This monthly newsletter brings to you an insight into the research activities of semiconductor companies.

1. KnowMade
Newsletter
Research Activities of
Semiconductor Companies
January 2010

2. Information
This monthly newsletter
brings to you an insight into
the research activities of
semiconductor companies.
CONTENTS
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Alcatel-Thales, 3-5 lab ........................................................................................................................... 3
Custom newsletter Differential distributed amplifier with 2:1 selector in InP DHBT for
KnowMade can design a
100 Gbit/s operation .......................................................................................................... 3
custom newsletter according
to your own needs: patents,
scientific activities, calls for Hinyx Semiconductor............................................................................................................................. 3
projects, events, etc. Ultrahigh selective etching of Si3N4 films over SiO2 films for silicon nitride
gate spacer etching.............................................................................................................. 3
contact@knowmade.fr
Intel Corporation ..................................................................................................................................... 3
III-V/silicon photonics for on-chip and intra-chip optical interconnects ...... 3
KNOWMADE
Kyma Technologies ................................................................................................................................ 4
KnowMade is a competitive
intelligence private company
Effect of m-plane GaN substrate miscut on InGaN/GaN quantum well growt h4
providing technology watch
services for R&D projects in NEC Corporation ...................................................................................................................................... 4
innovative sectors: Suppression of indefinite peaks in InAs/ GaAs quantum dot spectrum by low
-semiconductor materials temperature capping in Indium-flush method ......................................................... 4
-micro & nanotechnology
-biotechnology
-pharmacology Nitronex Corporation ............................................................................................................................ 4
-environment Chloride ion detection by InN gated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility
etc. transistors .............................................................................................................................. 4
Our mission is to provide you
NXP Semiconductors .............................................................................................................................. 5
high added value informations
in order to improve your Linearity and mobility degradation in strained Si MOSFETs with thin gate
innovation process. A Ph.D dielectrics ............................................................................................................................... 5
team, specializing in your
domain, identifies, collects and Philips .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
analyzes in the best sources
(patents databases, scientific
Surface passivated InAs/InP core/shell nanowires ................................................ 5
publications, legislation, web,
etc.) the most relevant Picogiga International ........................................................................................................................... 6
informations for your projects. Low microwave noise of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs fabricated on SiCopSiC
substrates ............................................................................................................................... 6
KnowMade covers a wide
range of technology watch
services: newsletter, web- Samsung LED ............................................................................................................................................. 6
based collaborative platform, Analysis of reverse tunnelling current in GaInN light -emitting diodes .......... 6
technology analysis, state of
the art, patent classification, Sony Corporation .................................................................................................................................... 6
scientific portfolio analysis,
identification of experts, Mode locking of an external-cavity bisection GaInN blue-violet laser diode
competitors and partners, producing 3 ps duration optical pulses ....................................................................... 6
technology trends, etc.
Sumitomo Electric Industries ............................................................................................................. 7
www.knowmade.fr
Analysis of GaInAsP laser diodes degraded by light absorption at an active
layer of the facet .................................................................................................................. 7
Thales Research & Technology .......................................................................................................... 7
Advances in III-V based photonic crystals for integrated optical processing 7
January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 2|P a g e

3. ALCATEL-THALES, 3-5 LAB
Differential distributed amplifier with 2:1 selector in InP DHBT for 100 Gbit/s operation
Abstract : A differential distributed amplifier integrated with a 2:1 selector has been designed and fabricated in a
0.7 µm InP double hetero-junction bipolar transistor (DHBT) technology. Measurements were performed at 86 and
100 Gbit/s, showing clear output eye opening and a voltage swing of 2×2.3 V. The circuit is well suited to dual-drive
electro-optical modulators for 100-Gbaud-based optical communications systems.
Read more …
Source : Electronics Letters
HINYX SEMICONDUCTOR
Ultrahigh selective etching of Si3N4 films over SiO2 films for silicon nitride gate spacer
etching
Abstract : The process window for the high etching selectivity of silicon nitride to silicon oxide was investigated in
CF4/CH4 inductively coupled plasma. This work showed that the etching selectivity could be controlled by modulating
the thickness of the fluorocarbon film with the flow rates of CH4 gas. The carbon content in the fluorocarbon by-product
layers on the etched films was observed to play a critical role in determining the etching selectivity of silicon nitride to
silicon oxide. The increase in the carbon content in the fluorocarbon films with increasing CH 4 gas caused the etch rates
of both silicon oxide and silicon nitride films to be reduced, eventually leading to the etch stops. The minimum effective
thickness of the fluorocarbon films was estimated to be 20 Å for the etch stop. The infinite etching selectivity of the
silicon nitride to the silicon oxide on the blanket wafers could be achieved for the CH 4 flow rate above 30 SCCM (SCCM
denotes cubic centimeters per minute at STP) for the CF4 flow rate of 10 SCCM. NF3/CH4 and SF6/CH4 plasma showed
etch behavior similar to CF4/CH4 plasma.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
INTEL CORPORATION
III-V/silicon photonics for on-chip and intra-chip optical interconnects
Abstract : In this paper III-V on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) heterogeneous integration is reviewed for the realization of
near infrared light sources on a silicon waveguide platform, suitable for inter-chip and intra-chip optical interconnects.
Two bonding technologies are used to realize the III-V/SOI integration: one based on molecular wafer bonding and the
other based on DVS-BCB adhesive wafer bonding. The realization of micro-disk lasers, Fabry-Perot lasers, DFB lasers,
DBR lasers and mode-locked lasers on the III-V/SOI material platform is discussed.
Read more …
Source : Laser and Photonics Reviews
January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 3|P a g e

