InSb Films Research Articles

Atomic structure of In2O3 films on InSb nanowire and nanosheet

Surface reactions of indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires and nanosheets, including oxidation, often result in the performance deterioration of semiconductor devices. In this study, we characterized the oxide films of InSb nanowires/nanosheets at the atomic level. The oxide film on the nanowire is composed of In2O3, which grows in islands and layers along the (1¯11) and (002) planes of the matrix. The oxide film on the lateral side of the InSb nanosheet was amorphous and thinner than the oxide film on the nanowire. In2O3 grew via the external diffusion of indium ions. The oxide films on the InSb nanowires and nanosheets are closely related to the InSb surface features.

Temperature and refractive index sensor based on perfect absorber in InSb double rectangular ring resonator metamaterials

InSb is an important semiconductor material in the field of optoelectronic devices due to its high electron and hole mobility, low effective mass, and low energy gap at room temperature. In this paper, a thermally controlled dual-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with a patterned InSb film is designed and studied. The unit cell of the proposed metamaterial is composed of combined InSb double rectangular ring resonators (DRRR) adhered on a continuous gold layer and substrate. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulation results demonstrate that the absorption peak can reach 98.95 %, and 99.45 % at 1.499 THz and 1.592 THz when the external environment temperature is 283 K. Electric field distribution and parameter sweep indicate the two absorption peaks result from the near-field coupled linear superposition between the big square and small square resonators. The proposed absorber not only has the features of wide incident-angle stability, but also polarization insensitivity. Besides, the proposed absorber shows temperature-tunable features due to the temperature-dependent variation of the permittivity of InSb material. The InSb pattern proposed in this paper provides an alternative method for designing of dual parameters sensor in the terahertz band, the proposed dual-band absorber can function as a temperature sensor with sensitivities of about 8.6 GHz/K and 12.8 GHz/K, respectively. The proposed dual-band absorber can also be used as a refractive index sensor with sensitivities of about 1.065 THz /RIU, and 0.499 THz /RIU, respectively. Therefore, the present work provides an effective method for implementing thermally and refractive index sensors in the terahertz range.

Influence of halogen precursors on the growth of InSb nanostructures

The present work highlights the role of halogen compounds in modifying the shape of the InSb nanostructures, while maintaining a high crystalline quality of the nanostructures. One-dimensional (1D) nanowires (NWs) and two-dimensional (2D) nanoplatelets (NPLs) were synthesized by ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition. Our experimental results suggest that at a critical growth temperature of 512 ∘C, InSb NWs grow by the traditional vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism when gold (Au) nanoparticles are used to initiate growth on an InSb film. The resulting NWs were found to have a cylindrical or tapered shape, were of high crystalline quality, and had stoichiometric composition. In the presence of halogen precursors, a change in morphology was observed and the resulting nanostructures were 2D NPLs and faceted NWs. Using existing models of crystal growth and concepts of volume, surface and edge energies, the experimental results are explained on the basis of chlorine atoms adsorbed on the wide or narrow facets of a nanocrystal, initiating nucleation and facilitating NPL or faceted NW formation. The incorporation of the chlorine atoms add a new degree of freedom to CVD synthesis of nanostructures and the results are promising for the controlled growth of novel 1D and 2D nanostructures for nano-electronic devices.

Initial stage of InSb heteroepitaxial growth on GaAs (111)A: effect of thin InAs interlayers

MBE of InSb on the (111)A-oriented GaAs substrates has been studied using electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and scanning probe microscopy. The direct heteroepitaxial growth of InSb on GaAs(111)A results in a cracked morphology with flat terraces and deep gaps, which could be attributed to the extremely large lattice mismatch between InSb and GaAs (14.6%). When thin (5–30 monolayer thickness) InAs films are used as interlayers, more continuous and flat InSb films are obtained. The proposed growth technique using (111)A-oriented GaAs substrates and thin InAs interlayers are effective in improving the surface morphology and the structural quality of InSb films in highly lattice-mismatched systems.

