Rapid Thermal Annealing Samples Research Articles

Study on the influence of material properties in femtosecond laser ablation of 6H-SiC in water and SERS-based applications

We report on the formation of SiC nanoparticles coated with graphene oxide layers by femtosecond (fs) laser ablation of 6H-SiC (n-type and semi-insulating V-doped) in deionized water. Distinct structural features were observed in the surrounding matrix of colloidal spherical nanoparticles. This corresponds to the formation of micro-nanostructures of silicene sheets in the colloidal suspension. Further, the formation of subwavelength (∼λ/8) high spatial frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures (HSFL) is noticed on the ablated SiC surface. The variation in the size and periodicity of LIPSS is noted among two SiC targets with different resistivities. The study continued to investigate the morphology of furnace annealed (FA) and rapid thermal annealed (RTA) Au-deposited LIPSS towards sensing applications based on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. The formation of fine spherical Au nanoparticles is observed in the case of RTA samples, which exhibited predominant SERS enhancement in trace detection of the explosive analyte, Tetryl. This study on SiC using fs laser pulses unveils the uniqueness of SiC material in the ablation process, especially in producing the LIPSS and silicon-carbon-based nanoparticles/nanostructures that can be tailored for diverse applications.

Overcoming the doping limit in GaAs by ion implantation and pulsed laser melting

Most semiconductors exhibit a saturation of free carriers when heavily doped with extrinsic dopants. This carrier saturation or “doping limit” is known to be related to the formation of native compensating defects, which, in turn, depends on the energy positions of their conduction band minimum and valence band maximum. Here, we carried out a systematic study on the n-type doping limit of GaAs via ion implantation and showed that this doping limitation can be alleviated by the transient process of pulsed laser melting (PLM). For n-type doping, both group VI (S) and amphoteric group IV (Si and Ge) dopants were implanted in GaAs. For comparison, p-type doping was also studied using Zn as the acceptor. Implanted dopants were activated by the PLM method, and the results are compared to rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Our results reveal that for all n-type dopants, while implantation followed by the RTA results in a similar saturation electron concentration of 2–3 × 1018 cm−3, the transient PLM process is capable of trapping high concentration of dopants in the substitutional site, giving rise to a carrier concentration of >1019 cm−3, exceeding the doping limit of GaAs. However, due to scatterings from point defects generated during PLM, the mobility of n-type GaAs after PLM is low (∼80–260 cm2/V s). Subsequent RTA after PLM (PLM + RTA) is able to remove these point defects and recover the mobility to ∼1000–2000 cm2/V s. The carrier concentrations of these PLM + RTA samples are reduced but are still a factor of 3 higher than RTA only GaAs. This can be understood as the dopants are already incorporated in the substitutional site after PLM; they are less likely to be “deactivated” by subsequent RTA. This work is significant to the understanding of doping mechanisms in semiconductors and provides a means for device applications, which require materials with ultra-high doping.

Growth of titania and tin oxide from Ti2SnC via rapid thermal oxidation in air for lithium‐ion battery application

AbstractHerein, we report the synthesis of TiO2–SnO2–C/carbide hybrid electrode materials for Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) via two different methods of controlled oxidation of layered Ti2SnC. The material was partially oxidized in an open‐air furnace (OAF) or using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) approach to obtain the desired TiO2–SnO2–C/carbide hybrid material; the carbide phase encompassed both residual Ti2SnC and TiC as a reaction product. We tested the oxidized materials as an anode in a half cell to investigate their electrochemical performance in LIBs. Analysis of the various oxidation conditions indicated the highest initial lithiation capacity of 838 mAh/g at 100 mA/g for the sample oxidized in the OAF at 700°C for 1 h. Still, the delithiation capacity dropped to 427 mAh/g and faded over cycling. Long‐term cycling demonstrated that the RTA sample treated at 800°C for 30 s was the most efficient, as it demonstrated a reversible capacity of around 270 mAh/g after 150 cycles, as well as a specific capacity of about 150 mAh/g under high cycling rate (2000 mA/g). Given the materials’ promising performance, this processing method could likely be applied to many other members of the MAX family, with a wide range of energy storage applications.

Electronic transport properties of Ti-supersaturated Si processed by rapid thermal annealing or pulsed-laser melting

In the scope of supersaturated semiconductors for infrared detectors, we implanted Si samples with Ti at high doses and processed them by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to recover the crystal quality. Also, for comparative purposes, some samples were processed by pulsed-laser melting. We measured the electronic transport properties at variable temperatures and analyzed the results. The results indicate that, for RTA samples, surface layers with a high Ti concentration have negligible conductivity due to defects. In contrast, the implantation tail region has measurable conductivity due to very high electron mobility. This region shows the activation of a very shallow donor and a deep donor level. While deep levels have been previously reported for Ti in Si, such a shallow level has never been measured, and we suggest that it originates from Ti-Si complexes. Finally, a decoupling effect between the implanted layer and the substrate seems to be present, and a bilayer model is applied to fit the measured properties. The fitted parameters follow the Meyer–Neldel rule. The role of the implantation tails in Si supersaturated with Ti is revealed in this work.

Properties of ITO thin films rapid thermally annealed in different exposures of nitrogen gas

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were rapid thermal annealed (RTA) for 5 min at a temperature of 550 °C in different exposures of nitrogen gas. Effects of these exposures on the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of these films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and field emission-scanning electron microscopy, four-point probe and hall effect measurements, and ultraviolet–visible-near-infrared (UV–VIS–NIR) spectrophotometer, respectively. The un-exposed RTA ITO films maintained (400) plane preferential orientation similar to the un-annealed sample. However, this plane preferential orientation was reduced relative to (222) plane for exposed RTA sample. The grains and surface roughness parameters were reduced for exposed and enhanced for un-exposed RTA samples as compared to the un-annealed sample. Relatively higher electrical conductivity, average solar transmittance, and bandgap values were observed for ITO films annealed while exposed to nitrogen gas. The exposed RTA ITO films showed sheet resistance of 7.91 Ω sq−1, average solar transmittance of 83%, and bandgap of 3.93 eV. Findings from this study suggest that RTA exposure have the potential to control ITO thin films properties, hence, extending its potential applications.

Long time aging effect on Be-implanted GaN epitaxial layer

Be-implanted GaN thin films grown by low-pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (LP-MOCVD), the postimplantation rapid thermal annealing (RTA) samples and the postimplantation RTA samples after 18 years’ room temperature (RT) aging were investigated by Resonant Raman scattering (RRS). It was observed that the Resonant Raman scattering intensity is most enhanced in the 4th order A1 (LO) mode in the after aging sample rather than both the 4th and 5th order A1(LO) mode at different temperatures in the postimplantation RTA sample, which is attributed to a different prominent laser excited emission involved in the RRS processes in the sample before and after aging. A jump step of the intensities of RRS modes was observed at 170 K. Based on the temperature dependent and power dependent RRS spectra, we estimate quantitatively the properties of the optical emission participated in RRS processes below and above this temperature, with the assumption that the intensity of the RRS modes is linearly proportional to the intensity of the optical emission involved in it. We obtained the activation energy of 65 meV and 85 meV for two emissions, respectively, and confirmed both emissions are not band edge related emission with power density dependent RRS spectra. We proposed the dominant optical emission changed from band edge emission to dopant related emission after aging. This study provides an evidence of evolution of optical properties and microstructures in postimplantation RTA GaN epilayers over long time RT aging, which could be a benefit to studying reliability control of devices based on this material.

