Impact of post-nitridation annealing in CO ambient on threshold voltage stability in 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Hosoi, Takuji*; Osako, Momoe*; Moges, K.*; Ito, Koji*; Kimoto, Tsunenobu*; Sometani, Mitsuru*; Okamoto, Mitsuo*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Shimura, Takayoshi*; Watanabe, Heiji*

Applied Physics Express, 15(6), p.061003_1 - 061003_5, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/ac6f42

The combination of NO annealing and subsequent post-nitridation annealing (PNA) in CO ambient for SiO/SiC structures has been demonstrated to be effective in obtaining both high channel mobility and superior threshold voltage stability in SiC-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). N atoms on the SiO side of the SiO/SiC interface incorporated by NO annealing, which are plausible cause of charge trapping sites, could be selectively removed by CO-PNA at 1300C without oxidizing the SiC. CO-PNA was also effective in compensating oxygen vacancies in SiO, resulting high immunity against both positive and negative bias-temperature stresses.

Status of study of long-term assessment of transport of radioactive contaminants in the environment of Fukushima (FY2018) (Translated document)

Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.

JAEA-Research 2020-007, 249 Pages, 2020/10

JAEA-Research-2020-007.pdf:15.83MB

The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "Long-term Assessment of Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in the Environment of Fukushima" concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.

Temporal change of radiocesium loss in a decontaminated deciduous broad-leaved forest

Watanabe, Takayoshi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Niizato, Tadafumi; Mitachi, Katsuaki*; Ito, Satomi

KEK Proceedings 2019-2, p.114 - 119, 2019/11

no abstracts in English

Phase-transition kinetics of magnetic skyrmions investigated by stroboscopic small-angle neutron scattering

Nakajima, Taro*; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Ito, Takayoshi*; Oishi, Kazuki*; Oike, Hiroshi*; Kagawa, Fumitaka*; Kikkawa, Akiko*; Taguchi, Yasujiro*; Kakurai, Kazuhisa*; Tokura, Yoshinori*; et al.

Physical Review B, 98(1), p.014424_1 - 014424_5, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.98.014424

We investigated the phase-transition kinetics of magnetic skyrmion lattice (SkL) in MnSi by means of stroboscopic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Temporal evolutions of SANS patterns were measured with time resolution of 13 ms while sweeping temperature as fast as 50 Ks. It turned out that the paramagnetic-to-SkL transition immediately occurs upon traversing the equilibrium phase boundary on the rapid cooling, whereas the SkL-to-conical transition can be kinetically avoided to realize the low-temperature metastable SkL with a long-range magnetic order. The formation of the metastable SkL was found to be strongly dependent not only on cooling rate, but also on magnetic eld and trajectory in the H-T phase diagram.

High stereographic resolution texture and residual stress evaluation using time-of-flight neutron diffraction

Xu, P. G.; Harjo, S.; Ojima, Mayumi*; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Ito, Takayoshi*; Gong, W.; Vogel, S. C.*; Inoue, Junya*; Tomota, Yo*; Aizawa, Kazuya; et al.

Journal of Applied Crystallography, 51(3), p.746 - 760, 2018/06

AA2018-0163.pdf:3.0MB

https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576718004004

Hydrological and climate changes in southeast Siberia over the last 33 kyr

Katsuta, Nagayoshi*; Ikeda, Hisashi*; Shibata, Kenji*; Kokubu, Yoko; Murakami, Takuma*; Tani, Yukinori*; Takano, Masao*; Nakamura, Toshio*; Tanaka, Atsushi*; Naito, Sayuri*; et al.

Global and Planetary Change, 164, p.11 - 26, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2018.02.012

Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate changes in Siberia were reconstructed by continuous, high-resolution records of chemical compositions from a sediment core retrieved from the Buguldeika Saddle, Lake Baikal, dating back to the last 33 cal. ka BP. The Holocene climate followed by a shift at ca. 6.5 cal. ka BP toward warm and dry, suggesting that the climate system transition from the glacial to interglacial state occurred. In the last glacial period, the deposition of carbonate mud from the Primorsky Range was associated with Heinrich events (H3 and H1) and the Selenga River inflow was caused by meltwater of mountain glaciers in the Khamar-Daban Range. The anoxic bottom-water during Allerod-Younger Dryas was probably a result of weakened ventilation associated with reduced Selenga River inflow and microbial decomposition of organic matters from the Primorsky Range. The rapid decline in precipitation during the early Holocene may have been a response to the 8.2 ka cooling event.

