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The integration of high-mobility III-V compound semiconductors emerges as a promising route for Si device technologies to overcome the limits of further down-scaling. In this work we investigate the possibilities to form InAs nanocrystals in a thin Si layer at laterally defined positions with the help of masked ion beam implantation and flash lamp annealing. In detail, after thinning of the device layer of a SOI wafer a cladding layer was deposited and patterned by electron beam lithography in order to serve as an implantation mask. The wafer was subsequently implanted with As and In, followed by flash lamp annealing leading to the formation of InAs nanocrystals in the implanted areas. The structures were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy as well as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Depending on the size of the implantation window, several, one or no nanocrystal is formed. Finally, the perspectives for using this technique for the local modification of Si nanowires are discussed.

The integration of high-mobility III-V compound semiconductors emerges as a promising route for Si device technologies to overcome the limits of further down-scaling. In this paper, a non-conventional approach of the combination of ion beam implantation with short-time flash lamp annealing is employed to fabricate InxGa1-xAs nanocrystals and to study their crystallization process in thin Si layers. The implantation fluence ratio of Ga and In ions has been varied to tailor the final nanocrystal composition. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses verify the formation of ternary III-V nanocrystals within the Si layer. Transmission electron microscopy reveals single-crystalline precipitates with a low number of defects. A liquid epitaxy mechanism is used to describe the formation process of III-V nanocrystals after melting of the implanted thin Si layer by flash lamp annealing. The fabricated InxGa1-xAs nanocrystals are mainly Ga-rich with respect to the implanted Ga/In ratio.

This presentation gives a short overview of our recent investigations devoted to the formation of III-V nanocrystals in bulk Si, in SOI substrates and at laterally defined positions. The group III and group V elements are incorporated by ion beam implantation, and the formation of III-V nanocrystals is due to liquid phase epitaxy during flash lamp annealing.

A combined experimental and theoretical study on the electroluminescent excitation mechanism for trivalent erbium (Er3+) ions in a silicon-rich nitride (SiNx) host is presented. Direct impact by hot electrons is demonstrated to be the fundamental excitation mechanism. The Er3+ excitation by energy transfer from silicon nanostructures and/or defects is shown to be marginal under electrical pumping. A bilayer structure made of a SiO2 electron-accelerating layer and an Er-implanted SiNx layer has been sandwiched between a metal–insulator–semiconductor structure with a highly doped N-type silicon substrate and an indium–tin–oxide window functioning as a transparent electrode. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are used to model hot electron transport in the proposed device structure. Acoustic, polar and non-polar optical electron–phonon scattering mechanisms are considered as well as a new scattering process related to the trapping/detrapping on energetically shallow traps in the band gap of silicon nitride. For SiO2 layers around 20 nm-thick and beyond, the number and kinetic energy of hot electrons before entering the SiNx layer are maximal. A significant enhancement of the 1.54 μm electroluminescence power efficiency of two orders of magnitude is observed in devices composed of a 20 nm-thick SiO2 layer compared to those composed of 10 nm-thick SiO2. We demonstrate by MC simulations that such a difference, in terms of power efficiency, is ascribed to the high-energy tail of the hot electron energy distribution, which becomes more pronounced as the SiO2 electron-accelerating layer thickness increases. It is also unveiled that direct excitation of the 1.54 μm Er3+ main radiative transition requiring an excitation energy of only 0.8 eV is inefficient, and that the major part of the Er3+ ions are excited via higher level energy states. The obtained results are sufficiently consistent to be extended to other trivalent rare-earth ions inside similar insulating material environments.

The integration of III-V compound semiconductors into existing semiconductor technology is a milestone in future development of micro- and opto-electronics. III-V compound semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) were fabricated in Ge and Si substrates by high-fluence ion implantation and short-time flash lamp annealing (FLA). The III-V NC formation takes place after amorphization due to implantation, followed by recrystallization via millisecond liquid phase epitaxy. Using this approach, GaAs and InAs NCs were fabricated. Whereas this formation process was recently investigated for Si, the case of Ge has not been reported yet but shows remarkable differences. In order to get III-V/Ge and III-V/Si heterojunctions in the form of free-standing III-V NCs on Ge and Si nanocolumns an additional selective etching of Ge and Si was performed using H2O2 and KOH solution, respectively. Raman spectroscopy measurements confirmed the formation of III-V NCs within the particular, recrystallized matrices. The microstructural properties of the III-V NCs and the distribution of implanted species were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). SEM and TEM images show distinct, crystalline NCs. Conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) was performed to investigate the electrical behavior of the fabricated heterojunctions.

