Free newsletter (March 2010) on research activities of semiconductor companies

1. KnowMade
Newsletter
Research Activities of
Semiconductor Companies
March 2010

2. Information
This monthly newsletter
brings to you an insight into
the research activities of
CONTENTS
semiconductor companies.
Free subscription here Alcatel-Thales III-V Lab & Soitec/Picogiga .................................................................................... 3
LP MOCVD growth of InAlN/GaN HEMT heterostructure: comparison of
Custom newsletter sapphire, bulk SiC and composite SiCopSiC substrates for HEMT device
KnowMade can design a applications............................................................................................................................ 3
custom newsletter according Applied Materials .................................................................................................................................... 3
to your own needs: patents,
scientific activities, calls for Effect of composition and chemical bonding on the band gap and band
projects, events, etc. offsets to Si of HfxSi1−xO2 (N) films ............................................................................. 3
Fujitsu .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
contact@knowmade.fr Photodetection around 10 μm wavelength using s-p transitions in
InAs/AlAs/AlGaAs self-assembled quantum dots .................................................... 4
IBM ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
KNOWMADE High-k/Metal-Gate Fully Depleted SOI CMOS With Single-Silicide Schottky
Source/Drain With Sub-30-nm Gate Length............................................................... 4
KnowMade is a competitive Intel .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
intelligence private company Fast All-Transparent Integrated Circuits Based on Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide
providing technology watch Thin-Film Transistors ........................................................................................................ 4
services for R&D projects in IQE ................................................................................................................................................................. 5
innovative sectors:
-semiconductor materials Molecular beam epitaxial growth and properties of GaAs pseudomorphic
-micro & nanotechnology high electron mobility transistors on silicon composite substrates ................ 5
-biotechnology Kyma ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
-pharmacology Inclined dislocation-pair relaxation mechanism in homoepitaxial green
-environment GaInN/GaN light-emitting diodes ................................................................................... 5
etc. Carrier velocity in InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructure field effect transis tors on
Fe-doped bulk GaN substrates ........................................................................................ 5
Our mission is to provide you
high added value informations Lumilog ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
in order to improve your Electrical behaviour of lateral Al/n-GaN/Al structures ........................................ 6
innovation process. A Ph.D NEC ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
team, specializing in your Charged and neutral biexciton–exciton cascade in a single quantum dot
domain, identifies, collects and within a photonic bandgap ............................................................................................... 6
analyzes in the best sources
Nitronex ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
(patents databases, scientific
publications, legislation, web, AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifier with intrinsic forward current
etc.) the most relevant limiting capability ............................................................................................................... 6
informations for your projects. NTT ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
All-silicon sub-Gb/s telecom detector with low dark current and high
KnowMade covers a wide quantum efficiency on chip .............................................................................................. 7
range of technology watch
Panasonic ................................................................................................................................................... 7
services: newsletter, web-
based collaborative platform, Reliability evaluation for Blu-Ray laser diodes ....................................................... 7
technology analysis, state of QinetiQ ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
the art, patent classification, Strong dependence of spin dynamics on the orientation of an external
scientific portfolio analysis, magnetic field for InSb and InAs .................................................................................... 7
identification of experts, Samsung ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
competitors and partners,
technology trends, etc. High Electrical Performance of Wet-Processed Indium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film
Transistors ............................................................................................................................. 8
www.knowmade.fr Thermoelectric heating of Ge2Sb2Te5 in phase change memory devices ...... 8
Toyota .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Defect formation and phase stability of Cu2ZnSnS4 photovoltaic material .. 8
United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) .............................................................................................. 9
Electrical characteristics of nMOSFETs fabricated on hybrid orientation
substrate with amorphization/templated recrystallization method ............... 9
March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 2|P a g e

