Depth Distribution Profiles Research Articles

Influence of the Charge State of Xenon Ions on the Depth Distribution Profile Upon Implantation into Silicon

Experimental depth distributions of the concentration of implanted xenon ions depending on their charge state and irradiation energy are presented. Xenon ions in charge states q = 1–20 and energies in the range from 50 to 400 keV are incorporated into single-crystal silicon. Irradiation is performed in the direction not coinciding with the crystallographic axes of the crystal to avoid the channeling effect. The ion fluence varies in the range of 5 × (1014–1015) ion/cm2. The irradiation by singly charged ions and investigation of the samples by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy is performed using an HVEE acceleration complex at Moscow State University. Multiply charged ions are implanted using a FAMA acceleration complex at the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The depth distribution profiles of the incorporated ions are found using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Experimental results are correlated with computer calculations. It is shown that the average projective path of multiply charged ions in most cases is shorter when compared with the average projected path of singly charged ions and the results of computer modeling.

Assessment of soil erosion rates in a Mediterranean cultivated and uncultivated soils using fallout 137Cs

Fallout radionuclides, such as 137Cs, have been recognized as a valuable means for studying soil erosion processes. In this study, the 137Cs technique was used to assess soil erosion magnitude and to investigate the effectiveness of terrace cultivations in the High Atlas of Morocco, particularly, the Ourika watershed. 137Cs depth distribution profiles were established along slope gradients associated with land use considering cereal crop, arboriculture and native forests.Along the slope gradient, depth distribution profiles highlight dissimilarities reflecting differences in land use, topographic roughness, soil particle distribution and stoniness. 137Cs inventory decreases exponentially with depth and its penetration increases along the slope. It becomes higher at the bottom of the slope, with penetration reaching 30 cm.137Cs mass activity and inventory significantly decrease in cultivated terraces, compared to native forest. Although the pattern of 137Cs gain/loss varied according to topography, soil properties and vegetation cover, showing eroding and aggrading profiles, most samples had 137Cs values lower than the reference value, suggesting net-loss of soil as a consequence of erosion processes.The net erosion rates were estimated about 8.5 and 6.0 t ha−1 yr−1 in cereal crop and arboriculture agrosystems, respectively, whereas in the forest, the net erosion rate was lower at about 4.2 t ha−1 yr−1.Soil loss on agricultural terraces is not significantly above tolerable erosion rates for Morocco (<7 t ha−1 yr−1), particularly for arboriculture terraces. A strong correlation was observed between 137Cs and both soil organic carbon and slope gradient, in uncultivated area, whereas, there was no correlation for cultivated terraces.Terraced arboriculture systems should be encouraged for better soil preservation against water erosion in the Ourika watershed.

Turbulence and Rotation in Solar-Type Stars

Stellar spectra with a high resolution of 115000 obtained with the HARPS spectrograph provide an opportunity to examine turbulence velocities and their depth distributions in the photosphere of stars. Fourier analysis was performed for 17 iron lines in the spectra of 13 stars with an effective temperature of 4900--6200 K and a logarithm of surface gravity of 3.9--5.0 as well as in the spectrum of the Sun as a star. Models of stellar atmospheres were taken from the MARCS database. The standard concept of isotropic Gaussian microturbulence was assumed in this study. A satisfactory fit between the synthesized profiles of spectral lines and observational data verified the reliability of the Fourier method. The most likely estimates of turbulence velocities, the rotation velocity, and the iron abundance and their photospheric depth distribution profiles were obtained as a result. Microturbulence does not vary to any significant degree with depth, while macroturbulence has a marked depth dependence. The macroturbulence velocity increases with depth in the stellar atmosphere. The higher the effective temperature of a star and the stronger the surface gravity, the steeper the expected macroturbulence gradient. The mean macroturbulence velocity increases for stars with higher temperatures, weaker gravity, and faster rotation. The mean macro- and microturbulence velocities are correlated with each other and with the rotation velocity in the examined stars. The ratio between the macroturbulence velocity and the rotation velocity in solar-type stars varies from 1 (the hottest stars) to 1.7 (the coolest stars). The age dependence of the rotation velocity is more pronounced than that of the velocity of macroturbulent motions.