The integration of III-V compound semiconductors into existing semiconductor technology is a milestone in future development of micro- and opto-electronics. However, one of the main problems is the presence of defects both inside the III-V semiconductor and at its interfaces. In the present case, III-V compound semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) were fabricated in Si based systems. For NC formation ion implantation and short-time flash lamp annealing (FLA) were used. After the implanted Si is molten by FLA, the NCs grow via liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) in a millisecond regime. Several binary and ternary III-V compounds have been produced using this approach. While binary compounds are fabricated stoichiometrically, ternary compounds can be achieved with varying compositions. Raman spectroscopy measurements confirmed the formation of III-V NCs within the particular, recrystallized matrices and Si doping. Microstructural properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis. SEM and TEM images show crystalline, strained III-V nanocrystals in recrystallized Si layers.

Semiconductor nanocrystals in dielectric matrices are of great interest for a broad range of applications, especially in the field of photon management in solar cells and for non-volatile memories. In this work we investigate the formation of crystalline Ge nanoparticles in superlattice stacks by flash lamp annealing. In detail, amorphous ZrO2/Ge and SiN/Ge superlattices confined by two SiO2 layers on Si were produced by magnetron-sputtering and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, respectively. Raman and TEM investigations reveal that, depending on the original Ge layer thickness, crystalline Ge nanoparticles with different aspect ratios will be formed under annealing. As shown by electrical measurements, these layers feature large charge trapping capabilities. We compare these two types of layer systems with regard to the formation process of the Ge nanoparticles, the trapped charge density, the memory window and the retention. Finally, the perspectives for non-volatile memories are discussed, if these layer stacks are downscaled to current device dimensions.

In order to follow Moore’s law on the path to smaller and smaller devices, more and more materials have to be integrated into Si technology. Current research activities focus on the integration of Ge and binary III-V compounds into Si, as these materials promise a further transistor performance increase due to their high hole and electron mobility, respectively. In addition, the direct band gap of most of the compound semiconductors is of great interest for optoelectronic applications. However, the integration into Si generates a lot of challenges regarding both the quality of the III-V material itself and the quality of its interfaces. At present, most integration technologies rely on molecular beam epitaxy or similar growth mechanisms. Recently, we showed that III-V nanocrystals (NC) in Si can also be fabricated by sequential ion implantation followed by flash lamp annealing (FLA) [1]. Moreover, the use of a patterned implantation mask allows the fabrication of III-V NCs in a Si nanowire at defined positions [2]. In this presentation we extend our previous investigations to the case of Ge. In order to get a better understanding of the NC formation process, InAs and GaAs NCs were fabricated in Si and Ge by ion implantation and FLA, and their structural and electric properties were compared to each other. It will be shown that the recrystallization of the near-surface layer of amorphous substrate material (Si or Ge), together with the NC formation, is rather governed by liquid phase than by solid phase epitaxy. This scenario is supported by the evaluation of the corresponding segregation and diffusion coefficients, the temperature profile during FLA and the final size distribution of the NCs. [1] S. Prucnal, S. Facsko, C. Baumgart, H. Schmidt, M.O. Liedke, L. Rebohle, A. Shalimov, H. Reuther, A. Kanjilal, A. Mucklich, M. Helm, J. Zuk, and W. Skorupa, Nano Lett. 11, Issue 7, 2814-2818 (2011) [2] S. Prucnal, M. Glaser, A. Lugstein, E. Bertagnolli, M. Stöger-Pollach, S. Zhou, M. Helm, D. Reichel, L. Rebohle, M. Turek, J. Zuk, and W. Skorupa, Nano Res. 7, 1769 (2014)

