Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-110). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xxii, 212 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-212). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, August, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-194)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-191)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 178-188).

Dans les dispositifs électronique, il est prochainement attendu que la réduction de la taille des composant atteingne prochainement la limite quantique. De ce fait, manipuler l'information quantique apparait comme un nouveau challenge. Les Qubits supraconducteurs basé sur la physique du solide et les Jonctions Josephson sont des systèmes prometteurs qui profitent des avantage des technologies de la micro-électronique. Toutefois, le temps de décohérence des états quantique est encore un facteur limitant. Cette limitation est généralement attribuée à la faible qualité cristalline des matériaux utilisés (défauts cristallins, impuretés). La technique d'épitaxie par jets moléculaires a été utilisé pour la croissance de couches minces de rhénium de haute qualité cristalline sur des substrat de saphir dans un environnement Ultra Haut Vide. Le misfit existant entre les réseaux cristallins du rhénium et du saphir est suffisamment bas pour permettre une croissance épitaxiale du rhénium sur le saphir, mais également une croissance d'une barrière tunnel en oxyde d'aluminium monocristallin sur la couche de rhénium elle-même. Afin d'améliorer la qualité cristallographique de la couche de rhénium, des simulations et de nombreuses techniques de caractérisation ont été utilisées. Puis les propriétés supraconductrices des films de rhénium ont été étudié à des températures ultra basses afin de comparer ces propriétés à la qualité cristallographique de nos films. / In electronic devices, it is expected that the quantum limit will soon be reached with decreasing system size. Therefore, manipulating quantum information appears as a new challenge. Solid state Qubits based on superconducting Josephson junction are promising systems which take advantage of microelectronics technology. However, decoherence time of the quantum states is still a limiting factor. This has been generally ascribed to the poor crystallographic quality of the materials used so far (crystallographic defects, impurities). The Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) technique may be used to grow rhenium (Re) films of high quality on sapphire substrates in an Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) environment. So far, the misfit between Re and sapphire is low enough to permit the growth of a single crystal aluminium oxide thin film on top of the Re layer. In order to improve the crystallographic quality of the Re film, some simulations and several characterizations techniques have been used. Then, the superconducting properties of rhenium films have been studied at Ultra Low Temperature in order to compare with their crystallographic qualities.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l'intégration par Epitaxie par Jets Moléculaires (EJM) de matériaux III-Sb sur substrat de silicium. Une étude bibliographique très détaillée a tout d'abord été menée afin de comprendre les enjeux et d'évaluer les différentes approches permettant de diminuer la densité de défauts dans les couches III-V épitaxiées sur Si. Dans la deuxième partie, je détaille les travaux réalisés pour mettre au point une technique de préparation de la surface du substrat de silicium reproductible, efficace et robuste, et je montre son impact sur les propriétés d'hétérostructures III-Sb épitaxiées sur Si. Dans la dernière partie, je présente les différentes études menées pour évaluer l'impact de la désorientation du substrat et de l'épaisseur d'une couche tampon GaSb sur la qualité des hétérostructures épitaxiées sur Si, ces deux paramètres étant importants dans une perspective d'intégration photonique/microélectronique. Ensuite, je présente l'étude complète de l'optimisation des conditions de croissance d'une couche de nucléation AlSb ou Al. Je montre que les meilleures propriétés des hétérostructures sont obtenues pour une couche de nucléation de 4 monocouches (MC) AlSb réalisée à 450°C ou 1 MC Al déposée entre 450 et 500°C. Enfin, je propose des pistes d'optimisation. / This thesis deals with the integration of III-Sb based material on silicon substrate by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). A first bibliographic study has been led in order to understand the stakes and to evaluate the different approaches to decrease the defects density in the III-V epitaxial layers. In the second chapter, I give the details of the work done to realize a reproducible, efficient and robust silicon substrate surface preparation and I show its impact on the III-Sb heterostructures epitaxially grown on Si. In the last part of this thesis, I first present the studies led to evaluate the impact of the substrate miscut and of the GaSb buffer, these two parameters being very important in a photonic/microelectronic integration perspective. Then, I describe the complete optimization study of the growth conditions of AlSb or Al nucleation layers. I show that the best heterostructures properties are obtained for a nucleation layer of 4 monolayers (ML) of AlSb epitaxially grown at 450°C or 1 ML of Al deposited between 450 and 500°C. Finally, I propose some ways for optimization.

