arXiv subjects

Hongping Zhao

Publications and source records attributed to Hongping Zhao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Enhancement-Mode Vertical $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ U-Trench MOSFET with MOCVD Regrown n$^+$ Contact Layers and Nitrogen-Implanted Current Blocking Layer

In this work, an implantation-free ohmic contact technology based on selectively MOCVD-regrown Si-doped n$^+$ layers is demonstrated for enhancement-mode vertical $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ U-trench MOSFETs. The regrown n$^+$ contact structure eliminates the need for implantation-based ohmic contact formation while maintaining excellent electrical characteristics. A multi-energy nitrogen-ion-implanted current blocking layer (CBL) followed by 1100~$^\circ$C activation annealing in N$_2$ ambient for 30 min was employed to achieve normally-OFF operation. Transmission line model measurements yielded a low specific contact resistivity of $2.65 \times 10^{-7}~\Omega\cdot$cm$^2$. The fabricated devices exhibited a threshold voltage of approximately 5~V, an ON/OFF current ratio of $1.15\times10^{6}$, a peak current density of 158A/cm$^2$, and a specific ON-resistance of 120.9~m$\Omega\cdot$cm$^2$. Three-terminal OFF-state breakdown voltages ranging from 920 to 980~V were achieved at $V_{GS}=0$~V. Multi-finger MOSFETs show current scaling to 0.25 A. These results demonstrate that selectively MOCVD-regrown n$^+$ contact layers provide a promising implantation-free approach for realizing high-performance vertical $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ power MOSFETs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Coordination-Sensitive Nanoscale Analysis of Defect-Driven Phase Transformation in Si-Doped (AlXGa1-X)2O3

Defect-driven phase instability critically influences the structural reliability of ultrawide bandgap oxides, yet direct nanoscale metrics linking local chemistry to structural transformation remain limited. Here, we introduce a coordination-sensitive atom probe tomography framework that quantitatively resolves reductions in local cation coordination and links them directly to defect-driven phase transformation. Using Si-doped beta-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 heterostructures with controlled Al composition (6-17%) and doping levels (10^17-10^20 cm^-3), we show that gamma-phase inclusions emerge exclusively under the combined conditions of elevated Al content and heavy Si doping. Two-dimensional compositional mapping reveals pronounced lateral Al/Ga inhomogeneity in these regions, while nearest-neighbor and radial distribution analyses quantitatively resolve a significant reduction in first-shell Ga coordination, consistent with local cation deficiency. Correlative scanning transmission electron microscopy confirms that these coordination-depleted regions coincide spatially with gamma-phase inclusions. Density functional theory further supports this mechanism, demonstrating that Al incorporation reduces monoclinic lattice stability and, in conjunction with donor-induced vacancy formation, facilitates vacancy-mediated cation rearrangement and coordination collapse. Together, these results establish coordination loss as a measurable nanoscale signature directly linked to defect-driven phase instability. This framework provides a generalizable approach for probing defect-driven phase instability in doped and alloyed ultrawide bandgap semiconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Microwave Performance of all MOCVD-grown AlScN/GaN MIS-HEMTs on Semi-Insulating GaN Substrates

We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of all MOCVD-grown long-gate AlScN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) on semi-insulating GaN substrates. Devices with a gate length of $1~\mu$m and gate-drain spacing of $0.9~\mu$ m exhibit a maximum drain current density of 1 A/mm, an on/off current ratio of $2\times 10^5$, and a three-terminal breakdown voltage of 63 V. The device has near-ideal subthreshold characteristics with a subthreshold swing of 63 mV/dec and a current dispersion as low as 7.8$\%$ at 10 V due to the excellent interfacial quality with a trap density ($D_\mathrm{it}$) of $2.11\times{10}^{11}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}eV^{-1}$ and the semi-insulating GaN substrate with a low threading dislocation density. Small-signal RF measurements reveal an $f_\mathrm{T}/f_\mathrm{max}$ of 25.8/51.1 GHz, while large-signal load-pull characterization at 10 GHz demonstrates an output power density of 4.04 W/mm with a power-added efficiency of 22.7$\%$. In addition, a minimum noise figure below 2.5 dB was measured over a wide drain current range from 100 mA/mm to 700 mA/mm below 6 GHz. These results extend previous demonstrations of short-gate MOCVD-grown AlScN/GaN HEMTs to the long-gate, high-voltage regime, confirming the robustness of this material system for both high-frequency and high-power device applications with favorable microwave noise performance.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of AlScN Thin Films and AlScN/AlN/GaN Heterostructures

