| 1. |
- Chih-Wei, Chih-Wei, et al.
(författare)
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Direct epitaxial nanometer-thin InN of high structural quality on 4H-SiC by atomic layer deposition
- 2020
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 117:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Indium nitride (InN) is a highly promising material for high frequency electronics given its low bandgap and high electron mobility. The development of InN-based devices is hampered by the limitations in depositing very thin InN films of high quality. We demonstrate growth of high-structural-quality nanometer thin InN films on 4H-SiC by atomic layer deposition (ALD). High resolution x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show epitaxial growth and an atomically sharp interface between InN and 4H-SiC. The InN film is fully relaxed already after a few atomic layers and shows a very smooth morphology where the low surface roughness (0.14nm) is found to reproduce sub-nanometer surface features of the substrate. Raman measurements show an asymmetric broadening caused by grains in the InN film. Our results show the potential of ALD to prepare high-quality nanometer-thin InN films for subsequent formation of heterojunctions.
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| 2. |
- Högberg, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Reactive sputtering of CSx thin solid films using CS2 as precursor
- 2020
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Ingår i: Vacuum. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0042-207X .- 1879-2715. ; 182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We deposit CSx thin solid films by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering of a C target in an argon plasma, using carbon disulfide (CS2) as a precursor to film growth. We investigate the influence of the partial pressure of the CS2 vapor introduced into the plasma on the composition, the chemical bonding structure, the structural, and the mechanical properties as determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nanoindentation for films deposited at 150 and 300 degrees C. The Raman and the XPS results indicate that S atoms are incorporated in mostly sp(2) bonded C network. These results agree with previous ab-initio theoretical findings obtained by modeling of the CSx compound by the Synthetic Growth Concept. The microstructure of the films as well as the results of their Raman characterization and the nano mechanical testing results all point out that with the increasing S content some spa bonding is admixed in the predominantly sp(2) bonded CSx network, leading to typical amorphous structure with short and interlocked graphene-like planes for S contents between 2% and 8%. We conclude that CSx thin solid films deposited by using CS2 as a precursor would be CSx films deposited at low temperature of similar to 150 degrees C and with an S content in the region of 6 at.% may be interesting candidates for applications as hard/elastic protective coatings.
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| 3. |
- Kakanakova-Gueorguieva, Anelia, et al.
(författare)
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MOCVD of AlN on epitaxial graphene at extreme temperatures
- 2021
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Ingår i: CrystEngComm. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 1466-8033 .- 1466-8033. ; 23:2, s. 385-390
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The initial stages of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of AlN on epitaxial graphene at temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees C have been rationalized. The use of epitaxial graphene, in conjunction with high deposition temperatures, can deliver on the realization of nanometer thin AlN whose material quality is characterized by the appearance of luminescent centers with narrow spectral emission at room temperature. It has been elaborated, based on our previous comprehensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, that the impact of graphene on AlN growth consists in the way it promotes dissociation of the trimethylaluminum, (CH3)(3)Al, precursor with subsequent formation of Al adatoms during the initial stages of the deposition process. The high deposition temperatures ensure adequate surface diffusion of the Al adatoms which is an essential factor in material quality enhancement. The role of graphene in intervening with the dissociation of another precursor, trimethylgallium, (CH3)(3)Ga, has accordingly been speculated by presenting a case of propagation of ultrathin GaN of semiconductor quality. A lower deposition temperature of 1100 degrees C in this case has better preserved the structural integrity of epitaxial graphene. Breakage and decomposition of the graphene layers has been deduced in the case of AlN deposition at temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees C.
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| 4. |
- Kakanakova-Gueorguieva, Anelia, et al.
