In der magnetischen Formgedächtnislegierung Ni-Co-Mn-In kann eine reversible Umwandlung von einer niedrigsymmetrischen, para- oder antiferromagnetischen Phase (Martensit) in eine hochsymmetrische ferromagnetische Phase (Austenit) sowohl durch eine Temperaturerhöhung als auch durch das Anlegen eines Magnetfelds induziert werden. Da dünne Schichten sich als interessantes Modellsystem für magnetische Formgedächtnislegierungen erwiesen haben, wird diese Umwandlung und der mit ihr verbundene inverse magnetokalorische Effekt an epitaktischen Ni-Co-Mn-In-Schichten untersucht. Die Temperatur des Substrats während der Herstellung wird als entscheidender Parameter für die Zusammensetzung und chemische Ordnung der Schicht identifiziert. Untersuchungen der Struktur mittels Röntgenbeugung zeigten, in Übereinstimmung mit dem Konzept des adaptiven Martensits, die Koexistenz von Austenit, moduliertem und nichtmoduliertem Martensit bei Raumtemperatur. Dieses Ergebnis wird durch Gefügeabbildungen untermauert. Die Transformation wird sowohl durch temperaturabhängige Röntgenbeugung als auch durch temperatur- und feldabhängige Magnetisierungsmessungen untersucht. Die berechnete Änderung der magnetischen Entropie ist etwa halb so groß wie in massivem Ni-Co-Mn-In. Schließlich wird bei tiefen Temperaturen eine unidirektionale Austauschkopplung zwischen Restaustenit und Martensit nachgewiesen, die auf einen antiferromagnetischen Martensit schließen lässt. / The magnetic shape memory alloy (MSMA) Ni-Co-Mn-In shows a reversible transformation from a para- or antiferromagnetic low symmetry phase (martensite) into a ferromagnetic phase of high symmetry (austenite). This transformation can either be induced by raising the temperature or applying a magnetic field. Since thin films have be shown to be an interesting model system for MSMAs, this transformation and the associated inverse magnetcaloric effect are investigated in epitaxial Ni-Co-Mn-In films. The temperature of the substrate during deposition is identified as the essential parameter controlling both composition and chemical order. By studying structure using x-ray diffraction (XRD) the coexistence of austenite and modulated (14M) as well as nonmodulated martensite (NM) is shown. Coexistence of NM and 14M is also visible in micrographs of the films surface. This confirms results obtained for epitaxial Ni-Mn-Ga and validates the concept of adaptive martensite in this alloy. The transformation is investigated by temperature-dependent XRD and temperature- and field-dependent magnetometry. A positive change in entropy is calculated which is about half compared to bulk. Finally, an exchange bias between residual austenite and martensite is observed, which suggests an antiferromagnetic order in the martensitic state.

<p>GaAs1-xBix is a III-V semiconductor alloy which has generated much fundamental scientific interest. In addition, the alloy possesses numerous device-relevant beneficial characteristics. However, the synthesis of this material is very challenging and its properties are not well understood. The focus of this dissertation is to advance the understanding of its synthesis using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and, as a result, improve its key as-grown properties that are of great importance to device applications, such as increasing Bi concentration in the alloy and enhancing its optical emission efficiency.</p><p>In chapter 3, the discovery of a trade-off between the structural and optical characteristics of GaAs1-xBix , controlled by the degree to which the growth is kinetically-limited, is described. Chapter 4 discusses the exploitation of a growth method that utilizes the spatial distribution of MBE fluxes to facilitate numerous studies of the critical dependence of GaAs1-xBix characteristics on the V/III flux ratio. Chapter 5 describes the results of experiments utilizing vicinal substrates to modify both Bi incorporation and optical emission efficiency of synthesized GaAs1-xBix and enable new understanding of the Bi incorporation mechanism. Specifically, incorporation primarily at A steps, defined as the steps generated by misorienting the GaAs (001) substrate toward the (111)A surfaces, enhances Bi incorporation but reduces optical emission efficiency. Chapter 6 describes the identification of two new signatures in the Raman spectra of GaAs1-xBix that can be used to determine the Bi content and the hole concentration of nominally undoped GaAs1-xBix. Finally, in Chapter 7 the GaAs1-xBix growth using pulsed Ga fluxes is described. The use of pulsed-growth significantly modifies the incorporation of Bi and suggests it is a promising method for widening the GaAs1-xBix MBE growth window enabling improved synthesis control and materials properties.</p> / Dissertation