AlScN thin films were grown via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), showing controllable incorporation of scandium (Sc) into the AlN lattices. Systematic variation of growth parameters demonstrated an obvious influence on Sc incorporation, with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicating Sc composition up to $\sim$13\% when (MCp)$_2$ScCl was used as the precursor. AlScN/AlN/GaN heterostructures grown on GaN templates exhibited the formation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel at the AlScN/AlN--GaN interface, confirming their potential use in high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device technologies. Variation in AlScN/AlN barrier thickness within the heterostructures showed that thicker barriers yield higher sheet charge densities from both Hall and capacitance-voltage (C--V) measurements. With an AlScN/AlN barrier thickness of $\sim$30~nm, a sheet charge density of $5.22\times10^{12}$~cm$^{-2}$ was extracted from C--V. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) further confirmed Sc incorporation and revealed the wurtzite crystalline structure of the films and heterostructures. These results establish MOCVD growth of AlScN as a promising and compatible material for advancing III-nitride heterostructures in high-performance electronics and potentially ferroelectrics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Optimizing Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition for Ultrawide Band-Gap MgSiN2 Thin Films

Orthorhombic II-IV nitride semiconductors offer an expanded and more tunable material set with unique properties, while maintaining close compatibility with the wurtzite crystal structure of the III-nitrides. In particular, MgSiN2, a II-IV nitride closely lattice matched to GaN and AlN has a band gap suitable for photonic applications in the UV-C wavelength region. MgSiN2 is also a promising candidate to exhibit ferroelectricity, which has only been observed in very few nitride materials. This study builds on our previous work on the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of MgSiN2 thin films grown on GaN-on-sapphire and c-plane sapphire substrates by exploring higher growth temperature windows, resulting in higher crystalline quality and improved interfaces. Correlations between the growth conditions (Mg:Si precursor molar flow rate ratio, reactor pressure, and growth temperatures from 900C to 960C) and the resultant film quality are investigated for films grown on GaN-on-sapphire. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) reveals high-quality orthorhombic single-crystal MgSiN2, confirming successful epitaxial growth on GaN. Optical transmittance measurements indicate the direct band gap is 6.34-6.36 eV and indirect band gap is 5.77-5.81 eV, affirming the realization of an ultrawide-band gap II-IV nitride semiconductor that is structurally compatible with existing III-nitride device platforms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of MgGeN2 films on GaN and sapphire

MgGeN2 films were synthesized using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on GaN/c-sapphire templates and c-plane sapphire substrates. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to estimate the cation composition ratios. To mitigate magnesium evaporation, the films were grown at pyrometer temperature 745 {\deg}C with a wafer rotation speed of 1000 rpm. Growth rates were determined by fitting energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy spectra to film thicknesses using NIST DTSA-II software. The thickness estimates determined by this method were consistent with scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements done for selected samples. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed faceted surfaces indicative of a tendency toward three-dimensional growth. X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed that the films were highly crystalline and exhibited preferential orientation in alignment with the substrate. Atomic force microscopy measurements show that film thicknesses are consistent across samples grown on both GaN templates and sapphire substrates, with typical roughnesses around 10 nm. Transmittance spectra of films grown on double-side-polished sapphire substrates yielded band gaps of 4.28 +- 0.06 eV for samples exhibiting close-to-ideal stoichiometry. Comparison of the measured spectra with ab initio calculations are in good agreement both near the band gap and at higher energies where excitation is into higher-lying bands. These findings provide insight into the growth and characterization of MgGeN2, contributing to the development of this material for potential applications in optoelectronics and power electronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of MgSiN$_{2}$ thin films

