Defects at nanoscale semiconductor interfaces: Challenges and opportunities
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract The past 75 years has been an exciting and dynamic time for solid-state electronic materials with advanced micro- and optoelectronic properties but point defects at semiconductor–metal interfaces that limit their operation have been a challenge to understand and control. These defects depend strongly on chemical structure at the intimate interface, and techniques have now developed to learn how their presence at nanoscale dimensions impact electronic structure at the macroscale. A combination of optical, electronic, and microscopic techniques can now enable new directions for defect research of metal–semiconductor interfaces at the nano/atomic scale. These nanoscale and atomic scale techniques can meet the experimental challenges inherent at this scale and create opportunities for new defect research of electronic material interfaces at a deeper level. Graphical Abstract
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Electronic and Structural Properties of Oxides · Semiconductor materials and devices · ZnO doping and properties
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (59)
Show source-provided references
1. Thin Films- Interdiffusion and Reactions, ed. J.M. Poate, K.N. Tu, and J.W. Mayer (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1978). ISBN 0–471–02238–1
2. J. Bardeen, Surface States and rectification at a metal semi-conductor contact. Phys. Rev. 71, 717 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.71.71710.1103/PhysRev.71.717 ↗
3. MRS Online Proceedings Library 2 (1) (1980). https://link.springer.com/journal/43582/volumes-and-issues/2-1
4. C.B. Duke, Twenty years of semiconductor surface and interface structure determination and prediction: the role of the annual conferences on the physics and chemistry of semiconductor interfaces. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 11, 1336–1346 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.58693810.1116/1.586938 ↗
5. E.H. Rhoderick, R.H. Williams, Metal-Semiconductor Contacts, 2nd edn. (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1988)
6. L.J. Brillson, The structure and properties of metal-semiconductor interfaces (North-Holland, Amsterdam). Surf Sci. Rep. 2, 123–326 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-5729(82)90001-210.1016/0167-5729(82)90001-2 ↗
7. I. Lindau, P. Pianetta, S. Doniach, W.E. Spicer, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Nature 250, 214 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/250214a010.1038/250214a0 ↗
8. J.R. Waldrop, R.W. Grant, Interface chemistry of metal-GaAs Schottky-barrier contacts. Appl. Phys. Lett. 34, 630 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.9064210.1063/1.90642 ↗
9. L.J. Brillson, G. Margaritondo, N.G. Stoffel, R.S. Bauer, R.Z. Bachrach, G. Hansson, Measurement and modulation of atomic interdiffusion at Au-GaAs (110) interfaces. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 17, 880 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.57060910.1116/1.570609 ↗
10. L.J. Brillson, Transition in Schottky barrier formation with chemical reactivity. Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 260 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.26010.1103/PhysRevLett.40.260 ↗
11. L.J. Brillson, C.F. Brucker, A.D. Katnani, N.G. Stoffel, G. Margaritondo, Chemical basis for InP-metal Schottky barrier formation. Appl. Phys. Lett. 38, 784 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.9216210.1063/1.92162 ↗
12. L.J. Brillson, C.F. Brucker, A.D. Katnani, N.G. Stoffel, G. Margaritondo, Atomic and electrical structure of InP-metal interfaces: a prototypical III-V compound semiconductor. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 19, 661 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.57108110.1116/1.571081 ↗
13. L.J. Brillson, Coupled interface plasmons of Al films on CdSe and CdS. Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 245 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.38.24510.1103/PhysRevLett.38.245 ↗
