Cross-Sectional Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Investigations of Cleaved Iii-V Heterostructures

Fabrication technology and device sizes have reached the point where fluctuations on the atomic level may affect device performance. The need for a tool to characterize these structures has been satisfied by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (XSTM). This thesis details the development and application of XSTM to III-V heterostructures. An ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system dedicated to XSTM has been specifically designed and constructed as part of this work. Reported for the first time are XSTM cross-sections of self-assembled InAs quantum dots, XSTM cross-sections of quantum wires created by the strain-induced lateral-layer ordering (SILO) process as well as the first XSTM data on working device structures. These working device structures include a few resonant tunneling diode (RTD) structures, a quantum well infrared photodetector structure and a modulation doped field effect transistor (MODFET) structure. XSTM has proved useful in characterizing interface roughness, alloy fluctuations and individual atomic positions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Wu, Warren

Contributors dc:contributor

• Tucker, John R.

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9717349

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/81170