abstract: HgCdTe is currently the dominant material for infrared sensing and imaging, and is usually grown on lattice-matched bulk CdZnTe (CZT) substrates. There have been significant recent efforts to identify alternative substrates to CZT as well as alternative detector materials to HgCdTe. In this dissertation research, a wide range of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and analytical techniques was used in the characterization of epitaxial HgCdTe and related materials and substrates for third generation IR detectors. ZnTe layers grown on Si substrates are considered to be promising candidates for lattice-matched, large-area, and low-cost composite substrates for deposition of II-VI and III-V compound semiconductors with lattice constants near 6.1 Å. After optimizing MBE growth conditions including substrate pretreatment prior to film growth, as well as nucleation and growth temperatures, thick ZnTe/Si films with high crystallinity, low defect density, and excellent surface morphology were achieved. Changes in the Zn/Te flux ratio used during growth were also investigated. Small-probe microanalysis confirmed that a small amount of As was present at the ZnTe/Si interface. A microstructural study of HgCdTe/CdTe/GaAs (211)B and CdTe/GaAs (211)B heterostructures grown using MBE was carried out. High quality MBE-grown CdTe on GaAs(211)B substrates was demonstrated to be a viable composite substrate platform for HgCdTe growth. In addition, analysis of interfacial misfit dislocations and residual strain showed that the CdTe/GaAs interface was fully relaxed. In the case of HgCdTe/CdTe/ GaAs(211)B, thin HgTe buffer layers between HgCdTe and CdTe were also investigated for improving the HgCdTe crystal quality. A set of ZnTe layers epitaxially grown on GaSb(211)B substrates using MBE was studied using high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) measurements and TEM characterization in order to investigate conditions for defect-free growth. HRXRD results gave critical thickness estimates between 350 nm and 375 nm, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Moreover, TEM results confirmed that ZnTe layers with thicknesses of 350 nm had highly coherent interfaces and very low dislocation densities, unlike samples with the thicker ZnTe layers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering 2012

abstract: Solar energy, including solar heating, solar architecture, solar thermal electricity and solar photovoltaics, is one of the primary energy sources replacing fossil fuels. Being one of the most important techniques, significant research has been conducted in solar cell efficiency improvement. Simulation of various structures and materials of solar cells provides a deeper understanding of device operation and ways to improve their efficiency. Over the last two decades, polycrystalline thin-film Cadmium-Sulfide and Cadmium-Telluride (CdS/CdTe) solar cells fabricated on glass substrates have been considered as one of the most promising candidate in the photovoltaic technologies, for their similar efficiency and low costs when compared to traditional silicon-based solar cells. In this work a fast one dimensional time-dependent/steady-state drift-diffusion simulator, accelerated by adaptive non-uniform mesh and automatic time-step control, for modeling solar cells has been developed and has been used to simulate a CdS/CdTe solar cell. These models are used to reproduce transients of carrier transport in response to step-function signals of different bias and varied light intensity. The time-step control models are also used to help convergence in steady-state simulations where constrained material constants, such as carrier lifetimes in the order of nanosecond and carrier mobility in the order of 100 cm2/Vs, must be applied. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Electrical Engineering 2013