The incorporation of different functional optoelectronic elements on a single chip enables performance progress, which can overcome the downsizing limit in silicon technology. For example, the use of Ge instead of silicon as a basic material in nanoelectronics would enable faster chips containing smaller transistors. In order to improve the device performance and fully exploit the unique properties of germanium, the germanium on insulator (GeOI) structure using the ultrathin body (UTB) GeOI architecture with an active doping concentration above 6×1019 cm-3 has to be explored. Here we present a new concept for the development, optimisation and fabrication of high-mobility channel materials based on Ge using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition of Ge and its recrystallization via millisecond range lateral explosive epitaxy. It is shown that the mechanism of explosive recrystallization (solid vs liquid) can be controlled by Sn co-doping and/or varying the annealing time. An influence of the explosive recrystallization and co-doping of Sn on the dopant activation efficiency and the carrier distribution in the ultra-thin GeOI and Ge NWs after millisecond range flash lamp annealing is discussed. Finally, the nanowire FETs will be presented. - See more at: http://www.european-mrs.com/2015-spring-symposium-z-european-materials-research-society#sthash.fI9UKy1b.dpuf

The suitability of rare earth doped metal-oxide-semiconductor structures for optoelectronic applications is investigated. To do so, several Tb- and Er-doped devices with different designs and fabricated by different methods are compared among each other with respect to their electroluminescence (EL) properties. In detail, the investigated devices show EL power efficiencies between 2×10-4 and 2×10-3 which, taken individually for Tb and Er, have a linear dependence on the EL decay time for low and medium injection current densities. The excited fraction of Er ions is significantly higher than that of Tb ions and achieves a maximum value of 50% (with a maximum uncertainty factor of 2.25) under optimum conditions.

III-V integration into Si is a milestone in the future development of micro- and optoelectronics. Based on SiO2 capped silicon and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates, we fabricated various III-V compound semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in Si by high fluence ion beam implantation and short-time annealing. Due to implantation, the surrounding Si material is amorphized. Recrystallization and III-V NC growth by liquid phase epitaxy are achieved through millisecond flash lamp annealing (FLA). By using lithographically patterned cover layers during implantation we were able to obtain single-crystalline GaAs, GaP, InAs, and InP NCs at defined positions. For the investigation of the microstructure, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) spectroscopy have been performed. Raman measurements confirmed the formation of III-V NCs within the recrystallized Si matrix; TEM images show distinct, single-crystalline NCs of various shapes. Depending on the processing conditions, shape and size range from large dome-like structures over spherical precipitates to nano-pyramids. AFM and RBS were used to control and monitor the fabrication process.

Annealing is one of the oldest methods utilized by mankind for the manufacture of materials. Over the past millennium, thermal processing has evolved from its simple form to a highly sophisticated, mature technology. However, to meet modern requirements for novel, high performance products and to respond to dynamic progress in technology, new concepts in heat treatment that allow realization of innovative materials structures with superior functionality are required. Consequently, herein we demonstrate a successful application of ultra-short millisecond flash lamp annealing (for short FLA) for surface solid and liquid phase processing of advanced materials fabricated in the form of bulk, thin-films or complex nano-heterostructures [1]. Overall principles of FLA, the state-of-the-art facilities as well as selected FLA-applications developed at the HZDR will be presented. The ms-range FLA has already proven to be a highly promising alternative to standard heating technologies e.g. furnace annealing, which cannot meet the material-manufacture-property requirements imposed by modern devices e.g. large-area electronics printed on flexible, low-thermal budget media. As FLA enables a selective surface-near high temperature heating in ultra-short cycles, the high processing efficiencies with a substantial drop of the overall fabrication costs can be achieved. The numerous advantages of ms-range FLA are already widely exploited in the semiconductor industry. However, we believe there is still plenty of room for novel innovative applications of the ms-FLA to be identified and be successfully developed. References 1. W. Skorupa and H. Schmidt, Springer Series in Materials Science, 192 (2014)

The integration of III-V compound semiconductors into silicon is a substantial research field for the progress of micro- and optoelectronic device technology. We fabricated various III-V compound semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in Si and SOI substrates by sequential high fluence ion beam implantation and ultra-short flash lamp annealing (FLA). Single-crystalline GaAs, GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP and InSb NCs were grown by liquid phase epitaxy during FLA. Additionally, precise positioning of NCs was achieved by using a lithographically patterned aluminum mask layer for ion implantation. The characterization of the NCs was performed by using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS). Raman measurements confirmed the formation of III-V NCs. AFM and SEM were used to control surface morphology and to investigate the lateral NC distribution. RBS monitored the distribution of the implanted ions. TEM images show distinct, single-crystalline NCs of various shapes. The shape and size of the NCs varies from large domes over small spherical precipitates to conical and pyramidal nanostructures depending on the processing conditions.

