Characteristics of nanocomposites and semiconductor heterostructure wafers using THz spectroscopy

Author

Hakan Altan, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

Fall 1-31-2005

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Physics - (Ph.D.)

Department

Federated Physics Department

First Advisor

John Francis Federici

Second Advisor

Haim Grebel

Third Advisor

Andrei Sirenko

Fourth Advisor

Zafar Iqbal

Fifth Advisor

Oleg Mitrofanov

Sixth Advisor

Martin Schaden

Abstract

All optical, THz-Time Domain Spectroscopic (THz-TDS) methods were employed towards determining the electrical characteristics of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Ion Implanted Si nanoclusters and Si_1-xGe_x HFO₂, SiO₂ on p-type Si wafers.

For the nanoscale composite materials, Visible Pump/THz Probe spectroscopy measurements were performed after observing that the samples were not sensitive to the THz radiation alone. The results suggest that the photoexcited nanotubes exhibit localized transport due to Lorentz-type photo-induced localized states from 0.2 to 0.7THz. The THz transmission is modeled through the photoexcited layer with an effective dielectric constant described by a Drude + Lorentz model and given by Maxwell-Garnett theory. Comparisons are made with other prevalent theories that describe electronic transport. Similar experiments were repeated for ion-implanted, 3-4nm Si nanoclusters in fused silica for which a similar behavior was observed.

In addition, a change in reflection from Si_1-xGe_x on Si, 200mm diameter semiconductor heterostructure wafers with 10% or 15% Ge content, was measured using THz-TDS methods. Drude model is utilized for the transmission/reflection measurements and from the reflection data the mobility of each wafer is estimated. Furthermore, the effect of high-K dielectric material (HfO₂) on the electrical properties of p-type silicon wafers was characterized by utilizing non-contact, differential (pump-pump off) spectroscopic methods to differ between HfO₂ and SiO₂ on Si wafers. The measurements are analyzed in two distinct transmission models, where one is an exact representation of the layered structure for each wafer and the other assumed that the response observed from the differential THz transmission was solely due to effects from interfacial traps between the dielectric layer and the substrate. The latter gave a more accurate picture of the carrier dynamics. From these measurements the effect of interfacial defects on transmission and mobility are quantitatively discussed.

Recommended Citation

Altan, Hakan, "Characteristics of nanocomposites and semiconductor heterostructure wafers using THz spectroscopy" (2005). Dissertations. 664.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/dissertations/664