The need for post-CMOS nanoelectronics has led to the investigation of innovative device structures and materials. Graphene, a zero bandgap semiconductor with ballistic transport properties, has great potential to extend diversification and miniaturization beyond the limits of CMOS. The goal of this work is to study the growth of graphene on SiC using the novel method of selective graphitization. The major contributions of this research are as follows - First, epitaxial graphene is successfully grown on selected regions of SiC not capped by AlN deposited by molecular beam epitaxy. This contribution enables the formation of electronic-grade graphene in desired patterns without having to etch the graphene or expose it to any detrimental contact with external chemicals. Etching of AlN opens up windows to the SiC in desirable patterns for subsequent graphitization without leaving etch-residues (determined by XPS). Second, the impact of process parameters on the growth of graphene is investigated. Temperature, time, and argon pressure are the primary growth-conditions altered. A temperature of 1400oC in 1 mbar argon for 20 min produced the most optimal graphene growth without significant damage to the AlN capping-layer. Third, first-ever electronic transport measurements are achieved on the selective epitaxial graphene. Hall mobility of about 1550 cm2/Vs has been obtained to date. Finally, the critical limitations of the selective epitaxial graphene growth are enumerated. The advent of enhanced processing techniques that will overcome these limitations will create a multitude of opportunities for applications for graphene grown in this manner. It is envisaged to be a viable approach to fabrication of radio-frequency field-effect transistors.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das hochgeordnete Wachstum von großen organischen Molekülen auf kristallinen Substraten mit Hilfe der Quaterrylenderivate QT, QTCDI und QTCMI untersucht. Um derartige Schichten herstellen und charakterisieren zu können, wurde eine Organische Molekularstrahlepitaxy (OMBE)-Anlage aufgebaut. Allerdings stellt OMBE bisher nur ein Standardverfahren für die Präparation hochgeordneter Schichten bestehend aus kleineren Molekülen dar. Im Zusammenhang mit größeren Molekülen ergibt sich die Frage, ob auf Grund der höheren Sublimationstemperatur diese unzersetzt aufgedampft werden können. Optische Spektroskopieexperimente haben gezeigt, daß dies im Fall von QT möglich ist. Andererseits beginnt die Zersetzung von QTCDI bereits unterhalb seiner Sublimationstemperatur, wobei als eines der Produkte QTCMI entsteht. Ein wesentliches Anliegen dieser Arbeit bestand darin, die Frage zu klären, inwieweit diese großen Aromate epitaktisch auf anorganischen als auch organischen Substraten aufwachsen. Organisch-anorganische Schichtsysteme wurden durch Aufdampfen der Quaterrylenderivate auf einkristalline, rekonstruierte Goldoberflächen erzeugt und anschließend mit LEED und STM charakterisiert. Trotz der eingeschränkten thermischen Stabilität von QTCDI konnten sowohl hochgeordnete QT als auch QTCDI Monolagen auf Au(111) hergestellt werden, die jeweils aus flachliegenden Molekülen bestehen. Im Falle von QTCDI konnte dieses Resultat durch eine Optimierung der Probenherstellung erreicht werden. Im Unterschied zur Anordnung der QT Moleküle in Reihen, bilden die QTCDI Moleküle eine dazu deutlich verschiedene brickwall Struktur, die durch die Bildung von Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen zwischen den Randgruppen der QTCDI Moleküle erklärt werden kann. In ähnlicher Weise zeigt sich der Einfluß der Substituenten auf die Anordnung der Moleküle in der Schicht an den gefunden QTCMI Strukturen. Im Unterschied zu QTCDI Monolagen auf Au(111), konnten keine reinen QTCMI Proben erzeugt werden. Die Ursache dafür ist, daß QTCMI zwar in der QTCDI Knudsenzelle angereichert werden kann, aber beide Moleküle ähnliche