Silicon quantum dots (QDs) in SiO2 superlattices were fabricated by alternate deposition of silicon oxide (SiO2) and silicon-rich oxide (SRO), i.e. SiOx (x<2), and followed by high temperature annealing. A deposited SRO film is thermodynamically unstable below 1173oC and phase separation and diffusion of Si atoms in the amorphous SiO2 matrix creates nano-scaled Si quantum dots. The quantum-confined energy gap was measured by static photoluminescence (PL) using an Argon ion laser operating at 514.5 nm. The measured energy band gaps of crystalline Si QDs in SiO2 matrix at room temperature (300 K) show that the emission energies from 1.32 eV to 1.65 eV originating Si dot sizes from 6.0 nm to 3.4 nm, respectively. There is a strong blue-shift of the PL energy peak position with decreasing the quantum dot size and this shows the evidence of quantum confinement of our fabricated Si QDs in SiO2 matrix. The PL results indicate that the fabricated Si QDs in SiO2 matrix could be suitable for the device application such as top cell material for all-silicon tandem solar cells. Silicon QD superlattices in nitride matrix were fabricated by alternate deposition of silicon nitride (Si3N4) and silicon-rich nitride (SRN) by PECVD or co-sputtering of Si and Si3N4 targets. High temperature furnace annealing under a nitrogen atmosphere was required to form nano-scaled silicon quantum dots in the nitride matrix. The band gap of silicon QD superlattice in nitride matrix (3.6- 7.0 nm sized dots) is observed in the energy range of 1.35- 1.98 eV. It is about 0.3- 0.4 eV blue-shifted from the band gap of the same sized quantum dots in silicon oxide. It is believed that the increased band gap is caused by a silicon nitride passivation effect. Silicon-rich carbide (SRC, i.e. Si1-xCx) thin films with varying atomic ratio of the Si to C were fabricated by using magnetron co-sputtering from a combined Si and C or SiC targets. Off-stoichiometric Si1-xCx is of interest as a precursor to realize Si QDs in SiC matrix, because it is thermodynamically metastable when the composition fraction is in the range 0 < x < 0.5. Si nanocrystals are therefore able to precipitate during a post-annealing process. SiC quantum dot superlattices in SiC matrix were fabricated by alternate deposition of thin layers of carbon-rich silicon carbide (CRC) and SRC using a layer by layer deposition technique. CRC layers were deposited by reactive co-sputtering of Si and SiC targets with CH4. The PL energy band gap (2.0 eV at 620 nm) from 5.0 nm SRC layers could be from the nanocrystalline ??-SiC with Si-O bonds and the PL energy band gap (1.86 eV at 665 nm) from 6.0 nm SRC layers could be from the nanocrystalline ??-SiC with amorphous SiC clusters, respectively. The dielectric material for an all-silicon tandem cell is preferably silicon oxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide. It is found that for carrier mobility, dot spacing for a given Bloch mobility is in the order: SiC > Si3N4 > SiO2. By ab-initio simulation and PL results, the band gap for a given dot size is in the order: SiC > Si3N4 > SiO2. However, the PL intensity for a given dot size is in the order: SiC < Si3N4 < SiO2.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio University, November, 1991. / Title from PDF t.p.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. "x̳", "1̳-x", and "3̳" are subscripts. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-128). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Physics)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2009. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-97). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

No description available.

