Analysis of Wide-gap Semiconductors with Superconducting XAFS Apparatus

Fluorescent yield X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy is useful for analyzing local structure of specific elements in matrices. We developed an XAFS apparatus with a 100-pixel superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detector array with a high sensitivity and a high resolution for light-element dopants in wide-gap semiconductors. An STJ detector has a pixel size of 100μm square, and an asymmetric layer structure of Nb(300 nm)-Al(70 nm)/AlOx/Al(70 nm)-Nb(50 nm). The 100-pixel STJ array has an effective area of 1 mm2. The XAFS apparatus with the STJ array detector was installed in BL-11A of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Photon Factory (KEK PF). Fluorescent X-ray spectrum for boron nitride showed that the average energy resolution of the 100-pixels is 12 eV in full width half maximum for the N-K line, and The C-K and N-K lines are separated without peak tail overlap. We analyzed the N dopant atoms implanted into 4H-SiC substrates at a dose of 300 ppm in a 200 nm-thick surface layer. From a comparison between measured X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectra and ab initio FEFF calculations, it has been revealed that the N atoms substitute for the C site of the SiC lattice.