Моделирование областей разупорядочения в процессе радиационного дефектообразования

This article discusses the model of regions of disordering that are formed as a result of the separation of Frenkel pairs, taking into account the neutral and charged state of the pair. The probability of separation depends on the temperature and the position of the Fermi level in the band gap, therefore, the concentration of primary radiation defects also depends on the temperature and concentrations of donors, acceptors. The depth distribution profiles of primary radiation defects created by low-energy protons in silicon and the dependence of the parameters of the disordering regions on the proton energy are calculated. It is shown that the maximum of the distribution of the disordering regions created by protons is always spatially separated from the maxima of the interstitial silicon distribution, vacancies and divacancies, which allows changing the surface and volume properties of semiconductor structures in various ways. The results obtained are used to predict the characteristics of semiconductor devices operating under conditions of radiation exposure.

Diffusion of indium in single crystal zinc oxide: a comparison between group III donors

Dopant diffusion of indium (In) in single crystal zinc oxide is studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry and is interpreted using a reaction–diffusion model that invokes predictions from density functional theory (DFT). An apparent activation energy of 2.2 eV is obtained for the diffusion of In, when the local Fermi-level position is about 0.2 eV below the conduction band edge. The diffusion of In is found to be significantly faster that that reported for the other group III donors, aluminum and gallium, with several orders of magnitude higher effective diffusivities, that can be assigned to a lower migration barrier for the diffusion of In. Furthermore, our results reveal self-consistency in previous DFT results of defect formation- and migration energies. From this, the diffusion of In is suggested to occur through mobile charged zinc vacancies that form intermediate mobile ()− pairs. The pairs in turn dissociate rather readily at the studied temperatures (850 °C–1150 °C), which results in distinct and abrupt diffusion fronts for the In depth distribution profiles.

Сквозное концентрационное профилирование гетероструктурных солнечных элементов

Heterojunction solar cells based on single-crystal silicon were studied by means of electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling. The features of electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling of modern multilayer heterojunction solar cells are analyzed. The free charge carriers depth distribution profiles over the entire thickness of the samples, including, for the first time, in the layers of conducting indium tin oxide, are obtained.

Влияние зарядового состояния ионов ксенона на профиль распределения по глубине при имплантации в кремний

AbstractExperimental depth distributions of the concentration of implanted xenon ions depending on their charge state and irradiation energy are presented. Xenon ions in charge states q = 1–20 and energies in the range from 50 to 400 keV are incorporated into single-crystal silicon. Irradiation is performed in the direction not coinciding with the crystallographic axes of the crystal to avoid the channeling effect. The ion fluence varies in the range of 5 × (10^14–10^15) ion/cm^2. The irradiation by singly charged ions and investigation of the samples by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy is performed using an HVEE acceleration complex at Moscow State University. Multiply charged ions are implanted using a FAMA acceleration complex at the Vinća Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The depth distribution profiles of the incorporated ions are found using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Experimental results are correlated with computer calculations. It is shown that the average projective path of multiply charged ions in most cases is shorter when compared with the average projected path of singly charged ions and the results of computer modeling.

Studies on the graded band-gap copper indium di-selenide thin film solar cells prepared by electrochemical route

A graded band-gap CuInSe2 (CIS) thin film solar cell (TFSC) having glass/FTO/CdS/CIS multilayer/Au structure has been fabricated. A simple and low-cost electrodeposition technique is used to deposit the multilayers of CIS onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate. A conventional three-electrode geometry consisting, FTO, graphite and Ag/AgCl as a working, counter and reference electrodes, respectively was used for electrodeposition. Structural characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, which revealed the chalcopyrite tetragonal CIS structure with a quite Cu-rich surface which reduces upon selenization. The morphology of the as grown and selenized CIS multilayer thin films was studied by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) which shows the compact and uniform layer formation. The depth profile distribution of individual elements in both as-grown and selenized CIS multilayer thin films has been determined using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). SIMS results revealed that the proposed graded band gap structure is retained even after selenization. The presence of Cu+, In3+ and Se2− oxidation states were confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A single layer and multilayer CIS solar cell devices yielded ∼5.10% and ∼7.20% power conversion efficiency, respectively. In the present work, pH 3 buffer solution helps to improve the morphology of CIS layer which gives the better power conversion efficiency as compared to the previously reported value.

Electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling of nonuniformly doped GaAs heterostructures with SQWs and MQWs for LED applications

Light-emitting heterostructures with single and multiple GaAs/InGaAs quantum wells have been investigated by means of electrochemical capacitance-voltage (ECV) profiling. Capacitance-voltage characteristics were measured; concentration profiles of free charge carriers over the heterostructure depth as well as the intensity of quantum well filling by charge carriers were obtained. In heterostructures with a single quantum well (QW), we considered limitations of capacitance techniques for undoped QW profiling, which are situated near the metallurgic border of the p-n junction. We made a detailed consideration of phenomena related to Debye smearing and we developed and analyzed the dependence of the space charge region width on the doping. Special attention was paid to investigation of "the blind" area. This was inspired by the practical problem from capacitance spectroscopy of semiconductors, when the researcher poses the task of obtaining a free charge carrier depth distribution profile as deep as possible in the space charge region, i.e. where the intensity of the electric field is maximum. Generally, the active QW of a LED heterostructure is placed deep in the space charge region, so reaching these regions is extremely important for practical problems. We present an evolution of capacitance-voltage characteristics during ECV profiling of nonuniformly doped p-n-heterostructures. For a heterostructure with multiple quantum wells, we registered a response from 6 QWs.

THE COLLIDING PARTICLES MASS RATIO INFLUENCE ON PECULIARITIES OF LOW-ENERGY ION NEAR-SURFACE IMPLANTATION AT CHANNELING CONDITIONS

In the present work the peculiarities of ion implantation and colliding particles mass ratio influence on the ranges, energy loss and profiles of distribution for 1−5 keV P+ ions channelling in Si(110) and SiC(110) at normal incidence, and 1 keV Be+ and Se+ ions in GaAs(100), as well as 5 keV Ar+ and Kr+ on Cu(001) surface at glancing incidence are carried out by computer simulation in binary collision approximation. It is shown that for paraxial part of a beam the main contribution to the total energy loss comes from inelastic ones. It has been established that the energy loss of ions transmitted through thin crystal and depth profile distributions depend on width of the channel and mass ratio of colliding atoms. It was shown that at grazing surface channeling conditions the main peak of the implanted depth distributions is considerably shallow, the range for Se+ ions is shallower and the half-width of profile for these ions is narrow than that for Be+ ions. The results allow one to select the optimum for implanted depth distributions with demanded shape at narrow near-surface area of crystals obtaining.

An experimental system of wide-range two dimensional Rutherford backscattering analysis in vacuum chamber

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) analysis is a widely used ion beam analysis technique to obtain the concentration and/or thickness of the target. In some cases we have to utilize the large area target, for example, about 40 mm diameter target in our 12C(α,γ)16O experiment of Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA) project, it means that we should perform wide-range two dimensional (2D) RBS analyses for tens of points in the large area target to obtain the elemental area (or 2D) depth profile distribution which is needed in the 12C(α,γ)16O experiment. In order to perform the large area target RBS analysis in vacuum chamber accurately and efficiently, an experimental system was developed in this work, which included (1) a 2D moving sample stage in vacuum chamber for precisely positioning points to be analyzed in target, (2) synchronously starting spectrum acquisition when the sample stage is located at the measurement point and saving the corresponding spectrum when the acquisition is finished by utilizing the job control script of ORTEC MAESTRO software, and (3) using the Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) automation of SIMNRA software to perform batch analysis for tens of experimental RBS spectra. The experimental system developed in this work and corresponding demonstration results were described in detail in this paper. The experimental system developed here can also be used in other research fields.

