My thesis is devoted to the study of transport properties of Silicon Nanowires obtained by a bottom-up approach. The choice for the material system has been limited to undoped SiNWs because they are considered as the ultimate choice for ultrascaled electronic devices. For these systems, the problem of an effective carrier injection in the semiconductor is particularly important. The mechanism of carrier injection in Gate-All-Around Schottky barrier transistors was studied by temperature dependent measurements. Multiple gates are used to discriminate between different device switching mechanisms occurring either at the source and drain contacts, or at the level of the silicon channel. The gating scheme has proved be effective in suppressing the Schottky barrier enabling carrier injection at low temperature. Moreover, different electronic functionalities like p-n junctions and logic gates can be successfully implemented in such devices without the need of doping. I will describe a novel technique for the fabrication of metal silicide contacts to individual silicon nanowires based on an electrically-controlled Joule annealing process. This has enabled the realization of silicide-silicon-silicide tunnel junctions with silicon channel lengths down to 8nm. The silicidation of silicon nanowires by Nickel and Platinum could be observed in-situ and in real time by performing the experiments of Joule assisted silicidation in the chamber of a Scanning Electron Microscope. Lastly, signatures of resonant tunneling through an isolated Platinum Silicide cluster were detected in a Silicon tunnel junction. Tunneling spectroscopy in a magnetic field revealed the Zeeman splitting of the ground and the excited states.

Cette thèse a pour objet l'étude des propriétés de transport électronique des nanotubes de carbone soumis à des pressions hydrostatiques de l'ordre du gigapascal. L'originalité de ce travail réside dans le fait d'étudier ces propriétés sur des nanotubes individuels. Ceci permet de simplifier la géométrie du système et de faire apparaître des comportements propres à chaque type de nanotubes. Le cas d'un nanotube multifeuillets composé d'un tube externe à faible bande interdite et d'un tube interne métallique a permis d'observer i) l'évolution sous pression de la barrière de Schottky aux contacts or-nanotube, ii) l'évolution de la résistance inter-feuillet, mettant en évidence une transition associée au changement de section du nanotube, iii) la diminution de l'hystérésis en tension de grille. D'autre part, une étude systématique sur des nanotubes métalliques permet de faire ressortir un comportement général pour le contact or-nanotube sous pression, indépendant de la chiralité du nanotube et du milieu transmetteur de pression. Nombre de ces effets peuvent être utilisés pour des applications électroniques ou électro-mécaniques, tels que des capteurs de pression miniatures et environ dix fois plus sensibles que certains standards actuels. Un modèle simple de calculs par la méthode des liaisons fortes est aussi mis en œuvre afin de prédire l'évolution des propriétés électroniques des nanotubes de carbone sous pression en fonction de leur chiralité. Ce modèle permet de prédire d'autres phénomènes qui pourraient être observés grâce à une étude approfondie et systématique utilisant la méthode expérimentale développée au cours de cette thèse / This thesis focuses on the electronic transport properties of carbon nanotubes under hydrostatic pressures as high as one gigapascal. The originality of this work is the study of these properties on individual nanotubes. This simplifies the geometry of the system and allows studying the behaviour of each type of nanotubes. The case of a multiwalled nanotube made of at least an external semiconducting tube and an internal metallic one led us to observe i) a pressure induced change of the Schottky barrier at the gold-nanotube contacts, ii) a evolution of the intershell resistance, featuring a transition associated to the change of the nanotube cross section, iii) the decrease of the gate voltage hysteresis. Additionally, a systematic study on metallic nanotubes allowed pointing out a general behaviour of the gold-nanotube contact under pressure, which is independent on the nanotube chirality and on the pressure transmitting medium. Many of these effects can be useful to design electronic or electro-mechanical devices, such as miniature pressure sensors that would be about ten times more sensitive than some of today's standards. A simple tight-binding model is also applied to predict the evolution of the carbon nanotube electronic properties under pressure with respect to their chirality. This model allows predicting other phenomena, which could be observed in the context of a deeper and systematic study using the experimental method that was developed in this thesis.