Submitted by Luiz Felipe Barbosa (luiz.fbabreu2@ufpe.br) on 2015-04-17T13:37:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertaçao Paulo Euzebio Cabral Filho.pdf: 4161443 bytes, checksum: a3e56e5bbcd4334fd54902b584e380ab (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T13:37:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertaçao Paulo Euzebio Cabral Filho.pdf: 4161443 bytes, checksum: a3e56e5bbcd4334fd54902b584e380ab (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-30 / FACEPE / Há 308 antígenos distribuídos em 30 grupos sanguíneos, sendo o sistema ABO considerado o mais importante em termos transfusionais, transplantes de órgãos e em perícia criminal. As técnicas de biologia molecular são geralmente empregadas para investigações mais detalhadas de grupos e subgrupos ABO, porém são laboriosas e podem ter um custo elevado. Por essa razão, metodologias alternativas, como as baseadas em fluorescência, vêm ganhando espaço, pois além de serem menos laboriosas, são rápidas e de alta sensibilidade, permitindo a identificação e a quantificação de biomoléculas com alta especificidade. É nesse contexto, que os quantum dots (QDs), por apresentarem excepcional resistência à fotodegradação e uma superfície ativa para variadas funcionalizações e conjugações, vêm se destacando como potenciais nano-sondas fluorescentes em Ciências da Vida. Assim, neste trabalho QDs de CdTe/CdS foram sintetizados e conjugados covalentemente aos anticorpos monoclonais anti-A e anti-B, bem como à lectina Ulex europaeus (anti-H) e aplicados no estudo de grupos e subgrupos sanguíneos do sistema ABO através de citometria de fluxo. Os estudos de bioconjugação foram realizados através de espectroscopia por correlação de fluorescência, eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida, ensaio fluorescente em microplaca e ensaios de inibição. Após a conjugação foram investigados os antígenos de doadores A1, B1, A1B1, O e do subgrupo A (A1, A2, A3, AX, e Ael). O sistema QDs-(anti-A) marcou uma média de 97% das hemácias A1, 95% de A1B1 e conseguiu diferenciar alguns subgrupos A tanto pelo perfil como pela eficiência de marcação (A2 - 68%; A3 - 11%; AX e Ael - 5%). Os QDs-(anti-H) marcaram uma média de 85 % das hemácias O e mostraram-se como uma importante ferramenta complementar na análise dos subgrupos A (A2 - 70%; AX e Ael - 30%), pois nesses casos a enzima não converte toda a fucose, reconhecida pelo anti-H e presente na membrana, em antígeno A. Além disso, os QDs-(anti-B) marcaram também efetivamente as hemácias B1 (95%) e A1B1 (80%). Tanto para QDs-(anti-A) quanto para QDs-(anti-B) foram utilizadas hemácias O como controle, por não apresentarem antígenos A e/ou B na membrana. Até onde sabemos este foi o primeiro estudo com citometria sobre o sistema ABO que utilizou células não fixadas, imunofluorescência direta e que correlacionou antígenos A e H na membrana das hemácias de subgrupos A. Por isso, acreditamos que esses conjugados podem ser aplicados como uma ferramenta menos laboriosa, rápida, de baixo custo, quantitativa e complementar de análise da biologia eritrocitária. Além disso, esses conjugados podem ainda ser aplicados para uma melhor compreensão da distribuição destes antígenos em células ou tecidos cancerosos e em células tronco.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Neste trabalho à apresentada a investigaÃÃo do processo de deposiÃÃo voltamÃtrica do telureto de cÃdmio sobre substrato de platina em meio Ãcido sulfÃrico a temperatura ambiente (24ÂC). Para este efeito, recorreu-se a tÃcnica de voltametria de varredura linear de potencial, a fim de estabelecer os valores de potencial de deposiÃÃo. Os potenciais de deposiÃÃo variaram entre -167 e -444mV. Os dados extraÃdos dos ensaios sugerem que etapas quÃmicas e eletroquÃmicas estÃo envolvidas no processo. A formaÃÃo de pico catÃdico com a subseqÃente formaÃÃo de patamar de corrente aponta a existÃncia de controle misto na deposiÃÃo do CdTe; enquanto o pico anÃdico indica que a dissoluÃÃo do material à completa. O filme depositado apresenta cor cinza escura e a tonalidade varia com o potencial de deposiÃÃo. Os filmes foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrÃnica de varredura (MEV) e difraÃÃo de raios-X (DRX). Foi verificado que os filmes depositados nos diferentes potenciais apresentam aspectos morfolÃgicos semelhantes, em forma de grÃos, uniformes e compactos. O tamanho dos cristalitos à influenciado pelo potencial de deposiÃÃo. Os difratogramas dos filmes depositados mostraram picos de difraÃÃo associados aos planos (200), (220), (311), (421) e (422). / This work presents the investigation on the voltammetrc deposition of cadmium telluride (CdTe) onto platinum substrate from sulfuric acid-based electrolyte, at room temperature (24 ÂC). For this purpose, the linear sweep voltammetry technique was used in order to establish the values of deposition potential (-167 up to -444mV). The data extracted from the voltammetric essays suggest that different chemical and electrochemical steps are involved. The formation of cathodic peak with subsequent formation of the current plateau indicates the existence of mixed control of the CdTe deposition, while the anodic peak points out that the anodic dissolution of the material is complete. The deposited film presents dark gray color and its tonality depends on the potential. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-rays diffraction (XRD) techniques. It was found that the films deposited at different potentials have similar morphology, as like grains, are uniform and compact. The crystallite size is influenced by the potential. The XRD patterns of deposited films show peaks associated with the (200), (220), (311), (421) and (422) planes.

Submitted by Etelvina Domingos (etelvina.domingos@ufpe.br) on 2015-03-03T18:23:09Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese Completa Corrigida Versão digital2.pdf: 5315084 bytes, checksum: 072c810172cf0bf44fc2ef752c56b1a1 (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T18:23:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese Completa Corrigida Versão digital2.pdf: 5315084 bytes, checksum: 072c810172cf0bf44fc2ef752c56b1a1 (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07 / CNPq / Pontos quânticos são nanocristais de semicondutores que apresentam diâmetro entre 1 – 10 nm. O confinamento quântico dos elétrons a espaços limitados faz com que as propriedades dos materiais nanoestruturados se tornem dependentes do tamanho do cristal, tornando as propriedades físicas e químicas apresentadas pelos nanocristais muito diferentes daquelas apresentadas por seus respectivos cristais macroscópicos, ou bulk; onde as propriedades ópticas recebem destaque particular. Neste trabalho, foram preparados pontos quânticos de CdTe conjugados a lectina concanavalina A, Con A, e ao anticorpo antigalectina-3, Antigal-3, objetivando sua ligação específica a tecidos de mama (normal, com fibroadenoma e com carcinoma ductal invasivo). Os pontos quânticos foram preparados com ácido 3-mercaptopropiônico, AMP, e ácido mercaptosuccínico, AMS, após 3 e 12 horas de aquecimento, respectivamente. A eficiência da conjugação foi superior a 180 % e as biomoléculas, conjugadas a CdTe, não apresentaram alteração estrutural. A lectina conjugada a CdTe/Con A não perdeu sua capacidade de ligação a carboidratos e foi utilizado com sucesso na marcação de Candida albicans (leveduras e biofilme). A marcação diferencial das lesões de mama, comparada ao tecido de mama normal, por CdTe-AMS/Con A e CdTe-AMS/Antigal-3, indicam a potencialidade destas nanoestruturas no estudo das alterações moleculares do câncer. No entanto, investigações adicionais são necessárias para sua classificação definitiva como ferramenta diagnóstica alternativa aos métodos convencionalmente utilizados.