Orthorhombic-structured II-IV nitrides provide a promising opportunity to expand the material platform while maintaining compatibility with the wurtzite crystal structure of the traditional III-nitride material system. Among them, MgSiN$_{2}$ stands out due to its close compatibility with GaN and AlN and its theoretically predicted ultrawide direct band gap of 6.28 eV. In this work, the growth of MgSiN$_{2}$ thin films on GaN-on-sapphire and c-plane sapphire substrates was investigated using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). MOCVD growth conditions were correlated with film quality and crystallinity for samples grown on GaN-on-sapphire substrates. The effects of Mg:Si precursor molar flow rate ratios and growth pressure at two different temperatures, 745$^{\circ}$C and 850$^{\circ}$C, were studied comprehensively. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging confirmed the formation of high-quality, single-crystal MgSiN$_{2}$ films. Optical band gap extraction from transmittance measurements yielded direct band gap values ranging from 6.13 eV to 6.27 eV for samples grown under various conditions, confirming the realization of an ultrawide-band gap, III-nitride-compatible, II-IV-nitride material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Electrical and Structural Properties of In-Situ MOCVD Grown Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ MOSCAPs

This study investigates the electrical and structural properties of MOSCAPs with in-situ MOCVD-grown Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics on (010) $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ films. The Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ MOSCAPs showed a strong dependence on Al$_2$O$_3$ deposition temperature. At 900$^\circ$C, reduced voltage hysteresis ($\sim$0.3 V) and improved reverse breakdown voltage (74.5 V) were observed, with breakdown fields of 5.01 MV/cm in Al$_2$O$_3$ and 4.11 MV/cm in $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$. At 650$^\circ$C, higher hysteresis ($\sim$3.44 V) and lower reverse breakdown voltage (38.8 V) were observed, with breakdown fields of 3.69 MV/cm in Al$_2$O$_3$ and 2.87 MV/cm in $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$. However, forward breakdown fields improved from 5.62 MV/cm (900$^\circ$C) to 7.25 MV/cm (650$^\circ$C). STEM revealed improved crystallinity and sharper interfaces at 900$^\circ$C, enhancing reverse breakdown performance. For Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ MOSCAPs, increasing Al composition ($x$ = 5.5\% to 9.2\%) reduced carrier concentration and improved reverse breakdown fields from 2.55 to 2.90 MV/cm in $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ and 2.41 to 3.13 MV/cm in Al$_2$O$_3$. Forward breakdown fields in Al$_2$O$_3$ improved from 5.0 to 5.4 MV/cm as Al composition increased. STEM confirmed compositional homogeneity and excellent stoichiometry of Al$_2$O$_3$ and $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ layers. These findings highlight the robust electrical performance, high breakdown fields, and structural quality of Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ MOSCAPs for high-power applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Sub-100 nm {\beta}-Ga2O3 MOSFET with 55 GHz fMAX and >100 V breakdown

This letter reports a highly scaled 90 nm gate length beta-Ga2O3 T-gate MOSFET with no current collapse and record power gain cut off frequency (fMAX). The epitaxial stack of 60 nm thin channel MOSFET was grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and highly doped (n++) contact regrowth was carried out by Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) in the source/drain region. Maximum on current (IDS, MAX) of 160 mA/mm and transconductance (gm) around 36 mS/mm was measured at VDS= 10 V for LSD= 1.5 micrometer channel length. Transconductance is limited by higher channel sheet resistance (Rsheet). We observed no current collapse for both drain and gate lag measurement even at higher VDG,Q quiescent bias points. This is the first report of Ga2O3 FET showing no current collapse without any external passivation. Breakdown voltage around 125 V was reported for LGD= 1.2 micrometer. We extracted 27 GHz current gain cut off frequency (fT) and 55 GHz fMAX for 20 V drain bias. fMAX value mentioned here is the highest for Ga2O3 and the first demonstration of 55 GHz operation. fT. VBR product of 3.375 THz.V has been calculated which is comparable with state-of-art GaN HEMT. This letter suggests that Ga2O3 can be a suitable candidate for X-band application.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Electrical Characteristics of in situ Mg-doped beta-Ga2O3 Current-Blocking Layer for Vertical Devices