Research interest in complex oxides has resurged owing to progress in modern epitaxial techniques. Among such oxides, lead-titanate-based thin films such as PbTiO3 (PTO) and Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 (PZT) offer attractive advantages for a wide variety of applications. Moreover, integration between functional oxides with compound semiconductors has the potential to realize multi-functional devices which enjoy the properties from both groups of materials. Ferroelectric materials with a perovskite structure (ABO3) and semiconductors such as GaN with a hexagonal structure, require a careful choice of a bridge layer and suitable epitaxial technique. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been an established technique in providing epitaxial growth with high crystal perfection and precise control over material composition. Single-crystal oxides grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) can in principle avoid grain boundaries and provide a sharp interface as well. In this dissertation, the MBE growth mechanism of PZT was investigated. In-situ RHEED patterns indicate that the growth of PTO and PZT occur in a two-dimensional, layer by layer mode, as confirmed by a streaky pattern. The crystal quality of PTO, PZO, and PZT thin films prepared by MBE are evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and have a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value of 4 arcmin for an 80nm thick layer. Optical properties of the PTO thin films have been characterized by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE), and well resolved dielectric functions are extracted. The refractive index is determined as 2.605 at 633 nm, and bandgap energy as 3.778eV. The electrical properties of the PTO and PZT are evaluated by the measurement of polarization-field hysteresis loops, give a remanent polarization of 83 μC/cm2 and a coercive field of 77 kV/cm. Lead oxide (PbO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), on GaN templates for potential PZT/GaN integration. The epitaxial growth of TiO2, PbO, and ZrO2 is realized on GaN templates for the first time by MBE. The PbO epitaxial layer was also used as a nucleation layer to enable single crystalline, perovskite PTO growth on GaN.

Nous avons effectué dans ce mémoire des études de magnéto-luminescence sur des boîtes quantiques individuelles de GaAs insérées dans une matrice de GaAlAs, boîtes qui se distinguent de la plupart des systèmes étudiés par l’absence des contraintes. Nous avons pu mesurer l’impact de l’orientation cristalline du substrat sur lequel s’effectue la croissance de ces boîtes sur les propriétés magnéto-optiques.Nous avons pu présenter les premières expériences pratiquées sur des structures à boîtes quantique GaAs « gouttelettes » à charge ajustable, élaborées sur substrat orienté (001). La structure fine des excitons a été étudiée en détail et analysée au moyen d’un modèle analytique y compris en champ transverse permettant d’établir les états et énergies propres. Nous avons observé la polarisation dynamique des noyaux à champ nul dans les boîtes quantiques sans contraintes élaborées sur substrat (111)A. Les décalages Overhauser mesurés s’élèvent à 15 – 16 μeV, correspondant à un champ nucléaire de 0.25 T environ. En champ magnétique transverse, nous avons observé des déviations significatives par rapport àl’effet Hanle normal dans le domaine des faibles champs / In this thesis the magneto-optical properties of single GaAs semiconductor quantum dots in AlGaAs barriers are presented. The strain free dots are grown by original Volmer-Weber ("droplet") epitaxy techniques in a molecular beam epitaxy system at the National Institute for Material Science NIMS, Tsukuba, Japan. We showed the first optical investigation of symmetric GaAs quantum dots grown on (111)A substrates. The inherently small neutral exciton fine structure splitting makes this a promising systemfor the generation of polarisation entangled photons via the exciton-biexciton