3. ALCATEL-THALES III-V LAB & SOITEC/PICOGIGA
LP MOCVD growth of InAlN/GaN HEMT heterostructure: comparison of sapphire, bulk SiC
and composite SiCopSiC substrates for HEMT device applications
Abstract : In this paper we report on low-pressure metalorganic vapour deposition of InAlN/GaN heterostructures
grown on different substrates (Sapphire, bulk SiC, composite SiCopSiC) for HEMT applications, and on first device
performances obtained with these heterostructures. Optimisation of the crystal growth on each kind of substrate has
led to InAlN/GaN HEMT heterostructures grown on bulk SiC and on composite SiCopSiC substrates which are
successfully compared, in terms of material quality, to the standard GaAlN/GaN HEMT heterostructures grown on bulk
SiC substrates. First devices based on InAlN/GaN heterostructures grown on bulk SiC exhibit very good microwave
performances, with output power of 10.3 W/mm at 10 GHz, similar to those obtained with GaAlN/GaN
heterostructures, confirming the promising potential of InAlN material.
Read more …
Source : Physica Status Solidi c
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APPLIED MATERIALS
Effect of composition and chemical bonding on the band gap and band offsets to Si o f
HfxSi1−xO2 (N) films
Abstract : The energy band gap, alignment with Si and the chemical bonding of 3–4 nm thick HfxSi1−xO2 films with 0 ≤ x
≤ 1 were investigated as a function of composition. Nitrogen was introduced by N plasma incorporation into Hf xSi1−xO2
films with x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 grown on a SiO2/Si stack by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The structure of
the dielectric films was characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy was used to determine the band gap, as well as the energy band alignment with Si and the chemical
structure of the films. The amount of Si in the films and the incorporated N were found to influence the band gap and
the band alignment with Si. The band gap was found to gradually decrease with the increase in Hf content, from a value
of 8.9 eV (for pure SiO2) to a value of 5.3 eV (for pure HfO2). These changes were accompanied by a reduction of the
valance band offset relative to the Si substrate, from a value of 4.8 eV (for pure SiO2) to a value of 1.5 eV (for pure HfO2).
In addition, we have found that the presence of Hf–N bonds increases the conduction band offset from a value of 2.7 eV,
which was obtained when only Hf–O bonds are present, to a value of 3.1 eV. The changes in the band structure and
band alignment of Hf-silicate films are explained based on the chemical structure of the nitrided Hf-silicate films.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Applied Physics
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 3|P a g e

4. FUJITSU
Photodetection around 10 μm wavelength using s-p transitions in InAs/AlAs/AlGaAs self-
assembled quantum dots
Abstract : We propose a quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP) having distinct sensitivity to mutually orthogonal
in-plane polarized infrared radiation, and applicable to practical infrared (IR) imaging applications. Our QDIP has either
an InAs/AlAs/AlGaAs or an AlAs/InAs/AlAs/AlGaAs structure in which extra-thin AlAs layers were introduced
underneath the AlGaAs buffer layer to strongly confine the carriers and also to enhance the dot density before the
Stranski–Krastanov mode growth of InAs quantum dots was carried out. At 80 K, the detector has high sensitivity to in-
plane orthogonally polarized infrared light, and photocurrent responsivity peaks of up to 230 mA/W associated with
distinct mutually orthogonal polar lights which were observed at a wavelength of around 10.0 μm.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Applied Physics
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IBM
High-k/Metal-Gate Fully Depleted SOI CMOS With Single-Silicide Schottky Source/Drain
With Sub-30-nm Gate Length
Abstract : Schottky source/drain (S/D) MOSFETs hold the promise for low series resistance and extremely abrupt
junctions, providing a path for device scaling in conjunction with a low Schottky barrier height (SBH). A S/D junction
SBH approaching zero is also needed to achieve a competitive current drive. In this letter, we demonstrate a CMOS
process flow that accomplishes a reduction of the S/D SBH for nFET and pFET simultaneously using implants into a
common NiPt silicide, followed by a low-temperature anneal (500°C–600°C). These devices have high-k/metal gate and
fully depleted extremely thin SOI with sub-30-nm gate length.
Read more …
Source : Electron Device Letters
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INTEL
Fast All-Transparent Integrated Circuits Based on Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin -Film
Transistors
Abstract : We describe the fabrication and characterization of visible transparent small-scale indium gallium zinc oxide
(IGZO) integrated circuits. The IGZO channel and indium tin oxide (ITO) contacts and interconnects were pulsed laser
deposited at room temperature. Low-temperature (200°C) atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 was used as the gate dielectric
in bottom-gated thin-film transistors with field-effect mobility near 15 cm²/Vs. Logic inverters and ring oscillators
were fabricated and characterized, with operations at frequencies as high as 2.1 MHz, corresponding to a propagation
delay of less than 48 ns/stage with a supply voltage of 25 V. To the best of our knowledge, these are the fastest all-
transparent oxide semiconductor circuits reported to date.
Read more …
Source : Electron Device Letters
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 4|P a g e