Employment of rapid thermal annealing for solution-processed InGaZnO thin film transistors

We employed rapid thermal annealing (RTA) as a novel approach to anneal indium–gallium–zinc–oxide films for thin film transistor (TFT) applications. We analyzed the binding states of the elements presented in the films annealed with RTA and hot plate based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. The investigation confirmed that the RTA samples underwent sol–gel reactions at a low temperature of 180 °C. We also acquired the transfer curves of the TFTs incorporated with the samples. The RTA samples exhibited a high on-current level, whereas the hot plate sample annealed at the same temperature demonstrated nearly no current flow. The data manifested that RTA generated both photonic and thermal energies, thus efficiently facilitating sol–gel reactions at a low temperature. Furthermore, we investigated on the energy band structures of the annealed films based on reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, discovering that the annealing atmosphere significantly affected the band structure of the film.

Rapid Thermal Processed CuInSe2 Layers Prepared by Electrochemical Route for Photovoltaic Applications

Impact of rapid thermal (RT) annealing and normal selenization process on the properties of CuInSe2 (CIS) layers prepared by electrochemical route is reported. Cyclic voltammetric measurement was carried out to optimize the co-deposition potentials. A range of characterization techniques were employed to study the properties. Three prominent reflections(112),(204/220) and (312/116) of tetragonal CIS were exhibited in as-deposited CIS layers. Upon selenization, the crystallinity was found to be improved. Uniform, compact, densely packed surface morphology was observed in as-prepared sample. Large grains are developed upon RT annealing due to recrystallization. Elemental composition obtained by EDAX confirms the growth of stoichiometric layers. Photo-electrochemical study demonstrates the p-type conductivity. Current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were conducted to investigate the influence of the grain size and crystallinity on electrical properties. Energy band-gap estimated from absorption spectra were 1.18, 1.04 and 0.98 eV for as-deposited, selenized, RT annealed samples, respectively. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of Cu+, In3+ and Se2− oxidation states in all CIS layers. Power conversion efficiency of 3.05% and 5.94% were achieved for selenized and RT annealed samples, respectively. The improved efficiency measured for RT annealed sample is proposed due to the growth of highly crystalline, large grain and compact surface morphology.

Formation of silicon nanocrystals in silicon carbide using flash lamp annealing

During the formation of Si nanocrystals (Si NC) in SixC1−x layers via solid-phase crystallization, the unintended formation of nanocrystalline SiC reduces the minority carrier lifetime and therefore the performance of SixC1−x as an absorber layer in solar cells. A significant reduction in the annealing time may suppress the crystallization of the SiC matrix while maintaining the formation of Si NC. In this study, we investigated the crystallization of stoichiometric SiC and Si-rich SiC using conventional rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and nonequilibrium millisecond range flash lamp annealing (FLA). The investigated SixC1−x films were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and annealed at temperatures from 700 °C to 1100 °C for RTA and at flash energies between 34 J/cm2 and 62 J/cm2 for FLA. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy were conducted to investigate hydrogen effusion, Si and SiC NC growth, and SiC crystallinity. Both the Si content and the choice of the annealing process affect the crystallization behavior. It is shown that under certain conditions, FLA can be successfully utilized for the formation of Si NC in a SiC matrix, which closely resembles Si NC in a SiC matrix achieved by RTA. The samples must have excess Si, and the flash energy should not exceed 40 J/cm2 and 47 J/cm2 for Si0.63C0.37 and Si0.77C0.23 samples, respectively. Under these conditions, FLA succeeds in producing Si NC of a given size in less crystalline SiC than RTA does. This result is discussed in terms of nucleation and crystal growth using classical crystallization theory. For FLA and RTA samples, an opposite relationship between NC size and Si content was observed and attributed either to the dependence of H effusion on Si content or to the optical absorption properties of the materials, which also depend on the Si content.