radiative cascade. In photoluminescence spectra in longitudinal magnetic fields applied along the growth axis, we observe in addition to the expected bright states also nominally dark transitions for both charged and neutral excitons. We uncover a strongly non monotonic, sign-changing field dependence of the bright neutral exciton splitting resulting from the interplay between exchange and Zeeman effects. We present a microscopic theory developed in close collaboration with the A. F. Ioffe Institute (St. Petersburg,Russia) of the magnetic field induced mixing of heavy-hole states with angular momentum projections 3/2 in GaAs droplet dots grown on (111)A substrates.Chapter 4 of this thesis is focused on the charge tuneable structures grown on n+-(100) GaAs substrate. In non-intentionally doped samples, due to charge fluctuations, the neutral X0 exciton and the positively (negatively) charged exciton X+(X-) are observed simultaneously in time integrated spectra. We present here deterministic charging of droplet dots with single electrons. Detailed studies in transverse magnetic fields allowed unambiguously identifying the charge states and determining the exciton fine structure. The neutral exciton fine structure was tuned to zero in finite transverse fields, a crucial property for achieving efficient polarization entangled two photon sources. In chapter 5, we focus on the nuclear spin effects in [111] grown quantum dots under optical pumping conditions. An optically oriented electron spin can transfer its polarization to a nucleus (Overhauser effect). In the well-studied strained InGaAs dots in GaAs, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at zero applied magnetic field is possible due to screening of the nuclear dipole-dipole interaction by strong nuclear quadrupole effects. Here we present the first observation of DNP in strain free dots, i.e. in theabsence of nuclear quadrupole effects. We investigated in detail the role of the strong effective magnetic field acting on the nuclei due to the presence of a well-oriented electron spin (Knight field). This Knight field in the order of 15 mT for most dots is an important ingredient for the observed DNP at zero field. The intricate interplay between the Knight field and the Overhauser field is studied in a transverse magnetic field. These Hanle measurements performed on single dots allow us to determine the sign of the confined electron g-factor and spin relaxation time

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemical Engineering / James H. Edgar / The exceptional radiation resistance, high melting point, and wide energy bandgap (3.2 eV) of icosahedral boron arsenide, B[subscript]12As[subscript]2, make it an attractive candidate for applications in radiation intense environments, for example, in radioisotope batteries. These devices have potential lifetimes of decades rather than days or weeks that are typical of conventional chemical power cells. Solid state neutron detectors are another potential application of this semiconductor, as the boron-10 isotope has a high thermal neutron capture cross-section, orders of magnitude higher than most elements. To produce high quality crystalline B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 for these applications, this research focused on the epitaxy and electrical properties of B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 thin films. The major findings include the following. Twin-free heteroepitaxial B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 layers were obtained on m-plane 15R-SiC and c-plane 4H-SiC inclined 4° and 7° off-axis in the [1-100] direction. These substrates exposed asymmetric step-terrace surface structures that force B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 layers to adopt a single orientation, thus, twins were eliminated. Consequently, the crystal quality was greatly improved over films on on-axis c-plane 6H-SiC, yielding a maximum hole mobility of 80 cm[superscript]2V[superscript]-1s[superscript]-1, nearly 100 times higher than previously reported values. B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 epilayers grown at 1300°C had the lowest defect densities, smallest residual strains, highest mobility and highest deposition rate. Excess AsH[subscript]3 concentration was advantageous to prevent the loss of arsenic from the epilayer. Undoped