(Invited) Electrodeposition of In and Ga from Non-Aqueous Electrolytes

Indium and gallium are metals whose applications have increased during the last decades. Both metals are primarily used in the form of binary, tertiary or quaternary (semi)conductor compounds in integrated circuits, photovoltaics, liquid crystal display devices, lasers and light-emitting diodes.In the past, the electrodeposition of indium and gallium has been investigated from both aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes. Due to the negative standard reduction potentials of the two metals (E°In(III)/In(0) = −0.34 V and E°Ga(III)/Ga(0) = −0.53 V), their electrodeposition from aqueous electrolytes is hampered. This is especially true for gallium. In this talk, the electrodeposition of indium and gallium was investigated from several organic solvents. The investigated electrolytes are 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), polyethylene glycol (PEG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and acetonitrile, containing chloride, bistriflimide, or methanesulfonate-based indium or gallium precursors.The electrochemistry and the electrodeposition of indium and gallium was studied using various electrochemical methods in combination with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and rotating (ring) disk electrodes. DMSO-based electrolytes enabled the electrodeposition of indium at room temperature and above its melting point (159.6 °C), while DME electrolytes gave rise to gallium electrodeposits composed of small liquid gallium spheres (Fig 1). In all the investigated electrolytes, the formation of intermediate monovalent indium(I) or gallium(I) species during reduction and oxidation was demonstrated. These species are unstable and react away via disproportionation reactions. Yet, it was found that the extent of their formation and their stability depends on the nature of the electrolyte. In addition, the electrodeposition of indium antimonide (InSb) films and eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) liquid metal lines and patterns will be discussed, as well as the electrochemical synthesis of spherical indium nanoparticles.

InSb ФОТОДІОДИ (ОГЛЯД. ЧАСТИНА VI)

In this review, a brief overview of epitaxial methods of growing single-crystal InSb films and their application for the manufacture of infrared photodiodes is provided. The results of growing InSb epitaxial films on Si and GaAs substrates are described. The main attention in the review is paid to InSb/CdTe heterostructures, which is explained by the almost perfect matching of their lattices and coefficients of thermal expansion. The properties of heterovalent InSb/CdTe interfaces as promising objects for spintronics and topological insulators are described. The results of experimental studies of InSb photodiodes for the mid-wavelength region of 3-5 μm, passivated with polycrystalline CdTe films by the hot wall epitaxy method are given. To investigate the electrical properties of polycrystalline fims, the direct conductivity was measured as a function of bias voltage and temperature. For this purpose, polycrystalline fims with a thickness of 200 to 1800 nm were grown on p-InSb substrates. The type of conductivity and resistivity of polycrystalline films were determined. Conclusions were made regarding the possibility of using this technique for effective and stable passivation. Photodiodes were characterized by measuring the dark current and the lifetime of minor carriers. Properties of heterovalent CdTe/InSb and isovalent CdTe/HgCdTe interfaces are compared. It is shown that they have different effects on the transport and photoelectric characteristics of photodiodes. It was established that when the passivation layer is deposited on the chemically etched surface of the mesa, an excess current of tunneling nature occurs in the photodiodes. The best results were obtained when surface treatment of the mesa includes the use of CP4A and HCl etchants, sulfidization in a non-aqueous Na 2 S solution, and deposition of a CdTe protective layer. Passivation of HgCdTe photodiodes using polycrystalline CdTe films does not affect the lifetime of charge carriers, but it needs improvement to achieve better stability of their characteristics.

Identification of electronic dimensionality reduction in semiconductor quantum well structures

Two-dimensional (2D) systems, such as high-temperature superconductors, surface states of topological insulators, and layered materials, have been intensively studied using vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). In semiconductor films (heterostructures), quantum well (QW) states arise due to electron/hole accumulations at the surface (interface). The quantized states due to quantum confinement can be observed by VUV-ARPES, while the periodic intensity modulations along the surface normal (kz) direction of these quantized states are also observable by varying incident photon energy, resembling three-dimensional (3D) band dispersion. We have conducted soft X-ray (SX) ARPES measurements on thick and ultrathin III-V semiconductor InSb(001) films to investigate the electronic dimensionality reduction in semiconductor QWs. In addition to the dissipation of the kz dispersion, the SX-ARPES observations demonstrate the changes of the symmetry and periodicity of the Brillouin zone in the ultrathin film as 2D QW compared with these of the 3D bulk one, indicating the electronic dimensionality reduction of the 3D bulk band dispersion caused by the quantum confinement. The results provide a critical diagnosis using SX-ARPES for the dimensionality reduction in semiconductor QW structures.

