Search

Abstract The complete automation of materials manufacturing with high productivity is a key problem in some materials processing. In floating zone (FZ) crystal growth, which is a manufacturing process for semiconductor wafers such as silicon, an operator adaptively controls the input parameters in accordance with the state of the crystal growth process. Since the operation dynamics of FZ crystal growth are complicated, automation is often difficult, and usually the process is manually controlled. Here we demonstrate automated control of FZ crystal growth by reinforcement learning using the dynamics predicted by Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM) from small numbers of trajectories. Our proposed method of constructing the control model is completely data-driven. Using an emulator program for FZ crystal growth, we show that the control model constructed by our proposed model can more accurately follow the ideal growth trajectory than demonstration trajectories created by human operation. Furthermore, we reveal that policy optimization near the demonstration trajectories realizes accurate control following the ideal trajectory.

Abstract 4H-SiC has been commercialized as a material for power semiconductor devices. However, the long-term reliability of 4H-SiC devices is a barrier to their widespread application, and the most important reliability issue in 4H-SiC devices is bipolar degradation. This degradation is caused by the expansion of single Shockley stacking-faults (1SSFs) from basal plane dislocations in the 4H-SiC crystal. Here, we present a method for suppressing the 1SSF expansion by proton implantation on a 4H-SiC epitaxial wafer. PiN diodes fabricated on a proton-implanted wafer show current–voltage characteristics similar to those of PiN diodes without proton implantation. In contrast, the expansion of 1SSFs is effectively suppressed in PiN diodes with proton implantation. Therefore, proton implantation into 4H-SiC epitaxial wafers is an effective method for suppressing bipolar degradation in 4H-SiC power-semiconductor devices while maintaining device performance. This result contributes to the development of highly reliable 4H-SiC devices.

Bipolar degradation is a critical problem in Silicon carbide devices, caused by the expansion of single Shockley stacking faults (1SSFs) from basal plane dislocations. This paper presents the effects of helium implantation on the suppression of 1SSFs expansion. The fabricated PiN diodes were analyzed using current–voltage characteristics and electroluminescence imaging. The results show that helium implantation can effectively suppress 1SSFs expansion without significantly degrading diode performance. We consider that this suppression is due to the pinning of dislocations by point defects introduced during helium implantation, and the reduction of carrier lifetime may also play a role in suppressing 1SSFs expansion.

Abstract SiC bipolar degradation, which is caused by stacking fault expansion from basal plane dislocations in a SiC epitaxial layer or near the interface between the epitaxial layer and the substrate, is one of the critical problems inhibiting widespread usage of high-voltage SiC bipolar devices. In the present study, we investigated the stacking fault expansion behavior under UV illumination in a 4H-SiC epitaxial layer subjected to proton irradiation. X-ray topography observations revealed that proton irradiation suppressed stacking fault expansion. Excess carrier lifetime measurements showed that stacking fault expansion was suppressed in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers with proton irradiation at a fluence of 1 × 1011 cm−2 without evident reduction of the excess carrier lifetime. Furthermore, stacking fault expansion was also suppressed even after high-temperature annealing to recover the excess carrier lifetime. These results implied that passivation of dislocation cores by protons hinders recombination-enhanced dislocation glide motion under UV illumination.

For understanding of carrier behavior in semiconductors, it is important to measure the carrier relaxation time. In the present study, the relaxation times of inter-valley transition from the Γ valley to the X valley in GaP were evaluated by near-band-gap photoemission spectroscopy of electrons emitted from a surface with a negative electron affinity state. In the energy distribution curves, two peaks, which originate from the electron population accumulated in the Γ valley and the X valley, were observed. From the temperature dependence of the energy of these two peaks, we could successfully evaluate the temperature dependence of the energies of the Γ valley and the X valley. Furthermore, the relaxation times of the inter-valley transition from the Γ valley to the X valley were estimated from the ratio of the electron concentration of the Γ valley and the X valley. The values of the relaxation time are good agreement with the previous studies. These results indicate that the near-band-gap photoemission spectroscopy can directly investigate conduction electrons and also evaluate the carrier dynamics in semiconductor.

