L’objectif de cette thèse est de moduler le transport électrique dans des nanofils de GaAs par effet piézoélectrique ou ferroélectrique. Pour cela, une étude préliminaire des propriétés électriques et mécaniques des nanofils est nécessaire. C’est donc le premier pas vers la fabrication de nouveaux dispositifs, tels que le transistor ferroélectrique à nanofil unique ou le nanogénérateur piézotronique. Le premier chapitre de ce travail est consacré à l’élaboration par épitaxie par jets moléculaires de nanofils autocatalysés de GaAs sur Si (111). L’optimisation des paramètres de croissance a permis la première fabrication de nanofils ultra-longs de GaAs de 80 μm, jamais mis en évidence par cette méthode de croissance à notre connaissance par le passé. Une étude de leur cinétique de croissance ainsi que de leurs propriétés structurales et optiques est présentée. Les deux chapitres suivants s’intéressent aux caractérisations électriques et mécaniques de ces nanofils de GaAs. Il a été montré que ces derniers présentent des propriétés de conduction tout à fait intéressantes et les caractéristiques mécaniques attendues pour de tels nanofils. Le dernier chapitre présente une étude préliminaire des couplages avec la piézoélectricité et la ferroélectricité. La piézoélectricité des nanofils de GaAs est tout d’abord examinée. On présente ensuite le couplage avec une matrice piézoélectrique de P(VDF-TrFE). Il a enfin été mis en évidence une modulation du transport dans un nanofil grâce à l’orientation de la polarisation de la couche ferroélectrique de PZT. / The aim of this thesis is to modulate the electrical transport in GaAs nanowires by piezoelectric or ferroelectric effect. To perform this, a preliminary study of electrical and mechanical properties of these nanowires is required. It is the first step towards the elaboration of new devices as nanowire ferroelectric transistor or piezotronic nanogenerator. First chapter is dedicated to elaboration by molecular beam epitaxy of self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires on Si (111). By optimization of growth parameter, we managed the first growth ultra-long nanowires, with length up to 80 μm by this elaboration technic. Growth kinetic and crystallographic and optical properties of these nanowires has been highligth. The two following chapters are focused on electrical and mechanical characterizations of theses nanowires. It has been shown that theses nanowires have interesting conduction properties and expected mechanical behaviour. The last chapter presents a preliminary study of coupling with piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity. First of all, piezoelectricity in GaAs nanowires is observed. Then, we present coupling with a piezoelectric matrix of P(VDF-TrFE). Finally, we proved a modulation of the transport by polarization orientation of a ferroelectric PZT thin film.

<p> In the current research, use of p-n junction GaAs nanowires (NWs) grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111) B substrates for the fabrication of flexible solar cells are reported. The solar cells were fabricated by embedding the NWs in a polymer matrix (SU8 2), followed by ohmic contact formation to the tops of the NWs as well as the rear side of the substrate. I-V characteristic curves were obtained by illuminating the solar cells using a solar simulator, indicating a photovoltaic effect. NWs were also detached from the substrate by different methods and successfully transferred onto a flexible substrate for potential use as solar cells. Scanning electron microscopy was used throughout the research for characterization and optimization of the fabrication processes including NW embedment, removal from the substrate, and contact formation.</p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