Verdampfungstemperaturen besitzen. Selbst die Präparation einer reinen QTCMI Probe nach vollständiger Umsetzung aller QTCDI Moleküle in der Knudsenzelle erscheint schwierig, da bei diesen Temperaturen auch die Zersetzung der QTCMI Moleküle stattfindet. Des weiteren wurden QT Monolagen auf Au(100) Substraten hergestellt. Die QT Moleküle besitzen auf dieser Oberfläche dieselbe Anordnung wie auf Au(111). Auf beiden Oberflächen wurden nur bestimmte Domänenwinkel beobachtet, die die Ausrichtung der Moleküldomänen im Bezug zum Substrat beschreiben. Da die rekonstruierten Au(100) Oberfläche typischerweise nur eine Phase je Terrasse ausbildet, entsteht eine ausgedehnte QT Domäne bereits durch eine einzige Adsorbatstruktur. Andererseits erfordert das homogene Wachstum einer ausgedehnten QT Domäne auf verschiedenen Rekonstruktionsdomänen der Au(111) Oberfläche die Existenz der drei beobachteten Adsorbatstrukturen, die sich durch unterschiedliche Domänenwinkel auszeichnen. Weiterhin wurden Anzeichen dafür gefunden, daß die rekonstruierten Au(111) und Au(100) Oberflächen durch die Adsorption von QT Molekülen verändert werden. Während dieser Effekt im Fall der Au(111) Oberfläche auch bei anderen organischen Molekülen beobachtet wurde, ist unseres Wissens nach in der Literatur eine Veränderung der Au(100) Rekonstruktion in Folge des Aufdampfens einer organischen Molekülschicht bisher nicht beschrieben worden. Darüber hinaus können alle beobachteten Adsorbatstrukturen der Quaterrylenderivate auf Au(111) und Au(100) im Rahmen des point-on-line Modells erklärt werden. Das Wachstum der zweiten Monolage QT auf Au(111) wurde als Beispiel für organisch-organische Homoepitaxy untersucht. Die Moleküle der zweiten QT Monolage bilden wiederum Reihen, die entlang der QT Reihen der ersten Monolage wachsen. Als unmittelbare Folge existiert nur eine mögliche Domänenorientierung im Bezug zur ersten Monolage QT. Im Unterschied zu den ausschließlich flachliegenden Molekülen der ersten Monolage QT wurden in der zweiten Monolage alternierend stehende und liegende Moleküle beobachtet. Die resultierende Struktur ähnelt dabei der QT Kristallstruktur. Diese Resultate zeigen, daß die Au(111) Oberfläche einen vergleichsweise starken Einfluß auf die Struktur der ersten QT Monolage hat, während sie sich deutlich weniger stark auf die Struktur der zweiten QT Monolage auswirkt. Einen weiteren Aspekt der vorliegenden Arbeit stellen organisch-organische Heterostrukturen bestehend aus QT-HBC Schichten auf Au(111) dar. Im Zusammenhang mit der Untersuchung dieser Schichten sollte geklärt werden, ob der kürzlich gefundene Epitaxytyp line-on-line das Wachstum organisch-organischer Heterostrukturen generell beschreiben kann. Im Gegensatz zu typischen STM Bildern von organisch-organischen Heterostrukturen aus der Literatur, konnten hier Bilder aufgezeichnet werden, in der beide Molekülsorten deutlich voneinander unterschieden werden können. Dabei wurde eine QT/HBC Heterostruktur gefunden, bei der flachliegende QT Moleküle Reihen bilden. Im Unterschied zu QT auf Au(111) sind diese Reihen nicht dicht aneinander gepackt. Diese Beobachtung deutet darauf hin, daß die QT Struktur durch ein energetisch günstiges Packen der QT Moleküle auf den HBC Molekülen bestimmt wird. Darüber hinaus wurden zwei weitere Adsorbatstrukturen mit deutlich verschiedenen Gitterparametern gefunden. Hochaufgelöste STM Bilder legen nahe, daß diese beiden Strukturen alternierend aus stehenden und liegenden Moleküle bestehen. Die Experimente liefern Anzeichen dafür, daß die jeweilige Anordnung der QT Moleküle in der Schicht von der Dicke der darunterliegen HBC Schicht bestimmt wird. Demnach liegen die QT Moleküle auf einer Monolage HBC infolge der stärkeren Wechselwirkung zur Au(111) Oberfläche flach, während die bei dickeren HBC Schichten schwächere Wechselwirkung mit dem Gold eine Struktur aus stehenden und liegenden Molekülen ähnlich der Kristallstruktur zur Folge hat.

