The seed coat morphology of 50 species of Campanulaceae sensu stricto, representing all 10 South African genera, was studied by scanning electron microscopy to gauge its usefulness in the diagnosis of genera or to support clades. Possible correlations with life form (annual, herbaceous and woody perennial) and ecological requirements such as fire response, rainfall requirements, bedrock and soil preferences, as well as habitat (e.g. fynbos, strandveld, renosterveld, grassland and karoo), were also investigated. Patterns of variation are described and interpreted as conforming to two seed coat types: reticulate (Type 1) and striate/wavy (Type 2). Type 1 seeds are further divided into eight subtypes. Some general trends emerged; for example, Type 1 seeds occur in all major clades of wahlenbergioids, Type 1A with a smooth coarsely reticulate surface being predominant in fynbos taxa, all of which are woody perennials. Several of the Type 1 seeds, together with Type 2 seeds, also occur in species with wider ecological amplitude, for example in karoo, strandveld or montane grasslands. In Siphocodon there is remarkable disparity in seed type between species. These variations in seed type generally appear to accord with current knowledge of climatic changes and soil evolution during the Tertiary of South Africa, and may be useful indicators of generic emergence and mosaic speciation in the major lineages of wahlenbergioids. However, it was concluded that seed coat types do not correlate closely enough with specific ecological requirements or life forms to be of unequivocal predictive value. Also, apart from Merciera and Treichelia, they are of limited use as a diagnostic character for genera, but are useful for distinguishing species.

Epitaxial graphene (EG) grown on the carbon-face of SiC has been shown to exhibit higher carrier mobilities in comparison to other growth techniques amenable to wafer-scale graphene fabrication. The transfer of large area (>mm2) graphene films to substrates amenable for specific applications is desirable. We demonstrate the dry transfer of EG from the C-face of 4H-SiC onto SiO2, GaN and Al2O3 substrates via two approaches using either 1) thermal release tape or 2) a spin-on, chemically-etchable dielectric. Van der Pauw devices fabricated from C-face EG transferred to SiO2 gave similar mobility values and up to three fold reductions in carrier density in comparison to devices fabricated on as-grown material.

In order to reduce vertical leakage in III-nitride detectors, we have grown a patterned array of hexagonal GaN columns on masked heteroepitaxial GaN template layers using a-plane sapphire substrates. In addition to eliminating cracking, we have found that for GaN columns tens of microns in diameter and several microns high, the dislocation density is also significantly reduced. We have developed a simple closed-form analytical model for predicting the critical column height for the onset of the reduction in the dislocation density. Among the predictions of this model is that the critical column height for the onset of dislocation density reduction is proportional to the product of column width and the grain size of the GaN film.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is rapidly becoming the substrate of choice for the development of high frequency and high power electronic devices employing the III-V nitride family of materials. This heteroepitaxial growth system continues to receive considerable attention, as materials issues remain the fundamental limiters to device performance. The heteroepitaxial growth of gallium nitride (GaN) thin films on stepped and step-free 4H SiC surfaces is reported. Step-free SiC surfaces are created by mesa patterning of a SiC wafer and subsequent epitaxial growth in a process described previously. This process results in a collection of both step-free and stepped surfaces on a given sample. We have employed an established metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process to grow first a thin (1200Å) aluminum nitride (AlN) nucleation layer and then a 2 μm thick GaN thin film. We have interrupted growth at various stages of AlN and GaN growth to evaluate the growth evolution using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show marked differences in the manner in which the initial AlN layer deposits. Nucleation is random with elongated grains on step-free SiC surfaces, while stepped surfaces have round nuclei of uniform dimensions and a high degree of spatial correlation with the nuclei arranged in rows. These differences diminish as the AlN layer approaches the desired thickness. Growth of the GaN epilayer is also markedly different on the two types of surfaces with step-free surfaces leading to random and low density nucleation of crystallites that remain as single grains for long growth times, whereas the stepped surfaces have large numbers nuclei that rapidly grow laterally. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that grain sizes are 2–3X larger on step-free surfaces.

Wide band gap semiconductors are attractive for developing high power switching devices because of their ability to operate at both higher temperatures as well as higher frequencies than conventional Si. In this paper we report on the growth and fabrication of GaN/SiC np heterojunction diodes by depositing Si doped n-GaN films by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy directly on SiC without the use of GaN or AlN buffers.