Reprint of “Vertical migration of radio-caesium derived from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in undisturbed soils of grassland and forest”

The vertical distribution of radio-caesium (137Cs and 134Cs) in undisturbed soil profiles of grassland and forest soils, derived from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident that occurred on 11 March 2011, was studied. Surface soil and depth profile soil samples were collected from six locations within the 20km zone of FDNPP, during November 2012 and June 2013. The activity ratio for 137Cs and 134Cs was found to be almost constant about 1 within the soil profiles as well as in the surface soil, indicative of FDNPP accident origin. From soil depth profile distribution of Cs activity, it is observed that Cs is strongly bound to soil materials, which slows Cs migration. >90% of the activity was found to be retained within the upper 5cm layer. Retardation of Cs movement has been quantified by measuring sorption of Cs in soil in terms of distribution coefficient (Kd) using the laboratory batch method. Faster migration has been observed in case of forest land soil compared to grassland soil. The empirical migration velocity of Cs radio isotope was estimated from the depth profile Cs concentration and found to vary from 1.1 to 1.7 and 0.85 to 3.5cmy−1 in grassland and forest soil, respectively. The residential half life for Cs isotopes was found to be 1.03–7.75y and 1.18–4.67y for grassland and forest land respectively using a compartmental model. In addition to the empirical analysis of the profiles, analytical models were fitted to the data which may help elucidate the physical nature of the transport of trace elements.

Evaluation of Transdermal Drug Permeation as Modulated by Lipoderm and Pluronic Lecithin Organogel

The transdermal delivery of 2 fluorescent probes with similar molecular weight but different lipophilicity, into and through the skin from 2 commercially available transdermal bases, pluronic lecithin organogel, and Lipoderm® has been evaluated. First, in vitro penetration of fluorescein sodium and fluorescein (free acid) through porcine skin was evaluated. Retention and depth distribution profiles in skin were obtained by tape stripping and then followed by optical sectioning using multiphoton microscopy. The results showed that Lipoderm® led to an enhanced penetration of the hydrophilic compound, fluorescein sodium. For the lipophilic compound fluorescein (free acid), Lipoderm® performed similar to pluronic lecithin organogel base, where minimal drug was detected in either receptor phase. The skin retention and depth distribution results also showed that the hydrophilic fluorescein sodium had high skin retention with Lipoderm®, whereas fluorescein (free acid) had very low penetration and retention with increasing skin depth. Moreover, optical sectioning by multiphoton microscopy revealed an uneven distribution of probes across the skin in the x-y plane for both transdermal bases. This work showed that a hydrophilic compound has significantly increased skin penetration and retention when formulated with Lipoderm®, and the skin retention of the probe was the main determinant of its skin flux.

Downward migration of 137Cs within the humus layer under temperate coniferous stands in the Czech Republic

This study examined the current distribution and downward migration of 137Cs in the humus horizon under temperate coniferous stands in the Czech Republic. Depth distribution profiles of lithogenic alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) were also traced to find any indication regarding the 137Cs dynamics within the humus horizon. Soil (bulk soil) samples were collected manually from the uppermost down to a depth of 20 cm at three points situated 10–20 m apart in three locations diversely affected by the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Humus samples (about 6 cm in thickness) were separately collected at three points adjacent to the bulk soil sampling. The humus samples were divided into three fractions (upper, middle, and lower) denoted to Hu, Hm, and Hl, respectively, depending on their depths. Activity concentration of 137Cs and the amount of alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) in each humus fraction were determined with gamma spectrometry and ICP spectrometry, respectively. Some properties (pH, density, SOM, and identification of clay minerals), of both bulk soils and humus horizons were also investigated. The highest activity concentration of 137Cs (Bq kg−1) appeared in the upper portion of the soil (mainly humus horizon) under three coniferous stands about 30 years after the Chernobyl accident. Increasing activity of 137Cs (Bq) was found in the lower humus fraction (Hl, 4~6-cm depth range) with no appreciable amounts of clay minerals like illite and smectite in the investigated sites. The findings suggest that the fallout 137Cs moves downward at a speed of 0.13~0.19 cm year−1 with degrading organic matter within the humus horizon. Possible association of 137Cs with alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) was suggested by depth distribution profiles of lithogenic alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) in humus. The humus horizon under temperate coniferous stands plays an important role in retaining fallout 137Cs for a long time. Comparing the depth distributions of the fallout radionuclide 137Cs with the depth distributions of lithogenic alkali metals (K, Rb, and Cs) gives valuable information for clarifying mechanism of 137Cs movement in humus. Further investigation is needed to elucidate mechanism of 137Cs migration within humus horizon by tracing 137Cs speciation and decomposing soil organic matter simultaneously.