<p>Vertical cavity lasers (VCLs) are of great interest aslow-cost, high-performance light sources for fiber-opticcommunication systems. They have a number of advantages overconventional edge-emitting lasers, including low powerconsumption, efficient fiber coupling and wafer scalemanufacturing/testing. For high-speed data transmission overdistances up to a few hundred meters, VCLs (or arrays of VCLs)operating at 850 nm wavelength is today the technology ofchoice. While multimode fibers are successfully used in theseapplications, higher transmission bandwidth and longerdistances require single-mode fibres and longer wavelengths(1.3-1.55 µm). However, long-wavelength VCLs are as yetnot commercially available since no traditional materialssystem offers the required combination of bothhigh-index-contrast distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) andhigh-gain active regions. Earlier work on long-wavelength VCLshas therefore focused on hybrid techniques, such as waferfusion between InP-based QWs and AlGaAs DBRs, but more recentlythe main interest in this field has shifted towardsall-epitaxial GaAs-based devices employing novel 1.3-µmactive materials. Among these, strained GaInNAs/GaAs QWs aregenerally considered one of the most promising approaches andhave received a great deal of interest.</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to investigate monolithicGaAs-based long-wavelength (>1.2 µm) VCLs with InGaAsor GaInNAs QW active regions. Laser structures - or partsthereof - have been grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy(MOVPE) and characterized by various techniques, such ashigh-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence(PL), atomic force microscopy, and secondary ion massspectroscopy (SIMS). High accuracy reflectance measurementsrevealed that n-type doping is much more detrimental to theperformance of AlGaAs DBRs than previously anticipated. Asystematic investigation was also made of the deleteriouseffects of buried Al-containing layers, such as AlGaAs DBRs, onthe optical and structural properties of subsequently grownGaInNAs QWs. Both these problems, with their potential bearingon VCL fabrication, are reduced by lowering the DBR growthtemperature.</p><p>Record-long emission wavelength InGaAs VCLs were fabricatedusing an extensive gain-cavity detuning. The cavity resonancecondition just below 1270 nm wavelength occurs at the farlong-wavelength side of the gain curve. Still, the gain is highenough to yield threshold currents in the low mA-regime and amaximum output power exceeding 1 mW, depending on devicediameter. Direct modulation experiments were performed on1260-nm devices at 10 Gb/s in a back-to-back configuration withopen, symmetric eye diagrams, indicating their potential foruse in high-speed transmission applications. These devices arein compliance with the wavelength requirements of emerging10-Gb/s Ethernet and SONET OC-192 standards and may turn out tobe a viable alternative to GaInNAs VCLs.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>GaInNAs, InGaAs, quantum wells, MOVPE, MOCVD,vertical cavity laser, VCSEL, long-wavelength, epitaxy, XRD,DBR</p>

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-151).

 Molecular Beam Epitaxy is an advanced method for the synthesis of single-crystal thin-film structures. However, the growth behavior varies case by case due to the complicated kinetic process. In this thesis, the epitaxial growth processes of AlxIn1-xN alloy and Bi2Se3 thin-films are studied. Heteroepitaxial growth of AlxIn1-xN alloy on GaN(0001) substrate is carried out in the Nitrogen-rich flux conditions. A series of transient growth stages are identified from the initiation of the deposition. A significant effect of source beam-flux on the incorporation rate of Indium atoms is observed and measured. A correlation between the incorporation rate and the growth conditions (flux ratio and growth temperature) is revealed by the dependence of the growth-rate of the film on beam fluxes. A mathematic model is then suggested to explain the effect, through which the measured results indicating a surface diffusing and trapping process is indicated. Unexpected behavior of the lattice-parameter evolution of the growth front during deposition is also observed, indicating a complex strain-relaxation process of the epilayers. For three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator of Bi2Se3, growths are attempted on various substrate surfaces, including clean Si(111)-(7x7), Hydrogen terminated Si(111), Bismuth induced Si(111) reconstructed surfaces, GaN(0001), and some selenide “psudo-substrates”. The