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The valley degree of freedom in many-valley semiconductors provides a new paradigm for storing and processing information in valleytronic and quantum-computing applications. Achieving practical devices requires all-electric control of long-lived valley-polarized states, without the use of strong external magnetic fields. Because of the extreme strength of the carbon–carbon bond, diamond possesses exceptionally stable valley states that provide a useful platform for valleytronic devices. Using ultrapure single-crystalline diamond, we demonstrate electrostatic control of valley currents in a dual-gate field-effect transistor, where the electrons are generated with a short ultraviolet pulse. The charge current and the valley current measured at the receiving electrodes are controlled separately by varying the gate voltages. We propose a model to interpret experimental data, based on drift-diffusion equations coupled through rate terms, with the rates computed by microscopic Monte Carlo simulations. As an application, we demonstrate valley-current charge-state modulation of nitrogen-vacancy centers.

Full investigation of deep defect states and impurities in wide-bandgap materials by employing commercial transient capacitance spectroscopy is a challenge, demanding very high temperatures. Therefore, a high-temperature deep-level transient spectroscopy (HT-DLTS) system was developed for measurements up to 1100 K. The upper limit of the temperature range allows for the study of deep defects and trap centers in the bandgap, deeper than previously reported by DLTS characterization in any material. Performance of the system was tested by carrying out measurements on the well-known intrinsic defects in n-type 4H-SiC in the temperature range 300-950 K. Experimental observations performed on 4H-SiC Schottky diodes were in good agreement with the literature. However, the DLTS measurements were restricted by the operation and quality of the electrodes.

By performing Time-of-Flight measurements on high-purity single-crystalline chemical vapor deposited diamond, we are able to extract the electron drift velocity of valley-polarized electrons in the low-injection regime. The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the conduction-band transport of valley-polarized electrons. The measurements were carried out within the temperature range of 10-80 K, and the experimental results are systematically compared with Monte Carlo charge transport simulations. We observe a rapid enhancement of the electron mobility with decreasing temperature, which reveals that inelastic effects in electron-phonon scattering become important below similar to 40 K. In addition, we obtain the momentum relaxation rate for electrons with different valley polarizations.

For the advancement of diamond-based electronic devices, the fabrication of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is crucial, as this device finds applications in numerous fields of power electronics and high-frequency systems. The MOS capacitor forms the basic building block of the MOSFET. In this letter, we describe planar MOS capacitor structures fabricated with atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as the dielectric on oxygen-terminated boron-doped diamond substrates with different doping levels. Using capacitance-voltage measurements, we have, for the first time, observed inversion behavior in MOS structures on boron-doped diamond, with a doping concentration of 4.1 × 10¹⁹/cm³.

Single-crystalline CVD diamond films have excellent electrical and material properties with potential in high power, high voltage and high frequency applications that are out of reach for conventional semiconductor materials. For realization of efficient devices (e.g. MOSFET), finding a suitable dielectric is essential to improve the reliability and electrical performance of devices. In the current study, we present results from surface passivation studies by high-k dielectric materials such as aluminum oxide and hafnium oxide deposited by ALD on intrinsic and boron doped diamond substrates. The hole transport properties in the intrinsic diamond films were evaluated and compared to unpassivated films using the lateral time-of-flight technique. The MOS capacitor structure, which forms the basic building block of the MOSFET, is discussed.

Etching of diamond is one of the most important process steps to realize diamond based devices. Isotropic etching in diamond yielding a high etch rate is challenging owing to its material properties. In the current study, single-crystalline diamond is etched using a Faraday cage that acts as the mask to attain semi-isotropic etching. An oxygen/chlorine plasma discharge with a pressure of 10 mTorr is used. The etching process is optimized by varying the applied plasma power, and the substrate bias together with varying parameters such as the thickness of the mask, the mask-to-diamond surface distance and the diameter of the holes in the mask. After optimization, semi-isotropic etched surface profiles up to a depth of 5 μm with an etch rate of 80 nm/min and surface roughness close to that of the unetched surface are achieved.

