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Radiation effects on the electrical properties of hafnium oxide based MOS capacitors

Bielejec, Edward S.

Hafnium oxide-based MOS capacitors were investigated to determine electrical property response to radiation environments. In situ capacitance versus voltage measurements were analyzed to identify voltage shifting as a result of changes to trapped charge with increasing dose of gamma, neutron, and ion radiation. In situ measurements required investigation and optimization of capacitor fabrication to include dicing, cleaning, metalization, packaging, and wire bonding. A top metal contact of 200 angstroms of titanium followed by 2800 angstroms of gold allowed for repeatable wire bonding and proper electrical response. Gamma and ion irradiations of atomic layer deposited hafnium oxide on silicon devices both resulted in a midgap voltage shift of no more than 0.2 V toward less positive voltages. This shift indicates recombination of radiation induced positive charge with negative trapped charge in the bulk oxide. Silicon ion irradiation caused interface effects in addition to oxide trap effects that resulted in a flatband voltage shift of approximately 0.6 V also toward less positive voltages. Additionally, no bias dependent voltage shifts with gamma irradiation and strong oxide capacitance room temperature annealing after ion irradiation was observed. These characteristics, in addition to the small voltage shifts observed, demonstrate the radiation hardness of hafnium oxide and its applicability for use in space systems.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2010
OSTI

Spectroscopy and capacitance measurements of tunneling resonances in an Sb-implanted point contact

Bishop, Nathaniel B.; Stevens, Jeffrey S.; Childs, Kenton D.; Ohlhausen, J.A.; Lilly, Michael L.; Carroll, Malcolm; Young, Ralph W.; Bielejec, Edward S.; Ten Eyck, Gregory A.; Wendt, J.R.; Rahman, Rajib R.; Grubbs, Robert K.

We fabricated a split-gate defined point contact in a double gate enhancement mode Si-MOS device, and implanted Sb donor atoms using a self-aligned process. E-beam lithography in combination with a timed implant gives us excellent control over the placement of dopant atoms, and acts as a stepping stone to focused ion beam implantation of single donors. Our approach allows us considerable latitude in experimental design in-situ. We have identified two resonance conditions in the point contact conductance as a function of split gate voltage. Using tunneling spectroscopy, we probed their electronic structure as a function of temperature and magnetic field. We also determine the capacitive coupling between the resonant feature and several gates. Comparison between experimental values and extensive quasi-classical simulations constrain the location and energy of the resonant level. We discuss our results and how they may apply to resonant tunneling through a single donor.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2010
OSTI

Simulation of neutron displacement damage in bipolar junction transistors using high-energy heavy ion beams

Bielejec, Edward S.; Doyle, Barney L.; Buller, Daniel L.; Fleming, Robert M.; Hjalmarson, Harold P.

Electronic components such as bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) are damaged when they are exposed to radiation and, as a result, their performance can significantly degrade. In certain environments the radiation consists of short, high flux pulses of neutrons. Electronics components have traditionally been tested against short neutron pulses in pulsed nuclear reactors. These reactors are becoming less and less available; many of them were shut down permanently in the past few years. Therefore, new methods using radiation sources other than pulsed nuclear reactors needed to be developed. Neutrons affect semiconductors such as Si by causing atomic displacements of Si atoms. The recoiled Si atom creates a collision cascade which leads to displacements in Si. Since heavy ions create similar cascades in Si we can use them to create similar damage to what neutrons create. This LDRD successfully developed a new technique using easily available particle accelerators to provide an alternative to pulsed nuclear reactors to study the displacement damage and subsequent transient annealing that occurs in various transistor devices and potentially qualify them against radiation effects caused by pulsed neutrons.

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TYPE SAND Report YEAR 2006
OSTIDOI

LDRD final report on quantum computing using interacting semiconductor quantum wires

Bielejec, Edward S.; Lilly, Michael L.; Seamons, J.A.; Dunn, Roberto G.; Lyo, S.K.; Reno, J.L.; Stephenson, Larry L.; Simmons, J.A.