B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 exhibited a variable-range-hopping conduction, indicating it was a highly disordered system. All films were p-type with a room temperature hole concentration on the order of 10[superscript]12~10[superscript]15cm[superscript]-3. The thermal activation energy of acceptors varied from 0.15 eV to 0.33 eV. The Hall mobility was dominated by impurity scattering at low temperatures and by polar phonon scattering at high temperatures. H, C, O and Si were the major impurities present in the undoped B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 films with concentrations on the order of 10[superscript]18~10[superscript]19 cm[superscript]-3. Si doping and annealing decreased the resistivity by up to two orders of magnitude. The density of localized states was small in the undoped B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 as the intrinsic acceptor levels (IALs) were compensated by the boron interstitials. However, in Si-doped B[subscript]12As[subscript]2, Si may prevent the interstitial boron atoms from compensating the IALs, yielding a decreased density of localized states. The Hall mobility of B[subscript]12As[subscript]2 epilayer was significantly reduced with increasing silicon concentration.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemical Engineering / James H. Edgar / The semiconductor boron phosphide (BP) has many outstanding features making it attractive for developing various electronic devices, including neutron detectors. In order to improve the efficiency of these devices, BP must have high crystal quality along with the best possible electrical properties. This research is focused on growing high quality crystalline BP films on a variety of superior substrates like AIN, 4H-SiC, 3C-SiC and ZrB₂ by chemical vapor deposition. In particular, the influence of various parameters such as temperature, reactant flow rates, and substrate type and its crystalline orientation on the properties of BP films were studied in detail. Twin-free BP films were produced by depositing on off-axis 4H-SiC(0001) substrate tilted 4° toward [1-100] and crystal symmetry matched zincblende 3C-SiC. BP crystalline quality improved at higher deposition temperature (1200°C) when deposited on AlN, 4H-SiC, whereas increased strain in 3C-SiC and increased boron segregation in ZrB₂ at higher temperatures limited the best deposition temperature to below 1200°C. In addition, higher flow ratios of PH₃ to B₂H₆ resulted in smoother films and improved quality of BP on all substrates. The FWHM of the Raman peak (6.1 cm⁻¹), XRD BP(111) peak FWHM (0.18°) and peak ratios of BP(111)/(200) = 5157 and BP(111)/(220) = 7226 measured on AlN/sapphire were the best values reported in the literature for BP epitaxial films. The undoped films on AlN/sapphire were n-type with a highest electron mobility of 37.8 cm²/V·s and a lowest carrier concentration of 3.15x1018 cm⁻ᶟ. Raman imaging had lower values of FWHM (4.8 cm⁻¹) and a standard deviation (0.56 cm⁻¹) for BP films on AlN/sapphire compared to 4H-SiC, 3C-SiC substrates. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed residual tensile strain in BP on 4H-SiC, 3C-SiC, ZrB₂/4H-SiC, bulk AlN substrates while compressive strain was evident on AlN/sapphire and bulk ZrB₂ substrates. Among the substrates studied, AlN/sapphire proved to be the best choice for BP epitaxy, even though it did not eliminate rotational twinning in BP. The substrates investigated in this work were found to be viable for BP epitaxy and show promising potential for further enhancement of BP properties.

Semiconductors provide an interesting platform for studying light-matter interactions due to their unique electrically conductive behavior which can be deliberately altered in useful ways with the controlled introduction of confinement and doping, which changes the electronic band structure. This area of research has led to many important fundamental scientific discoveries that have in turn spawned a plethora of applications in areas such as photonics, microscopy, single-photon sources, and metamaterials. Silicon is the prevalent semiconductor platform for microelectronics because of its cost and electrical properties, while III-V materials are optimal for optoelectronics because of the ability to engineer a direct bandgap and create versatile heterojunctions by growing binary, ternary, or quaternary compounds.