5. IQE
Molecular beam epitaxial growth and properties of GaAs pseudomorphic high ele ctron
mobility transistors on silicon composite substrates
Abstract : GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (PHEMT) structures were grown by molecular beam
epitaxy on germanium substrates and composite silicon template wafers incorporating silicon and germanium
transferred layers. Windows were etched down to the buried germanium layer and subsequent blanket material growth
resulted in single crystal growth in the windows and polycrystalline growth on the top SiO2 surface. Wire growth was
eliminated at the window edges and on the top SiO2 surface. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements and
transmission electron micrographs of GaAs grown on germanium indicated an abrupt GaAs–Ge interface with little
penetration of antiphase boundaries or other defects into the GaAs layer. For PHEMT material grown on silicon
template wafers, a surface roughness of 8 Å was measured by atomic force microscopy. The room temperature
photoluminescence intensity of the InGaAs channel in the PHEMT structure was equivalent to that grown on GaAs
substrates. Measured PHEMT mobilities and sheet densities were comparable to those obtained on GaAs substrates.
Transistors were fabricated with 0.25 µm gates. The maximum dc current density, 520 mA/mm, and transconductance,
360 mS/mm, were very similar to devices fabricated on GaAs substrates.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
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KYMA
Inclined dislocation-pair relaxation mechanism in homoepitaxial green GaInN/GaN light -
emitting diodes
Abstract : The creation of symmetrical pairs of inclined dislocations was observed in the GaInN/GaN quantum wells
(QWs) of c-axis grown green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on low-defect density bulk GaN substrate, but not in green
LEDs on sapphire substrate with high threading dislocation (TD) density. Pairs of dislocations start within 20 nm of the
same QW and incline 18°–23° toward two opposite ⟨1-100⟩ directions or in a 120° pattern. We propose that in the
absence of TDs, partial strain relaxation of the QWs drives the defect formation by removal of lattice points between the
two dislocation cores. In spite of those inclined dislocation pairs, the light output power of such green LEDs on GaN is
about 25% higher than in LEDs of similar wavelength on sapphire.
Read more …
Source : Physical Review B
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Carrier velocity in InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors on Fe -doped bulk
GaN substrates
Abstract : We report microwave characteristics of field effect transistors employing InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures
grown on low-defect-density bulk Fe-doped GaN substrates. We achieved unity current gain cutoff frequencies of 14.3
and 23.7 GHz for devices with gate lengths of 1 and 0.65 μm, respectively. Measurements as a function of applied bias
allow us to estimate the average carrier velocity in the channel to be ∼ 1.0×107 cm/sec for a 1 μm device. Additionally,
we found nearly no gate lag in the devices, which is considered a precondition for good performance under large signal
operation.
Read more …
Source : Applied Physics Letters
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 5|P a g e