In this thesis type II colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) with zinc blende crystal structure were investigated. The optical properties were characterized by steady state absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy for all the samples, and the PL quantum yield was measured for selected samples by using both absolute and relative methods. Exciton dynamics and interactions were investigated by time-resolved PL (TRPL).The exciton-exciton interaction energy for CdSe, CdSe/CdTe and CdSe/CdTe/CdS CQDs was investigated using TRPL spectroscopy, an established method. The TRPL results were compared with previous results from ultrafast transient absorption (TA) measurements and theoretical predictions. The discrepancies between the TRPL and TA results and the theoretical calculations suggest that TRPL data has been misinterpreted in the literature. The single exciton recombination dynamics for CdSe, CdSe/CdTe and CdSe/CdTe/CdS CQDs were investigated. The effects of non-radiative recombination were identified from the PL transients by using a theoretically-calculated radiative lifetime as a fitting parameter. The combined rate of the non-radiative processes thus found was consistent with the localisation of holes into shallow traps by an Auger-mediated process. A rate equation analysis also showed how shallow trapping can give rise to the tri-exponential PL dynamics observed experimentally. Chloride passivation of CdTe CQDs resulted in a near-complete suppression of surface traps, producing a significant enhancement of the optical properties. PL quantum yield (PLQY) and PL lifetime in particular benefit from the chloride treatment. The radiative recombination rate that now could be extracted from PL transients for chloride treated samples was used to calculate the non-radiative recombination rate for the untreated samples. In addition, a study of the effects of air exposure on the PL, observed for both treated and untreated samples was undertaken and revealed the importance of the influence of the dielectric environment surrounding the traps states on recombination dynamics.

The main goal of this Master’s thesis is to describe relationship between low frequency noise spectral characteristics of Cadmium-Telluride radiation detectors depending on applied voltage and detectors reaction to illumination of various wavelengths. Also, the reaction and influence of higher operating temperatures were investigated. The noise measurements shown that the dominant noise type at low frequencies is the 1/f noise. Several samples with different resistivity were tested. By comparing results, we are able to estimate the quality of detectors and their sensibility to illumination and higher operating temperatures. We have found that all the studied CdTe detectors are sensitive to one particular wavelength of 548nm. Resulting data were processed by EasyPlot program that provided graphical representation of spectral noise characteristics. All measured characteristics of tested samples are compared and it’s estimated the similarity between the samples.

Title: Dynamics of structural defects in CdTe-based semiconductors Author: RNDr. Marek Bugár Institute: Institute of Physics, Charles University in Prague Supervisor of the doctoral thesis: Doc. Ing. Eduard Belas CSc.; Institute of Physics, Charles University in Prague Abstract: The work was aimed at investigation of the effect of annealing on structural, electrical and optical properties of CdZnTe epitaxial substrates and CdTe-based and CdZnTe-based X-ray and gamma-ray detectors. The first part of the work is focused on investigation of structural properties of one type of second phase defects - inclusions - present in the material, which degrade the material quality. Consequent annealing experiments were aimed at reduction of these defects. In case of CdZnTe substrates, an annealing treatment leading to increase of the infrared transmittance was investigated. On the other hand, annealing experiments on the detectors of high-energetic radiation were focused on preservation of the high-resistive state. Moreover, the work contains detailed measurements of transport properties of CdTe taken directly at high temperatures. Key words: CdTe, annealing, inclusions, detectors, defects

In the present work we studied an influence of different types of surface etching and surface passivation of high resistivity CdZnTe-based semiconductor detector material. The aim was to find the optimal conditions to improve the properties of metal-semiconductor contact. The main effort was to reduce the leakage current and thus get better X-ray and gamma-ray spectrum, ie to create a detector operating at room temperature based on this semiconductor material with sufficient energy resolution and the maximum charge collection efficiency. Individual surface treatments were characterized by volt-ampere characteristics, spectral analysis and by determination of the profile of the internal electric field.

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