Graphene nanostructures directly grown on SiC are appealing for their potential application to nano-scale electronic devices. In particular, epitaxial sidewall graphene nanoribbons have been a promising candidate in ballistic transport and band gap engineering. In this thesis, we study graphene nanoribbons by utilizing both nano-lithography and natural step bunching to control the step morphology of the SiC(0001) surface in order to guide the growth of graphene which initiates at step edges, and study their respective characteristics. With scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), we explore the local atomic and electronic structures of the graphene nanoribbons down to atomic scale. It is found that nanoribbon formation depends critically on nanofacet orientation, nanofacet density, and growth conditions. Under some conditions, nanoribbons grow predominantly on the nanofacet. Significant electronic density-of-states features, resolved by STS, are found to depend strongly on proximity to strained graphene near the step edge. Experimental results are compared to Molecular Dynamics simulations to better understand the origin of the discrete electronic states.

published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

Described in this thesis are the growth and characterization of high quality ZnO epitaxy layers.Zinc oxide (ZnO) epitaxy layers were grown on sapphire and epi-GaN substrates respectively, using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) . Various growth conditions, such as growth temperature, II/VI ratio, and buffer layers, were employed to optimize the quality of the ZnO film. The subsequent characterization of the films was carried out to evaluate the surface, optical and crystalline properties of the film, using AFM, SEM, PL and XRD techniques. It was found out that the high quality of the ZnO film was grown on epi-GaN substrates under the Low temperature of ~ 300 degrees C, flash annealing up to ~680 degrees C, followed by high temperature growth at ~600 degrees C.

<div>Achievements in the growth of ultra-pure III-V semiconductor materials using state of the art molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) machine has led to the discovery of new physics and technological innovations. High mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) embedded in GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs heterostructures provides an unparalleled platform for many-body physics including fractional quantum Hall effect. On the other hand, single electron devices fabricated on modulation doped GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs heterostructures have been extensively used for fabrication of quantum devices such as spin qubit with application in quantum computing. Furthermore, epitaxial hybrid superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures with ultra clean superconductor-semiconductor interface have been grown using MBE technique to explore rare physical quantum state of the matter namely Majorana zero modes with non-abelian exchange statistics.</div><div><br></div><div><div>Chapter 1 in the manuscript starts with description of GaAs MBE system at Purdue University and continues with the modifications have been made to MBE hardware and growth conditions for growing heterostrcutures with 2DEG mobility exceeding 35 × 10⁶ cm⁻²/V s. Utilizing an ultra-high pure Ga source material and its further purification by thermal evaporation in the vacuum are determined to have major impact on growth of high mobility GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs heterostructures.</div></div><div><br></div><div>Chapter 2 reports a systematic study on the effect of silicon doping density on low frequency charge noise and conductance drift in laterally gated nanostructures fabricated on modulation doped GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs heterostructures grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). The primary result of this study is that both charge noise and conductance drift are strongly impacted by the silicon doping used to create the two-dimensional electron gas. These findings shed light on the physical origin of the defect states responsible for charge noise and conductance drift. This is especially significant for spin qubit devices, which require minimization of conductance drift and charge noise for stable operation and good coherence. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Chapter 3 demonstrates measurements of the induced superconducting gap in 2D hybrid Al/Al_0.15In_0.85As/InAs heterostructures which is a promising platform for scaling topological qubits based on Majorana zero modes. The 2DEG lies in an InAs quantum well and is separated from the epitaxial Al layer by a barrier of Al_0.15In_0.85As with thickness d. Due to hybridization between the wave functions of 2DEG and superconductor, the strength of induced gap in the 2DEG largely depends on the barrier thickness. This chapter presents a systematic study of the strength of the induced gap in hybrid Al/Al_0.15In_0.85As/InAs superconductor/semiconductor heterostructures as a function of barrier thickness.<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

Ling Siu-hing. / Title also in Chinese characters. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-227). / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Ceramic thin film --- p.1 / Chapter 1. 1 --- """New stone era""---the importance of ceramics" --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The importance of epitaxial growth of YBCO films --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- The importance of epitaxial growth of PZT films --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4 --- The similar structures of YBCO and PZT --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Epitaxy --- p.12 / Chapter 2. 1 --- Introduction --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Basic principle --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Sample preparation Techniques --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1 --- A glimpse at epitaxial film deposition --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Magnetron sputtering --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Principle --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Set-ups --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- High pressure magnetron sputter gun --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Type II unbalanced magnetron gun modification --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3 --- Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) --- p.54 / Chapter 3.4 --- Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) --- p.62 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Characterizations-principles and setups --- p.66 / Chapter 4.1 --- Structure-X-ray diffractometer --- p.66 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Setup --- p.57 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Characterization --- p.71 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- High temperature X-ray diffractometer (HTXRD) --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2 --- Surface morphology --- p.86 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) --- p.86 / Chapter 4. 3 --- Composition --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) --- p.91 / Chapter 4.4 --- Other characterization techniques --- p.93 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Thickness measurement --- p.93 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Measurement of Tc in YBCO --- p.93 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Thermomechanical analysis system (TMS) --- p.95 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) --- p.98 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Epitaxial films --- p.99 / Chapter 5. 1 --- YBCO films --- p.99 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- YBCO on sapphire --- p.99 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- YBCO on spinel (MgAl2O4) --- p.115 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- YBC0//SrTi〇3//spinel --- p.130 / Chapter 5.1.4. --- YBCO on Mg〇 --- p.134 / Chapter 5.1.5 --- YBCO on SrTi〇3(110) --- p.143 / Chapter 5.2 --- PZT films --- p.182 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- PZT on MgO --- p.182 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- PZT on spinel --- p.188 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- High temperature structural transition of PZT films --- p.195 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.218 / REFERENCES --- p.220