Les matériaux III-Sb ont prouvé leur potentiel pour la réalisation de composants opto-électroniques dans des domaines aussi variés que les télécommunications ou l'environnement. Cependant, ils restent une filière quasi-inexplorée pour les systèmes photovoltaïques classiques. Dans ce projet de recherche, nous voulons démontrer que les composants à base d'antimoniures sont des candidats prometteurs pour des cellules solaires à haute efficacité et bas coût. Leurs avantages sont multiples : non seulement offrent-ils un large panel d'alliages accordés en maille et des jonctions tunnel à basse résistivité, mais ils permettent aussi une croissance directe sur substrat de Si. Nous étudions donc les briques élémentaires d'une cellule solaire multi-jonction intégrée sur Si. Tout d'abord, nous développons la croissance et fabrication de cellules homo-épitaxiales en GaSb. Les caractéristiques tension-intensité (J-V) mesurées sont proches de l'état de l'art avec une efficacité sous un soleil de 5.9 %. Puis, nous intégrons une cellule à simple jonction GaSb sur un substrat de Si par épitaxie par jet moléculaire (EJM). Les analyses de diffraction X (DRX) et de microscopie à force atomique (AFM) montrent des propriétés de structure et morphologie proches de celles reportées pour des buffers métamorphiques similaires dans la littérature. Nous adaptons alors la configuration de la cellule pour éviter la haute densité de défauts à l'interface GaSb/Si. La cellule hétéro-épitaxiale a une efficacité réduite de 0.6 %. Ce résultat est néanmoins proche des dernières avancées sur les cellules GaSb sur GaAs, et ce, malgré un désaccord de maille plus important. Enfin, nous étudions l'épitaxie d'AlInAsSb. Cet alliage pourrait en théorie atteindre une grande gamme d'énergies de bande interdite tout en restant accordé sur GaSb. Néanmoins, il souffre d'une lacune de miscibilité importante, le rendant sujet à la ségrégation de phase. Il n'y a que peu de mentions de l'AlInAsSb dans la littérature, et toutes rapportent des conditions de croissance instables et des énergies de bande interdite plus basses qu'attendues. Nous réussissons à produire des couches de bonne qualité d'AlInAsSb dont la composition en Al varie de 0.25 à 0.75 et ne présentant aucun signe macroscopique de décomposition de phase. Toutefois, l'observation au microscope à transmission électronique (TEM) révèle des fluctuations de composition nanométriques. Les données de photoluminescence (PL) sont étudiées pour déterminer les propriétés électroniques de l'alliage. Les mesures d'efficacité quantique (QE) montrent que la sous-cellule du haut limite la performance de la cellule tandem. Des modélisations numériques des courbes J-V et QE sont utilisées pour identifier des pistes d'amélioration pour chaque brique élémentaire. / III-Sb materials have demonstrated their potential for multiple opto-electronic devices, with applications stretching from communications to environment. However, they remain an almost unexplored segment for classical photovoltaic systems. In this research, we intend to demonstrate that III-Sb-based devices are promising candidates for high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells. Their benefits are two-fold: not only do they offer a wide range of lattice-matched alloys and low-resistivity tunnel junctions, but they also enable direct growth on Si substrates. We thus investigate the building blocks of a GaSb-based multi-junction solar cell integrated onto Si. First, we develop the photovoltaic growth and processing by fabricating homo-epitaxial GaSb cells. Intensity-voltage (J-V) measurements approach the state of the art with 1-sun efficiency of 5.9%. Then, we integrate a GaSb single-junction cell on a Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis show structural and morphological properties close to the best reported in the literature for similar metamorphic buffers. We further adapt the cell configuration to circumvent the high defect density at the GaSb/Si interface. The heteroepitaxial cell results in a reduced efficiency of 0.6%. Nevertheless, this performance is close the most recent advancements on GaSb heteroepitaxial cells on GaAs, despite a much larger mismatch. Last, we investigate the epitaxy of AlInAsSb. This alloy could in theory reach the widest range of bandgap energies while being lattice-matched to GaSb. However, it presents a large miscibility gap, making it vulnerable to phase segregation. AlInAsSb only counts few experimental reports in the literature, all referring to unoptimized growth conditions and abnormally low bandgap energies. We successfully grow good-quality layers with Al composition x_{Al} ranging from 0.25 to 0.75, showing no macroscopic sign of decomposition. Yet, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations point to nanometric fluctuations of the quaternary composition. Photoluminescence (PL) data is studied to determine the alloy's electronic properties. We eventually propose and fabricate a tandem cell structure, resulting in 5.2% efficiency. Quantum Efficiency (QE) measurements reveal that the top subcell is limiting the tandem performance. Numerical fits to both J-V and QE data indicate improvement paths for each building block.