A study of defects in semiconductors is vital as defects tend to influence device operation by modifying their electrical and optoelectronic properties. This influence can at times be desirable in the case of fast switching devices and sometimes undesirable as they may reduce the efficiency of optoelectronic devices. ZnO is a wide bandgap material with a potential for fabricating UV light emitting diodes, lasers and white lighting devices only after the realization of reproducible p-type material. The realization of p-type material is greatly affected by doping asymmetry. The self-compensation behaviour by its native defects has hindered the success in obtaining the p-type material. Hence there is need to understand the electronic properties, formation and annealing-out of these defects for controlled material doping. Space charge spectroscopic techniques are powerful tools for studying the electronic properties of electrically active defects in semiconductors since they can reveal information about the defect “signatures”. In this study, novel Schottky contacts with low leakage currents of the order of 10-11 A at 2.0 V, barrier heights of 0.60 – 0.80 eV and low series resistance, fabricated on hydrogen peroxide treated melt-grown single crystal ZnO samples, were demonstrated. Investigations on the dependence of the Schottky contact parameters on fabrication techniques and different metals were performed. Resistive evaporation proved to produce contacts with lower series resistance, higher barrier heights and low reverse currents compared to the electron-beam deposition technique. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and Laplace-DLTS have been employed to study the electronic properties of electrically active deep level defects in ZnO. Results revealed the presence of three prominent deep level defects (E1, E2 and E3) in the as-received ZnO samples. Electron-beam deposited contacts indicated the presence of the E1, E2 and E3 and the introduction of new deep level defects. These induced deep levels have been attributed to stray electrons and ionized particles, present in the deposition system during contact fabrication. Exposure of ZnO to high temperatures induces deep level defects. Annealing samples in the 300°C – 600°C temperature range in Ar + O2 induces the E4 deep level with a very high capture cross-section. This deep level transforms at every annealing temperature. Its instability at room temperature has been demonstrated by a change in the peak temperature position with time. This deep level was broad, indicating that it consists of two or more closely spaced energy levels. Laplace-DLTS was successfully employed to resolve the closely spaced energy levels. Annealing samples at 700°C in Ar and O2 anneals-out E4 and induces the Ex deep level defect with an activation enthalpy of approximately 160 – 180 meV. Vacuum annealing performed in the 400°C – 700°C temperature range did not induce any deep level defects. Since the radiation hardness of ZnO is crucial in space applications, 1.6 MeV proton irradiation was performed. DLTS revealed the introduction of the E4 deep level with an activation enthalpy of approximately 530 meV, which proved to be stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure since its properties didn’t change over a period of 12 months. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Physics / unrestricted

Der Einfluss der Modifikation der technologisch relevanten GaAs(100) Oberfläche durch Chalkogene, i.e. Selen, Schwefel und Tellur, wird in dieser Arbeit untersucht. Es wird ein Modell vorgestellt, das die Eigenschaften der modifizierten Oberfläche beschreibt. In einem zweiten Schritt werden die so modifizierten Oberflächen mit Metallen unterschiedlicher Reaktivität und verschiedenen Elektronegativitäten bedampft. Die Bandbreite dieser Eigenschaften wird durch die Metalle Indium und Silber, das Alkalimetall Natrium, das Erdalkalimetall Magnesium und das Halbmetall Antimon abgebildet. Die Untersuchung des Einflusses der Chalkogene auf die chemischen Eigenschaften und die Barrierenhöhe der Metall/GaAs(100) Grenzfläche bilden einen weiteren Schwerpunkt. Die Änderung der Barrierenhöhe wird dabei mit Hilfe des Modells metallinduzierter Bandlückenzustände (metal induced gap states) erklärt. Als experimentelle Techniken werden Photoemissionsspektroskopie, Raman Spektroskopie und Strom-Spannungsmessungen verwendet. / The influence of a modification of the technological relevant GaAs(100) surface by chalcogens, i.e. selenium, sulphur and tellurium, is evaluated in this work. A model is proposed, which describes the properties of the modified surface. In a second step metals of different reactivity and electronegativity have been evaporated onto these modified surfaces. Among these materials were the metals indium and silver, the alkali metal sodium, the earth alkali metal magnesium and the half metal antimony. The investigation of the influence of chalcogens on the chemical properties and the barrier height of the metal/GaAs(100) interface is another point of interest. The change in barrier height is explained by the model of metal induced gap states (MIGS). Photoemission spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and current-voltage-measurement have been used as experimental techniques.