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The goal of this dissertation work was to develop pulsed terahertz radiation techniques and use them to study different properties of the semiconductor materials and semiconductor devices. Three groups of materials were investigated: GaAsBi, GaAs nanowires, copper-indium chalcogenide. The used techniques are THz-TDS, optical pump – THZ probe, optical pump – optical probe and THz excitation spectral measurements. The main results that were presented in this dissertation are the following: thermal annealing has resulted in the shortening of electron lifetime in GaAsBi to picosecond values, which is important achievement for the application of this material in THz range components. In GaAsBi layers with larger than 10% Bi content absorption bleaching recovering on the picosecond time scale and its saturation can be realized when the wavelengths of the optical signals are as long as 1600 nm. The results of these studies can be applied in the production of SESAM with bismide absorption layer. The samples with GaAs nanowires emit THz radiation several times better than the bulk GaAs substrates due to enhanced light absorption because of localized surface plasmon resonances in GaAs nanowires. THz emission efficiency from thin copper-indium chalcogenide layers strongly depends on their stoichiometry and on the parameters of the top transparent contact layers, thus it can be used for the mapping of built-in electric fields in solar cells made from these layers. / Šio darbo tikslas buvo susipažinti su terahercinių impulsų generavimo ir detektavimo būdais, įsisavinti įvairias terahercinių impulsų panaudojimo metodikas bei pritaikyti jas puslaidininkių medžiagų ir puslaidininkinių prietaisų tyrimui. Buvo tirtos trys medžiagų grupės: GaAsBi, GaAs nanovielutės ir Cu – In chalkogenidai. Tyrimui buvo naudojamos: THz – TDS, optinio žadinimo – THz zondavimo, optinio žadinimo – optinio zondavimo bei THz sužadinimo spektroskopijos metodikos. Pagrindiniai rezultatai aprašyti disertacijoje yra šie: GaAsBi bandinių atkaitinimas stipriai sumažino krūvininkų gyvavimo trukmes, kas yra naudinga THz komponentų gamyboj. Optinio praskaidrėjimo efektas ir pikosekundžių eilės krūvininkų gyvavimo trukmės GaAsBi epitaksiniuose sluoksniuose su 10% ir daugiau Bi atomų stebimas žadinant juos optine spinduliuote, kurios bangos ilgiai siekia iki 1600 nm. Šios GaAsBi bandinių savybės leidžia juos priakyti įsisotinančių sugėriklių veidrodžių gamyboje. Bandiniai su GaAs nanovielutėmis emituoja THz spinduliuotę kelis kartus geriau nei GaAs padėklas, dėl padidėjusios sugerties, kurią skatina paviršinių optinių plazmonų rezonansai GaAs nanovielutėse. THz emisijos efektyvumas iš Cu-In chalkogenidų sluoksnių stipriai priklauso nuo jų stechiometrijos ir viršutinio skaidraus kontakto parametrų, ir gali būti naudojamas saulės elementų, pagamintų šių sluoksnių pagrindu, vidinių elektrinių laukų tyrimui.

Šio darbo tikslas buvo susipažinti su terahercinių impulsų generavimo ir detektavimo būdais, įsisavinti įvairias terahercinių impulsų panaudojimo metodikas bei pritaikyti jas puslaidininkių medžiagų ir puslaidininkinių prietaisų tyrimui. Buvo tirtos trys medžiagų grupės: GaAsBi, GaAs nanovielutės ir Cu – In chalkogenidai. Tyrimui buvo naudojamos: THz – TDS, optinio žadinimo – THz zondavimo, optinio žadinimo – optinio zondavimo bei THz sužadinimo spektroskopijos metodikos. Pagrindiniai rezultatai aprašyti disertacijoje yra šie: GaAsBi bandinių atkaitinimas stipriai sumažino krūvininkų gyvavimo trukmes, kas yra naudinga THz komponentų gamyboj. Optinio praskaidrėjimo efektas ir pikosekundžių eilės krūvininkų gyvavimo trukmės GaAsBi epitaksiniuose sluoksniuose su 10% ir daugiau Bi atomų stebimas žadinant juos optine spinduliuote, kurios bangos ilgiai siekia iki 1600 nm. Šios GaAsBi bandinių savybės leidžia juos priakyti įsisotinančių sugėriklių veidrodžių gamyboje. Bandiniai su GaAs nanovielutėmis emituoja THz spinduliuotę kelis kartus geriau nei GaAs padėklas, dėl padidėjusios sugerties, kurią skatina paviršinių optinių plazmonų rezonansai GaAs nanovielutėse. THz emisijos efektyvumas iš Cu-In chalkogenidų sluoksnių stipriai priklauso nuo jų stechiometrijos ir viršutinio skaidraus kontakto parametrų, ir gali būti naudojamas saulės elementų, pagamintų šių sluoksnių pagrindu, vidinių elektrinių laukų tyrimui. / The goal of this dissertation work was to develop pulsed terahertz radiation techniques and use them to study different properties of the semiconductor materials and semiconductor devices. Three groups of materials were investigated: GaAsBi, GaAs nanowires, copper-indium chalcogenide. The used techniques are THz-TDS, optical pump – THZ probe, optical pump – optical probe and THz excitation spectral measurements. The main results that were presented