Nenhuma / O estudo das correlações entre as propriedades estruturais e magnéticas de filmes finos e ultrafinos é hoje assunto de grande interesse tanto científico como tecnológico, sendo que, dada a disponibilidade de materiais e a importância das aplicações atuais e potenciais, filmes magnéticos compostos por metais e ligas de metais de transição 3d estão entre os materiais mais investigados. O Co é um metal de transição 3d, ferromagnético, e que, em volume, apresenta estrutura hexagonal compacta (hc). Entretanto, tanto esta fase como as fases cúbica de face centrada (cfc) e cúbica de corpo centrado (ccc) podem ser estabilizadas à temperatura ambiente na forma de filmes ultrafinos, ou ainda em forma de estruturas multicamadas, e as propriedades magnéticas dos mesmos apresentam uma complexa correlação com a estrutura cristalina. Existe um grande numero de trabalhos a respeito de Co crescido sobre superfícies de Cu (cfc, parâmetro de rede a = 3,615 Å) e outros monocristais, mas nada há na literatura sobre monocamadas de Co depositadas sobre Cu90Au10, uma liga cfc com parâmetro de rede (3,66 Å) expandido de 1,0% em relação ao Cu. Investigamos aqui o crescimento, em condições de epitaxia de feixe molecular (MBE), e a estrutura de filmes de Co depositados a temperatura ambiente, com espessuras entre uma e cinco monocamadas atômicas (ML) depositadas sobre a superfície (100) da liga Cu90Au10. A composição química e a pureza da superfície do monocristal e dos filmes foram determinadas por espectroscopia de elétrons excitados por raios X (XPS). A cristalinidade da superfície do substrato, bem como a forma de crescimento e a estrutura dos filmes foram determinados por difração de elétrons de baixa e alta energia, LEED e RHEED. A morfologia da superfície do cristal de Cu90Au10(100) e das primeiras monocamadas do filme de cobalto foram determinadas através de medidas de microscopia de varredura por tunelamento (STM). Medidas de magnetometria por efeito Kerr magneto- óptico foram utilizadas para se estabelecer, em caráter preliminar, uma correlação entre a estrutura e o magnetismo dos filmes de Co sobre Cu90Au10(100) Nossos resultados indicam o crescimento de Co com estrutura tetragonal de face centrada (tfc), e uma evolução, com o aumento da espessura de cobalto, de formação de ilhas para crescimento camada a camada. Além disso, nota-se para os filmes de Co uma rápida contração do parâmetro de rede no plano, atingindo aproximadamente 2,5% para ~ 4,0 ML, quando comparado ao substrato de Cu90Au10 (100). Medidas de magnetometria por Efeito Kerr Magneto-ótico indicam magnetização no plano do filme. Este trabalho eminentemente experimental representou um amplo aprendizado no uso e exploração das potencialidades de técnicas múltiplas (LEED, RHEED, XPS, AES, STM e MOKE) para a adequada caracterização e investigação das propriedades estruturais e magnéticas de superfícies e nanoestruturas heteroepitaxiais preparadas em UHV, em condições de epitaxia de feixe molecular (MBE), bem como o primeiro estudo do crescimento de monocamadas de Co depositadas sobre Cu90Au10(100). / The investigation of correlations between structural and magnetic properties of thin and ultrathin films is of great scientific and technological interest presently. Due to importance of their actual and potential applications, films of 3d metals and their alloys are among the most investigated materials. Co is a ferromagnetic 3d metal that in bulk has a hexagonal compact structure (hcp). For Co films or multilayers, the hcp as well as the face-centered (fcc) and bodycentered cubic (bcc) phases can be stabilized at room temperature, depending on the used substrate. It is known that the preparation method can affect decisively the structural and magnetic properties of Co monolayers. There is a big amount of work on Co films grown on different Cu surfaces (fcc; lattice parameter a = 3.615 Å) and other substrates but, to the best of our knowledgement, there is no studies on Co monolayers deposited on Cu90Au10(100), a fcc alloy with lattice parameter of about 3.66 Å. In this work we investigate the epitaxial grow and the structure of Co films with thickness up to 5 atomic monolayers (ML) deposited on Cu90Au10(100). The goal of the study was to investigate the modifications in the magnetic properties of the Co films provided by small distortions in the lattice, since Cu90Au10 presents cfc structure with a lattice parameter ~1% larger than the one of the pure Cu. The sample preparation and the majority of the experimental analysis has been done in ultra high vacuum under molecular beam epitaxy conditions. The studies were conducted in situ, in