Reconfigurable transistors merge unipolar p- and n-type characteristics of field-effect transistors into a single programmable device. Combinational circuits have shown benefits in area and power consumption by fine-grain reconfiguration of complete logic blocks at runtime. To complement this volatile programming technology, a proof of concept for individually addressable reconfigurable nonvolatile transistors is presented. A charge-trapping stack is incorporated, and four distinct and stable states in a single device are demonstrated.

No description available.

No description available.

The downscaling of transistors is assumed to come to an end within the next years, and the semiconductor nonvolatile memories are facing the same physical downscaling challenge. Therefore, it is necessary to consider new computing paradigms and new memory concepts. Resistive switching devices (also referred to as memristive switches) are two-terminal passive device, which offer a nonvolatile switching behavior by applying short bias pulses. They have been considered as one of the most promising candidates for next generation memory and nonvolatile logic applications. They provide the possibility to carry out the information processing and storage simultaneously using the same resistive switching device. This dissertation focuses on the fabrication and characterization of BiFeO3 (BFO)-based metal-insulator-metal (MIM) devices in order to exploit the potential applications in nonvolatile memory and nonvolatile reconfigurable logics. Electroforming-free bipolar resistive switching was observed in MIM structures with BFO single layer thin film. The resistive switching mechanism is understood by a model of a tunable bottom Schottky barrier. The oxygen vacancies act as the mobile donors which can be redistributed under the writing bias to change the bottom Schottky barrier height and consequently change the resistance of the MIM structures. The Ti atoms diffusing from the bottom electrode act as the fixed donors which can effectively trap and release oxygen vacancies and consequently stabilize the resistive switching characteristics. The resistive switching behavior can be engineered by Ti implantation of the bottom electrodes. MIM structures with BiFeO3/Ti:BiFeO3 (BFO/BFTO) bilayer thin films show nonvolatile resistive switching behavior in both positive and negative bias range without electroforming process. The resistance state of BFO/BFTO bilayer structures depends not only on the writing bias, but also on the polarity of reading bias. For reconfigurable logic applications, the polarity of the reading bias can be used as an additional logic variable, which makes it feasible to program and store all 16 Boolean logic functions simultaneously into the same single cell of BFO/BFTO bilayer MIM structure in three logic cycles. / Die Herunterskalierung