The recent progress in the growth of high-quality single-crystalline diamond films has sparked interest in the realization of efficient diamond power electronic devices. However, finding a suitable passivation is essential to improve the reliability and electrical performance of devices. In the current work, high-k dielectric materials such as aluminum oxide and hafnium oxide were deposited by atomic layer deposition on intrinsic diamond as a surface passivation layer. The hole transport properties in the diamond films were evaluated and compared to unpassivated films using the lateral time-of-flight technique. An enhancement of the near surface hole mobility in diamond films of up to 27% is observed when using aluminum oxide passivation.

ABSTRACT Diamond is a unique material in many respects. One of the most well-known extreme properties of diamond is its ultrahardness. This property of diamond actually turns out to have interesting consequences for charge transport, in particular at low temperatures. In fact, the strong covalent bonds that give rise to the ultrahardness results in a lack of short wavelength lattice vibrations which has a strong impact on both electron and hole scattering. In some sense diamond behaves more like a vacuum than other semiconductor materials. In this paper we describe some interesting charge transport properties of diamond and discuss possible novel electronic applications.

Diamond is a promising semiconductor material for high power, high voltage, high temperature and high frequency applications due to its remarkable material properties: it has the highest thermal conductivity, it is the hardest material, chemically inert, radiation hard and has the widest transparency in the electromagnetic spectrum. It also exhibits excellent electrical properties like high breakdown field, high mobilities and a wide bandgap.  Hence, it may find applications in extreme conditions out of reach for conventional semiconductor materials, e.g. in high power density systems, high temperature conditions, automotive and aerospace industries, and space applications. 

With the recent progress in the growth of high purity single-crystalline CVD diamond, the realization of electronic devices is now possible. Natural and HPHT diamonds inevitably have too high a concentration of impurities and defects for electrical applications. To develop efficient electronic devices based on diamond, it is crucial to understand charge transport properties. Time-of-flight is one of the most powerful methods used to study charge transport properties like mobility, drift velocity and charge collection efficiency in highly resistive semiconductors, such as diamond. For commercial diamond devices to become a reality, it is necessary to have an effective surface passivation since the passivation determines the ability of a device to withstand high surface electric fields. Surface passivation studies on intrinsic SC-CVD diamond using materials like silicon oxide, silicon nitride and high-k materials have been conducted and observations reveal an increase in measured hole mobilities. Planar MOS capacitor structures form the basic building block of MOSFETs. Consequently, the understanding of MOS structures is crucial to make MOSFETs based on diamond. Planar MOS structures with aluminum oxide as gate dielectric were fabricated on boron doped diamond. The phenomenon of inversion was observed for the first time in diamond. In addition, low temperature hole transport in the range of 10-80 K has been investigated and the results are used to identify the type of scattering mechanisms affecting hole transport at these temperatures.

To utilize the potential of diamonds properties and with diamond being the hardest and most chemically inert material, new processing technologies are needed to produce devices for electrical, optical or mechanical applications. Etching of diamond is one of the important processing steps required to make devices. Achieving an isotropic etch with a high etch rate is a challenge. Semi-isotropic etch profiles with smooth surfaces were obtained by using anisotropic etching technique by placing diamond samples in a Faraday cage and etch rates of approximately 80 nm/min were achieved.

Valleytronics, which is a novel concept to encode information based on the valley quantum number of electrons has been investigated for the first time in diamond. Valley-polarized electrons with the longest relaxation time ever recorded in any material (300 ns) were observed. This is a first step towards demonstrating valleytronic devices.

The excellent material properties of diamond make it highly desirable for many extreme electronic applications that are out of reach of conventional electronic materials. For commercial diamond devices to become a reality, it is necessary to have an effective surface passivation since the passivation determines the ability of the device to withstand high surface electric fields. In this paper we present data from lateral Time-of-Flight studies on SiO2-passivated intrinsic single-crystalline CVD diamond. The SiO2 films were deposited using three different techniques. The influence of the passivation on hole transport was studied, which resulted in the increase of hole mobilities. The results from the three different passivations are compared. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.