4. KYMA TECHNOLOGIES
Effect of m-plane GaN substrate miscut on InGaN/GaN quantum well growth
Abstract : The effect of m-plane GaN substrate miscut on the growth of InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) was
investigated. It was found that the miscut toward [0001] c +-axis resulted in an increase of In incorporation efficiency
and in a green-shift of the QW emission, while the miscut toward [1120] a-axis resulted in even higher In compositions
but it also led to an increased epitaxial surface roughness and deterioration of the QW structures. The results indicated
that miscut toward a-axis is undesirable while miscut toward c+-axis is beneficial for achieving longer wavelength
emission in QWs grown on m-plane GaN substrates.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Crystal Growth
NEC CORPORATION
Suppression of indefinite peaks in InAs/ GaAs quantum dot spectrum by low t emperature
capping in Indium-flush method
Abstract : We have investigated effects of growth temperature of thin GaAs capping layer in the initial stage of Indium-
flush process using atomic force microscopy and microscopic photoluminescence (μ-PL) methods. The shape of capped
InAs quantum dot (QD) and its μ-PL properties are sensitive to the growth temperature of thin GaAs capping layer. In
the case of the high temperature cap, the QD shape in initial capping stage is elongated along [11_0] direction, and μ-PL
spectrum shows several peaks accompanied with indefinite peaks. On the other hand, the low temperature case, the QD
shape is kept in isotropic and μ-PL spectrum shows distinctive emissions from excitonic states of the QD with
suppressed indefinite peaks. These results indicate that low temperature capping is effective to keep an isotropic shape
of QD and suppress indefinite peaks.
Read more …
Source : Physica E
NITRONEX CORPORATION
Chloride ion detection by InN gated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors
Abstract : Real time chloride ion detection using InN gated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) was
demonstrated. The InN thin film on the gate area of the HEMT provided fixed surface sites for reversible anion
coordination. The drain current of the HEMT sensor exhibited increased a function of chloride ion concentration. The
positive ions (Na+, Mg+2, and H+) in the chloride ion solutions showed no effect on the chloride ion concentration
detection. The sensor was tested over a range of chloride ion concentrations from 100 nM to 100 µM. The chloride ion
HEMT sensors can be integrated with AlGaN/GaN HEMT based pH and glucose sensors for exhaled breath condensate
glucose monitoring technology. The HEMT based sensor can also be integrated into a wireless data transmission system
for remote sensing applications.
Read more …
Source : Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 4|P a g e

5. NXP SEMICONDUCTORS
Linearity and mobility degradation in strained Si MOSFETs with thin gate dielectrics
Abstract : As gate dielectrics are scaled to a few atomic layers and the channel doping is increased to mitigate short
channel effects, high vertical electric fields cause considerable mobility degradation through surface-roughness
scattering in silicon MOSFETs. This high-field mobility degradation is known to influence the harmonic distortion
through higher order derivatives of the drain current. Failure to take these higher order derivatives into account can
cause significant error in the predictive evaluation of linearity (VIP3) in MOSFETs. Electrical measurements are used to
extract the 2nd order mobility degradation factor (θ2) from strained silicon MOSFETs fabricated on silicon germanium
strain relaxed buffers with 15%, 20% and 25% germanium. Linearity and high-field mobility degradation are shown to
be independent of strain in spite of atomic force microscopy measurements showing that the amplitude of the root-
mean-square surface roughness increases with the germanium content. It is also shown that θ2 is required for accurate
modelling of linearity. The impact of oxide thickness on linearity is also investigated through θ2. In this paper, an
analytical relationship between θ2 and the effective oxide thickness is developed and validated by electrical
measurements on MOSFETs with different oxide thicknesses and θ2 values from the literature. Using the extracted θ2
values as inputs to analytical MOSFET models, a correlation between the oxide thickness and linearity is analyzed.
Read more …
Source : Solid-State Electronics
PHILIPS
Surface passivated InAs/InP core/shell nanowires
Abstract : We report the growth and characterization of InAs nanowires capped with a 0.5–1 nm epitaxial InP shell.
The low-temperature field-effect mobility is increased by a factor 2–5 compared to bare InAs nanowires. We extract the
highest low-temperature peak electron mobilities obtained for nanowires to this date, exceeding 20 000 cm 2 V s−1. The
electron density in the nanowires, determined at zero gate voltage, is reduced by an order of magnitude compared to
uncapped InAs nanowires. For smaller diameter nanowires we find an increase in electron density, which can be
related to the presence of an accumulation layer at the InAs/InP interface. However, compared to the surface
accumulation layer in uncapped InAs, this electron density is much reduced. We suggest that the increase in the
observed field-effect mobility can be attributed to an increase of conduction through the inner part of the nanowire and
a reduction of the contribution of electrons from the low-mobility accumulation layer. Furthermore the shell around
the InAs reduces the surface roughness scattering and ionized impurity scattering in the nanowire.
Read more …
Source : Semiconductor Science and Technology
January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 5|P a g e