6. LUMILOG
Electrical behaviour of lateral Al/n-GaN/Al structures
Abstract : The electrical behaviour of lateral Al/n-GaN/Al structures have been studied by current-voltage
measurements between a large pad with an area of 22 mm2 and small contacts with different areas in the range of 0.01-
1 mm2. The results indicated that near room temperature the current was limited by the GaN layer exhibiting linear I-V
characteristics for large contacts around 1 mm2, while it was contact limited for small contacts around 0.1 mm2 and
below. This indicates that the same metal contact can behave as ohmic or rectifying depending on the contact area and
so on the ratio of contact resistance to the series resistance of the structure. Near liquid nitrogen temperature, the
current through the lateral Al/n-GaN/Al structures was limited by space charges. The Al/n-GaN contacts exhibited a
very low Schottky barrier height below or around 0.2 eV. A new possible mechanism responsible for the temperature
dependence of the ideality factor is proposed.
Read more …
Source : Applied Surface Science
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NEC
Charged and neutral biexciton–exciton cascade in a single quantum dot within a photonic
bandgap
Abstract : We investigate the recombination dynamics of positively charged and neutral biexcitons and excitons in a
single InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) within a two-dimensional (2D) photonic bandgap (PBG). The 2D PBG makes the
exciton lifetime four times longer and enhances photon-extraction efficiency compared to those without the PBG.
Photon cross-correlation measurements demonstrate the cascade emissions of both charged and neutral biexcitons–
excitons from the same QD. In the charged case, a hole in the p-shell relaxes into the s-shell between the cascade, and
the corresponding transition is confirmed based on the spin configuration. The long exciton lifetime with the PBG helps
us to reveal the spin dynamics that did not clearly appear in intrinsic QDs.
Read more …
Source : Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures
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NITRONEX
AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifier with intrinsic forward current limiting capability
Abstract : An AlGaN/GaN lateral field-effect rectifier with intrinsic ON-state current limiting capability is demonstrated
by adding a Schottky contact metal (length of LD) beyond the ohmic contact region at the cathode electrode. The onset of
the current limiting function is self-activated when the voltage drop across the two-dimensional gas (2DEG) channel
under the Schottky contact reaches the pinch-off voltage of the as-grown AlGaN/GaN heterojunction. With LD=2 µm and
a drift region length of 7 µm, the proposed lateral rectifier exhibited an ON-state current that was self-limited at
1.56 kA/cm2, while achieving a reverse breakdown voltage of 347 V at a 1mA/mm leakage current.
Read more …
Source : Electronics Letters
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 6|P a g e

7. NTT
All-silicon sub-Gb/s telecom detector with low dark current and high quantum efficiency on
chip
Abstract : We demonstrate channel selective 0.1-Gb/s photoreceiver operation at telecom wavelength using a silicon
high-Q photonic crystal nanocavity with a laterally integrated p-i-n diode. Due to the good crystal property of silicon the
measured dark current is only 15 pA. The linear and nonlinear characteristics are investigated in detail, in which we
found that the photocurrent is enhanced of more than 105 due to the ultrahigh-Q (Q ≃ 105). With the help of two-photon
absorption, which is visible at a surprisingly low input power of 10 −8 W, the quantum efficiency of this device reaches
∼ 10%.
Read more …
Source : Applied Physics Letters
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PANASONIC
Reliability evaluation for Blu-Ray laser diodes
Abstract : With this paper we describe an extensive analysis of the reliability of InGaN-based laser diodes, emitting at
405 nm. These devices have excellent characteristics for application in the next-generation optical data storage
systems. The analysis aims at describing the degradation process, as well as at investigating the role of current in
determining the degradation rate. The results obtained within this paper suggest that the degradation of the laser
diodes is correlated to the increase in the non-radiative recombination rate, with subsequent worsening of the optical
properties of the devices. Furthermore, our findings support the hypothesis that current is the main driving force for
degradation, while temperature and optical power play only a limited role in determining the degradation kinetics.
Read more …
Source : Microelectronics Reliability
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QINETIQ
Strong dependence of spin dynamics on the orientation of an external magnetic field for
InSb and InAs
Abstract : Electron spin relaxation times have been measured in InSb and InAs epilayers in a moderate (<4T) external
magnetic field. A strong and opposite field dependence of the spin lifetime was observed for longitudinal (Faraday) and
transverse (Voigt) configuration. In the Faraday configuration the spin lifetime increases because the D’yakonov–Perel’
dephasing process is suppressed. At the high field limit the Elliot–Yafet spin flip relaxation process dominates, enabling
its direct determination. Conversely, as predicted theoretically for narrow band gap semiconductors, an additional
efficient spin dephasing mechanism dominates in the Voigt configuration significantly decreasing the electron spin
lifetime with increasing field.
Read more …
Source : Applied Physics Letters
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 7|P a g e

