{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/45915"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/45915","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Electrical studies on ion-etched n-GaAs(100) surfaces","abstract":"The major objective of this thesis was to evaluate electrically the damage caused by a low energy (< 4keV) Ar<sup>+</sup> bombardment on n-GaAs(100) surfaces. Electrical measurements were performed on Schottlky diodes formed on the virgin and the ion-etched surfaces. The l-V measurements show deterioration of diode parameters by ion etching. The ion etched diodes have a strong component of surface leakage current. The high frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes is less than that of the virgin diodes. The low frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes was found to be frequency dispersive. The extent of frequency dispersion diminishes at low temperatures and at low reverse biases. Virgin diode capacitance, on the other hand, was found to be independent of frequency. The electrical characteristics of ion-etched diodes are explained by means of an amorphous layer and a donor-like damaged layer formed as a result of ion etching. The depth of the top amorphous layer increases with etch energy. The damaged layer containing the ion induced traps superimposes over the amorphous layer and extends deep into the bulk semi-conductor. The density of such traps is very bias sensitive and also temperature dependent. A possible equivalent circuit model for the ion-etched material is proposed. Low temperature isochronal annealing (< 450°C, 10mins.) was not found effective in causing complete recovery of the ion-damaged surface.","abstract_html":"The major objective of this thesis was to evaluate electrically the damage caused by a low energy (&lt; 4keV) Ar&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; bombardment on n-GaAs(100) surfaces. Electrical measurements were performed on Schottlky diodes formed on the virgin and the ion-etched surfaces. The l-V measurements show deterioration of diode parameters by ion etching. The ion etched diodes have a strong component of surface leakage current. The high frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes is less than that of the virgin diodes. The low frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes was found to be frequency dispersive. The extent of frequency dispersion diminishes at low temperatures and at low reverse biases. Virgin diode capacitance, on the other hand, was found to be independent of frequency. The electrical characteristics of ion-etched diodes are explained by means of an amorphous layer and a donor-like damaged layer formed as a result of ion etching. The depth of the top amorphous layer increases with etch energy. The damaged layer containing the ion induced traps superimposes over the amorphous layer and extends deep into the bulk semi-conductor. The density of such traps is very bias sensitive and also temperature dependent. A possible equivalent circuit model for the ion-etched material is proposed. Low temperature isochronal annealing (&lt; 450°C, 10mins.) was not found effective in causing complete recovery of the ion-damaged surface.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sen, Sidhartha"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Materials Engineering","degree_department":"Materials Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Burton, Larry C."],"committee_members":["Dillard, John G.","Zallen, Richard H."],"year":1987,"date_issued":"1987-12-15","date_published":"1987-12-15","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:01Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-11202012-040231"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-11202012-040231","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45915","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Burton, Larry C."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Dillard, John G.","Zallen, Richard H."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Materials Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sen, Sidhartha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:50:20Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:50:20Z","2012-11-20"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1987-12-15"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Materials Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-11202012-040231"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45915"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The major objective of this thesis was to evaluate electrically the damage caused by a low energy (< 4keV) Ar<sup>+</sup> bombardment on n-GaAs(100) surfaces. Electrical measurements were performed on Schottlky diodes formed on the virgin and the ion-etched surfaces. The l-V measurements show deterioration of diode parameters by ion etching. The ion etched diodes have a strong component of surface leakage current. The high frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes is less than that of the virgin diodes. The low frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes was found to be frequency dispersive. The extent of frequency dispersion diminishes at low temperatures and at low reverse biases. Virgin diode capacitance, on the other hand, was found to be independent of frequency. The electrical characteristics of ion-etched diodes are explained by means of an amorphous layer and a donor-like damaged layer formed as a result of ion etching. The depth of the top amorphous layer increases with etch energy. The damaged layer containing the ion induced traps superimposes over the amorphous layer and extends deep into the bulk semi-conductor. The density of such traps is very bias sensitive and also temperature dependent. A possible equivalent circuit model for the ion-etched material is proposed. Low temperature isochronal annealing (< 450°C, 10mins.) was not found effective in causing complete recovery of the ion-damaged surface."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Electrical studies on ion-etched n-GaAs(100) surfaces"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Burton, Larry C."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Dillard, John G.","Zallen, Richard H."],"dc:contributor.department":["Materials Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Sen, Sidhartha"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:50:20Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:50:20Z","2012-11-20"],"dc:date.issued":["1987-12-15"],"dc:description.abstract":["The major objective of this thesis was to evaluate electrically the damage caused by a low energy (< 4keV) Ar<sup>+</sup> bombardment on n-GaAs(100) surfaces. Electrical measurements were performed on Schottlky diodes formed on the virgin and the ion-etched surfaces. The l-V measurements show deterioration of diode parameters by ion etching. The ion etched diodes have a strong component of surface leakage current. The high frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes is less than that of the virgin diodes. The low frequency capacitance of ion-etched diodes was found to be frequency dispersive. The extent of frequency dispersion diminishes at low temperatures and at low reverse biases. Virgin diode capacitance, on the other hand, was found to be independent of frequency. The electrical characteristics of ion-etched diodes are explained by means of an amorphous layer and a donor-like damaged layer formed as a result of ion etching. The depth of the top amorphous layer increases with etch energy. The damaged layer containing the ion induced traps superimposes over the amorphous layer and extends deep into the bulk semi-conductor. The density of such traps is very bias sensitive and also temperature dependent. A possible equivalent circuit model for the ion-etched material is proposed. Low temperature isochronal annealing (< 450°C, 10mins.) was not found effective in causing complete recovery of the ion-damaged surface."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-11202012-040231"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45915"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Electrical studies on ion-etched n-GaAs(100) surfaces"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Materials Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:01Z"}