Effect of different annealing treatment methods on the Ni/SiC contact interface properties

Nickle ohmic contacts on the Si-face of n-type 4H-SiC are prepared by both rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and laser spark annealing (LSA). The effects of the different annealing procedures on the cathode surface morphology, cathode/substrate cross sectional morphology, element composition, microscopic structure of carbon clusters in the SiC substrate near surface, are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectra, respectively. The tests and analyses show that both thermal treatments can help to form ohmic contacts. The specific contact resistances of RTA sample and LSA sample are measured to be 5.2× 10-4 Ω ·cm2 and 1.8× 10-4Ω·cm2 by transmission line model, respectively. The Ni film of RTA sample shrinks badly thus forms tiny islands on the surface, while the surface of LSA sample remains relatively smooth. The root-mean-square (RMS) values of surface roughness of the Ni films of as-deposited, RTA and LSA samples are 8.65 nm, 91.3 nm and 17.5 nm, respectively. The Ni/SiC interface of RTA sample corrodes badly, and Si can be found in the whole Ni film, indicating an overall consumption of Ni to react with Si forming NiSi compounds; C atoms, which do not react with Ni atoms，cluster to the average size of about 40 Å, and gather approximately as a layer located about 20-30 nm off the Ni/SiC interface. The Ni/SiC interface of LSA sample is relatively smooth, and a small quantity of Ni atoms diffuse into the SiC wafer, forming lots of ternary phase diffusion zones of about tens of nanometers deep into the SiC wafer, in which C, Si, Ni atoms are distributed uniformly; the average size of C clusters is smaller than that in RTA sample and no obvious C enriched zone was found, while neither Si atom nor C atom is found to diffuse into the Ni film.#br#The ohmic contacts prepared by LSA have obvious advantages compared with those by RTA in many aspects such as cathode surface morphology, interface morphology, uniformity of components in cathode films, etc. All the results mentioned above make LSA a promising method of thermal treatment in preparation of ohmic contacts.

Hydrogen engineering via plasma immersion ion implantation and flash lamp annealing in silicon-based solar cell substrates

Higher conversion efficiencies while reducing costs at the same time is the ultimate goal driving the advancement of solar cell development. In this work, solar cell emitters are formed in Si substrates by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) of phosphine and posterior millisecond-range flash lamp annealing (FLA). In Si-based solar cells, hydrogen plays a fundamental role due to its excellent passivation properties. The optical and electrical properties of the fabricated emitters will be studied, with particular interest in their dependence on the hydrogen content present in the samples. The influence of different FLA annealing parameters and a comparison with traditional thermal treatments such as rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and furnace annealing (FA) will be presented. The samples treated by FLA at 1200 °C for 20 ms in forming gas show sheet resistance values of the order of 60 Ω/◻, and minority carrier diffusion lengths in the range of ∼200 μm without the use of a capping layer for surface passivation. Those results are significantly better than the ones observed from RTA or FA annealed samples. The simultaneous implantation of hydrogen during the doping process, combined with optimal FLA annealing parameters, gave promising results for the application of this technology in replacing the conventional POCl3 deposition and diffusion.

Effective dopant activation by susceptor-assisted microwave annealing of low energy boron implanted and phosphorus implanted silicon

Rapid processing and reduced end-of-range diffusion result from susceptor-assisted microwave (MW) annealing, making this technique an efficient processing alternative for electrically activating dopants within ion-implanted semiconductors. Sheet resistance and Hall measurements provide evidence of electrical activation. Susceptor-assisted MW annealing, of ion-implanted Si, enables more effective dopant activation and at lower temperatures than required for rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Raman spectroscopy and ion channeling analyses are used to monitor the extent of ion implantation damage and recrystallization. The presence and behavior of extended defects are monitored by cross-section transmission electron microscopy. Phosphorus implanted Si samples experience effective electrical activation upon MW annealing. On the other hand, when boron implanted Si is MW annealed, the growth of extended defects results in reduced crystalline quality that hinders the electrical activation process. Further comparison of dopant diffusion resulting from MW annealing and rapid thermal annealing is performed using secondary ion mass spectroscopy. MW annealed ion implanted samples show less end-of-range diffusion when compared to RTA samples. In particular, MW annealed P+ implanted samples achieve no visible diffusion and equivalent electrical activation at a lower temperature and with a shorter time-duration of annealing compared to RTA. In this study, the peak temperature attained during annealing does not depend on the dopant species or dose, for susceptor-assisted MW annealing of ion-implanted Si.