The lack of p-type doping has impeded the development of vertical gallium oxide (Ga2O3) devices. Current blocking layers (CBL) using implanted deep acceptors has been used to demonstrate vertical devices. This paper presents the first demonstration of in situ Mg-doped beta-Ga2O3 CBLs grown using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Device structures were designed with in-situ Mg doped layers with varied targeted Mg doping concentrations, which were calibrated by quantitative secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The effectiveness of the CBL is characterized using temperature dependent current-voltage measurements using n-Mg-doped-n structures, providing crucial insight into the underlying mechanisms. To further validate the experimental results, a TCAD simulation is performed and the electrically active effective doping is found to be dependent on the Mg-doping density, offering a new perspective on the optimization of CBL performance. Breakdown measurements show a 3.4 MV/cm field strength. This study represents a significant step forward in the development of Ga2O3-based devices and paves the way for future advancements in this exciting field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

7.86 kV GaN-on-GaN PN Power Diode with BaTiO3 for Electrical Field Management

Device based on GaN have great potential for high power switching applications due to its high breakdown field and high electron mobility. In this work, we present the device design of a vertical GaN-on-GaN PN power diode using high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectrics for electrical field management and high breakdown voltages, in together with guard-rings and a field plate. The fabricated diodes with a 57 um thick drift layer demonstrated a breakdown voltage of 7.86 kV on a bulk GaN substrate. The device has an on-resistance of 2.8 mohm.cm2 and a Baliga figure of merit of 22 GW/cm2.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 thin films on (001) \b{eta}-Ga2O3 substrates

Phase pure \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 thin films are grown on (001) oriented \b{eta}-Ga2O3 substrates via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). By systematically tuning the precursor molar flow rates, the epitaxial growth of coherently strained \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 films are demonstrated with up to 25% Al compositions as evaluated by high resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD). The asymmetrical reciprocal space mapping confirms the growth of coherent \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 films (x < 25%) on (001) \b{eta}-Ga2O3 substrates. While the films show smooth surface morphologies, the alloy inhomogeneity with local segregation of Al along (-201) plane is observed from atomic resolution STEM imaging, resulting in wavy and inhomogeneous interfaces in \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3/\b{eta}-Ga2O3 superlattice structure. Room temperature Raman spectra of \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 films show similar characteristics peaks as (001) \b{eta}-Ga2O3 substrate without obvious Raman shifts for films with different Al compositions. Atom probe tomography (APT) was used to investigate the atomic level structural chemistry with increasing Al content in the \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 films. A monotonous increase in chemical heterogeneity is observed from the in-plane Al/Ga distributions which was further confirmed via statistical frequency distribution analysis (FDA). Although the films exhibit alloy fluctuations, n-type doping with good electrical properties are demonstrated for films with various Al compositions. The determined valence and conduction band offsets at \b{eta}-(AlxGa1-x)2O3/\b{eta}-Ga2O3 heterojunctions using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal the formation of type-II (staggered) band alignment.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Beta-Ga2O3 MOSFETs with near 50 GHz fMAX and 5.4 MV/cm average breakdown field

