Effect of Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation on electrical properties of Ti/Au/GaAs1-xNx Schottky diodes

Current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage-frequency (C-V-f) and conductance-voltage-frequency (G/ω-V-f) measurements at room temperature are used to study 50 kGy 60Co γ-ray electrical properties irradiation dependence of Ti/Au/GaAs1−xNx Schottky diodes with 0.2%; 0.4%; 0.8% and 1.2% nitrogen dilution. This γ-ray irradiation induces a permanent damage that has increased ideality factor and series resistance for all samples. It was accompanied by a decrease in Schottky barrier height with nitrogen content up to 0.4%N and remained constant thereafter. Radiation was also found to degrade the reverse leakage current. At high frequency (1 MHz), capacitance and conductance decreased after radiation due to a decrease in net doping concentration. Interface state density and series resistance were determined from C-V-f and G/ω-V-f characteristics using Hill-Coleman methods. Interface states density exponentially decreased with increasing frequency confirming the behavior of interface traps response to ac signal. Series resistance increases after irradiation is attributed to carrier's removal effect and mobility degradation. It has two peaks in the accumulation and inversion region for some diodes (0.4%N, 0.8%N). γ-ray irradiation produced traps levels and recombination centers that reduce relaxation time. An increase in %N content can impede irradiation damage with even some compensation when the percent of diluted nitrogen is high (1.2%N)

The MPIfR-MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey - I. System set-up and early results

Galactic plane radio surveys play a key role in improving our understanding of a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. Performing such a survey using the latest interferometric telescopes produces large data rates necessitating a shift towards fully or quasi-real-time data analysis with data being stored for only the time required to process them. We present here the overview and set-up for the 3000-h Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR)-MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey (MMGPS). The survey is unique by operating in a commensal mode, addressing key science objectives of the survey including the discovery of new pulsars and transients and studies of Galactic magnetism, the interstellar medium and star formation rates. We explain the strategy coupled with the necessary hardware and software infrastructure needed for data reduction in the imaging, spectral, and time domains. We have so far discovered 78 new pulsars including 17 confirmed binary systems of which two are potential double neutron star systems. We have also developed an imaging pipeline sensitive to the order of a few tens of micro-Jansky () with a spatial resolution of a few arcseconds. Further science operations with an in-house built S-band receiver operating between 1.7 and 3.5 GHz are about to commence. Early spectral line commissioning observations conducted at S-band, targeting transitions of the key molecular gas tracer CH at 3.3 GHz already illustrate the spectroscopic capabilities of this instrument. These results lay a strong foundation for future surveys with telescopes like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

The MPIfR–MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey – I. System set-up and early results

Galactic plane radio surveys play a key role in improving our understandingof a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. Performing such a survey using thelatest interferometric telescopes produces large data rates necessitating ashift towards fully or quasi-real-time data analysis with data being stored foronly the time required to process them. We present here the overview and setupfor the 3000 hour Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie (MPIfR) MeerKATGalactic Plane survey (MMGPS). The survey is unique by operating in a commensalmode, addressing key science objectives of the survey including the discoveryof new pulsars and transients as well as studies of Galactic magnetism, theinterstellar medium and star formation rates. We explain the strategy coupledwith the necessary hardware and software infrastructure needed for datareduction in the imaging, spectral and time domains. We have so far discovered78 new pulsars including 17 confirmed binary systems of which two are potentialdouble neutron star systems. We have also developed an imaging pipelinesensitive to the order of a few tens of micro-Jansky with a spatial resolutionof a few arcseconds. Further science operations with an in-house built S-Bandreceiver operating between 1.7-3.5 GHz are about to commence. Early spectralline commissioning observations conducted at S-Band, targeting transitions ofthe key molecular gas tracer CH at 3.3 GHz already illustrate the spectroscopiccapabilities of this instrument. These results lay a strong foundation forfuture surveys with telescopes like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).<br

On the interface states and series resistance profiles of (Ni/Au)-Al 0.22Ga0.78N/AlN/GaN heterostructures before and after 60Co (γ-ray) irradiation

The values of interface states (NSS) and series resistance (RS) of (Ni/Au)-Al0.22Ga0.78N/AlN/GaN heterostructures were obtained from admittance and current-voltage measurements before and after 250kGy 60Co irradiation. The analyses of these data indicate that the values of capacitance and conductance decrease, as the R S increases with increasing dose rate due to the generation of N SS. The increase in RS with increasing dose rate was attributed to two main models. According to the first model, it has been attributed to a direct decrease in the donor concentration in semiconductor material as a result of the elimination of shallow donor states. According to the second model, it is a result of irradiation because of the formation of deep acceptor centers in the semiconductor bulk, and electrons from the shallow donor centers are captured by these acceptors. © 2010 Taylor &amp; Francis