von Transistoren für die Informationsverarbeitung in der Halbleiterindustrie wird in den nächsten Jahren zu einem Ende kommen. Auch die Herunterskalierung von nichtflüchtigen Speichern für die Informationsspeicherung sieht ähnlichen Herausforderungen entgegen. Es ist daher notwendig, neue IT-Paradigmen und neue Speicherkonzepte zu entwickeln. Das Widerstandsschaltbauelement ist ein elektrisches passives Bauelement, in dem ein der Widerstand mittels elektrischer Spannungspulse geändert wird. Solche Widerstandsschaltbauelemente zählen zu den aussichtsreichsten Kandidaten für die nächste Generation von nichtflüchtigen Speichern sowie für eine rekonfigurierbare Logik. Sie bieten die Möglichkeit zur gleichzeitigen Informationsverarbeitung und -speicherung. Der Fokus der vorliegenden Arbeit liegt bei der Herstellung und der Charakterisierung von BiFeO 3 (BFO)-basierenden Metal-insulator-Metall (MIM) Strukturen, um zukünftig deren Anwendung in nichtflüchtigen Speichern und in rekonfigurierbaren Logikschaltungen zu ermöglichen. Das Widerstandsschalten wurde in MIM-Strukturen mit einer BFO-Einzelschicht untersucht. Ein besonderes Merkmal von BFO-basierten MIM-Strukturen ist es, dass keine elektrische Formierung notwendig ist. Der Widerstandsschaltmechnismus wird durch das Modell einer variierten Schottky-Barriere erklärt. Dabei dienen Sauerstoff-Vakanzen im BFO als beweglichen Donatoren, die unter der Wirkung eines elektrischen Schreibspannungspulses nichtflüchtig umverteilt werden und die Schottky-Barriere des Bottom-Metallkontaktes ändern. Dabei spielen die während der Herstellung von BFO substitutionell eingebaute Ti-Donatoren in der Nähe des Bottom-Metallkontaktes eine wesentliche Rolle. Die Ti-Donatoren fangen Sauerstoff-Vakanzen beim Anlegen eines positiven elektrischen Schreibspannungspulses ein oder lassen diese beim Anlegen eines negativen elektrischen Schreibspannungspules wieder frei. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die Ti-Donatoren auch durch Ti-Implantation der Bottom-Elektrode in das System eingebracht werden können. MIM-Strukturen mit BiFeO 3 /Ti:BiFeO 3 (BFO/BFTO) Zweischichten weisen substitutionell eingebaute Ti-Donatoren sowohl nahe der Bottom-Elektrode als auch nahe der Top-Elektrode auf. Sie zeigen nichtflüchtiges, komplementäres Widerstandsschalten mit einer komplementär variierbaren Schottky-Barriere an der Bottom-Elektrode und an der Top-Elektrode ohne elektrische Formierung. Der Widerstand der BFO/BFTO-MIM-Strukturen hängt nicht nur von der Schreibspannung, sondern auch von der Polarität der Lesespannung ab. Für die rekonfigurierbaren logischen Anwendungen kann die Polarität der Lesespannung als zusätzliche Logikvariable verwendet werden. Damit gelingt die Programmierung und Speicherung aller 16 Booleschen Logik-Funktionen mit drei logischen Zyklen in dieselbe BFTO/BFO MIM-Struktur.

