Study the structural properties of Ge nanoparticles formed by ion implantation and thermal annealing in nitride-base dielectric matrices
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis investigates the formation of Ge nanoparticles (NPs) in amorphous Si3N4 and SiOxNy by ion implantation and thermal annealing. The structural properties of the NPs were determined using a combination of laboratory and synchrotron based techniques including cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), Raman spectroscopy measurements and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The motivation for this research is that NPs synthesized from Group IV semiconductors, including Ge, show potential for novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. Ge was chosen as the material for this study, mainly due to its very large bulk exciton Bohr radius (Rb~ 10 nm) and consequently small R/Rb ratio (where R is the NP radius), which increases the quantum confinement regime for optoelectronic applications. Also, Ge NPs embedded in thin dielectric films have exhibited impressive charge storage capabilities, useful in non-volatile memory (NVM) applications. While many studies have focused on the SiO2 matrix, there have been few experimental studies on the growth of Ge NPs in a silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride matrices. The main focus of this project was on the formation of Ge NPs in different Si3N4-based matrices and examining the short range atomic structure of embedded NPs as function of NP size using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Specifically, four different matrices have considered: PECVD Si3N4, LPCVD Si3N4, PECVD SiO1.67N0.14 and PECVD SiO1.12N0.37. Size evolution and structural properties of NPs were examined as function of implantation conditions and the host matrix. Ge NPs were formed in plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) Si3N4. Precipitations occurred for Ge concentrations of ≥6 at.%, which suggests the solubility limits of this order. NP size was influenced by Ge concentration and annealing temperature. NP size increased from 2.4 to 4 nm - for samples…
abstract: This thesis investigates the formation of Ge nanoparticles (NPs) in amorphous Si3N4 and SiOxNy by ion implantation and thermal annealing. The structural properties of the NPs were determined using a combination of laboratory and synchrotron based techniques including cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), Raman spectroscopy measurements and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The motivation for this research is that NPs synthesized from Group IV semiconductors, including Ge, show potential for novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. Ge was chosen as the material for this study, mainly due to its very large bulk exciton Bohr radius (Rb~ 10 nm) and consequently small R/Rb ratio (where R is the NP radius), which increases the quantum confinement regime for optoelectronic applications. Also, Ge NPs embedded in thin dielectric films have exhibited impressive charge storage capabilities, useful in non-volatile memory (NVM) applications. While many studies have focused on the SiO2 matrix, there have been few experimental studies on the growth of Ge NPs in a silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride matrices. The main focus of this project was on the formation of Ge NPs in different Si3N4-based matrices and examining the short range atomic structure of embedded NPs as function of NP size using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Specifically, four different matrices have considered: PECVD Si3N4, LPCVD Si3N4, PECVD SiO1.67N0.14 and PECVD SiO1.12N0.37. Size evolution and structural properties of NPs were examined as function of implantation conditions and the host matrix. Ge NPs were formed in plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) Si3N4. Precipitations occurred for Ge concentrations of ≥6 at.%, which suggests the solubility limits of this order. NP size was influenced by Ge concentration and annealing temperature. NP size increased from 2.4 to 4 nm - for samples…
author: Mirzaei, Sahar
language: en
keywords: Ion implantation, Ge nanoparticles, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, XANES and EXAFS
date published: 2016
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:07:24Z
provider: Australian Catholic University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Australian Catholic University

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property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/109801