in this dissertation are the following: thermal annealing has resulted in the shortening of electron lifetime in GaAsBi to picosecond values, which is important achievement for the application of this material in THz range components. In GaAsBi layers with larger than 10% Bi content absorption bleaching recovering on the picosecond time scale and its saturation can be realized when the wavelengths of the optical signals are as long as 1600 nm. The results of these studies can be applied in the production of SESAM with bismide absorption layer. The samples with GaAs nanowires emit THz radiation several times better than the bulk GaAs substrates due to enhanced light absorption because of localized surface plasmon resonances in GaAs nanowires. THz emission efficiency from thin copper-indium chalcogenide layers strongly depends on their stoichiometry and on the parameters of the top transparent contact layers, thus it can be used for the mapping of built-in electric fields in solar cells made from these layers.

abstract: In mesoscopic physics, conductance fluctuations are a quantum interference phenomenon that comes from the phase interference of electron wave functions scattered by the impurity disorder. During the past few decades, conductance fluctuations have been studied in various materials including metals, semiconductors and graphene. Since the patterns of conductance fluctuations is related to the distributions and configurations of the impurity scatterers, each sample has its unique pattern of fluctuations, which is considered as a sample fingerprint. Thus, research on conductance fluctuations attracts attention worldwide for its importance in both fundamental physics and potential technical applications. Since early experimental measurements of conductance fluctuations showed that the amplitudes of the fluctuations are on order of a universal value (e2/h), theorists proposed the hypothesis of ergodicity, e.g. the amplitudes of the conductance fluctuations by varying impurity configurations is the same as that from varying the Fermi energy or varying the magnetic field. They also proposed the principle of universality; e.g., that the observed fluctuations would appear the same in all materials. Recently, transport experiments in graphene reveal a deviation of fluctuation amplitudes from those expected from ergodicity. Thus, in my thesis work, I have carried out numerical research on the conductance fluctuations in GaAs nanowires and graphene nanoribbons in order to examine whether or not the theoretical principles of universality and ergodicity hold. Finite difference methods are employed to study the conductance fluctuations in GaAs nanowires, but an atomic basis tight-binding model is used in calculations of graphene nanoribbons. Both short-range disorder and long-range disorder are considered in the simulations of graphene. A stabilized recursive scattering matrix technique is used to calculate the conductance. In particular, the dependence of the observed fluctuations on the amplitude of the disorder has been investigated. Finally, the root-mean-square values of the amplitude of conductance fluctuations are calculated as a basis with which to draw the appropriate conclusions. The results for Fermi energy sweeps and magnetic field sweeps are compared and effects of magnetic fields on the conductance fluctuations of Fermi energy sweeps are discussed for both GaAs nanowires and graphene nanoribbons. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2015

Nous avons proposé d'étudier le potentiel de l'outil d'épitaxie HVPE (Hydride Vapour Phase Epitaxy) pour la croissance de nanofils de GaAs. La morphologie nanofil permet au matériau épitaxié de libérer les contraintes dans le cas de l’hétéroépitaxie et de mettre en œuvre des procédés de croissance sur des substrats à faible coût comme les substrats de silicium. Dans ce contexte, j’ai effectué la croissance auto-catalysée de nanofils et des nanoobjets de GaAs par HVPE sur substrat silicium. La HVPE utilise des molécules de GaCl synthétisées à l'intérieur du réacteur dans la zone en amont du substrat à haute température (T> 700 °C). La décomposition du GaCl est beaucoup plus difficile entre 600 °C et 700 °C. Dans ce manuscrit des calculs thermodynamiques des constantes d’équilibre de formation du gallium liquide sont donnés et analysés. Les rapports de flux atomiques III/V obtenus sont de 11 à 222, bien plus élevés que les rapports utilisés dans procédés MBE et MOVPE. Ce travail expérimental a été couplé à un travail de modélisation théorique. Une étude de la faisabilité d’utiliser un substrat constitué de nanofils de GaAs comme électrode dans une pile microbienne a également été initiée. / III-V semiconductor nanowires exhibit excellent electrical and optical properties in laterally confined geometry which is very promising for monolithic integration of photonic nanodevices on silicon substrates. Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) process growth was therefore developed in this thesis for the growth of GaAs nanowires. This report is organized into two chapters.The first chapter introduces the state-of-the-art of self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires and nano-structures on silicon substrate. We have demonstrated the growth of self - catalyzed GaAs nanowires by HVPE on un-patterned Si (111) substrates at a low temperature of 600 °C with extremely high GaCl/AsH3 flow ratios. A model that explains well the experimental findings was developed. The second part proposes the design of a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) prototype based on GaAs nanowire samples. A MFC prototype based on GaAs nanowire and substrate was developed.

Depuis une vingtaine d’année les nanofils des semiconducteurs suscitent un intérêt majeur pour des applications diverses grâce à leurs propriétés optoélectroniques particulières. Dans le domaine du photovoltaïque ils présentent aussi un atout majeur. La combinaison du fort coefficient d’absorption des semiconducteurs III-V et le faible coût des substrats de silicium permettraient la réalisation des cellules photovoltaïques à faible coût et à haut rendement. C’est dans ce contexte que s’est déroulé cette thèse qui visait le développement des dispositifs à base des nanofils III-V pour le photovoltaïque. Dans une première partie, les techniques de nanofabrication pour la réalisation des dispositifs à base d’ensemble de nanofils pour les cellules photovoltaïques sont présentées. Ensuite, la fabrication et la caractérisation de dispositifs à base d’ensembles de nanofils de GaN pour les applications photovoltaïque sont permis d’ouvrir la voie au développement des cellules solaires tandems d’InGaN⁄Si. Dans la suite des travaux on a étudié la croissance des nanofils de GaAs du type cœur-coquille sur Si ainsi que les étapes technologiques pour la fabrication des dispositifs à base d’ensemble de nanofils dans l’optique de préparer le terrain pour la réalisation d’une cellule tandem III-V sur Si. Enfin la croissance et la caractérisation électro-optique des nanofils contenant des jonctions axiales de GaAsP crus par la méthode VLS-EJM a permis de déterminer le type de dopage et l’optimisation de la structure en vue d’obtenir un effet photovoltaïque. / Over the past twenty years, semiconductor nanowires have attracted major interest for various applications thanks to their particular optoelectronic properties. The combination of the high absorption coefficient of the III-V semiconductors and the low cost of the silicon substrates would allow the realization of photovoltaic cells at low cost and high efficiency. It is in this context that this thesis was developed which focused on the development of devices based on III-V nanowires for photovoltaics. In a first part, the nanofabrication techniques for the realization of devices based on set of nanowires for photovoltaic cells are presented. Next, the fabrication and characterization of devices based on GaN nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications is paving the way for the development of InGaN / Si tandem solar cells. In the following, we studied the growth of core-shell GaAs nanowires on Si as well as the technological steps for the fabrication of nanowire-based devices in order to prepare the ground for the realization of a tandem III-V cell on Si. Finally, the growth and electro-optical characterization of the nanowires containing axial junctions of raw GaAsP by the VLS-EJM method made it possible to determine the type of doping and the optimization of the structure in order to obtain a photovoltaic effect.