Rare earth doped metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures are of great interest for Si-based light emission. However, several physical limitations make it difficult to achieve the performance of light emitters based on compound semiconductors. To address this point, in this work the electroluminescence (EL) excitation and quenching mechanism of Er-implanted MOS structures with different designs of the dielectric stack are investigated. The devices usually consist of an injection layer made of SiO2 and an Er-implanted layer made of SiO2, Si-rich SiO2, silicon nitride or Si-rich silicon nitride. All structures implanted with Er show intense EL around 1540 nm with EL power efficiencies in the order of 2×10-3 (for SiO2:Er) or 2×10-4 (all other matrices) for lower current densities. The EL is excited by the impact of hot electrons with an excitation cross section in the range of 0.5-1.5×10-15 cm-2. Whereas the fraction of potentially excitable Er ions in SiO2 can reach values up to 50%, five times lower values were observed for other matrices. The decrease of the EL decay time for devices with Si-rich SiO2 or Si nitride compared to SiO2 as host matrix implies an increase of the number of defects adding additional non-radiative de-excitation paths for Er3+. For all investigated devices EL quenching cross sections in the 10-20 cm2 range and charge-to-breakdown values in the range of 1-10 Ccm-2 were measured. For the present design with a SiO2 acceleration layer, thickness reduction and the use of different host matrices did not improve the EL power efficiency or the operation lifetime, but strongly lowered the operation voltage needed to achieve intense EL.

InAs, InGaAs and GaAs nanocrystals (NCs) were fabricated by sequential ion implantation and flash lamp annealing. In detail, silicon-SiO2-silicon structures were provided with a SiO2 capping layer followed by the sequential implantation of In, Ga and As ions with fluences in the range of a few 1016 at./cm2. In the following step of flash lamp annealing the NCs will be formed in the Si device layer by liquid phase epitaxy. The resulting III-V NCs are mostly single-crystalline with sizes in the range of a few to a few tens of nm. Depending on the specific segregation coefficients and melting temperatures, elemental In clusters can be also formed. The proposed qualitative model for the NC formation is based on Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements.

Er-based, electrically driven light emitters, which can easily be integrated into Si-based circuitries, are of great interest for a broad range of applications, especially in the field of telecommunication and sensing. This work investigates the electrical and electroluminescence (EL) properties of Er-implanted MOS structures with different designs of the dielectric stack. The dielectric stack is essentially composed of a 30 nm thick SiO2 layer and a 40 nm thick host matrix for the Er ions made of Si-rich SiO2, silicon nitride or Si-rich silicon nitride. All structures implanted with Er show intense EL around 1550 nm which is excited by impact excitation of hot electrons. We compare the different host matrices regarding the EL efficiency, the EL excitation cross section, the EL decay time, the fraction of excited Er ions, the EL quenching cross section and the operation lifetime. This comparison reveals fundamental properties of the EL mechanism and addresses the current problems of this type of Si-based light emitter to achieve the performance level of compound semiconductors with a direct bandgap.

Er-based light emitters, which can be electrically driven and easily integrated into Si-based circuitries, are of great interest for a broad palette of applications, especially in the field of telecommunication and sensing. Among the different approaches Er-implanted MOS devices feature their excellent compatibility to standard CMOS processes and the reproducibility of the implantation process. However, at present such devices do achieve neither the efficiency nor the operation lifetime usually required for such applications. In this study we compare various designs of Er-implanted MOS devices with respect to their electroluminescence efficiency and electrical operation lifetime. The different designs comprise devices implanted with Er alone or co-implanted with Si and Er, various single and multilayer systems and different host matrices for Er, namely SiO2 or Si-rich Si3N4. Despite the different design parameters, a strong correlation between efficiency and operation lifetime is found. This behavior is explained by the ambivalent role of hot electrons which play a key role both for the efficient excitation of erbium and for the oxide degradation.

Electrically driven, Si-based light emitters are of great interest for integrated photonic applications, especially for smart biosensors. Among the possible candidates Nd-implanted MOS devices are of special interest because of the emission wavelength of 900 nm of Nd3+ which have the potential to integrate a complete SPR (surface plasmon resonance) measurement in one chip. In this study we explore the influence of the Nd-concentration and the annealing parameters on the electrical and optoelectronic properties. The focus is on the electroluminescence and the electrical properties of the devices which will be compared to those of Er-implanted devices.