8. SAMSUNG
High Electrical Performance of Wet-Processed Indium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistors
Abstract : We developed thin-film transistors (TFTs) that use solution-processed amorphous indium zinc oxide for the
channels in an all-photolithographic process. The transistors, which operate in depletion mode, have excellent transfer
characteristics, including saturation mobility of 6.57 cm²/Vs, threshold voltages of -0.30 V, turn-on voltages of -1.50 V,
on/off ratios of 10^9, and inverse subthreshold slopes of 0.15 V/dec. We measured the time, temperature, gate voltage,
and drain-voltage dependence of the threshold voltage shift, which was 2.16 V under stress conditions. This is nearly
the same as that of conventional amorphous silicon TFTs.
Read more …
Source : Electron Device Letters
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Thermoelectric heating of Ge2Sb2Te5 in phase change memory devices
Abstract : We report on the demonstration of the active thermoelectric application to nanometer-scaled semiconductor
devices. The thermoelectric heating already exists during programming in conventional phase change memory (PRAM)
cells, which is only a minor supplement to Joule heating. Here, by rigorously designing devices, we have demonstrated
an unprecedentedly high efficiency of PRAM, where the majority of the heat is supplied by the thermoelectric effect.
Read more …
Source : Applied Physics Letters
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TOYOTA
Defect formation and phase stability of Cu2ZnSnS4 photovoltaic material
Abstract : First-principles studies of the phase stability of and defect formation in Cu 2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) are performed. We
show that CZTS is the thermodynamically stable phase for a rather small confined domain of chemical potentials. Even
slight deviations from the optimal growth conditions will therefore result in the formation of other sulfidic precipitates,
including ZnS, Cu2SnS3, SnS, SnS2, and CuS. In particular, under the prevalent experimental Cu-poor and Zn-rich growth
conditions ZnS is the main competing phase. Furthermore, the calculations unambiguously predict that Cu at the Zn site
is the most stable defect in the entire stability range of CZTS. This correlates with the experimental observation that
CZTS is an intrinsic p-type semiconductor.
Read more …
Source : Physical Review B
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 8|P a g e

9. UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP. (UMC)
Electrical characteristics of nMOSFETs fabricated on hybri d orientation substrate with
amorphization/templated recrystallization method
Abstract : The use of hybrid orientation technology (HOT) with direct silicon bond (DSB) wafers consisting of a (1 1 0)
crystal orientation layer bonded to a bulk (1 0 0) handle wafer provides promising opportunities for easier migration of
bulk CMOS designs to higher performance materials. However, the material quality of nMOSFETs regions, which has
been undergone amorphization/templated recrystallization (ATR) process for transforming the Si surface into (1 0 0)
orientation, is still a concern because the ATR-induced defects (i.e., dislocation loops or threads) at the recrystallization
layer, could degrade gate oxide integrity. In this paper, we report an investigation of charge pumping and low-
frequency (1/f) noise in HOT nMOSFETs. Devices with the increased anneal time brought out a significant reduction in
the charge pumping current and 1/f noise, which indicates ATR-induced defects were suppressed and consequently the
“low-trap-density” of the Si/SiO2 interface. Finally, for the first time, the behavior of 1/f noise for HOT nMOSFETs was
investigated, and could be described by a unified model, i.e. a combination of carrier-number fluctuations and mobility
fluctuations.
Read more …
Source : Microelectronics Reliability
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March 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 9|P a g e