Formation of Thin Films of InSb on Pristine and Modified Si(111) Using Solid Phase Epitaxy

Formation of Thin Films of InSb on Pristine and Modified Si(111) Using Solid Phase Epitaxy

InSb: A Stable Cycling Anode Material Enables Fast Charging of Li-Ion Batteries at Sub-zero Temperatures

In this work we surprisingly find that the reaction mechanism, Li-ion diffusion kinetics, and polycrystalline sphalerite structure of the InSb anode materials remain unchanged during the charging and discharging process at both room and sub-zero temperatures. The sputtered pure InSb film anodes can stably cycle more than 800 times at 1 A/g and deliver a high capacity of 534.6 mAh/g at 30 °C. With a high current rate of 2 A/g at −40 °C, a capacity of 402.8 mAh/g can be maintained. For the ball-milled InSb/graphite composite, a capacity of 434.3 mAh/g at 1 A/g can remain very stable for more than 700 cycles at both 30 °C and −50 °C. The 2500 mAh soft pack cells, which are made entirely from the commercialization process and successfully run long-term at −30 °C, also demonstrate the potential of InSb anodes for commercial applications.

Lattice-matched heteroepitaxial preparation of InSb/CdTe on Si (111) substrate by magnetron sputtering

InSb films were deposited on Si (111) substrate using the CdTe buffer layers by magnetron sputtering. The effects of CdTe buffer layers on the crystal structure, morphological optical and electrical properties of InSb films were studied. The study found that the CdTe buffer layer can improve the grain size and reduce the stress of InSb films. Compared with direct growth on Si substrate, the use of the CdTe buffer layer can effectively control the appearance of dislocations at the interface and thus improve the epitaxial quality of InSb films. Furthermore, the surface roughness and carrier mobility of the InSb film depends on the CdTe buffer layer thickness, which is mainly caused by the difference in surface morphology of the buffer layer with different thicknesses. InSb/CdTe structure shows the advantages of lattice-matched heteroepitaxial growth, indicating that CdTe is an effective buffer layer to improve the performance of InSb. The insertion of a buffer layer provides a promising method for the preparation of III-V/II-VI hybrid system on a Si substrate, which can be used for high-performance infrared detectors.

All-dielectric InSb metasurface for broadband and high-efficient thermal tunable terahertz reflective linear-polarization conversion

In this paper, an all-dielectric InSb metasurface (MS) is proposed and investigated in terahertz (THz) regime, which can achieve broadband thermal tunable reflective linear-polarization (LP) conversion. The unit-cell of the proposed MS is composed of a single anisotropic InSb micro-cuboid structure adhered on an continuous InSb film. The electric property of the InSb can be tuned actively by changing the environment temperature. Under room temperature (295 K), the proposed InSb MS can reach a high cross-polarization reflection coefficient over 90 %, and the polarization conversion ratio (PCR) over 95% on average from 1.21 THz to 1.92 THz with the relative bandwidth of 45.4%. It means that the designed InSb MS can convert the LP wave into its orthogonal component after reflection in a broadband range at a given external temperature. The physical insights behind perfect LP conversion is explored by analyzing the induced electric field distributions in unit-cell of the designed InSb MS. Furthermore, the broadband LP conversion property of the InSb MS can be tuned easily by changing surrounding temperature. The simple geometry and the higher performance of the proposed InSb MS can be found potential applications in many areas, such as sensors, reflector antennas, and radiometers in THz regime.

Tunability of optical properties of InSb films developed by pulsed laser deposition

The InSb thin films were successfully prepared from binary alloy target by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) onto heated Si/SiO2 substrates at various deposition temperatures (Td) ranging from room temperature to 400 °C. The evolutions of structural (XRD, XPS), microstructural (AFM, SEM) and optical (XPS, FTIR, RAMAN) properties as a function of deposition temperature were systematically taken into account. The analyzed results indicate that the films are well crystallized with Zinc Blende (ZB) structure for Td ≥ RT. Increasing Td induces significant signature of preferentially crystal orientations of (h11) accompanied by distinctive microstructural evolution from continuous fashion (Td ≤ 300 °C) to almost isolated islands feature (Td ≥ 350 °C). Derivations of crystallite sizes, lattice strain, dislocation density, Lotgering orientation factor, and root mean square roughness were correlated with Raman shift and XPS analysis, and optical properties. The developed thin films allow to observe the flexibility of optical band gap energy (from 0.18 eV to 0.50 eV), which is directly related to the quantum confinement effect coupled with the band-filling effect of Burstein–Moss shift.