This letter reports high-performance $\mathrm{\beta} Ga2O3 thin channel MOSFETs with T-gate and degenerately doped source/drain contacts regrown by MOCVD. Gate length scaling (LG= 160-200 nm) leads to a peak drain current (ID,MAX) of 285 mA/mm and peak trans-conductance (gm) of 52 mS/mm at 10 V drain bias with 23.5 Ohm mm on resistance (Ron). A low metal/n+ contact resistance of 0.078 Ohm mm was extracted from TLM measurement. Ron is dominated by interface resistance between channel and regrown layer. A gate-to-drain breakdown voltage of 192 V is measured for LGD = 355 nm resulting in average breakdown field (E_AVG) of 5.4 MV/cm. This E_AVG is the highest reported among all sub-micron gate length lateral FETs. RF measurements on 200 nm Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) passivated device shows a current gain cut off frequency (f_T) of 11 GHz and record power gain cut off frequency (f_MAX) of 48 GHz. The f_T.V_Br product is 2.11 THz.V for 192 V breakdown voltage. The switching figure of merit exceeds that of silicon and is comparable to mature wide-band gap devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

MOCVD growth and band offsets of \k{appa}-phase Ga2O3 on sapphire, GaN, AlN and YSZ substrates

Epitaxial growth of \k{appa}-phase Ga2O3 thin films are investigated on c-plane sapphire, GaN- and AlNon-sapphire, and (100) oriented yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The structural and surface morphological properties are investigated by comprehensive material characterization. Phase pure \k{appa}-Ga2O3 films are successfully grown on GaN-, AlN-on sapphire, and YSZ substrates through a systematical tuning of the growth parameters including the precursor molar flow rates, chamber pressure and growth temperature, whereas the growth on c-sapphire substrates leads to a mixture of \b{eta}- and \k{appa}polymorphs of Ga2O3 under the investigated growth conditions. The influence of the crystalline structure, surface morphology and roughness of \k{appa}-Ga2O3 films grown on different substrates are investigated as a function of precursor flow rate. High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) imaging of \k{appa}-Ga2O3 films reveals abrupt interfaces between the epitaxial film and the sapphire, GaN and YSZ substrates. The growth of single crystal orthorhombic \k{appa}Ga2O3 films is confirmed by analyzing the STEM nano-diffraction pattern. The chemical composition, surface stoichiometry, and the bandgap energies of \k{appa}-Ga2O3 thin films grown on different substrates are studied by high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The type-II (staggered) band alignments at three interfaces between \k{appa}-Ga2O3 and c-sapphire, AlN, and YSZ substrates are determined by XPS, with the exception of \k{appa}-Ga2O3/GaN interface, which shows type I (straddling) band alignment.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

In-situ MOCVD Growth and Band Offsets of Al$_2$O$_3$ Dielectric on $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ thin films

The in-situ metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics on $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ films is investigated as a function of crystal orientations and Al compositions of $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ films. The interface and film qualities of Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics are evaluated by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) imaging, which indicate the growth of high quality amorphous Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics with abrupt interfaces on (010), (100) and (-201) oriented $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ films. The surface stoichiometries of Al$_2$O$_3$ deposited on all orientations of $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ are found to be well maintained with a bandgap energy of 6.91 eV as evaluated by high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is consistent with the atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics. The evolution of band offsets at both in-situ MOCVD and ex-situ ALD deposited Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ are determined as a function of Al composition, indicating the influence of the deposition method, orientation, and Al composition of $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ films on resulting band alignments. Type II band alignments are determined at the MOCVD grown Al$_2$O$_3$/$\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ interfaces for (010) and (100) orientations, whereas type I band alignments with relatively lower conduction band offsets are observed along (-201) orientation. Results from this work revealed that the in-situ MOCVD deposited high quality Al$_2$O$_3$ dielectrics with sharp interfaces can be considered as a viable alternative of commonly used ex-situ deposited (ALD) Al$_2$O$_3$ for developing high performance $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ and $\beta$-(Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ based devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Young's Modulus and Corresponding Orientation in \beta-Ga2O3 Thin Films Resolved by Nanomechanical Resonators

