RESUMEN
In this study, we investigate the changes in the crystalline structure of MBE-deposited SrTiO3 layers on Si with different deviations from Sr/Ti stoichiometry as deposited but also after annealing at high temperatures (>600 °C). We show that as-grown 15 nm thick non-stochiometric SrTiO3 layers present surprisingly lower FWHM values of the (002) omega diffraction peak compared to fully stoichiometric layers of similar thickness. This can misleadingly point to superior crystalline quality of such non-stochiometric layers. However, thermal post-deposition anneals of these layers at temperatures up to 850 °C in oxygen show strong detrimental effects on the crystalline structure, surface and interface with the Si (001) substrate. On the contrary, the post-deposition anneals applied to the stoichiometric samples strongly improve the physical, optical and electrical properties of the epitaxial SrTiO3 thin films.
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The radionuclide thorium-229 features an isomer with an exceptionally low excitation energy that enables direct laser manipulation of nuclear states. It constitutes one of the leading candidates for use in next-generation optical clocks1-3. This nuclear clock will be a unique tool for precise tests of fundamental physics4-9. Whereas indirect experimental evidence for the existence of such an extraordinary nuclear state is substantially older10, the proof of existence has been delivered only recently by observing the isomer's electron conversion decay11. The isomer's excitation energy, nuclear spin and electromagnetic moments, the electron conversion lifetime and a refined energy of the isomer have been measured12-16. In spite of recent progress, the isomer's radiative decay, a key ingredient for the development of a nuclear clock, remained unobserved. Here, we report the detection of the radiative decay of this low-energy isomer in thorium-229 (229mTh). By performing vacuum-ultraviolet spectroscopy of 229mTh incorporated into large-bandgap CaF2 and MgF2 crystals at the ISOLDE facility at CERN, photons of 8.338(24) eV are measured, in agreement with recent measurements14-16 and the uncertainty is decreased by a factor of seven. The half-life of 229mTh embedded in MgF2 is determined to be 670(102) s. The observation of the radiative decay in a large-bandgap crystal has important consequences for the design of a future nuclear clock and the improved uncertainty of the energy eases the search for direct laser excitation of the atomic nucleus.
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The growth of crystalline Li-based oxide thin films on silicon substrates is essential for the integration of next-generation solid-state lithionic and electronic devices including on-chip microbatteries, memristors, and sensors. However, growing crystalline oxides directly on silicon typically requires high temperatures and oxygen partial pressures, which leads to the formation of undesired chemical species at the interface compromising the crystal quality of the films. In this work, we employ a 2 nm gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3) buffer layer on Si substrates in order to grow crystalline thin films of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO), a well-known active material for lithium-ion batteries. The ultrathin γ-Al2O3 layer enables the formation of a stable heterostructure with sharp interfaces and drastically improves the LTO crystallographic and electrochemical properties. Long-term galvanostatic cycling of 50 nm LTO films in liquid-based half-cells demonstrates a high capacity retention of 91% after 5000 cycles at 100 C. Rate capability tests showcase a specific charge of 56 mA h g-1 at an exceptional C-rate of 5000 C (15 mA cm-2). Moreover, with sub-millisecond current pulse tests, the reported thin-film heterostructure exhibits rapid Li-ion (de)intercalation, which could lead to fast switching timescales in resistive memory devices and electrochemical transistors.
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Layered materials held together by weak van der Waals (vdW) interactions are a promising class of materials in the field of nanotechnology. Besides the potential for single layers, stacking of various vdW layers becomes even more promising since unique properties can hence be precisely engineered. The synthesis of stacked vdW layers, however, remains to date, hardly understood. Therefore, in this work, the vdW epitaxy of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) on single-crystalline TMD templates is investigated in depth. It is demonstrated that the role of lattice mismatch is insignificant. More importantly is the role of surface energy, calculated using density functional theory, which plays an essential role in the activation energy for adatom diffusion, hence nucleation density. This in turn correlates with defect density since the stacking sequence in vdW epitaxy is generally poorly controlled. Moreover, the vapor pressure of the transition metal is also found to correlate with adatom diffusion. Consequently, the proposed study enables important and new insight in the vdW epitaxy of multilayer 2D homo-/heterostructures.
RESUMEN
The increasing scientific and industry interest in 2D MX2 materials within the field of nanotechnology has made the single crystalline integration of large area van der Waals (vdW) layers on commercial substrates an important topic. The c-plane oriented (3D crystal) sapphire surface is believed to be an interesting substrate candidate for this challenging 2D/3D integration. Despite the many attempts that have been made, the yet incomplete understanding of vdW epitaxy still results in synthetic material that shows a crystallinity far too low compared to natural crystals that can be exfoliated onto commercial substrates. Thanks to its atomic control and in situ analysis possibilities, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) offers a potential solution and an appropriate method to enable a more in-depth understanding of this peculiar 2D/3D hetero-epitaxy. Here, we report on how various sapphire surface reconstructions, that are obtained by thermal annealing of the as-received substrates, influence the vdW epitaxy of the MBE-grown WSe2 monolayers (MLs). The surface chemistry and the interatomic arrangement of the reconstructed sapphire surfaces are shown to control the preferential in-plane epitaxial alignment of the stoichiometric WSe2 crystals. In addition, it is demonstrated that the reconstructions also affect the in-plane lattice parameter and thus the in-plane strain of the 2D vdW-bonded MLs. Hence, the results obtained in this work shine more light on the peculiar concept of vdW epitaxy, especially relevant for 2D materials integration on large-scale 3D crystal commercial substrates.
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Several approaches for growing III-V lasers on silicon were recently demonstrated. Most are not compatible with further integration, however, and rely on thick buffer layers and require special substrates. Recently, we demonstrated a novel approach for growing high quality InP without buffer on standard 001-silicon substrates using a selective growth process compatible with integration. Here we show high quality InGaAs layers can be grown on these InP-templates. High-resolution TEM analysis shows these layers are free of optically active defects. Contrary to InP, the InGaAs material exhibits strong photoluminescence for wavelengths relevant for integration with silicon photonics integrated circuits. Distributed feedback lasers were defined by etching a first order grating in the top surface of the device. Clear laser operation at a single wavelength with strong suppression of side modes was demonstrated. Compared to the previously demonstrated InP lasers 65% threshold reduction is observed. Demonstration of laser arrays with linearly increasing wavelength prove the control of the process and the high quality of the material. This is an important result toward realizing fully integrated photonic ICs on silicon substrates.
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An imperative factor in adapting GeSn as the channel material in CMOS technology, is the gate-oxide stack. The performance of GeSn transistors is degraded due to the high density of traps at the oxide-semiconductor interface. Several oxide-gate stacks have been pursued, and a midgap Dit obtained using the ac conductance method, is found in literature. However, a detailed signature of oxide traps like capture cross-section, donor/acceptor behavior and profile in the bandgap, is not yet available. We investigate the transition region between stoichiometric insulators and strained GeSn epitaxially grown on virtual Ge substrates. Al2O3 is used as high-κ oxide and either Ge1-xSnxO2 or GeO2 as interfacial layer oxide. The interface trap density (Dit) profile in the lower half of the bandgap is measured using deep level transient spectroscopy, and the importance of this technique for small bandgap materials like GeSn, is explained. Our results provide evidence for two conclusions. First, an interface traps density of 1.7 × 10(13) cm(-2)eV(-1) close to the valence band edge (Ev + 0.024 eV) and a capture cross-section (σp) of 1.7 × 10(-18) cm(2) is revealed for GeSnO2. These traps are associated with donor states. Second, it is shown that interfacial layer passivation of GeSn using GeO2 reduces the Dit by 1 order of magnitude (2.6 × 10(12) cm(-2)eV(-1)), in comparison to GeSnO2. The results are cross-verified using conductance method and saturation photovoltage technique. The Dit difference is associated with the presence of oxidized (Sn(4+)) and elemental Sn in the interfacial layer oxide.
RESUMEN
On-chip optical interconnects still miss a high-performance laser monolithically integrated on silicon. Here, we demonstrate a silicon-integrated InP nanolaser that operates at room temperature with a low threshold of 1.69 pJ and a large spontaneous emission factor of 0.04. An epitaxial scheme to grow relatively thick InP nanowires on (001) silicon is developed. The zincblende/wurtzite crystal phase polytypism and the formed type II heterostructures are found to promote lasing over a wide wavelength range.