In this thesis, three primary findings are presented concernmg optolelectronic properties of AlGaN superlattices. First, we obtain the lowest lateral p-type resistivity and highest lateral p-type mobility to date in the AlGaN material system. Second, we obtain the first experimental results of multi-subband photoluminescence in p-type AlGaN superlattices. Last, we report the first direct measurement of perpendicular electrical transport ( electrical transport perpendicular to the superlattice planes) in AlGaN superlattices. Our research into resistivity and mobility of AlGaN superlattices stems from the fact that p-type AlGaN is highly resistive. To overcome the problem of highly resistive p-type AlGaN, we propose and demonstrate modulation doping in p-type AlGa superlattices. Our measurements yield a low-temperature lateral resistivity and mobility of 0.068 S1 • cm and 36 cm 2 /(V • s), respectively. This is the lowest resistivity and highest mobility recorded to date in p-type AlGaN and results from reduced ionized impurity scattering inherent in modulation doping. The optical properties of AlGaN superlattices are of great interest because they are often used in light-emitting diodes and laser diodes. Specifically, the absorption edge in AlGaN superlattices is typically thought of as being severely red-shifted due to internal electric fields present in AlGaN-based materials. We obtain experimental photoluminescence results on large-period superlattices that indicate that the redshifting of the absorption edge is much less than previously thought due to the combined effects of band-filling and oscillator strength on energy. We develop a computer model based on the self-consistent solution of the Poisson and Schrodinger system of equations. Our model predicts a drastic decrease in spontaneous recombination lifetime with increased transition energy, which is consistent with our experimental data. The perpendicular resistivity of AlGaN superlattices is also of critical importance to the development of AlGaN-based devices. We therefore measured the perpendicular resistivity of an n-type AlGaN superlattice and compared it to bulk n-type GaN. The superlattice has a perpendicular resistivity of 1.2 D • cm while bulk n-type GaN is 0.18 D • cm. We develop a theoretical model based on sequential tunneling and enhanced free carrier concentration to explain our experimental findings. Our model shows that perpendicular resistivity is dominated by two factors; carrier concentration and tunneling probability.

In this work tunability, implantation damage and recovery of GaAs doping superlattices implanted with hydrogen ions were studied. The applicability of two models of the optical properties of semiconductors was also investigated. GaAs doping superlattices were implanted with 0.5 MeV hydrogen ions at doses of 1012 cm-2, 1014 cm-2 and 1016 cm-2. This gradually modifies their optical characteristics from superlattice behaviour to something resembling the bulk material and beyond. Such a processing technique therefore provides a convenient way of tuning the optical properties of a superlattice semi-permanently. A combined result of ellipsometry and near infrared reflectance measurements showed that a single effective oscillator as well as a more advanced three-parameter model could be applied to the virgin and ion-implanted doping superlattices. This allowed us to determine the dose dependent effective band gap as well as other model parameters. Photoluminescence as well as normal and resonance Raman techniques were applied to study hydrogen ion implantation damage and its recovery. These techniques showed that implantation damage could be reversed to a large extent by a simple thermal annealing step. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Physics / unrestricted

This thesis examines the quantum dynamics of electrons in periodic semiconductor superlattices in the presence of electric fields, especially uniform static fields. Chapter 1 is an introduction to this vast and active field of research, with an analysis and suggested solutions to the fundamental theoretical difficulties. Chapter 2 is a detailed historical review of relevant theories, and Chapter 3 is a historical review of experiments. Chapter 4 is devoted to the time-independent quantum mechanical study of the electric-field-induced changes in the transmission properties of ballistic electrons, using the transfer matrix method. In Chapter 5, a new time-dependent quantum mechanical model free from the fundamental theoretical difficulties is introduced, with its validity tested at various limiting cases. A simplified method for calculating field-free bands of various potential models is designed. In Chapter 6, the general features of "Shifting Periodicity", a distinctive feature of this new model, is discussed, and a "Bloch-Floquet Theorem" is rigorously proven. Numerical evidences for the existence of Wannier-Stark-Ladders are presented, and the conditions for its experimental observability is also discussed. In Chapter 7, an analytical solution is found for Bloch Oscillations and Wannier-Stark-Ladders at low electric fields. In Chapter 8, a new quantum mechanical interpretation for Bloch Oscillations and Wannier-Stark-Ladders is derived from the analytical result. The extension of this work to the cases of time-dependent electric fields is also discussed.