(författare)
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Nanoscale phenomena ruling deposition and intercalation of AlN at the graphene/SiC interface
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 12:37, s. 19470-19476
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The possibility for kinetic stabilization of prospective 2D AlN was explored by rationalizing metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) processes of AlN on epitaxial graphene. From the wide range of temperatures which can be covered in the same MOCVD reactor, the deposition was performed at the selected temperatures of 700, 900, and 1240 degrees C. The characterization of the structures by atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy revealed a broad range of surface nucleation and intercalation phenomena. These phenomena included the abundant formation of nucleation sites on graphene, the fragmentation of the graphene layers which accelerated with the deposition temperature, the delivery of excess precursor-derived carbon adatoms to the surface, as well as intercalation of sub-layers of aluminum atoms at the graphene/SiC interface. The conceptual understanding of these nanoscale phenomena was supported by our previous comprehensiveab initiomolecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations of the surface reaction of trimethylaluminum, (CH3)(3)Al, precursor with graphene. A case of applying trimethylindium, (CH3)(3)In, precursor to epitaxial graphene was considered in a comparative way.
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| 5. |
- Le, Son Phuong, et al.
(författare)
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GaN-based light-emitting materials prepared by hot-wall metal-organic chemical vapor deposition
- 2022
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Ingår i: Applied Physics A. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0947-8396 .- 1432-0630. ; 128:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GaN-based structures grown on SiC substrates by means of horizontal hot-wall metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were systematically characterized, revealing high crystal quality. The hot-wall MOCVD grown GaN, doped by Mg and Si, respectively showed low-resistivity hole and electron transport, competitive with the state-of-the-art GaN. High concentrations of free holes (similar to 2 x 10(17) cm(-3)) were achieved for the as-grown Mg-doped GaN without thermal annealing, thanks to advantageous heating characteristics of the "hot-wall" reactor. The analysis of optical and electrical properties brought a picture, where Mg is the only impurity defining energy levels in the hot-wall MOCVD p-type doped GaN. Besides, InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes employing such doped GaN materials in the carrier-transport layers were fabricated, resulting in high device performances. The devices exhibited bright electroluminescence with very narrow full widths at half maximum as well as negligible spectral shifts at high current levels (greater than or similar to 10 A/cm(2)). These results exemplified the rewards of the hot-wall MOCVD for development of high-quality nitrides-based structures, providing an attractive growth method to realize the demonstration of light-emitting devices with favorable properties.
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| 6. |
- Shtepliuk, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Clustering and Morphology Evolution of Gold on Nanostructured Surfaces of Silicon Carbide: Implications for Catalysis and Sensing
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Nano Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0970. ; 4:2, s. 1282-1293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A fundamental understanding of the behavior of gold (Au) nanostructures deposited on functional surfaces is imperative to discover and leverage interface-related phenomena that can boost the efficiency of existing electronic devices in sensorics, catalysis, and spintronics. In the present work, Au layers with nominal thickness of 2 nm were sputter-deposited on graphenized SiC substrates represented by buffer layer (BuL)/4H-SiC and monolayer epitaxial graphene (MLG)/4H-SiC. Morphometric analysis by means of scanning electron microscopy shows that Au on BuL self-assembles in nearly round-shaped plasmonically active islands, while on MLG, a fractal growth of considerably larger and ramified islands is observed. To correlate the experimentally established differences in surface morphology on the two types of graphenized substrates with energetics and kinetics of Au nanostructure growth, the deposit-substrate interaction strength was studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and optical measurements. The theoretical considerations involve participation of Au clusters with different sizes and energetics at the initial stages of the metal nanostructure formation. The results indicate that gold exhibits a considerably stronger interaction with BuL than with MLG, which can be considered as a key aspect for explaining the experimentally observed morphological differences. From the statistical analysis of Raman spectra, indications of Au intercalation of MLG are discussed. The current research shows that, due to its unique surface chemistry, buffer layer has peculiar affinity to gold when compared to other atomically flat surfaces, which is beneficial for boosting high-performance catalytic and sensing technologies based on low-dimensional materials.