We report on the non-destructive measurement of Young's modulus of thin-film single crystal beta gallium oxide (beta-Ga2O3) out of its nanoscale mechanical structures by measuring their fundamental mode resonance frequencies. From the measurements, we extract Young's modulus in (100) plane, EY,(100) = 261.4+/-20.6 GPa, for beta-Ga2O3 nanoflakes synthesized by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), and Young's modulus in [010] direction, EY,[010] = 245.8+/-9.2 GPa, for beta-Ga2O3 nanobelts mechanically cleaved from bulk beta-Ga2O3 crystal grown by edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. The Young's moduli extracted directly on nanomechanical resonant device platforms are comparable to theoretical values from first-principle calculations and experimentally extracted values from bulk crystal. This study yields important quantitative nanomechanical properties of beta-Ga2O3 crystals, and helps pave the way for further engineering of beta-Ga2O3 micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS) and transducers.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Optical phonon modes, static and high frequency dielectric constants, and effective electron mass parameter in cubic In$_2$O$_3$

A complete set of all optical phonon modes predicted by symmetry for bixbyite structure indium oxide is reported here from a combination of far-infrared and infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry, as well as first principle calculations. Dielectric function spectra measured on high quality, marginally electrically conductive melt grown single bulk crystals are obtained on a wavelength-by-wavelength (a.k.a. point-by-point) basis and by numerical reduction of a subtle free charge carrier Drude model contribution. A four-parameter semi-quantum model is applied to determine all sixteen pairs of infrared-active transverse and longitudinal optical phonon modes, including the high-frequency dielectric constant, $\varepsilon_{\infty}=4.05\pm 0.05$. The Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation then gives access to the static dielectric constant, $\varepsilon_{\mathrm{DC}}=10.55\pm 0.07$. All experimental results are in excellent agreement with our density functional theory calculations and with previously reported values, where existent. We also perform optical Hall effect measurements and determine for the unintentionally doped $n$-type sample a free electron density of $n=(2.81 \pm 0.01)\times 10^{17}$~cm$^{-3}$, mobility of $\mu=(112 \pm 3)$~cm$^{2}$/(Vs), and an effective mass parameter of $(0.208\pm0.006)m_e$. Density and mobility parameters compare very well with results of electrical Hall effect measurements. Our effective mass parameter, which is measured independently of any other experimental technique, represents the bottom curvature of the $\Gamma$ point in In$_2$O$_3$ in agreement with previous extrapolations. We use terahertz spectroscopic ellipsometry to measure the quasi-static response of In$_2$O$_3$, and our model validates the static dielectric constant obtained from the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Laser-Assisted Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of GaN

Ammonia (NH3) is commonly used as group V precursor in gallium nitride (GaN) metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The high background carbon (C) impurity in MOCVD GaN is related to the low pyrolysis efficiency of NH3, which represents one of the fundamental challenges hindering the development of high purity thick GaN for vertical high power device applications. This work uses a laser-assisted MOCVD (LA-MOCVD) growth technique to address the high-C issue in MOCVD GaN. Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser with wavelength of 9.219 um was utilized to facilitate NH3 decomposition via resonant vibrational excitation. The LA-MOCVD GaN growth rate (as high as 10 um/hr) shows a strong linear relationship with the trimethylgallium (TMGa) flow rate, indicating high effective V/III ratios and hence efficient NH3 decomposition. Pits-free surface morphology of LA-MOCVD GaN was demonstrated for films with growth rate as high as 8.5 um/hr. The background [C] in LA-MOCVD GaN films decreases monotonically as the laser power increases. A low [C] at 5.5E15 cm-3 was achieved in LA-MOCVD GaN film grown with the growth rate of 4 um/hr. Charge transport characterization of LA-MOCVD GaN films reveals high crystalline quality with room temperature mobility >1000 cm2/Vs. LA-MOCVD growth technique provides an enabling route to achieve high quality GaN epitaxy with low-C impurity and fast growth rate simultaneously. This technique can also be extended for epitaxy of other nitride-based semiconductors.

physics.app-ph↗