by Leung Chi Hung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / by Leung Chi Hung. / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii-iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv-v / Figures Caption --- p.vi-xii / Tables Caption --- p.xiii / Chapter 1. --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- "Magnetoresistance (MR),Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR),Colossal Magnetoresistance (CMR) and Their Applications" --- p.1-1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Colossalmagnetoresistance Effect in LCMO --- p.1-5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of Ultra-Sharp Metal-Semiconductor Transition LCMO Thin Film --- p.1-12 / Chapter 1.4 --- The Use of Silver in the YBCO --- p.1-14 / Chapter 1.5 --- Previews --- p.1-15 / Chapter 1.6 --- References --- p.1-17 / Chapter 2. --- Epitixial Growth of Single-Crystal LCMO Thin Film by FTS method / Chapter 2.1 --- Facing-Target Sputtering Method --- p.2-1 / Chapter 2.2 --- Fabrication of LCMO Targets --- p.2-4 / Chapter 2.3 --- Deposition of the LCMO Thin Film / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Deposition Condition --- p.2-6 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Deposition Process --- p.2-9 / Chapter 2.4 --- X-ray Diffraction Studies and Surface Morphology --- p.2-11 / Chapter 2.5 --- M-S Transition of LCMO Thm Film --- p.2-15 / Chapter 2.6 --- Discussions --- p.2-19 / Chapter 3. --- The Role of Silver in LCMO / Chapter 3.1 --- Reaction between Ag and LCMO --- p.3-1 / Chapter 3.2 --- Grain Size and Transition Temperature in Bulk LCMO --- p.3-9 / Chapter 3.3 --- Improving the Sharpness of Metal - Semiconductor Transition and Crystallinity of LCMO Film --- p.3-15 / Chapter 3.4 --- Stabilization of the LCMO Structure --- p.3-21 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussions --- p.3-25 / Chapter 4 --- Epitaxial Growth of the Ultra-Sharp Metal-Semiconductor Transition LCMO Thin Film / Chapter 4.1 --- Synthesis Process of the Ultra-Sharp Metal-Semiconductor Transition LCMO Thin Films --- p.4-1 / Chapter 4.2 --- Resistivity and Magnetoresistance --- p.4-6 / Chapter 4.3 --- Thermal Annealing Effects / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Oxygen Annealing Effect --- p.4-15 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- High Pressure Annealing Effect --- p.4-20 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Vacuum Annealing Effect --- p.4-23 / Chapter 4.4 --- Surface Morphology and Characterization --- p.4-27 / Chapter 4.5 --- Discussions --- p.4-37

Ha Kwong-leung = 不同的生長處理對II-VI/III-V外延層的表面、結構和光學特性的影響 / 夏廣良. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-79). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Ha Kwong-leung = Bu tong de sheng chang chu li dui II-VI/III-V wai yan ceng de biao mian, jie gou he guang xue te xing de ying xiang / Xia Guangliang. / Acknowledgments --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Brief introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Background of the epitaxial growth --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Our work --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Experimental procedures / Chapter 2.1 --- Substrate preparation --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Metal-organic sources --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- Growth conditions --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Characterization methods / Chapter 3.1 --- Surface morphology --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2 --- X-ray diffraction --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3 --- Optical properties / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Photoluminescence --- p.17 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- General properties of PL spectrum of ZnSe/GaAs --- p.18 / Chapter 3.4 --- Other techniques --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Influence on the properties of epilayers by the thickness of the low-temperature buffer layer --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1 --- Effects on the surface morphology --- p.23 / Chapter 4.2 --- Effects on the structural properties --- p.31 / Chapter 4.3 --- Effects on the optical properties --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Influence of thickness of epilayers on their properties --- p.39 / Chapter 5.1 --- Effects on the surface morphology --- p.40 / Chapter 5.2 --- Effects on the structural properties --- p.45 / Chapter 5.3 --- Effects on the optical properties --- p.50 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Influence on the epilayers by passivating with different MO sources and different durations of interruption --- p.53 / Part I: Passivation by different MO sources / Chapter 6.1 --- Effects on the surface morphology --- p.55 / Chapter 6.2 --- Effects on the structural properties --- p.58 / Chapter 6.3 --- Effects on the optical properties --- p.61 / Part II: Different durations of interruption / Chapter 6.4 --- Effects on the surface morphology --- p.63 / Chapter 6.5 --- Effects on the structural properties --- p.66 / Chapter 6.6 --- Effects on the optical properties --- p.70 / Summary --- p.73 / Conclusions --- p.74 / References --- p.76