14. L.J. Brillson, G. Margaritondo, N.G. Stoffel, Atomic modulation of interdiffusion at Au–Al/GaAs interfaces. Phys. Rev. Lett. 44, 667 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.44.66710.1103/PhysRevLett.44.667 ↗
15. L.J. Brillson, C.F. Brucker, A.D. Katnani, N.G. Stoffel, G. Margaritondo, Abruptness of semiconductor-metal interfaces. Phys. Rev. Lett. 46, 838 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.46.83810.1103/PhysRevLett.46.838 ↗
16. L.J. Brillson, C.F. Brucker, A.D. Katnani, N.G. Stoffel, R. Daniels, G. Margaritondo, Fermi level pinning and chemical structure of InP-metal interfaces. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 21, 564 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.57176410.1116/1.571764 ↗
17. E.R. Weber, H. Ennen, U. Kaufmann, J. Windscheif, T. Wosinski, Identification of AsGa antisites in plastically deformed GaAs”. J. Appl. Phys. (1982). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.33157710.1063/1.331577 ↗
18. S.G. Louie, M.L. Cohen, Self-consistent pseudopotential calculation for a metal-semiconductor interface. Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 866 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.35.86610.1103/PhysRevLett.35.866 ↗
19. S.G. Louie, M.L. Cohen, Electronic structure of a metal-semiconductor interface. Phys. Rev. B 13, 2461 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.13.246110.1103/PhysRevB.13.2461 ↗
20. J. Tersoff, Schottky barrier heights and the continuum of gap states. Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 465 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.52.46510.1103/PhysRevLett.52.465 ↗
21. P.W. Peacock, J. Robertson, Band offsets and Schottky barrier heights of high dielectric constant oxides. J. Appl. Phys. 92, 4712 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.150638810.1063/1.1506388 ↗
22. Yacobi, B. G.; Holt, D. B. Cathodoluminescence Microscopy of Inorganic Solids. (New York: Plenum, 1990) 292 pp. ISBN: 0306433141.10.1007/978-1-4757-9595-0 ↗
23. L.J. Brillson, A.P. Young, G.H. Jessen, T.M. Levin, S.T. Bradley, S.H. Goss, J. Bae, Low energy electron-excited nano-luminescence spectroscopy of GaN surfaces and interfaces. Appl. Surf. Sci. 175–176, 442–449 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-4332(01)00098-810.1016/S0169-4332(01)00098-8 ↗
24. A. Raisanen, L.J. Brillson, R.S. Goldman, K.L. Kavanagh, H.H. Wieder, Optical detection of misfit dislocation-induced deep levels at InGaAs/GaAs heterojunctions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 3572 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.11120110.1063/1.111201 ↗
25. E.J. Miller, D.M. Schaadt, C.W. McKinney, E.T. Yu, X. Sun, L.J. Brillson, P. Waltereit, C. Poblenz, J.S. Speck, Origin and Microscopic mechanism for suppression of leakage currents in Schottky contacts to GaN grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. J. Appl. Phys. 94, 7611–7615 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.162746010.1063/1.1627460 ↗
26. B.D. White, M. Bataiev, S.H. Goss, X. Hu, A. Karmarkar, D.M. Fleetwood, R.D. Schrimpf, S.T. Pantelides, W.J. Schaff, and L.J. Brillson, “Electrical, Spectral, and Chemical Properties of 1.8 MeV Proton Irradiated AlGaN/GaN HEMT Structures as a Function of Proton Fluence,” IEEE Trans. Nuclear Sci., Proc. 40th Annual Int’l Nucl. Space Radiation Effects Conf. 50 (6) 1934–1941 (2003). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2003.82182710.1109/TNS.2003.821827 ↗
27. L.J. Brillson, A.P.Young, J. Schafer, H. Niimi, and G. Lucovsky, “Ultrathin Silicon Oxide and Nitride – Silicon Interface States,” in Ultrathin SiO2 and High – K Materials for ULSI Gate Dielectrics, ed. H.R.Huff, M.L.Green, T.Hattori, G. Lucovsky, and C.A.Richter, Proc. Materials Research Society (MRS Press, Warrendale, PA, 1999) 567, pp.549–558. https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-567-54910.1557/PROC-567-549 ↗
28. P.E. Smith, S.H. Goss, M. Gao, M.K. Hudait, Y. Lin, S.A. Ringel, L.J. Brillson, Atomic diffusion and band lineups at In0.53Ga0.47As-on-InP heterointerfaces. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B23, 1832–1837 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.194921810.1116/1.1949218 ↗
29. D. Doutt, H.L. Mosbacker, G. Cantwell, J. Zhang, J.J. Song, L.J. Brillson, Impact of near-surface defects and morphology on ZnO luminescence. Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 042111 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.307701510.1063/1.3077015 ↗
30. T.M. Levin, G.H. Jessen, F.A. Ponce, L.J. Brillson, Localized states at InGaN/GaN quantum well interfaces. Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 3835–3837 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.12547210.1063/1.125472 ↗
31. R.S. Okojie, D. Lukco, L.J. Brillson, S. Tumakha, G. Jessen, M. Zhang, P. Pirouz, Direct observation of oxidation-induced 4H-SiC – 3C-SiC polytypic transformation. Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 3056–3058 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.141534710.1063/1.1415347 ↗
32. L.J. Brillson, S. Tumakha, G.H. Jessen, R.S. Okojie, M. Zhang, P. Pirouz, Thermal and doping dependence of 4H-SiC polytype transformation. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 2785–2787 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.151281610.1063/1.1512816 ↗
33. M. Hetzer, Y.M. Strzhemechny, L.J. Brillson, M.A. Contreras, A. Zunger, Direct Observation of copper depletion and potential changes at copper indium gallium diselenide grain boundaries. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 162105–162107 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1906331g10.1063/1.1906331g ↗
34. J. Zhang, S. Walsh, C. Brooks, D.G. Schlom, L.J. Brillson, Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy study of defects in SrTiO3. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 26, 1466 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.291831510.1116/1.2918315 ↗
35. M.M. Rutkowski, K. McNicholas, Z.Q. Zeng, F. Tuomisto, L.J. Brillson, Optical identification of oxygen vacancy formation at SrTiO3-(Ba, Sr)TiO3 heterostructures. J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 47, 255303 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/47/25/25530310.1088/0022-3727/47/25/255303 ↗
36. L.J. Brillson, Applications of Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 45, 183001–183027 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/45/18/18300110.1088/0022-3727/45/18/183001 ↗
37. L.J. Brillson, Surfaces and Interfaces of Electronic Materials (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2010). Ch. 22. ISBN: 978352740915010.1002/9783527665709 ↗
38. A. Rose, “The Acoustoelectric effects and the energy losses by hot electrons-part II. RCA Rev. 27, 600–631 (1966)
39. D. Drouin, A.R. Couture, D. Joly, X. Tastet, V. Aimez, R. Gauvin, CASINO V2.42—A fast and easy-to-use modeling tool for scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis users. Scanning 29, 92 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1002/sca.2000010.1002/sca.20000 ↗
40. H.L. Mosbacker, C. Zgrabik, A. Swain, S. El Hage, M. Hetzer, D.C. Look, G. Cantwell, J. Zhang, J.J. Song, L.J. Brillson, Thermally driven defect formation and blocking layers at metal-ZnO interfaces. Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 072102 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.277266410.1063/1.2772664 ↗
41. F. Leiter, H. Alves, D. Pfisterer, N.G. Romanov, D.M. Hofmann, B.K. Meyer, Oxygen vacancies in ZnO. Phys. B 340–342, 201–204 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.03110.1016/j.physb.2003.09.031 ↗
42. Y. Dong, F. Tuomisto, B.G. Svensson, AYu. Kuznetsov, L.J. Brillson, Vacancy defect and defect cluster energetics in ion-implanted ZnO. Phys. Rev. B. 81, 081201(R) (2010). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.81.08120110.1103/PhysRevB.81.081201 ↗
43. E. A. Brandes , Smithells Metals Reference Book, 6th ed. (Butterworth, London, 1983),Chap.11, p. 94. ISBN-13 978–0750636247
44. L.J. Brillson, G.M. Foster, J. Cox, W.T. Ruane, A.B. Jarjour, H. Gao, H. von Wenckstern, M. Grundmann, I. Hyland, M.W. Allen, Defect characterization, Imaging, and control in wide band gap semiconductors and devices. J. Electron. Mat. 47, 4980–4986 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-018-6214-910.1007/s11664-018-6214-9 ↗