6. PICOGIGA INTERNATIONAL
Low microwave noise of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs fabricated on SiCopSiC substrates
Abstract : Low microwave noise performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs fabricated on MOCVD epitaxial structures grown
on composite substrates (SiCopSiC) is reported. They are made of a thin SiC single-crystal layer transferred on top of a
thick polycrystalline SiC wafer. The transistor fabrication process is similar to the one developed for AlGaN/GaN
devices on SiC substrate. A minimum noise figure of 0.12 dB with an associated gain of 14.8 dB at 3 GHz is found,
showing the capability of gallium-nitride based devices for low noise microwave applications in the S-band.
Read more …
Source : Electronics Letters
SAMSUNG LED
Analysis of reverse tunnelling current in GaInN light -emitting diodes
Abstract : The characteristics of the reverse leakage current of GaInN/GaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes
(LEDs) are examined with various n-type GaN doping concentrations and interpreted by using a tunnelling current
model. Changing the doping concentration of the n-type GaN influences the tunnelling probability of electrons into the
conduction band and thus the reverse leakage current. Reducing the doping concentration of the top 150 nm portion of
the n-type GaN layer by half decreases the tunnelling probability, resulting in decrease of the reverse leakage current by
80% at −10 V without deterioration of any forward electrical properties of LEDs.
Read more …
Source : Electronics Letters
SONY CORPORATION
Mode locking of an external-cavity bisection GaInN blue-violet laser diode producing 3 ps
duration optical pulses
Abstract : Passive mode locking of a bisectional GaInN quantum well laser diode was confirmed with external-cavity
geometry. Optical pulses of 3 ps duration were produced by controlling the reverse-bias voltage applied to a saturable
absorber section. These are the shortest optical pulses ever generated from GaN-based laser diodes.
Read more …
Source : Applied Physics Letters
January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 6|P a g e

7. SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES
Analysis of GaInAsP laser diodes degraded by light absorption at an active layer of the facet
Abstract : Electrostatic discharge-induced degradation is one of the serious reliability problems of GaInAsP/InP laser
diodes. The authors have conducted an analysis of electrostatic discharge-induced degradation, and have elucidated the
principal degradation mechanism. The main cause of degradation is heating by light absorption at the active layer of the
facet. This phenomenon is similar to the catastrophic optical damage that occurs in GaAs-based high-power laser
diodes. The problem has become more serious with the recent tendency to high power demand. Therefore, technology
to suppress against degradation is extremely important. Focusing on facet coating, which is one of the key processes to
suppress facet degradation, we demonstrated that facet degradation can be successfully suppressed by inserting an
ultrathin aluminum layer between the semiconductor and the dielectric coaling films. This effect is caused by a
reduction of surface recombination. This degradation suppression technology has the potential to be applied not only
to GaInAsP/InP laser diodes, but to any InP-based laser diodes.
Read more …
Source : Electronics and Communications in Japan
THALES RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
Advances in III-V based photonic crystals for integrated optical processing
Abstract : Compactness, massive integration of multiple functions on a single chip and power consumption are crucial
for transmission of large aggregated bit rates at short distance. Efficient implementation of data processing at the
optical level are very attractive. Here we present a technology for implementing ultra-fast switching with recordlow
energyrecovery time product. We developed high-quality photonic crystal micro-resonators based on III-V
semiconductors. The very short carrier lifetime of nano-pattened Gallium Arsenide enabled us to achieve 6 ps recovery
time, thus enabling operations beyond the 100Gb/s rate. For broadband operation, highly nonlinear waveguides with
low insertion loss have been demonstrated.
Read more …
Source : Proceedings of SPIE (Nanophotonic Devices IV)
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January 2010 | http://www.knowmade.fr 7|P a g e