Comprehensive study on initial thermal oxidation of GaN(0001) surface and subsequent oxide growth in dry oxygen ambient

Yamada, Takahiro*; Ito, Joyo*; Asahara, Ryohei*; Watanabe, Kenta*; Nozaki, Mikito*; Nakazawa, Satoshi*; Anda, Yoshiharu*; Ishida, Masahiro*; Ueda, Tetsuzo*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; et al.

Journal of Applied Physics, 121(3), p.035303_1 - 035303_9, 2017/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4974458

Initial oxidation of GaN(0001) epilayers and subsequent growth of thermal oxides in dry oxygen ambient were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. It was found that, whereas initial oxide formation tends to saturate at temperatures below 800C, selective growth of small oxide grains proceeds at dislocations in the epilayers, followed by noticeable grain growth leading to rough surface morphology at higher oxidation temperatures. This indicates that oxide growth and its morphology are crucially dependent on the defect density in the GaN epilayers. Structural characterizations also revealed that polycrystalline - and -phase GaO grains in an epitaxial relation with the GaN substrate are formed from the initial stage of the oxide growth. On the basis of these experimental findings, we also developed a comprehensive model for GaN oxidation mediated by nitrogen removal and mass transport.

Synchrotron radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of Ti/Al ohmic contacts to n-type GaN; Key role of Al capping layers in interface scavenging reactions

Nozaki, Mikito*; Ito, Joyo*; Asahara, Ryohei*; Nakazawa, Satoshi*; Ishida, Masahiro*; Ueda, Tetsuzo*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Hosoi, Takuji*; Shimura, Takayoshi*; Watanabe, Heiji*

Applied Physics Express, 9(10), p.105801_1 - 105801_4, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.7567/APEX.9.105801

Interface reactions between Ti-based electrodes and n-type GaN epilayers were investigated by synchrotron radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic Ga and thin TiN alloys were formed at the interface by subsequently depositing Al capping layers on ultrathin Ti layers even at room temperature. By comparing results from stacked Ti/Al and single Ti electrodes, the essential role of Al capping layers serving as an oxygen-scavenging element to produce reactive Ti underlayers was demonstrated. Further growth of the metallic interlayer during annealing was observed. A strategy for achieving low-resistance ohmic contacts to n-GaN with low-thermal-budget processing is discussed.

Processes of silver photodiffusion into Ge-chalcogenide probed by neutron reflectivity technique

Sakaguchi, Yoshifumi*; Asaoka, Hidehito; Uozumi, Yuki; Kawakita, Yukinobu; Ito, Takayoshi*; Kubota, Masato; Yamazaki, Dai; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Sheoran, G.*; Mitkova, M.*

Physica Status Solidi (A), 213(7), p.1894 - 1903, 2016/07

https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201533037

no abstracts in English

Measurement of transient photo-induced changes in thin films at J-PARC; Time-resolved neutron reflectivity measurements of silver photo-diffusion into Ge-chalcogenide films

Sakaguchi, Yoshifumi*; Asaoka, Hidehito; Uozumi, Yuki; Kawakita, Yukinobu; Ito, Takayoshi*; Kubota, Masato; Yamazaki, Dai; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Ailavajhala, M.*; Wolf, K.*; et al.

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 8, p.031023_1 - 031023_6, 2015/09

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.8.031023

We report recent results of time-resolved neutron reflectivity measurements for silver photo-diffusion into GeS (x=0.20, 0.33, 0.40) films performed on BL17 (SHARAKU). It is well known that silver diffuses into Ge-chalcogenide layer by visible light exposure with a distinct diffusion front, where the silver concentration abruptly drops off. Using an event recording system at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility, neutron reflectivity profiles were collected with a time-resolution of 30 seconds in the shortest case. It was found from the measurements that a relatively stable Ag-rich phase in the reaction layer is firstly formed, and then, slower diffusion occurs at the interface between Ag-rich and Ag-poor layers. Fourier transform analysis showed that the position of the interface is essentially fixed. This result is in contrast to the previously reported model of silver diffusion that postulates a mechanism involving progression of the diffusion front. The results of the measurements on Ag/Ge-Se films performed on the INTER instrument at ISIS are also reported.