Durant ces dernières années, l’apparition de nouvelles architectures (FDSOI, FinFETs ou NW-FETs) et l’utilisation de nouveaux matériaux (notamment SiGe) ont permis de repousser les limites des performances des dispositifs MOS et de contourner l’effet canal court inhérent à la miniaturisation des composants. Cependant, pour toutes ces nouvelles architectures, la résistance de contact se dégrade au fil des nœuds technologiques. Celle-ci dépend fortement de deux paramètres physiques : la concentration de dopants actifs proches de la surface du semi-conducteur et de la hauteur de barrière Schottky du contact siliciuré. De multiples procédés avancés ont été proposé pour améliorer ces deux paramètres physiques (pré-amorphisation, recuit laser, ségrégation de dopants, etc…). Afin d’optimiser les conditions expérimentales de ces nouvelles techniques de fabrication, il est primordial de pouvoir caractériser avec fiabilité leur impact sur les deux grandeurs physiques citées. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, deux thématiques dédiées à l’étude de chacun des paramètres sont abordées, explicitant les méthodes de caractérisation développées ainsi que des exemples concrets d’applications. La première partie concerne l’étude de la concentration de dopants actifs proches de la surface du semi-conducteur. Dans cet axe, nous avons mis en place une méthode d’Effet Hall Différentiel (DHE). Cette technique combine gravures successives et mesures par effet Hall conventionnel afin d’obtenir le profil de concentration de dopants actifs en fonction de la profondeur. Nous avons développé et validé une méthode de gravure chimique et de mesure électrique pour des couches ultra-minces de SiGe et de Si dopées. Les profils de concentration générés ont une résolution en profondeur inférieure à 1 nm et ont permis d’étudier de façon approfondie dans les premiers nanomètres proches de la surface de couches fabriquées grâce à des techniques d’implantation et de recuit avancées comme par exemple, la croissance en phase solide activée par recuit laser. La deuxième partie porte sur la mesure de hauteurs de barrière Schottky pour des contacts siliciurés. Durant cette étude, nous avons transféré une technique se basant sur des diodes en tête bêche pour caractériser l’impact de la ségrégation de différentes espèces à l’interface siliciure/semi-conducteur sur la hauteur de barrière Schottky d’un contact en siliciure de platine. Cette méthode de mesure associée à des simulations physiques a permis d’une part, d’extrairer avec fiabilité des hauteurs de barrières avec une précision de 10meV et d’autre part, d’effectuer une sélection des meilleures conditions de ségrégation de dopants pour la réduction de la hauteur de barrière Schottky. Pour conclure, ce projet a rendu possible le développement de méthodes de caractérisation pour l’étude de matériaux utilisés en nanoélectronique. De plus, nous avons pu apporter des éclaircissements concernant l’impact de techniques d’implantation ionique alternatives sur des couches de Si et SiGe ultrafines, et ce, dans le but de réduire la résistance de contact entre siliciure et semi-conducteur dans le module source-drain de transistors ultimes. / During the past few decades, the emergence of new architectures (FDSOI, FinFETs or NW-FETs) and the use of new materials (like silicon/germanium alloys) allowed to go further in MOS devices scaling by solving short channel effect issues. However, new architectures suffer from contact resistance degradation with size reduction. This resistance strongly depends on two parameters: the active dopant concentration close to the semi-conductor surface and the Schottky barrier height of the silicide contact. Many solutions have been proposed to improve both of these physical parameters: pre-amorphisation, laser annealing, dopant segregation and others. In order to optimize the experimental conditions of these fabrication techniques, it is mandatory to measure precisely and reliably their impact on cited parameters.Within the scope of this thesis, two parts are dedicated to each lever of the contact resistance, each time precising the developed characterization method and concrete application studies. The first part concerns the study of the active dopant concentration close to the semi-conductor surface. In this axis, we developed a Differential Hall Effet method (DHE) which can provide accurate depth profiles of active dopant concentration combining successive etching processes and conventional Hall Effect measurements. To do so, we validated layer chemical etching and precise electrical characterization method for doped Si and SiGe. Obtained generated profiles have a sub-1nm resolution and allowed to scan the first few nanometers of layers fabricated by advanced ion implantation and annealing techniques, like solid-phase epitaxy regrowth activated by laser annealing. In the second part, we focused on the measurement of Schottky barrier height of platinum silicide contact. We transferred a characterization method based on back-to-back diodes structure to measure platinum silicide contacts with different dopant segregation conditions. The electrical measurements were then fitted with physical models to extract Schottky barrier height with a precision of about 10meV. This combination between measurements and simulations allowed to point out the best ion implantation and annealing conditions for Schottky barrier height reduction.To conclude, thanks to this project, we developed highly sensitive characterization methods for nanoelectronics application. Moreover, we brought several clarifications on the impact of alternative ion implantation and annealing processes on Si and SiGe ultra-thin layers in the perspective of contact resistance reduction in FDSOI source-drain module.

In this document, we present ou study about the conception and realization of VMOS and Schottky and JBS Diodes on Silicon Carbide. This work allowed us optimize and fabricate diodes using Tungsten as Schottky barrier on both Schottky and JBS diodes of different blocking capability between 1.2kV and 9kV. Moreover, our study of the VMOS, by considering the overall fabrication process, has permitted to identify the totality of the problems we are facing. Thusly we could ameliorate the devices and try new designs as the VIEMOS or the monolithic integration of temperature and current sensors.