Browsing by Author "George, Tom"

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Gate-Stack Engineering for Self-Organized Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe-Shell MOS Capacitors
(2016-02-11)
Lai, Wei-Ting
;
Yang, Kuo-Ching
;
Liao, Po-Hsiang
;
George, Tom
;
Li, Pei-Wen
We report the first-of-its-kind, self-organized gate-stack heterostructure of Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe-shell on Si fabricated in a single step through the selective oxidation of a SiGe-nanopatterned pillar over a Si3N4 buffer layer on a Si substrate. Process-controlled tunability of the Ge-dot size (7.5-90 nm), the SiO2 thickness (3-4 nm), and the SiGe-shell thickness (2-15 nm) have been demonstrated, enabling a practically achievable core building block for Ge-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices. Detailed morphologies, structural, and electrical interfacial properties of the SiO2/Ge-dot and SiO2/SiGe interfaces were assessed using transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and temperature-dependent high/low-frequency capacitance-voltage measurements. Notably, NiGe/SiO2/SiGe and Al/SiO2/Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe MOS capacitors exhibit low interface trap densities of as low as 3-5 x 10(11) cm(-2) eV(-1) and fixed charge densities of 1-5 x 10(11) cm(-2), suggesting good-quality SiO2/SiGe-shell and SiO2/Ge-dot interfaces. In addition, the advantage of having single-crystalline Si1-xGex shell (x > 0.5) in a compressive stress state in our self-aligned gate-stack heterostructure has great promise for possible SiGe (or Ge) MOS nanoelectronic and nanophotonic applications.
Ge nanodot-mediated densification and crystallization of low-pressure chemical vapor deposited Si3N4 for advanced complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor photonics and electronics applications
(2019-10-04)
Peng, Kang-Ping
;
Huang, Tsung Lin
;
George, Tom
;
Lin, Horng-Chih
;
Li, Pei-Wen
A new phenomenon of highly localized, nanoscale densification and crystallization of silicon-nitride (Si3N4) layers has been observed. A drastic reduction in the thermal budget (temperature and processing time) for local densification and even nanocrystallization of low-pressure chemical vapor deposited amorphous Si3N4 layers is mediated by the presence of Ge, Si, and O interstitials in close proximity to the Si3N4. The enhancement of localized densification and nanocrystallization observed in Si3N4 layers appears to be catalyzed by proximal Ge quantum dots (QDs) 'migrating' through the Si3N4/Si layers and are influenced by the oxidation time and Ge QD size. Implications of the highly localized, nanoscale densification and crystallization of silicon-nitride (Si3N4) layers for photonic and electronic device applications are discussed.
High Photoresponsivity Ge-dot PhotoMOSFETs for Low-power Monolithically-Integrated Si Optical Interconnects
(2017-03-16)
Kuo, Ming-Hao
;
Lee, Meng-Chun
;
Lin, Horng-Chih
;
George, Tom
;
Li, Pei-Wen
We report the demonstration of high-photoresponsivity Ge-dot photoMOSFETs in a standard MOS configuration for the detection of 850-1550 nm illumination. Each device has a self-organized, gate-stacking heterostructure of SiO2/Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe-channel which is simultaneously fabricated in a single oxidation step. Superior control of the geometrical size and chemical composition for our Ge nanodots/SiO2/Si1-xGex-shell MOS structure enables the practically-achievable, gate-stacking design for our Ge-dot photoMOSFETs. Both the gate oxide thickness and the diameter of the Ge dots are controllable. Large photocurrent enhancement was achieved for our Ge-dot photoMOSFETs when electrically-biased at ON-and OFF-states based on the Ge dot mediating photovoltaic and photoconductive effects, respectively. Both photoelectric conversion efficiency and response speed are significantly improved by reducing the gate-oxide thickness from 38.5 nm to 3.5 nm, and by decreasing Ge-dot size from 90 nm to 50 nm for a given areal density of Ge dots. Photoresponsivity ( R) values as high as 1.2 x 10(4) A/W and 300 A/W are measured for 10 nW illumination at 850 nm and 1550 nm, respectively. A response time of 0.48 ns and a 3 dB-frequency of 2 GHz were achieved for 50 nm-Ge-dot photoMOSFETs with channel lengths of 3 mu m under pulsed 850 nm illumination.
Tunable diameter and spacing of double Ge quantum dots using highly-controllable spacers and selective oxidation of SiGe
(2019-08-05)
Huang, Tsung-Lin
;
Peng, Kang-Ping
;
Chen, Ching-Lun
;
Lin, Horng-Chih
;
George, Tom
We report the novel tunability of the diameters and spacings of paired Ge double quantum dots (DQDs) using nano-spacer technology in combination with selective oxidation of Si0.85Ge0.15 at high temperature. Pairs of spherical-shaped Ge QDs were formed by the selective oxidation of poly-SiGe spacer islands at each sidewall corner of the nano-patterned Si3N4/poly-Si ridges. The diameters of the Ge spherical QDs are essentially determined by geometrical conditions (height, width, and length) of the nano-patterned spacer islands of poly-SiGe, which are tunable by adjusting the process times of deposition and etch back for poly-SiGe spacer layers in combination with the exposure dose of electron-beam lithography. Most importantly, the separations between the Ge DQDs are controllable by adjusting the widths of the poly-Si/Si3N4 ridges and the thermal oxidation times. Our self-organization and self-alignment approach achieved high symmetry within the Ge DQDs in terms of the individual QD diameters as well as the coupling barriers between the QDs and external electrodes in close proximity.
Very large photoresponsiviy and high photocurrent linearity for Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe photoMOSFETs under gate modulation
(2017-10-16)
Kuo, Ming-Hao
;
Hong, Po-Yu
;
Liu, Ping-Che
;
Lee, Meng-Chun
;
Lin, Horng-Chih
We report a novel visible-near infrared photoMOSFET containing a self-organized, gate-stacking heterostructure of SiO2/Ge-dot/SiO2/SiGe-channel on Si substrate that is simultaneously fabricated in a single oxidation step. Our typical photoMOSFETs exhibit very large photoresponsivity of 1000-3000A/W at low optical power (< 0.1 mu W) or large photocurrent gain of 10(3)-10(8)A/A with a wide dynamic power range of at least 6 orders of magnitude (nW-mW) linearity at 400-1250 nm illumination, depending on whether the photoMOSFET operates at V-G = + 3- + 4.5V or -1- + 1V. Numerical simulations reveal that photocarrier confinement within the Ge dots and the SiGe channel modifies the oxide field and the surface potential of SiGe, significantly increasing photocurrent and improving linearity. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America