Figure 1 Evolution of the PSi optical thickness nd as a function

Figure 1 Evolution of the PSi optical thickness nd as a function of the doping current. The red circles are the ratio of the nd values (n is the refractive index and d the physical thickness) before and after the doping process. The transferred charge is the same for all samples. The line fit is to be intended as a guide for the eyes. If the doping process were independent on the doping current, the data should follow a horizontal

line, since no evolution would be expected. However, our results, even with the large spread, indicate that there is a clear trend, although a fully quantitative determination cannot be obtained. It must be noted that a spread in the data is expected because there are several small parameters that can affect the results. For instance, the minute differences in the surface/bulk properties of the starting 3-Methyladenine purchase Si wafer will affect the shape of the pore openings VX-661 mouse and, in turn, the diffusion of the Er solution within the pores. This effect is also expected for samples coming from different parts of the starting Si wafer (32 samples are obtained for each 4-in. wafer). The line fit is shown as a guide for the eyes to evidence the trend. Given the correlation of the samples optical properties with their Er content [14, 15], based on the data of Figure 1, we can get a first

hint that this evolution indicates a current intensity-dependent Er content. selleckchem Electrochemical characterization Figures 2 and 3 show the measured voltage transients for applied currents with low and high densities, mafosfamide respectively, in two nominally identical PSi samples (2.5-μm thick). The total transferred charge is the same for both transients. The inset of Figure 3 shows an enlargement of the plot of Figure 3 (red dots) superposed to its first derivative (blue dots). The same effect has been observed for several other thicknesses.The results of Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate the existence of two different transient shapes: at low currents, a single transitory (ST) is evidenced by the regular increase of the voltage absolute value (Figure 2),

while a double transitory (DT) is evidenced for higher currents (Figure 3), where a variation in the slope during the voltage evolution is clearly visible also as a clear peak in its first derivative (inset of Figure 3). The presence for higher currents of a slope change indicates that two different Er deposition processes are involved, while a single regime is present for lower currents. Although to date the onset of the transition between the two regimes as a function of the doping parameters is not clearly definite, we observed that all higher current density doping processes exhibit a DT, while all lower current ones exhibit a ST. We also observed that the DT shape depends on the current intensity and that there is a correlation of the shape with the current density (not shown). Figure 2 Voltage evolution in PSi Er doping using a low constant current intensity.

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