Co-DOPED ZnO NANOWIRES GROWN BY VAPOR–LIQUID–SOLID METHOD: STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL AND MAGNETIC STUDIES

We report on the growth of Co -doped ZnO nanowires (NWs) on Si substrate using a self-catalytic vapor deposition method from a Co -doped ZnO nanopowder source and study its structural, optical and magnetic properties for the as-grown and rapid thermal annealed samples. Co (5%)-doped ZnO ( ZnCoO ) nanoparticles (NPs) are used as source material for the growth process. Electron microscopy imaging clearly reveals the formation of long ZnO NWs with uniform diameter. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the single crystalline hexagonal structure of Co -doped ZnO NWs without impurities of metallic cobalt or other phases. Micro-Raman studies of doped samples show doping/disorder induced additional modes as compared to the undoped ZnO . Room temperature photoluminescence spectra of the doped ZnO NWs show strong emission band at ~380 nm and no significant emission was observed in the visible region indicating low defect content in the NWs. The field dependent magnetization (M–H curve) measured at room temperature exhibits paramagnetic nature for the NWs with the magnetic moment in the range 2–3.7 milli-emu/cm2 for the applied field of 2 Tesla, while the source ZnCoO NPs exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism with saturation magnetization ~6 emu/g. Possible mechanism of alteration in magnetic behavior in doped NWs are discussed based on the growth conditions and role of defects.

Effects of thermal treatments on the formation of nanocrystalline Si embedded in Si-rich oxide films

Silicon oxide films containing nanocrystalline Si (nc-Si) are fabricated by magnetron sputtering method followed by one-step-annealing, two-step-annealing and rapid thermal annealing (RTA), separately. In silicon-rich oxide films containing ～ 42.63 at.% of Si, dense nc-Si in a magnitude of 1012/cm-2 are obtained in all of the samples subjected to three different thermal treatments. In the two-step-annealing sample, the density of nc-Si reachs a maximum (2.2× 1012/cm-2), and the nc-Si is well crystallized and uniform in size distribution. In the one-step-annealing sample, the density of nc-Si is silightly lower than in the two-step-annealing sample, and large deficiently crystallized nc-Si is observed in the sample. The RTA leads to the lowest density of nc-Si with the largest size distribution among the three samples. Moreover, large nc-Si formed by coalescence of small ones and twin crystals are also discovered in the RTA sample. It is believed that nucleation at the early stage of nanocrystal growth influences the density and the micostructure of nc-Si. The annealing at low temperature in the two-step-annealing facilitates the formation of new nulcei, which is beneficial to improving the quality and density of nc-Si.

Dopant Activation in Arsenic-Implanted Si by Susceptor-Assisted Low-Temperature Microwave Anneal

It is important for nanoscale transistors to have abrupt junctions, which are difficult to achieve via high-temperature anneals of implanted semiconductor layers due to undesired dopant diffusion. The use of a single-frequency microwave cavity applicator, along with a SiC-Alumina susceptor/assistor, is suggested as an alternative postimplantation process. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis of microwave-annealed As-implanted Si samples show minimal diffusion, compared to rapid thermal annealed samples. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirm damage repair and Si recrystallization upon low-temperature microwave annealing (up to 650°C). Ion channeling and sheet resistance measurements validate dopant relocation and activation. The susceptor is used to provide surface heating to the high-atomic-number <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Z</i> implanted sample to enable it to absorb microwaves and thereby recrystallize through volumetric heating.

