Increased size selectivity of Si quantum dots on SiC at low substrate temperatures: An ion-assisted self-organization approach

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3284941· OSTI ID:21476113

Seo, D H; Das Arulsamy, A ^[1]; Rider, A E ^[1]; Levchenko, I; Ostrikov, K ^[2]

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1. Complex Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006 (Australia)
2. CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, P.O. Box 218, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070 (Australia)

A simple, effective, and innovative approach based on ion-assisted self-organization is proposed to synthesize size-selected Si quantum dots (QDs) on SiC substrates at low substrate temperatures. Using hybrid numerical simulations, the formation of Si QDs through a self-organization approach is investigated by taking into account two distinct cases of Si QD formation using the ionization energy approximation theory, which considers ionized in-fluxes containing Si{sup 3+} and Si{sup 1+} ions in the presence of a microscopic nonuniform electric field induced by a variable surface bias. The results show that the highest percentage of the surface coverage by 1 and 2 nm size-selected QDs was achieved using a bias of -20 V and ions in the lowest charge state, namely, Si{sup 1+} ions in a low substrate temperature range (227-327 deg. C). As low substrate temperatures ({<=}500 deg. C) are desirable from a technological point of view, because (i) low-temperature deposition techniques are compatible with current thin-film Si-based solar cell fabrication and (ii) high processing temperatures can frequently cause damage to other components in electronic devices and destroy the tandem structure of Si QD-based third-generation solar cells, our results are highly relevant to the development of the third-generation all-Si tandem photovoltaic solar cells.

• OSTI ID: 21476113
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3284941; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
APPROXIMATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
FABRICATION
ION BEAMS
IONIZATION
PROCESSING
QUANTUM DOTS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON IONS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
BEAMS
CALCULATION METHODS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
IONS
MATERIALS
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SIMULATION
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT