Valence and conduction band alignment at ScN interfaces with 3C-SiC (111) and 2H-GaN (0001)

Journal Article · Mon Aug 25 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4894010· OSTI ID:22310943

Nemanich, Robert J. ^[1]; Davis, Robert F. ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)
2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)

In order to understand and predict the behavior of future scandium nitride (ScN) semiconductor heterostructure devices, we have utilized in situ x-ray and ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the valence band offset (VBO) present at ScN/3C-SiC (111) and 2H-GaN (0001)/ScN (111) interfaces formed by ammonia gas source molecular beam epitaxy. The ScN/3C-SiC (111) VBO was dependent on the ScN growth temperature and resistivity. VBOs of 0.4 ± 0.1 and 0.1 ± 0.1 eV were, respectively, determined for ScN grown at 925 °C (low resistivity) and 800 °C (high resistivity). Using the band-gaps of 1.6 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.2 eV previously determined by reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy for the 925 and 800 °C ScN films, the respective conduction band offsets (CBO) for these interfaces were 0.4 ± 0.2 and 0.9 ± 0.2 eV. For a GaN (0001) interface with 925 °C ScN (111), the VBO and CBO were similarly determined to be 0.9 ± 0.1 and 0.9 ± 0.2 eV, respectively.

• OSTI ID: 22310943
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 105; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AMMONIA
ELECTRONS
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
EQUIPMENT
EV RANGE
FILMS
GALLIUM NITRIDES
INTERFACES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
REFLECTION
SCANDIUM
SCANDIUM NITRIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON CARBIDES
VALENCE
X RADIATION