X-ray reflectometric and diffraction topographic methods were applied for examination of 4H and 6H silicon carbide substrates finished with various regimes, as well as, silicon carbide epitaxial layers. The investigations indicated a very good quality of the substrate surfaces finished with the process established at the Institute of Electronic Materials Technology, which provided the surface roughness σ = 0.55 ± 0.07 nm for 4H-SiC wafers. These values were better than those of substrate wafers offered by many commercial producers. The surface roughness was decreased during the initial high temperature etching to σ = 0.22 ± 0.07 nm. A relatively good structural quality was confirmed in the case of 4H epitaxial wafers deposited on the substrates prepared from the crystals manufactured at the IEMT, with the 8° off-cut from the main (001) plane.
We report on hard and soft X-ray reflectivity investigations of (Ni_{80}Fe_{20} (2.2 nm)/Au(2.3 nm)/Co(0.8 nm)/Au(2.3 nm))_{10} multilayers. Specular reflectivity curves were measured with Cu K_{α} radiation and circularly polarized synchrotron radiation tuned to Co L_{3} and Ni L_{3} absorption edges. Structural properties of the multilayers were determined from the hard X-ray reflectivity curve. Comparison of reflectivity curves taken at different photon energies shows: (i) small difference in peak positions in dependence of reflectivity versus scattering vector q, (ii) different shapes of satellite Bragg peaks, (iii) different ranges of q for appearance of the Kiessig fringes. Analysis of soft X-ray reflectivity curves taken as a function of magnetic field allows to determine magnetic properties of Co and NiFe layer specifically.
Results of characterization of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) are reported. High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) were applied to show that structural properties of the AlGaN/GaN layers strongly depend on the substrate used for growth. It has been found that an additional 10 μm thick HVPE GaN layer grown on a commercial GaN/sapphire substrate significantly improves structural quality of AlGaN layer. However, the best structural parameters have been obtained for the HEMT sample grown on free-standing HVPE bulk GaN substrate.
Undoped 4H silicon carbide epitaxial layers were deposited by means of CVD method with growth rates of 2 μm/h, 5 μm/h and 11 μm/h at 1540°C on n-doped 8°, 4° and 0° off-cut 4H-SiC (00·1) substrates. The structural defects were studied before and after growth of the epitaxial layers by means of conventional Lang topography, synchrotron white beam and monochromatic beam topography and by means of X-ray specular reflectometry. The topographic investigations confirmed the continuation of the dislocations in the epitaxial deposit on the 8° and 4° off-cut substrates without new extended defects. The important difference occurred in the surface roughness of the epitaxial layers, which increased for higher growth rates. The epitaxial layers grown on 0° off-cut substrates at analogous condition contained usually other SiC polytypes, but the influence of the growth rate on the distribution of the polytypes was observed.
X-ray reflectometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry methods were applied for determination of physical properties of gold nonolayers. The nanolayers were prepared by sputtering of gold on different substrates: borosilicate glass, polished crystalline quartz and crystalline silicon. With X-ray reflectometry technique roughness of the substrates and density, thickness and roughness of gold layers were determined. The results showed decrease in density of the gold layers due to their nanometer thickness and that roughness of the underlayer affects roughness of the gold layer. In addition, thicknesses of the gold layers measured with spectroscopic ellipsometry turned out to be in agreement, within the experimental uncertainty, with results of the X-ray reflectometry method.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.