Careful ex-situ and in-situ preparation of the Si terminated 6H- SiC surface was necessary to produce high quality diodes. Vertical circular diodes were fabricated with sizes varying from 200 microns to 1mm in diameter. Mesas were formed by ICP etching of the MBE deposited n-GaN layer using Cl2. A Ti/Al/Ni/Au metal stack was employed as an n-ohmic contact to the GaN layer and an Al/Ti/Au metal stack was employed as a backside p-ohmic contact to the 6H- SiC layer. The diodes were characterized by I-V and C-V measurements. The 1 mm diameter diodes exhibited almost ideal behavior under forward bias with an ideality factor of 1.6, and a reverse saturation current of 10–19 A/cm2. Under reverse bias, these devices were driven up to 1000 V with a measured leakage current of 5×10–7 A. and a dynamic resistance varying from 1010 to 109 ohms with increasing reverse bias. The built-in potential in these n-p heterojunctions was determined from C-V measurements to be 2.25 V. From these values we determined that the heterojunction is of Type II with conduction and valence bands offsets calculated to be 0.65 and 1.1 eV respectively.

The effects of inductively-coupled plasma etching on the quality of ohmic contacts to etched n- GaN are reported. A high density chlorine plasma and a range of rf bias power levels (incident ion energies) are employed to etch n-GaN films with varying doping levels. Resulting plasma damage degrades contact ohmicity in all cases examined. At moderate levels of rf bias power the extent of this degradation for nitride layers with lower doping levels (mid-1017 cm−3) is similar to the degradation for nitride layers with higher doping levels. With increased rf bias, the degradation becomes more severe in films with higher carrier concentration. Annealing at 700 °C rapidly improves the contact quality. Studies of cumulative annealing time, up to 160 seconds, show that the improvement in contact quality takes place within the first twenty seconds of annealing.

This paper presents UV imaging results for a 256×256 AlGaN Focal Plane Array that uses a back-illuminated AlGaN heterostructure p-i-n photodiode array, with 30×30 μm2 unit cells, operating at zero bias voltage, with a narrow-band UV response between 310 and 325 nm. The 256×256 array was fabricated from a multilayer AlGaN film grown by MOCVD on a sapphire substrate. The UV response operability (>0.4×average) was 94.8%, and the UV response uniformity (σ/μ) was 16.8%. Data are also presented for back-illuminated AlGaN p-i-n photodiodes from other films with cutoff wavelengths ranging between 301 and 364 nm. Data for variable-area diagnostic arrays of p-i-n AlGaN photodiodes with a GaN absorber (cutoff=364 nm) show: (1) high external quantum efficiency (50% at V=0 and 62% at V=-9 V); (2) the dark current is proportional to junction area, not perimeter; (3) the forward and reverse currents are uniform (σ/μ=50% for forty 30×30 μm2 diodes at V=−40 V); (4) the reverse-bias dark current data versus temperature and bias voltage can be fit very well by a hopping conduction model; and (5) capacitance versus voltage data are consistent with nearly full depletion of the unintentionally-doped 0.4 μm thick GaN absorber layer and imply a donor concentration of 3-4×1016 cm−3.

Although food handlers are often implicated as the source of infection in outbreaks of food-borne viral gastroenteritis, little is known about the timing of infectivity in relation to illness. We investigated a gastroenteritis outbreak among employees of a manufacturing company and found an association (RR=14·1, 95% CI=2·0–97·3) between disease and eating sandwiches prepared by 6 food handlers, 1 of whom reported gastroenteritis which had subsided 4 days earlier. Norwalk-like viruses were detected by electron microscopy or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in stool specimens from several company employees, the sick food handler whose specimen was obtained 10 days after resolution of illness, and an asymptomatic food handler. All RT-PCR product sequences were identical, suggesting a common source of infection. These data support observations from recent volunteer studies that current recommendations to exclude food handlers from work for 48–72 h after recovery from illness may not always prevent transmission of Norwalk-like viruses because virus can be shed up to 10 days after illness or while exhibiting no symptoms.

Trilayer YBa2Cu3O7-δ/(SrTiO3, CeO2)/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3-δ devices have been fabricated for the study of supercurrent suppression due to the injection of spin-polarized quasiparticle current. The critical current for a YBa2Cu3O7-δ/100 Å SrTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3-δ device was found to decrease from 118 mA to 12.6 mA, for an injection current of 60 mA. The effect of film microstructure on the critical current suppression was investigated. Defects in the SrTiO3 and CeO2 layers were found to control the device properties.

