<p>Metamorphic buffer (MB) layers were studied as a means to grow epilayers on top of a GaAs substrate which have different lattice constant than the GaAs. Growths were done by molecular beam epitaxy on a GaAs (001) substrate. The growths of step-graded InGaAs and InGaAsP MBs have been investigated using both linear and logarithmic grading profiles. The logarithmic grading profile shows slight improvement in the crystal quality over the linear grading profiles. This is an indication that instead of increasing the strain with the same grading rate, it may be helpful to have higher grading rate at the beginning and lower grading rate at the end of the buffer. InGaAsP graded buffers were grown where group III ratio was kept fixed. However due to the existence of phase separation and lower relaxation the quaternary growths exhibited no performance improvement as might have been expected from growths with only group V grading. Also, the effects of using an InGaP layer grown at low temperature before the MB were determined. Quantum wells (QW), which were grown on top of the MBs, were used to probe the optical emission properties. No significant difference was observed in photoluminescence between the samples with a low temperature layer and without a low temperature layer. Annealing enhanced the PL intensity but the crystal quality degraded due to the appearance of surface defects. Surface undulations, known as “cross-hatch” (CH), were observed in the top MB layers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze the surface morphology and degree of polarization (DOP) measurement was used to analyze the strain features in the final MB layer. Similar patterns of both surface morphology and strain field indicate a correlation between these two. From analysis of the periodicity of strain field and the CH, evidence was found in the support of one of the existing models of CH evolution which implies that the CH appears before the formation of MDs and subsequently MDs form at some troughs in the undulation.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Les Transistors Bipolaires à Hétérojonction fonctionnent à hautes fréquences sous des tensions d'environ 5V, en particulier dans le système de matériaux InP/InGaAs. Il est souhaitable d'obtenir ces performances non pas sur InP mais sur GaAs, substrat plus robuste, disponible en taille supérieure et préféré en industrie. Un buffer métamorphique GaAs → InP est alors requis pour relaxer la contrainte due au désaccord de paramètre de maille. Cette thèse porte sur la croissance par Epitaxie par Jets Moléculaires de tels buffers et de TBH InP/InGaAs à base fortement dopée au béryllium. Les buffers sont évalués via un protocole expérimental dédié au TBH, associant des caractérisations «matériaux» (photoluminescence, Double Diffraction des rayons X, microscopies optique et à force atomique AFM) et électriques (diodes métamorphiques). Nous comparons ainsi les deux processus de relaxation possibles : avec introduction progressive de la contrainte sur buffer graduel In(Ga)AlAs, abrupte sur buffer uniforme InP. Le rôle de la cinétique des adatomes III en front de croissance sur le processus graduel est démontré. Les performances des TBH métamorphiques InP/InGaAs épitaxiés sur GaAs via un buffer graduel InGaAlAs sont au final proches de celles des TBH de référence sur InP.

This thesis resumes both theoretical and practical knowledge with surface protection by wet painting which the student achieved during her studies and within her practice which she got in the painting shop of cabs for building, handling and agricultural machines. In her thesis the student has found out that one of current trends focuses on the method which is ecologically friendly and preserves paint lifetime. To achieve that, ED-coat painting is used first and then followed by the painting of waterborne paint. Within the scope of her thesis objective she has also optimised the process of surface protection respective technological pre-treatments and parameters which are carried out during ED-coat and e-coat painting, such as optimal thickness of coating, temperatures or technological time outs.