Dependence of N incorporation into (Ga)InAsN QDs on Ga content probed by rapid thermal annealing

AbstractIn this letter we demonstrate that the N incorporation into (Ga)InAsN quantum dots (QDs), grown on GaAs (100) by radio‐frequency (RF) plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), is enhanced as the Ga content increases up to 30% and decreases for Ga contents higher than 30%. Thus, this effect exhibits a maximum N incorporation with a Ga content of 30%. Two sets of (Ga)InAsN QDs samples have been grown under the same growth conditions but with different N contents in one of them and with different Ga concentration in the other set. Optical analysis using Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of the as‐grown and post growth rapid thermal annealed samples have been performed. The experimental results show a clear increase of the blueshift with the N concentration as occurred in dilute nitride quantum well (QW) structures. PL peak emission wavelength as high as 1.55 μm has been obtained from QDs capped with GaAs. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Analysis of Rapid Thermal Annealing Effect on MBE Grown GaAs1−x−Nx

We report on the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on GaAs1−x−Nx layers, grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), using room temperature spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). A comparative study was carried out on a set of GaAs1−x−Nx as-grown and the RTA samples with small nitrogen content (x = 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.5%). Thanks to the standard critical point model parameterization of the GaAs1−x−Nx extracted dielectric functions, we have determined the RTA effect, and its nitrogen dependence. We have found that RTA affects more samples with high nitrogen content. In addition, RTA is found to decrease the E1 energy nitrogen blueshift and increase the broadening parameters of E1, E1+Δ1, E′0 and E2 critical points.

Rapid thermal and swift heavy ion induced annealing of Co ion implanted GaN films

Thin epitaxial GaN films grown on 6H-SiC(0001) substrates were implanted with 180keV Co ions at three different fluences. As-implanted samples were characterized with secondary ion mass spectrometry and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry to obtain the Co depth profiles and the maximum Co concentrations. As-implanted samples were annealed applying two different techniques: rapid thermal annealing and annealing by swift heavy ion irradiation. Rapid thermal annealing was done at two temperatures: 1150°C for 20s and 700°C for 5min. 200MeV Ag ions at two fluences were used for annealing by irradiation. Crystalline structure of the pristine, as-implanted, and annealed samples was investigated using x-ray diffraction, and the results were compared. Improvement of the crystalline quality was observed for rapid thermal annealed samples at the higher annealing temperature as confirmed with rocking curve measurements. The results indicate the presence of Co clusters in these annealed samples. Swift heavy ion irradiation with the parameters chosen for this study did not lead to a significant annealing.

Multiple-pulse laser thermal annealing for the formation of Co-silicided junction

Formation of Co-silicide contact layers on narrow silicon regions using multiple-pulse excimer laser annealing is demonstrated. Excellent performance of junction leakage behavior can be attained on narrow-width n/sup +//p and p/sup +//n junction as compared with standard rapid thermal annealed samples. Liquid-phase epitaxial Co-silicide regrowth has been found to occur and create a smooth and abrupt silicide/Si interface with high junction integrity using multiple-pulse laser annealing. Heat confinement created by the shallow trench isolation surrounding the narrow-width n/sup +//p and p/sup +//n junctions has minimized rapid quenching that might result in an amorphous structure. This has facilitated the crystallization of Co-silicide with multiple-pulse laser annealing.

Effect of rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of MBE growth GaNAs films

We report the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the optical properties of GaN 0.01As 0.99 samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In particular, a blueshift of the PL peak energy is observed when annealing the samples at 650–900 °C. Samples annealed showed pronounced enhancement in PL intensity as compared to the as-grown sample, and 850 °C is proposed as the optimum RTA temperature. The results are examined as a consequence of RTA-induced nitrogen diffusion inside the GaN 0.01As 0.99 material rather than diffusion out of the alloy, which homogenizes initial nitrogen composition fluctuations. In addition, for photo-modulated reflectance (PR) spectra of RTA samples, the fundamental band gap transition ( E 0) and the transition from the spin–orbit split-off valence band ( E 0 + Δ 0 ) are observed. Both of the two transitions increase with increasing annealing temperature.