Nanochannel glass replica membranes are thin metallic films containing patterned arrays of uniform, nanometer-scale voids whose sizes, positions, geometric patterns, and packing densities may be controlled to a high degree. These membranes have been prepared from refractory and noble metals and are well suited for use as shadow masks in a variety of substrate patterning applications. Here we describe their use in the sub-micron, parallel patterning of Si and GaAs by materials deposition and reactive-ion etching respectively.

High density plasma etching of Hg1−xCdxTe in CH4/H2/Ar chemistry is examined using mass spectroscopy with careful surface temperature monitoring. The dominant etch products are monitored as a function of surface temperature (15–200°C), ion energy (20–200 eV), total pressure (0.5–5 mTorr), microwave power (200–400 W), and flow fraction of methane in the etch gas mixture (0–30%). In addition, observations are made regarding the regions of parameter space which are best suited to anisotropie, low damage etch processing. These observations are compared with previous results in the form of scanning electron micrographs of etched features for anisotropy evaluation and Hall effect measurements for residual damage. Insights to the overall etch mechanism are given.

High density plasmas are being increasingly employed in both the deposition of low temperature, high quality passivant films and for highly anisotropic, nanometer-scale pattern transfer. The high degree of control necessary in these processes emphasizes the need for a more complete understanding of the basic physical and chemical mechanisms involved. To this end, a wide range of diagnostic techniques have been employed to characterize electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasmas applied to the etching of semiconductors in both chlorine- and methane-based chemistries. In particular, vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy has been employed to identify important reactants and, where feasible, measure plasma constituent temperatures (e.g., neutral temperatures range from 0.1–0.3 eV in these plasmas). Langmuir probes, microwave interferometry and microwave electric field probes are used to monitor plasma parameters as a function of process conditions and provide understanding of microwave power deposition. Mass spectroscopy is utilized to characterize the plasma flux incident on the substrate, in terms of mass signature and charge state distribution. This flux is largely ionic with a considerable degree of dissociation, highly appropriate for directional etching. Results from each of these diagnostics are incorporated into an evolving predictive model for highly anisotropic, nanometer-scale etching of semiconductors.

Reactive ion etching of features down to 100 nm in linewidth in tungsten has been studied using an SF6 based chemistry. The studies were carried out in a PlasmaTherm 500 etcher operated at low pressure (2 mTorr) and power (100 mWatts/cm2). Key processing parameters have been identified to achieve the resolution and aspect ratio required for high contrast x-ray masks. The critical parameters include sample temperature, gas dilution and end point detection. However, even with all of these parameters optimized, additional sidewall passivation is required to obtain the necessary 6.5:1 aspect ratio. A novel method of achieving such passivation based on an intermittent etching process is described.

GaN films were grown on c-plane (0001), a-plane (1120) and r-plane (1102) sapphire substrates by the ECR-assisted MBE method. The films were grown using a two-step growth process, in which a GaN buffer is grown first at relatively low temperatures and the rest of the film is grown at higher temperatures. RHEED studies indicate that this growth method promotes lateral growth and leads to films with smooth surface morphology. The epitaxial relationship to the substrate, the crystalline quality and the surface morphology were investigated by RHEED, X-ray diffraction and SEM studies.

The dominant factors governing reactive ion etching of Si, SiO, and SiO2 thin films during bombardment with energetic Ar ions in a Cl atmosphere were investigated. Etch rates were determined in-situ by measuring weight loss as a function of ion fluence for films deposited on a quartz micro-balance. Measurements were made as a function of ion energy and Cl pressure using a Kaufman gun for ion energies from 300 to 1500 eV and an electron cyclotron resonance microwave ion source for ion energies from 50 to 600 eV and for Cl pressures ranging from 0.006 to 0.05 Pa. Results were compared to sputtering in Ar alone. The results indicated that the presence of the C1 enhanced the etch rate for all three materials, with the degree of enhancement being inversely proportional to the oxygen content of the film. It was also discovered that there was an optimum pressure for enhancement of the etching and that at the highest pressures, the etching could actually be suppressed. These results are discussed in terms of physisorbed gas layers, the thickness of which depends on the balance between the flux of energetic particles and the gas flux.