Insight on the silver catalyst distribution during silicon nanowire array formation: an X-ray reflectivity study.

Although metal-catalysts are commonly used to create nanoscale materials at surfaces, little is quantitatively known or understood about the depth distribution profile of the catalyst during the growth process. Using X-ray reflectivity, we report the first quantitative investigation, with nanoscale resolution, of the Ag metal-catalyst depth distribution profile during metal-assisted chemical etch (MACE) growth of Si nanowire (SiNW) arrays on Si(100). Given the very low optical reflectivity of these nanowire arrays, specular reflection from these materials in the X-ray region is extremely challenging to measure because it probes interfaces on the nanoscale. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that with suitable investigation, X-ray specular reflection can be measured and utilized to obtain unique structural information about the composition profile of both Ag and Si. The measurements, which also include X-ray diffraction and complementary electron microscopy, reveal that the Ag nanoparticles distribute along the length of the nanowires upon etching with a Ag density that increases towards the etch front. The Ag nanoparticles coarsen with etch time, indicating a high mobility of Ag ions even though we also find that the Ag does not migrate from the SiNW region into the etch bath during etching. The Ag density gradient and the Ag mobility suggest the existence of a strong chemical force that attracts Ag towards the etch front. These results provide unique and important new insight into the growth process for creating SiNWs from wet chemical etching using metal-catalysts.

Effect of Co+-ion implantation on the composition and properties of free Si–Cu nanofilm structures

The effect of Co+-ion implantation on the surface composition and the depth distribution profiles of atoms in a Si–Cu (100) heterostructure is investigated. After heating of the ion-implanted sample, a 50–60 A thick CoSi2 film is formed. It is revealed that after ion implantation the penetration depth of Cu atoms in Si becomes twice as large.

Vertical migration of radio-caesium derived from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in undisturbed soils of grassland and forest

The vertical distribution of radio-caesium (137Cs and 134Cs) in undisturbed soil profiles of grassland and forest soils, derived from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident that occurred on 11 March 2011, was studied. Surface soil and depth profile soil samples were collected from six locations within the 20km zone of FDNPP, during November 2012 and June 2013. The activity ratio for 137Cs and 134Cs was found to be almost constant about 1 within the soil profiles as well as in the surface soil, indicative of FDNPP accident origin. From soil depth profile distribution of Cs activity, it is observed that Cs is strongly bound to soil materials, which slows Cs migration. >90% of the activity was found to be retained within the upper 5cm layer. Retardation of Cs movement has been quantified by measuring sorption of Cs in soil in terms of distribution coefficient (Kd) using the laboratory batch method. Faster migration has been observed in case of forest land soil compared to grassland soil. The empirical migration velocity of Cs radio isotope was estimated from the depth profile Cs concentration and found to vary from 1.1 to 1.7 and 0.85 to 3.5cmy−1 in grassland and forest soil, respectively. The residential half life for Cs isotopes was found to be 1.03–7.75y and 1.18–4.67y for grassland and forest land respectively using a compartmental model. In addition to the empirical analysis of the profiles, analytical models were fitted to the data which may help elucidate the physical nature of the transport of trace elements.

