INSTRUMENTATION FOR THE RAPIDMICROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OFCOMPOUND SEMICONDUCT

COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS SUCH AS GAAS AND INP BASED III-V ALLOYS AND II-VI ALLOYS SUCH AS CDTE AND HGCDTE WILL HAVE WIDESPREAD USE IN DEFENSE-RELATED ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS. A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES EXIST FOR THE MICROANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS CONTAINED IN THESE MATERIALS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL EVALUATE AND DEVELOP AN APPROACH FOR THE RAPID, HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION CHARACTERIZATION OF COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR ALLOY COMPOSITION AND UNIFORMITY BASED ON PHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL RATHER THAN CHEMICAL PROPERTIES. THE TECHNIQUE TO BE EVALUATED IS MODULATED REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY (MRS), WHEREIN THE MEASUREMENT OF OPTICAL FEATURES IN THE REGION OF PHOTON ENERGIES FROM 1 TO 6EV PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE TOPOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN COMPOSITION (CARRIER CONCENTRATION) AND STRAINS AT HETEROJUNCTION INTERFACES, PROPERTIES OF SACE CHARGE REGIONSION IMPLANTATION DAMAGE, ETC. THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP CONCEPTS NECESSARY FOR MICROSCALE MRS EMPLOYING LATERAL IMAGING OR LOCALIZATION TO 1-50UM AND SPUTTER-ION ETCHING TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH PROFILING OF THE COMPOSITIONAL VARIATIONS. IF A VIABLE INSTRUMENTAL CONCEPT IS ISOLATED, A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE BUILT IN PHASE II AND INSTRUMENALAND OPERATING CAPABILITIES DEVELOPED. PHASE III WOULD CARRYTHIS INSTRUMENT INTO THE MARKETPLACE AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND MATERIALS PROCESSING LABORATORIES.