma. The oxide thicknesses were determined by XPS analysis. Desorption experiments were carried out in a VG V80H MBE system under a As4 beam equivalent pressure of 1.5 x 10⁻⁵ ton. Measurement of diffuse light scattering using a HeNe laser shows an abrupt and non-reversible increase in the scattered light intensity during the oxide desorption. This suggests the surface is macroscopically roughened due to inhomogeneous desorption of the oxide. The oxide desorption was also studied by monitoring the secondary electrons produced by the high energy electrons from the RHEED gun. After the gallium oxide desorption there is a reversible, order of magnitude, increase in the number of scattered electrons produced by the incoming primary beam. We interpret this result as evidence for some form of microscopic roughening. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

Test pieces of GaAs were cut from Czochralski grown <100> wafers. Prior to deformation the dislocation configuration was established by cathodoluminescence (CL). Etch pits produced by molten KOH on examined crystal surfaces coincided with the CL images. The test pieces were capped with Si₃N₄, heated to between 950 and 1050°C, and plastically deformed by bending. The dislocation configuration after bending was then compared to that of the undeformed crystal. It was observed that heating to 1050°C did not significantly change the as grown cellular dislocation arrays in the crystal. With strain the dislocation configuration changed appreciably. New bands of dislocations were formed, parallel to the bend axis with dislocation free regions between them. Increasing the strain increased the number of bands. Observations were made on undoped crystals with high and low dislocation densities, and Si doped crystals. The luminescent properties of the dislocations were observed to change with heating and strain. As grown, a dislocation imaged as a dark spot surrounded by a bright halo, giving bright dislocation networks. After heating to 950°C samples showed only the dark spots without halos. After deformation, all the new dislocations appeared as dark spots or lines without halos. At very low strains, the original dislocations were still evident but were distinct from the new arrays. In an attempt to correlate the dislocation images with impurity segregation some observations of the samples were made using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The results suggest the possibility of the dark areas in the CL images being associated with the presence of carbon. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

The temperature fields and resulting stress fields have been calculated for a growing GaAs crystal produced by the LEC process. The calculations are based in a finite element numerical thermoelastic stress analysis. The calculated temperature fields have been compared to reported experimental measurements with good agreement. The stress fields have been used to calculate the resolved shear stresses, in the growing crystal, from which the dislocation density and distribution were determined. Using the model the effects of a range of growth and environmental parameters on the dislocation density and distribution were determined. Theses parameters include crystal length, crystal diameter, cone taper, boron oxide thickness, gas pressure, solid/liquid interface shape, vertical temperature gradients and others. The results show that the temperature distribution in the gas surrounding the crystal, and the boron oxide thickness, were critical factors in determining the dislocation density and distribution in the crystal. The crystal radius, crystal length and interface curvature also strongly influenced the dislocation configuration. After crystal growth, the dislocation density at the end of the crystal was strongly influenced by the cooling procedure adopted. The dislocation distribution on cross-sections of the crystal exhibited two-fold, four-fold and eight-fold symmetry depending on growth and cooling conditions and position in the crystal. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of / Graduate