The development of InGaN quantum dots (QDs) is both scientifically challenging and promising for applications in visible spectrum LEDs, lasers, detectors, electroabsorption modulators and photovoltaics. Such QDs are typically grown using the Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode, in which accumulated in-plane compressive strain induces a transition from 2D to 3D growth. This method has a number of inherent limitations, including the unavoidable formation of a 2D wetting layer and the difficulty of controlling the composition, areal density, and size of the dots. In this research, I have developed InGaN QDs by two methods using a plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy reactor. In the first method, InGaN QDs were formed by SK growth mode on (0001) GaN/sapphire. In the second, I have addressed the limitations of the SK growth of InGaN QDs by developing a novel alternative method, which was utilized to grow on both (0001) GaN/sapphire and AlN/sapphire. This method relies upon the ability to form thermodynamically stable In-Ga liquid solutions throughout the entire compositional range at relatively low temperatures. Upon simultaneous or sequential deposition of In and Ga on a substrate, the adatoms form a liquid solution, whose composition is controlled by the ratio of the fluxes of the two constituents FIn/(FIn+FGa). Depending on the interfacial free energy between the liquid deposit and substrate, the liquid deposit and vapor, and the vapor and substrate, the liquid deposit forms Inx-Ga1−x nano-droplets on the substrate. These nano-droplets convert into InxGa1−xN QDs upon exposure to nitrogen RF plasma. InGaN QDs produced by both methods were investigated in-situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex-situ by atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution x-ray diffraction, and grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering. The optical activity and device potential of the QDs were investigated by photoluminescence measurements and the formation and evaluation of PIN devices (in which the intrinsic region contains QDs embedded within a higher bandgap matrix). InGaN QDs with areal densities ranging from 109 to 1011 cm−2 and diameters ranging from 11 to 39 nm were achieved.

abstract: Dual-wavelength laser sources have various existing and potential applications in wavelength division multiplexing, differential techniques in spectroscopy for chemical sensing, multiple-wavelength interferometry, terahertz-wave generation, microelectromechanical systems, and microfluidic lab-on-chip systems. In the drive for ever smaller and increasingly mobile electronic devices, dual-wavelength coherent light output from a single semiconductor laser diode would enable further advances and deployment of these technologies. The output of conventional laser diodes is however limited to a single wavelength band with a few subsequent lasing modes depending on the device design. This thesis investigates a novel semiconductor laser device design with a single cavity waveguide capable of dual-wavelength laser output with large spectral separation. The novel dual-wavelength semiconductor laser diode uses two shorter- and longer-wavelength active regions that have separate electron and hole quasi-Fermi energy levels and carrier distributions. The shorter-wavelength active region is based on electrical injection as in conventional laser diodes, and the longer-wavelength active region is then pumped optically by the internal optical field of the shorter-wavelength laser mode, resulting in stable dual-wavelength laser emission at two different wavelengths quite far apart. Different designs of the device are studied using a theoretical model developed in this work to describe the internal optical pumping scheme. The carrier transport and separation of the quasi-Fermi distributions are then modeled using a software package that solves Poisson's equation and the continuity equations to simulate semiconductor devices. Three different designs are grown using molecular beam epitaxy, and broad-area-contact laser diodes are processed using conventional methods. The modeling and experimental results of the first generation design indicate that the optical confinement factor of the longer-wavelength active region is a critical element in realizing dual-wavelength laser output. The modeling predicts lower laser thresholds for the second and third generation designs; however, the experimental results of the second and third generation devices confirm challenges related to the epitaxial growth of the structures in eventually demonstrating dual-wavelength laser output. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 2011

abstract: A dual chamber molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system was rebuilt for the growth of 6.1 Angstrom II-VI and III-V compound semiconductor materials that are to be used in novel optoelectronic devices that take advantage of the nearly continuous bandgap availability between 0 eV and 3.4 eV. These devices include multijunction solar cells and multicolor detectors. The MBE system upgrade involved the conversion of a former III-V chamber for II-VI growth. This required intensive cleaning of the chamber and components to prevent contamination. Special features including valved II-VI sources and the addition of a cold trap allowed for the full system to be baked to 200 degrees Celsius to improve vacuum conditions and reduce background impurity concentrations in epilayers. After the conversion, the system was carefully calibrated and optimized for the growth of ZnSe and ZnTe on GaAs (001) substrates. Material quality was assessed using X-ray diffraction rocking curves. ZnSe layers displayed a trend of improving quality with decreasing growth temperature reaching a minimum full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of 113 arcsec at 278 degrees Celsius. ZnTe epilayer quality increased with growth temperature under Zn rich conditions attaining a FWHM of 84 arcsec at 440 degrees Celsius. RHEED oscillations were successfully observed and used to obtain growth rate in situ for varying flux and temperature levels. For a fixed flux ratio, growth rate decreased with growth temperature as the desorption rate increased. A directly proportional dependence of growth rate on Te flux was observed for Zn rich growth. Furthermore, a method for determining the flux ratio necessary for attaining the stoichiometric condition was demonstrated. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Electrical Engineering 2012