Chemical composition of nanoporous layer formed by electrochemical etching of p-type GaAs

Abstract : We have performed a detailed characterization study of electrochemically etched p-type GaAs in a hydrofluoric acid-based electrolyte. The samples were investigated and characterized through cathodoluminescence (CL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that after electrochemical etching, the porous layer showed a major decrease in the CL intensity and a change in chemical composition and in the crystalline phase. Contrary to previous reports on p-GaAs porosification, which stated that the formed layer is composed of porous GaAs, we report evidence that the porous layer is in fact mainly constituted of porous As2O3. Finally, a qualitative model is proposed to explain the porous As2O3 layer formation on p-GaAs substrate

Substitutional synthesis of sub-nanometer InGaN/GaN quantum wells with high indium content

InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) with sub-nanometer thickness can be employed in short-period superlattices for bandgap engineering of efficient optoelectronic devices, as well as for exploiting topological insulator behavior in III-nitride semiconductors. However, it had been argued that the highest indium content in such ultra-thin QWs is kinetically limited to a maximum of 33%, narrowing down the potential range of applications. Here, it is demonstrated that quasi two-dimensional (quasi-2D) QWs with thickness of one atomic monolayer can be deposited with indium contents far exceeding this limit, under certain growth conditions. Multi-QW heterostructures were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and their composition and strain were determined with monolayer-scale spatial resolution using quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy in combination with atomistic calculations. Key findings such as the self-limited QW thickness and the non-monotonic dependence of the QW composition on the growth temperature under metal-rich growth conditions suggest the existence of a substitutional synthesis mechanism, involving the exchange between indium and gallium atoms at surface sites. The highest indium content in this work approached 50%, in agreement with photoluminescence measurements, surpassing by far the previously regarded compositional limit. The proposed synthesis mechanism can guide growth efforts towards binary InN/GaN quasi-2D QWs

Structural characterization of ZnO nanopillars grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on vicinal 4H-SiC and SiO2/Si substrates

The structural characteristics of ZnO nanocrystals epitaxially grown on p-type (0001) 4H-SiC substrates were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanocrystallites were grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The ZnO nanocrystals were formed at terraces introduced by vicinal 4H-SiC substrates toward the [11 (2) over bar0] direction. They had the shape of hexagonal nanopillars, with their edges parallel to the andlt; 11 (2) over bar0 andgt; directions and a top c-plane facet, reflecting the crystal symmetry of ZnO. The free surface between the hexagonal nanopillars was covered by a very thin and highly defected epitaxial ZnO film, which strongly suggests the Stranski-Krastanov mode of growth. The ZnO/SiC interface was systematically studied by plane view TEM and cross sectional high resolution TEM. The residual strain in the thin continuous film as well as in the nanopillars was estimated from Moire patterns and by geometrical phase analysis. ZnO was also deposited on the SiO2/Si substrate for comparison. The films were polycrystalline exhibiting strong preferred orientation, with the c-axes of the grains almost perpendicular to the substrate resulting in the formation of nanopillars. The differences of nanopillar formation in the two substrates, 4H-SiC and SiO2 is also discussed.Original Publication:I Tsiaoussis, Volodymyr Khranovskyy, G P Dimitrakopulos, J Stoemenos, Rositsa Yakimova and B Pecz, Structural characterization of ZnO nanopillars grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on vicinal 4H-SiC and SiO2/Si substrates, 2011, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, (109), 4, 043507.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3549140Copyright: American Institute of Physicshttp://www.aip.org