UHV, by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high and low energy electron diffraction (RHEED and LEED), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Preliminary magnetic measurements on the correlation structure - magnetism were conducted by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). Our results indicate the growth of a tetragonal distorted face centered (fct) Co lattice and an initial formation of islands followed by a layer-by-layer grow starting from 2 ML Co. The lateral lattice parameter shows a fast contraction with increasing thickness when compared to the CuAu substrate, reaching ~ 2.5% at 4 ML Co. Surface magnetometry by Magneto-optical Kerr effect indicated in-plane magnetization of the Co films. This experimental work represented a broad and extensive learning process on preparation and characterization of heteroepitaxial nanostructures by multiple techniques (LEED, RHEED, XPS, AES, STM, and MOKE) under MBE conditions (UHV) and the first investigation of Co monolayers on Cu90Au10(100). SUMÁRIO

Au Yeung Yue Fung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Au Yeung Yue Fung. / Abstract --- p.i / 論文摘要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Figures --- p.vi / List of Tables --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Genesis --- p.1-1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Aims and Objectives --- p.1-2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Layout of thesis --- p.1-3 / References --- p.1-4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature review / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction to superconductor --- p.2-1 / Chapter 2.2 --- MgB2 --- p.2-3 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Significance of MgB2 --- p.2-3 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Structure and properties of MgB2 --- p.2-4 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Superconducting mechanism of MgB2 --- p.2-5 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Physical properties of boron and boride --- p.2-7 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Physical properties of magnesium --- p.2-7 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Formation of MgB2 --- p.2-8 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- MgB2 thin films --- p.2-9 / Chapter 2.2.7.1 --- Substrate --- p.2-11 / Chapter 2.2.7.2 --- Substrate temperature --- p.2-12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Contradictions as revealed by existing literatures --- p.2-13 / References --- p.2-14 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Preparation and characterization of bulk MgB2 / Chapter 3.1 --- Bulk MgB2 fabrication / Chapter 3.2 --- Measurement and analysis techniques of bulk MgB2 --- p.3-4 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- XRD --- p.3-4 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Meissner effect measurement --- p.3-5 / Chapter 3.3 --- Sintering time of MgB2 --- p.3-6 / Chapter 3.4 --- Concentration of Mg in sintering MgB2 --- p.3-8 / Chapter 3.5 --- Sintering temperature of MgB2 --- p.3-11 / Chapter 3.6 --- Thermal stability of MgB2 --- p.3-13 / Chapter 3.7 --- MgB2 in water --- p.3-17 / References --- p.3-19 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Preparation and characterization of MgB2thin films / Chapter 4.1 --- Thin film deposition --- p.4-1 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Facing-target sputtering (FTS) --- p.4-2 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Vacuum system --- p.4-4 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Asymmetric bipolar pulsed DC power source --- p.4-6 / Chapter 4.2 --- Fabrication of MgB2 targets --- p.4-10 / Chapter 4.3 --- Substrates --- p.4-11 / Chapter 4.4 --- Deposition procedure --- p.4-12 / Chapter 4.5 --- Deposition condition --- p.4-13 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Deposition power --- p.4-15 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Deposition pressure --- p.4-13 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Annealing temperature --- p.4-18 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Substrate temperature --- p.4-21 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.4-26 / References --- p.4-29 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Failed attempts of MgB2 films fabrication by in situ method / Chapter 5.1 --- In-situ method --- p.5-1 / Chapter 5.2 --- Additional FTS guns with Mg target --- p.5-2 / Chapter 5.3 --- Diode sputtering --- p.5-4 / Chapter 5.4 --- Co-evaporating fabrication --- p.5-6 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.6-1