For the nondestructive characterization of SiC wafers for power device application, birefringence imaging is one of the promising methods. In the present study, it is demonstrated that birefringence image contrast variation in off-axis SiC wafers corresponds to the in-plane shear stress under conditions slightly deviating from crossed Nicols according to both theoretical consideration and experimental observation. The current results indicate that the characterization of defects in SiC wafers is possible to achieve by birefringence imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of threading screw dislocations (TSDs) to defects on the basal plane during SiC solution growth caused by macrostep advance is a key factor to improve crystal quality. We realized the TSD conversion in 4H-SiC C face solution growth by modification of the surface morphology including macrosteps by addition of 5 atom % Ti into pure Si solvent. Synchrotron X-ray topography revealed that the possibility of TSD conversion increased to about 10% with the addition of 5 atom % Ti. In addition, the TSD conversion ratio depends on the shape of the macrostep edge. The gentle slope hardly made TSD conversion. The elastic energy of dislocations in anisotropy crystals was postulated as an explanation for the influence of step shape on TSD conversion behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects generated during 4H-SiC (0001) solution growth have been investigated by synchrotron X-ray topography and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defects unidentified before are recognized as V-shaped contrast features in the X-ray topographic images. The detailed analysis combining TEM results revealed that the newly generated defects are identified as a pair of dislocations on a basal plane with opposite Burgers vectors parallel to the [112̅0] direction. It is found that no defects in the substrate are directly associated with the formation of the V-shaped defects. Geometric analysis of the size and shape of the V-shaped defects indicates that they nucleate in pairs intermittently during the growth process. On the basis of the observed morphology of these defect configurations, a mechanism of two-dimensional nucleation during solution growth is postulated for the generation of the V-shaped defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threading dislocations (TDs) in a HVPE-grown c-plane (0001) GaN single crystal were analyzed by micro Raman spectroscopy mapping. The mapping image exhibited the pairs of higher and lower wavenumber regions of peak shift of GaN, which corresponded to the compressive and tensile strains due to TDs. By comparing X-ray topography and etch pit images, the contrasts are considered as the edge component of TDs. By analyzing the existing 290 TDs in 80 × 80 μm2, the directions of the contrast were mainly dominant toward A few brighter contrasts toward were also observed. These TDs are affiliated with Burgers vectors and respectively. Judging from experimental and simulated result, it is confirmed that the contrast in the Raman mapping image of the has a larger magnitude than the [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threading edge dislocations in a GaN crystal are analyzed via micro-Raman spectroscopy mapping. A clear contrast image of the peak shift from a higher wavenumber to a lower wavenumber is simulated. The direction from the higher-wavenumber region to the lower-wavenumber region is found to be in the 90° rotation from the Burgers vector. The Burgers vector is experimentally determined to be using transmission electron microscopy. The magnitude of the Burgers vector agrees well between the simulated and experimental results. Thus, the density, direction, and magnitude of the edge component of the threading dislocations are identified using Raman spectroscopy mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We succeeded in measuring the density and direction of the edge component of threading dislocations (TDs) in c-plane (0001) GaN by micro-Raman spectroscopy mapping. In the micro-Raman spectroscopy mapping of the E2H peak shift between 567.85 and 567.75 cm−1, six different contrast images are observed toward directions of . By comparing X-ray topography and etch pit images, the E2H peak shift is observed where the edge component of TDs exists. In contrast, the E2H peak is not observed where the screw component of TDs exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important issues of SiC solution growth is to increase the growth rate. In our previous study, we reported that increasing the rotational speed of the seed crystal is effective for improving the growth rate in top-seeded solution growth. In the present study, we investigated the origin of the growth rate improvement through a continuous fluid dynamics simulation with a full-scale three-dimensional model of the experimental setup for actual growth experiment. The numerical results indicated that the stagnant layer above the growth interface decreased in thickness and the carbon concentration gradient then became steep with an increase in the rotational speed of the seed crystal. The experimental growth rate was proportional to the calculated carbon concentration gradient, which indicates that the carbon diffusion through the stagnant layer is the rate-determining process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of divalent cations on lipid-bilayer-assisted DNA-functionalized nanoparticle (DNA-NP) assembly has been studied. We previously reported the lateral diffusion of DNA-NPs on planar lipid bilayer patches, owing to the mobility of lipid molecules in a supported lipid bilayer (SLB), and the resultant two-dimensional (2D) assembly of DNA-NPs. We here report the structural change of the assembled 2D DNA-NP lattices by magnesium ion concentration control on a successfully formed uniform SLB. In the magnesium-free buffer solution, DNA-NPs on SLB loosely assembled into quasi-hexagonal ordered lattices. In buffer solution containing 1 mM magnesium acetate, the interparticle distance of DNA-NPs decreased and the lattice structure became disordered. In buffer solution containing 5 mM magnesium acetate, the structure of DNA-NP arrays changed markedly and square lattices appeared. It is suggested that magnesium ions affected DNA molecules, which linked nanoparticles, and enabled the control of the structure of DNA-NP 2D arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a marked reduction in the dislocation density of a 4H-SiC crystal using a high-efficiency dislocation conversion phenomenon. During the solution growth, threading dislocations were efficiently converted to basal plane defects by the step flow of macrosteps. Utilizing this dislocation conversion phenomenon, we achieved the marked reduction of threading dislocation density. Consequently, the threading screw dislocation density was only 30 cm−2, which was two orders of magnitude lower than that of the seed crystal. The 4H-SiC polytype of the seed crystal was replicated in the grown crystal, which was attributed to the spiral growth owing to a few remaining threading screw dislocations upstream of the step flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) form of DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuNPs) has been studied. To confine the DNA-AuNPs in 2D space, we utilized the strong affinity between DNA molecules and supported lipid bilayers (SLBs). DNA-AuNPs adsorbed onto cationic SLB consisting of Dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) on mica substrate with high affinity. Owing to the high mobility of lipid molecules, 2D diffusion and transportation of DNA-AuNPs on the SLB was achieved. Using AFM imaging we confirmed a selective adsorption of DNA-AuNPs onto cationic lipid bilayer patches on mica surface, and then we confirmed a drastic formation change of DNA-AuNPs on the SLB with annealing. We observed that the DNA-AuNPs assembled into a densely-packed single-layered 2D superstructure through DNA hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]