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| 7. |
- Shtepliuk, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Electrochemical performance of gold-decorated graphene electrodes integrated with SiC
- 2023
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Ingår i: Microelectronic Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-9317 .- 1873-5568. ; 278
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we investigate the interface properties of gold (Au) decorated graphenized surfaces of 4H-SiC intended for electrochemical electrodes. These are fabricated using a two-step process: discontinuous Au layers with a nominal thickness of 2 nm are sputter-deposited onto 4H-SiC substrates with different graphenization extent—zero-layer graphene (ZLG) and monolayer epitaxial graphene) —followed by thermal annealing. By performing combined morphometric analysis, Raman mapping analysis, conductive atomic force microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, we shed light on the relationship between physical processes (Au intercalation, particle re-shaping, and de-wetting) caused by thermal annealing and the intrinsic properties of graphenized SiC (vertical electron transport, charge-transfer properties, vibrational properties, and catalytic activity). We find that the impedance spectra of all considered structures exhibit two semicircles in the high and low frequency regions, which may be attributed to the graphene/ZLG/SiC (or Au/graphene/ZLG/SiC) and SiC/ZLG/graphene/electrolyte (or SiC/ZLG//Au/electrolyte) interfaces, respectively. An equivalent circuit model is proposed to estimate the interface carrier transfer parameters. This work provides an in-depth comprehension of the way by which the Au/2D carbon/SiC interaction strength influences the interface properties of heterostructures, which can be helpful for developing high performance catalytic and sensing devices.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Shtepliuk, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the Interface Landscape of Noble Metals on Epitaxial Graphene
- 2021
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Ingår i: Physica Status Solidi (a) applications and materials science. - : Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft. - 1862-6300 .- 1862-6319. ; 218:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the interaction between noble metals (NMs) and epitaxial graphene is essential for the design and fabrication of novel devices. Within this framework, a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the effect of vapor-deposited NM (silver [Ag] and gold [Au]) nanostructures on the vibrational and electronic properties of monolayer epitaxial graphene (MLG) on 4H-SiC is presented. Large sets of Raman scattering data are analyzed using supervised classification and statistical methods. This analysis enables identification of the specific Raman fingerprints of Au- and Ag-decorated MLG originating from different dispersion interactions and charge transfer at the metal nanostructure/MLG interface. It is found that Raman scattering spectra of Au-decorated MLG feature a set of allowed phonon modes similar to those in pristine MLG, whereas the stronger Ag physisorption triggers an activation of defect-related phonon modes and electron doping of MLG. A principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) are leveraged to highlight the features in phonon dispersion of MLG that emanate from the NM deposition process and to robustly classify large-scale Raman spectra of metal-decorated graphene. The present results can be advantageous for designing highly selective sensor arrays on MLG patches decorated with different metals.
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| 10. |
- Shtepliuk, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Interplay between thin silver films and epitaxial graphene
- 2020
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Ingår i: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 381
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thin Ag films, with nominal thickness in the range 2 to 30 nm, are deposited using direct current magnetron sputtering and film morphology is studied by means of plan-view scanning electron microscopy. We find that for 2 mn nominal thickness the film surface consists of isolated circular nanoscale islands, which become interconnected as further material is deposited, leading to a continuous film at a nominal thickness of 30 nm. Our experimental findings are discussed in the context of the density functional theory results, which show that van der Waals forces dominate the interaction between Ag and epitaxial graphene. We also performed micro-Raman analysis and we find that the G and 2D modes of epitaxial graphene exhibit a red-shift upon Ag-layer deposition; which is interpreted as a result of charge transfer at the Ag/graphene interface. Moreover, we observed a pronounced enhancement of the G peak amplitude and area irrespective of the film nominal thickness and morphology, which we attribute to a combination of the charge transfer and plasmonic resonance effects. Our observations provide a critical information on the interaction between Ag and epitaxial graphene, which can be useful to design electronic and sensing devices based on Ag-epitaxial graphene hybrids.
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