Structure of SiC-Quantum Wells Studied by TEM and CBED
Summary and Conclusion SiC hetero-polytypic structures have been investigated by conventional and high resolution TEM and the lattice parameters of a thin cubic stripe have been determined by CBED. For the case of the stepped substrate, nearly free of defects, about 2nm thick cubic stripes are formed within the hexagonal layer. For the case of the growth on on-axis substrates, it was demonstrated that 6H/3C as well as 4H/3C stacks are formed on 6H and 4H-SiC substrates, respectively, By CBED the lattice parameters of the cubic stripe were determined to a rhom =0.4360nm a rhom = (89.78±0.02)° demonstrating the rhombohedral distortion of the 3C stripes. It might be suggested that the result is valid also for the 2nm thick cubic stripes in the multi-quantum well structures grown on the stepped SiC substrate, although such layers are generally to thin for the lattice parameter determination by CBED. Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to Dr. A. Chuvilin for the generous scientific support during his stay as guest scientist at Jena University, thank Ch. Zaubitzer for sample preparation and acknowledge the financial support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 196.
Optical investigation methods for SiC device development: application to stacking faults diagnostic in active epitaxial layers
We present a review of the different optical techniques that can be used to investigate the presence of as-grown and/or process-induced stacking faults (SFs) in 4H–SiC epitaxial layers. A SF is always a finite admixture of different polytypes, and we begin with a brief review of the systematic of SiC polytype structure and electronic properties. Next, we discuss the optical signature and compare with the results of several model calculations, taking successively into account the effect of valence band offset, internal polarization and non-homogeneity of the potential well. Finally, we consider cathodo-luminescence and micro-photoluminescence techniques and show that, in both cases, some screening of the built-in electric field can be achieved.
A single amino acid substitution in elongation factor Tu disrupts interaction between the ternary complex and the ribosome
Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu).GTP has the primary function of promoting the efficient and correct interaction of aminoacyl-tRNA with the ribosome. Very little is known about the elements in EF-Tu involved in this interaction. We describe a mutant form of EF-Tu, isolated in Salmonella typhimurium, that causes a severe defect in the interaction of the ternary complex with the ribosome. The mutation causes the substitution of Val for Gly-280 in domain II of EF-Tu. The in vivo growth and translation phenotypes of strains harboring this mutation are indistinguishable from those of strains in which the same tuf gene is insertionally inactivated. Viable cells are not obtained when the other tuf gene is inactivated, showing that the mutant EF-Tu alone cannot support cell growth. We have confirmed, by partial protein sequencing, that the mutant EF-Tu is present in the cells. In vitro analysis of the natural mixture of wild-type and mutant EF-Tu allows us to identify the major defect of this mutant. Our data shows that the EF-Tu is homogeneous and competent with respect to guanine nucleotide binding and exchange, stimulation of nucleotide exchange by EF-Ts, and ternary complex formation with aminoacyl-tRNA. However various measures of translational efficiency show a significant reduction, which is associated with a defective interaction between the ribosome and the mutant EF-Tu.GTP.aminoacyl-tRNA complex. In addition, the antibiotic kirromycin, which blocks translation by binding EF-Tu on the ribosome, fails to do so with this mutant EF-Tu, although it does form a complex with EF-Tu. Our results suggest that this region of domain II in EF-Tu has an important function and influences the binding of the ternary complex to the codon-programmed ribosome during protein synthesis. Models involving either a direct or an indirect effect of the mutation are discussed.