Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy coupled to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is used to analyze the passivation layer deposited on the sidewall of InP submicron patterns etched in Cl2–H2 and HBr inductively coupled plasmas. It is shown that a thin Si-containing layer is deposited on the sidewalls of the etched patterns, resulting from the reaction of Cl2 or HBr with the Si wafer used as the sample tray. For Cl2-containing plasma, the deposition layer becomes thicker when hydrogen is added to the gas mixture, leading to highly anisotropic InP etching at an optimized H2 percentage. A similar effect is obtained in HBr plasma by increasing the ICP power. When O2 is added to the gas mixture, the deposited layer is changed from Si rich to more stoichiometric silicon oxide (SiO2) and the passivation effect is enhanced. EDX-TEM analysis has also been carried out on InP samples etched in Cl2–N2 plasma for comparison. A similar impact of the coverplate material on the sidewall profile is evidenced, the InP sidewall being moreover strongly In deficient in this case. These results give useful guidelines to define anisotropic etching processes scalable to large-diameter InP wafers.

LGEP 2014 ID = 1519International audienceWe demonstrate the high potential of GaN nanowires (NWs) to convert mechanical energy into electric energy. Using an atomic force microscope equipped with a Resiscope module, an average output voltage of –74 mV and a maximum of –443 mV ± 2% per NW were measured. This latter value is the highest reported so far for GaN NWs. By considering these output signals, we have estimated an average and a maximum power density generated by one layer of GaN NWs of the order of 5.9 mW/cm2 and 130 mW/cm2, respectively. These results offer promising prospects for the use of GaN NWs for high-efficiency ultracompact piezogenerators

Commissioned in May 2004 on the SLS machine, the LUCIA beamline was moved to the synchrotron SOLEIL during the summer of 2008. To take advantage of this new setting several changes to its design were introduced. Here, a review of the various improvements of the mechanics and, mostly, of the optics is given. Described in detail are the results of a new multilayer grating monochromator implemented on the Kohzu vessel already holding the two-crystal set-up. It consists of a grating grooved onto a multilayer (replacing the first crystal) associated to a multilayer (as a second crystal). It allows a shift of the low-energy limit of the beamline to around 500 eV with an energy resolution and a photon flux comparable with those of the previous couples of crystals (KTP and beryl).