specific formation process of this quintuple-layered material in MBE is investigated, from which the Van der Waals epitaxy growth characteristics inherent to deposition of Bi2Se3 is determined, and the mechanism of the “two-step growth” technique for this material is further clarified. Among the various substrates, those that are inert to chemical reaction with Bi/Se are important for the growth. The epilayers’ lattice-misfit with the substrate is also a crucial factor to the structural quality of the Bi2Se3 epifilms, such as the defects density and the single-crystalline domain size. The effect of a vicinal substrate on suppressing the twin-defects in film is also addressed. Using a suitable substrate and adapting an optimal condition, ultra-thin films of Bi2Se3 with a superior structural quality have been achieved. Multilayered Bi2Se3 structures with ZnSe and In2Se3 spacers are attempted. Finally the high-quality superlattices of Bi2Se3/In2Se3 are successfully synthesized. The hetero-interfaces in the superlattice structure of Bi2Se3/In2Se3 are sharp, and the individual layers are uniform with thicknesses being strictly controlled. The behaviors of strain evolution during the hetero-growth process are finally investigated. An exponential relaxation of misfit strain is observed. And the correlation between the residual strain and the starting surface in the initial growth stage is also identified. / published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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The growth of bulk cubic silicon carbide has for a long time seemed to be something for the future. However, in this thesis the initial steps towards bulk cubic silicon carbide have been taken. The achievement of producing bulk cubic silicon carbide will have a great impact in various fields of science and industry such as for example the fields of semiconductor technology within electronic- and optoelectronic devices and bio-medical applications. The process that has been used to grow the bulk cubic silicon carbide is a modification of the seeded sublimation growth, and the seeds have been grown by sublimation epitaxy. Selected samples have been characterized with a variety of different methods. The surface morphology of the samples has been examined using optical microscope, atomic force microscope and scanning electron microscope. The crystal structure has been investigated by the methods X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The electrical resistance of the grown seeds was evaluated by four probe measurements. High crystal quality seeds have been grown with semiconductor properties and bulk silicon carbide was demonstrated using the seeds.

La realización de esta tesis doctoral permitió confirmar la combinación exitosa de la configuración de láseres guiados y las propiedades espectroscópicas de los dobles tungstatos de potasio y tierra rara para ser usados en la fabricación de dispositivos de óptica integrada. Mediante crecimiento epitaxial en fase líquida (LPE) de capas monocristalinas de KY1-x-yGdxLuy(WO4)2 activadas con Er3+ y Tm3+ se fabricaron guías de onda planas. Usando la composición KY0.58Gd0.22Lu0.17Tm0.03(WO4)2 se demostró por primera vez un láser guiado en los regímenes continuo y pulsado (Q-switch) con emisión a 1.84 m. Combinando técnicas de fotolitografía UV, Ar-ion milling y LPE, se fabricaron guías de onda acanaladas de dos tipos: superficiales y soterradas. Mediante esta novedosa combinación, se demostró por primera vez un láser guiado de Tm3+ con emisión a 1.84 m sin la necesidad de añadir espejos a la guía acanalada soterrada. / The successful combination of the advantages of the waveguide laser geometry and the spectroscopic properties of monoclinic double tungstates was confirmed in this work by the realization of planar and channel waveguide lasers activated with Tm3+. Planar waveguides activated with Er3+ and Tm3+ were fabricated by Liquid Phase Epitaxial growth (LPE) of KY1-x-yGdxLuy(WO4)2 single crystalline layers over KY (WO4)2 substrates. CW and Q-switch laser operation at 1.84 m were, for the first time, demonstrated using the lattice matched composition KY0.58Gd0.22Lu0.17Tm0.03(WO4)2 . Surface channel waveguides were fabricated by structuring the surface of the Er3+ and Tm3+-doped planar waveguides by means of standard UV-photolithography and Ar-ion milling. Buried channel waveguides were fabricated by a novel combination of LPE of the activated layers after structuring of the surface of the KY (WO4)2 substrates by Ar-ion milling. Mirrorles waveguide laser in CW regime was demonstrated using these buried channel waveguides.