45. Chung-Han. Lin, Tyler A. Merz, D.R. Doutt, Jungwoo Joh, Jesus A. Del, U.K. Mishra. Alamo, Leonard J. Brillson, Strain and temperature dependence of defect formation at AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on a nanometer scale. IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. 59, 2667–2674 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1109/TED.2012.220659510.1109/TED.2012.2206595 ↗
46. C.-H. Lin, T.A. Merz, D.R. Doutt, M.J. Hetzer, J. Joh, J.A. del Alamo, U.K. Mishra, L.J. Brillson, Nanoscale mapping of temperature and defect evolution inside operating AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 033510 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.318910210.1063/1.3189102 ↗
47. C.-H. Lin, D.R. Doutt, U.K. Mishra, T.A. Merz, L.J. Brillson, Field-induced strain degradation of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on a nanometer scale. Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 223502 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.352139210.1063/1.3521392 ↗
48. J.W. Pomeroy, M. Kuball, D.J. Wallis, A.M. Keir, K.P. Hilton, R.S. Balmer, M.J. Uren, T. Martin, P.J. Heard, Thermal mapping of defects in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 103508 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.204182310.1063/1.2041823 ↗
49. J.A. del Alamo, J. Joh, GaN HEMT reliability. Microelectron. Reliab. 49(9–11), 1200–1206 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2009.07.00310.1016/j.microrel.2009.07.003 ↗
50. J. Joh, F. Gao, T. Palacios, J.A. del Alamo, A model for the critical voltage for electrical degradation of GaN high electron mobility transistors. Microelectron. Reliab. 50(6), 767–773 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2010.02.01510.1016/j.microrel.2010.02.015 ↗
51. Micah S. Haseman, Daram N. Ramdin, Wenshen Li, Kazuki Nomoto, Debdeep Jena, Huili Grace Xing, Leonard J. Brillson, Electric field induced migration of native point defects in Ga2O3 devices. J. Appl. Phys. 133, 035701 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.012454310.1063/5.0124543 ↗
52. J.B. Varley, A. Janotti, C. Franchini, C.G. Van de Walle, Role of self-trapping in luminescence and p-type conductivity of wide-band-gap oxides. Phys. Rev. B 85, 081109(R) (2012). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.08110910.1103/PhysRevB.85.081109 ↗
53. Mu. Sai, M. Wang, J.B. Varley, J.L. Lyons, D. Wickramaratne, C.G. Van de Walle, Role of carbon and hydrogen in limiting n-type doping of monoclinic (AlxGa1−x)2O3. Phys. Rev. B 105, 155201 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.105.15520110.1103/PhysRevB.105.155201 ↗
54. D.N. Ramdin, M.S. Haseman, H.-L. Huang, K.D. Leedy, J. Hwang, L.J. Brillson, Optical and electronic effects of rapid thermal annealing at Ir-Ga2O3 interfaces. J. Appl. Phys. 131, 205302 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.009016110.1063/5.0090161 ↗
55. J.R. Ritter, J. Huso, P.T. Dickens, J.B. Varley, K.G. Lynn, M.D. McCluskey, Compensation and hydrogen passivation of magnesium acceptors in β-Ga2O3. Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 052101 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.504462710.1063/1.5044627 ↗
56. J.M. Johnson, H.-L. Huang, M. Wang, S. Mu, J.B. Varley, A.F.M.A. Uddin Bhuiyan, Z. Feng, N.K. Kalarickal, S. Rajan, H. Zhao, C.G. Van de Walle, J. Hwang, APL Mater. 9, 051103 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.003976910.1063/5.0039769 ↗
57. J.M. Johnson, Z. Chen, J.B. Varley, C.M. Jackson, E. Farzana, Z. Zhang, A.R. Arehart, H.-L. Huang, A. Genc, S.A. Ringel, C.G. Van de Walle, D.A. Muller, J. Hwang, Unusual formation of point defect complexes in the ultra-wide band gap semiconductor β-Ga2O3. Phys. Rev. X 9, 041027 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.04102710.1103/PhysRevX.9.041027 ↗
58. Hsien-Lien. Huang, Jared M. Johnson, Christopher Chae, Alexander Senckowski, Man Hoi Wong, Jinwoo Hwang, Atomic scale mechanism of β to γ phase transformation in gallium oxide. Appl. Phys. Lett. 122, 251602 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.015600910.1063/5.0156009 ↗
59. D.N. Ramdin, M. S. Haseman, H.-L. Huang, K. D. Leedy, J. Hwang, and L. J. Brillson, unpublished