For several years now quantum computing has been viewed as a new paradigm for certain computing applications. Of particular importance to this burgeoning field is the development of an algorithm for factoring large numbers which obviously has deep implications for cryptography and national security. Implementation of these theoretical ideas faces extraordinary challenges in preparing and manipulating quantum states. The quantum transport group at Sandia has demonstrated world-leading, unique double quantum wires devices where we have unprecedented control over the coupling strength, number of 1 D channels, overlap and interaction strength in this nanoelectronic system. In this project, we study 1D-1D tunneling with the ultimate aim of preparing and detecting quantum states of the coupled wires. In a region of strong tunneling, electrons can coherently oscillate from one wire to the other. By controlling the velocity of the electrons, length of the coupling region and tunneling strength we will attempt to observe tunneling oscillations. This first step is critical for further development double quantum wires into the basic building block for a quantum computer, and indeed for other coupled nanoelectronic devices that will rely on coherent transport. If successful, this project will have important implications for nanoelectronics, quantum computing and information technology.

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TYPE SAND Report YEAR 2006
OSTIDOI

LDRD final report on engineered superconductivity in electron-hole bilayers

Lilly, Michael L.; Bielejec, Edward S.; Seamons, J.A.; Dunn, Roberto G.; Lyo, S.K.; Reno, J.L.; Stephenson, Larry L.; Baca, Wes E.; Simmons, J.A.

Macroscopic quantum states such as superconductors, Bose-Einstein condensates and superfluids are some of the most unusual states in nature. In this project, we proposed to design a semiconductor system with a 2D layer of electrons separated from a 2D layer of holes by a narrow (but high) barrier. Under certain conditions, the electrons would pair with the nearby holes and form excitons. At low temperature, these excitons could condense to a macroscopic quantum state either through a Bose-Einstein condensation (for weak exciton interactions) or a BCS transition to a superconductor (for strong exciton interactions). While the theoretical predictions have been around since the 1960's, experimental realization of electron-hole bilayer systems has been extremely difficult due to technical challenges. We identified four characteristics that if successfully incorporated into a device would give the best chances for excitonic condensation to be observed. These characteristics are closely spaced layers, low disorder, low density, and independent contacts to allow transport measurements. We demonstrated each of these characteristics separately, and then incorporated all of them into a single electron-hole bilayer device. The key to the sample design is using undoped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures processed in a field-effect transistor geometry. In such samples, the density of single 2D layers of electrons could be varied from an extremely low value of 2 x 10{sup 9} cm{sup -2} to high values of 3 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}. The extreme low values of density that we achieved in single layer 2D electrons allowed us to make important contributions to the problem of the metal insulator transition in two dimensions, while at the same time provided a critical base for understanding low density 2D systems to be used in the electron-hole bilayer experiments. In this report, we describe the processing advances to fabricate single and double layer undoped samples, the low density results on single layers, and evidence for gateable undoped bilayers.

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TYPE SAND Report YEAR 2005
OSTIDOI

Tunneling and nonlinear transport in a vertically coupled GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum wire system

Proposed for publication in Applied Physics Letters.

Bielejec, Edward S.; Seamons, J.A.; Reno, J.L.; Lilly, Michael L.

We report low-dimensional tunneling in an independently contacted vertically coupled quantum wire system. This nanostructure is fabricated in a high quality GaAs/AlGaAs parallel double quantum well heterostructure. Using a unique flip chip technique to align top and bottom split gates to form low-dimensional constrictions in each of the independently contacted quantum wells we explicitly control the subband occupation of the individual wires. In addition to the expected two-dimensional (2D)-2D tunneling results, we have found additional tunneling features that are related to the one-dimensional quantum wires.

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TYPE Journal Article YEAR 2004
OSTI
Results 201–249 of 249
Results 201–249 of 249