Nonreciprocal optical properties of magneto-optical film doped with metal particles based on the effective medium theory

In search of next-generation optical information functional materials, magneto-optical microstructures have attracted great attention since they can break Kirchhoff’s law and produce higher photoelectric conversion efficiency. Theoretical studies using finite-difference time-domain and transfer matrix methods have been performed to investigate the optical properties of magneto-optical microstructures. However, these methods are computationally intensive and require periodic conditions, which may not be satisfied with most fabricated samples. The equivalent medium algorithm is improved to make it suitable for the equivalent of magneto-optical materials. Based on the improved equivalent medium theory (EMT), a magneto-optical InSb film structure doped with Au particles (D-InSb) is designed. The effective dielectric functions of the D-InSb layer for transfer matrix waves are obtained from the Bruggeman approximation. Thin-film optics formulas incorporating the anisotropic wave propagation in uniaxial media are employed to calculate the nonreciprocal absorptance of the D-InSb film. The effect of geometric parameters, such as filling ratio and number of layers, is investigated. In addition to modeling the directional radiative properties at various angles of incidence, the hemispherical properties are also calculated to understand the light absorption. The results of our study can provide methods and ideas for the design of solar cells, infrared absorbers, and optical isolators.

InSb-based saturable absorbers for ultrafast photonic applications.

Sb-related III-V compounds have recently gained great research interest owing to their excellent optical and electrical characteristics, which provide many possibilities in photonics and electronics. This study investigated the application of InSb films in ultrafast photonics. An InSb film was fabricated on the tapered zone of a microfiber, and its saturation intensity, modulation depth, and non-saturable loss were determined as 119.8 MW cm-2, 23.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. The structure of the electronic band and density of states of InSb were theoretically calculated. Notably, mode-locked and Q-switched fiber lasers were realised by incorporating the InSb-microfiber device into two different Er-doped fiber cavities. In the Q-switching state, the narrowest pulse duration was measured as 1.756 μs with a maximum single-pulse energy of 221.95 nJ and a signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB. In the mode-locking operation, ultrafast lasers with a high signal-to-noise ratio (70 dB), a pulse width as narrow as 265 fs and a repetition rate of 49.51 MHz were acquired. Besides, the second-harmonic mode-locked state was built with an output power of 13.22 mW. In comparison with the reported laser performance with 2D materials as saturable absorbers, the InSb-based mode-locked and Q-switched fiber lasers proposed herein exhibit better comprehensive performance.

Квантовая проводимость в одиночных и связанных квантово-размерных частицах узкозонных полупроводников

An organo-modified ordered layered structure with three-dimensional close packing based on colloidal quantum-sized particles (QP) of InSb, PbS, CdSe semiconductors and Langmuir-Blodgett films has been fabricated and studied. According to the current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of single-electron transport in the model of a nanocell with a linear chain QP across the layers, the processes limiting conductivity were established: emission-injection tunneling from a probe into a nanoparticle, motion in a nanoparticle determined by the establishment of an electronic wave process in it, and tunneling through a nanogap between nanoparticles. Quasi-periodic oscillations of the current and resonant peaks of quantum conductivity are observed on the I–V characteristics, which were estimated in the quantum wire model. For an even number of layers (QP, 2, or 4), the I–V characteristics were used to determine the attenuation of size quantization and the decrease in current due to the weak interaction of nanoparticles. With an odd number (3 or 5), the nanochain acts as a single quantum thread with manifestations on the CVC similar to the cases of one QP. In this case, the motion of an electron can be considered as a one-electron charge wave.

High mobility of (111)-oriented large-domain (>100 μm) poly-InSb on glass by rapid-thermal crystallization of sputter-deposited films

Rapid-thermal annealing (RTA) of InSb precursor films, deposited by sputtering using an Ar plasma at room temperature, has been investigated to achieve high carrier mobility on low-cost glass substrates. Although InSb films containing residual Ar (∼1%) were partially lost by evaporation during RTA, such evaporation during RTA is suppressed by reducing the residual Ar to ∼0.3%. The crystallinity of the films is significantly increased by RTA at temperatures above 400 °C. The electron mobilities of the films increase with increasing RTA temperature up to 490 °C, showing the maximum values (9000–10 000 cm2 V−1 s−1) at 490 °C, and then, the mobilities decrease at RTA temperatures above 490 °C. The mobilities of 9000–10 000 cm2 V−1 s−1 are obtained for films with a wide range of thickness (300–1000 nm) grown at 490 °C. Detailed analysis indicated that the high carrier mobilities are realized by preferentially (111)-oriented large crystal domains (diameter: >100 μm), obtained by the regrowth of randomly oriented small grains, together with a low barrier height (16 meV) at the sub-domain boundaries (twin boundaries) in the large domains. The RTA after the sputtering technique will facilitate high-performance InSb-based devices with low production costs.

TÍNH CHẤT QUANG CỦA MÀNGMỎNGInSb TRÊN ĐẾ c-SAPPHIRE ĐƯỢC CHẾ TẠO BẰNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP LẮNG ĐỌNG LASER XUNG

1 μm-InSbcrystallizedthin films were successfully deposited based on Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) approach, and later characterized. XRD analysis reveals that the InSb films with Sb in excess are constituted by a wide range of various nanocrystals, of which the sizes are from 148 nm to 322 nm corresponding to different depositedtemperatures (Td) ranging from 250°C to 400°C. While films show polycrystalline properties at low Td(< 400°C), nearly single crystallized films have been achieved at higher Tdwith space group structure of Zinc Blende. Microstructural analysis performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) agrees with results obtained from XRD and suggests that microstructure is transformed from small grains in size to bigger ones with increasing Td. In addition, Raman scattering spectroscopy illustrates that the fabricated films have a variety modes of vibration, which can be 2TA, TO-TA, Sb-Sb, TO, and LO depending on the sample Td. By means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurement, adecrease in the band-gap energy of deposited films is observed with increasing Td.

Thermally and magnetically controlled dual-band terahertz metamaterial absorber based on InSb

A thermally and magnetically controlled dual-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with a simple structure consisting of a patterned InSb film, a Teflon dielectric layer, and a metal board is designed and investigated. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the absorption peak can reach 94% at 0.434 THz and 0.692 THz at 300 K, in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The absorber has the features of polarization insensitivity due to the symmetry of the structure and wide incidence angle absorption. The physical absorption mechanism can be analyzed by the impedance matching theory, the electric field distribution, the current distribution, and the excitation of LC resonance theory. Furthermore, the metamaterial absorber enables temperature-tunable characteristics due to the temperature-dependent variation of the permittivity of InSb in the terahertz region. By varying temperature from 295 to 320 K, the first resonance frequency gradually shifts from 0.413 to 0.529 THz with the second peak shifting from 0.654 to 0.863 THz. In addition, frequency dependent absorption of the InSb-based metamaterial absorber under a series of applied magnetic fields is discussed. When the magnetic field B is changed from 0.2 T to 1T, the dual resonant frequencies gradually shift from 0.4816 THz to 0.423 THz and 0.7804 THz to 0.716 THz. The InSb pattern film behaves as a resonant unit, thus providing an alternative method for designing independent bi-tunable absorbers in the terahertz band. The proposed absorber has the advantages of good tunability, simple structure, and high sensitivity, which has great potential in terahertz sensors. This work provides an effective method for implementing thermally and magnetically dual-controlled terahertz metamaterial absorbers.

Electrical and magnetotransport properties of In0.95Mn0.05Sb film

The In0.95Mn0.05Sb film has been obtained on a Silicon substrate using a thermally evaporated technique. The structural, electrical, magnetotransport and surface magnetic interaction properties of the Mn-doped InSb film are investigated. The X-ray diffractogram shows a single-phase nanocrystalline structure in the highly oriented direction of (111). The upturn in the resistivity observed at (<35 K) low temperature is attributed to the Coulomb Blockade effect. From the resistivity measurement, the observed bandgap is 0.16 eV. At room temperature, negative magnetoresistance is observed. The weak magnetic signals at the surface are observed through magnetic force microscopy.

Near-field photonic thermal diode based on hBN and InSb films

A thermal diode is a two-terminal device that allows heat to transfer more easily in one direction (forward bias) than in the opposite direction (reverse bias). A photonic thermal diode operates in a contactless mode and may afford a large operating temperature range. Here, a near-field photonic thermal diode based on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and indium antimonide (InSb) films is theoretically demonstrated. The temperature dependence of the interband absorption of InSb is used to couple (or decouple) with the hyperbolic phonon polaritons in hBN. The numerical analysis predicts a rectification ratio greater than 17 for a 10 nm vacuum gap, when operating at an average temperature of 300 K and a temperature difference of 200 K. The calculated rectification ratio exceeds 35 at higher average temperatures with larger temperature differences.