Spectral Absorption Depth Profile: A Step Forward to Plasmonic Solar Cell Design

Absorption depth profile, a deterministic and key factor that defines the quality of excitons generation rate in optoelectronic devices, is numerically predicted using finite different time domain analysis. A typical model, nanoparticles array on silicon slab, was devised considering the concept of plasmonic solar cell design. The trend of spectral absorption depth profile distributions at various wavelengths of the solar spectrum, 460 nm, 540 nm, 650 nm, 815 nm, and 1100 nm, was obtained. A stronger and well-distributed absorption profile was obtained at ∼650 nm of the solar spectrum (i.e. ∼1.85 eV, c-Si bandgap), although the absorbing layer was affected more than a half micron depth at shorter wavelengths. Considering the observations obtained from this simulation, we have shown a simple two-step method in fabricating ultra-pure silver (Ag) nanoparticles that can be used as plasmonic nanoscatterers in a thin film solar cell. The morphology and elemental analysis of as-fabricated Ag nanoparticles was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and FESEM-coupled electron diffraction spectroscopy. The size of the as-fabricated Ag nanoparticles was found to range from 50 nm to 150 nm in diameter. Further investigations on structural and optical properties of the as-fabricated specimen were carried out using ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption, photoluminesce, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Preferential growth of ZnO along {002} was confirmed by XRD pattern that was more intense and broadened at increasing annealing temperatures. The lattice parameter c was found to increase, whereas grain size increased with increasing annealing temperature. The optical bandgap was also observed to decrease from 3.31 eV to 3.25 eV at increasing annealing temperatures through UV–Vis measurements. This parallel investigation on optical properties by simulation is in line with experimental studies and, in fact, facilitates devising optimum process cost for efficient thin film solar cell design, as well as light trapping using plasmonic nanoscatterers incorporated within the active layer.

Summer depth distribution profiles of dissolved CO2 and O2 in shallow temperate lakes reveal trophic state and lake type specific differences

Knowledge about dissolved oxygen (DO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) distribution in lakes has increased considerably over the last decades. However, studies about high resolution dynamics of dissolved CO2 in different types of lakes over daily or weekly time scales are still very scarce. We measured summertime vertical DO and CO2 profiles at sub-hourly intervals during one week in eight Estonian lakes representing different lake types according to European Water Framework Directive. The lakes showed considerable differences in thermal stratification and vertical distribution of dissolved oxygen and CO2 as well as different diurnal dynamics over the measurement period. We observed a continuous CO2 supersaturation in the upper mixed layer of the alkalitrophic (calcareous groundwater-fed) lake and the dark soft-water lake showing them as CO2 emitting “chimneys” although with different underlying mechanisms. In three lake types strong undersaturation with CO2 occurred in the surface layer characterising them as CO2 sinks for the measurement period while in another three types the surface layer CO2 was mostly in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Factor analysis showed that DO% in the surface layer and the strength of its relationship with CO2% were positively related to alkalinity and negatively to trophic state and DOC gradients, whereas deeper lakes were characterised by higher surface concentration but smaller spatial and temporal variability of CO2. Multiple regression analysis revealed lake area, maximum depth and the light attenuation coefficient as variables affecting the largest number of gas regime indicators. We conclude that the trophic status of lakes in combination with type specific features such as morphometry, alkalinity and colour (DOC) determines the distribution and dynamics of dissolved CO2 and DO, which therefore may indicate functional differences in carbon cycling among lakes.

Mechanical and microstructural changes in tungsten due to irradiation damage

Stress-relieved pure tungsten received three damage levels (0.10, 0.25 and 0.50 dpa) by self-tungsten ion beam irradiation at room temperature. Positron annihilation spectroscopy showed the formation of mono-vacancies and vacancy clusters after ion beam exposure. In the first irradiation step (0–0.10 dpa) some splitting up of large vacancy clusters occurred which became more numerous. For increasing dose to 0.25 dpa, growth of the vacancy clusters was seen. At 0.50 dpa a change in the defect formation seems to occur leading to a saturation in the lifetime signal obtained from the positrons. Nano-indentation on the cross-sections showed a flat damage depth distribution profile. The nano-indentation hardness increased for increasing damage dose without any saturation up to 0.50 dpa. This means that other defects such as dislocation loops and large sized voids seem to contribute.