Solar photovoltaic has become one of the potential solutions for current energy needs and for combating greenhouse gas emissions. The photovoltaics (PV) industry is booming, with a yearly growth rate well in excess of 30% over the last decade. This explosive growth has been driven by market development programs to accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy options and rapidly increasing fossil fuel prices. Currently, the PV market is based on silicon wafer solar cells (thick cells of around 150–300 μm made of crystalline silicon). This technology, classified as the first-generation of photovoltaic cells. The second generation of photovoltaic materials is based on the introduction of thin film layers of semiconductor materials. Unfortunately, the conversion efficiency of the current PV systems is low despite the lower manufacturing costs. Nevertheless, to achieve highly efficient silicon solar cell devices, the development of new high quality materials in terms of structure and electrical properties is a must to overcome the issues related to amorphous silicon (a -Si:H) degradation. Meanwhile, to remain competitive with the conventional energy sources, cost must be taken into consideration. Moreover, novel approaches combined with conventional mature silicon solar cell technology can boost the conventional efficiency and break its maximum limits. In our approach, we set to achieve efficient, stable and affordable silicon solar cell devices by focusing on the development of a new device made of epitaxial films. This new device is developed using new epitaxial growth phosphorous and/or boron doped layers at low processing temperature using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The junction between the phosphorous or boron-doped epitaxial film of the device is formed between the film and the p or n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate, giving rise to (n epi-Si/p c-Si device or p epi-Si/n c-Si device), respectively. Different processing conditions have been fully characterized and deployed for the fabrication of different silicon solar cells architectures. The high quality epitaxial film (up to 400 nm) was used as an emitter for an efficient stable homojunction solar cell. Extensive analysis of the developed fine structure material, using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), showed that hydrogen played a crucial role in the epitaxial growth of highly phosphorous doped silicon films. The main processing parameters that influenced the quality of the structure were; radio frequency (RF) power density, the processing chamber pressure, the substrate temperature, the gas flow rate used for deposition of silicon films, and hydrogen dilution. The best result, in terms of structure and electrical properties, was achieved at intermediate hydrogen dilution (HD) regime between 91 and 92% under optimized deposition conditions of the rest of the processing parameters. The conductivity and the carrier mobility values are good indicators of the electrical quality of the silicon (Si) film and can be used to investigate the structural quality indirectly. The electrical conductivity analyses using spreading resistance profile (SRP), through the detection of active carriers inside the developed films, are presented in details for the developed epitaxial film under the optimized processing conditions. Measurements of the active phosphorous dopant revealed that, the film has a very high active carrier concentration of an average of 5.0 x1019 cm-3 with a maximum value of 6.9 x 1019 cm-3 at the interface between substrate and the epitaxial film. The observed higher concentration of electrically active P atoms compared to the total phosphorus concentration indicates that more than half of dopants become incorporated into substitutional positions. Highly doping efficiency ηd of more than 50 % was calculated from both secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and SRP analysis. A variety of proposed structures were fabricated and characterized on planar, textured, and under different deposition temperatures. Detailed studies of the photovoltaic properties of the fabricated devices were carried out using epitaxial silicon films. The results of these studies confirmed that the measured open circuit voltage (Voc) of the device ranged between 575 and 580 mV with good fill factor (FF) values in the range of 74-76 %. We applied the rapid thermal process (RTP) for a very short time (60 s) at moderate temperature of 750oC to enhance the photovoltaic properties of the fabricated device. The following results were achieved, the values of Voc, and the short circuit current (Isc) were 598 mV and 27.5 mA respectively, with a fill factor value of up to 76 % leading to an efficiency of 12.5 %. Efficiency enhancement by 13.06 % was achieved over the reference cell which was prepared without using RTP. Another way to increase the efficiency of the fabricated device is to reduce the reflections from its polished substrate. This was achieved by utilizing the light trapping technique that transforms the reflective polished surface into a pyramidical texturing using alkaline solutions. Further enhancements of both Voc and Isc were achieved with values of 612 mV and 31mA respectively, and a fill factor of 76 % leading to an increase in the efficiency by up to 13.8 %. A noticeable efficiency enhancement by ~20 % over the reference cell is reported for the developed devices on the textured surfaces. Moreover, the efficiency of the fabricated epitaxial silicon solar cells can be boosted by the deployment of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) on the top surface of the fabricated devices. In the course of this PhD research we found a way to achieve this by depositing a thin layer of Si NCs, embedded in amorphous silicon matrix, on top of the epitaxial film. Structural analysis of the deposited Si NCs was performed. It is shown from the HRTEM analysis that the developed Si NCs, are randomly distributed, have a spherical shape with a radius of approximately 2.5 nm, and are 10-20 nm apart in the amorphous silicon matrix. Based on the size of the developed Si NCs, the optical band gap was found to be in the region of 1.8-2.2 eV. Due to the incorporation of Si NCs layer a noticeable enhancement in the Isc was reported.