EAGER: Earth Abundant Element Nitride Semiconductors Based on ZnSnN2

EAGER：地球储量丰富的基于 ZnSnN2 的氮化物半导体

• 批准号: 1410915
• 负责人: Steven Durbin
• 金额: $ 17.2万
• 依托单位: Western Michigan University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-12-01 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1410915&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Earth; Abundant; Element; Nitride

Technical Description: There exists a poorly understood semiconductor family closely related to the (In,Ga)N family where the column III element is replaced by an ordered cation sublattice composed of equal numbers of Zn and column IV (Si, Ge, Sn) atoms. While the Si- and Ge-containing members have been synthesized, the narrow band-gap member based on Sn -- key to realizing photon absorption and emission in the visible wavelength portion of the spectrum -- has not, limiting the application prospects of this family whose band-gap range is very similar to that of (In,Ga)N. This project is focused on growth and characterization of high-quality single-crystal thin films of zinc tin nitride and the determination of its fundamental optical and electrical properties, particularly with respect to the influence of defects and disorder. Thin films are grown using a plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique. Crystallinity and microstructure are evaluated using in-situ reflection high energy diffraction as well as x-ray diffraction and both electron and scanning probe microscopy tools; stoichiometry is evaluated using energy dispersive spectrometry calibrated using ion beam analysis. Optical properties are evaluated using optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electrical characteristics are measured using Hall effect techniques.Non-technical Description: Many inorganic semiconductor alternatives to silicon solar cells contain indium, an element only three times more abundant than silver and a commodity experiencing significant increases in demand. The II-IV-nitride family in contrast is synthesized from earth-abundant elements for which there already exists significant recycling infrastructure, making it of interest both from economic and environmental perspectives for optoelectronic applications such as photovoltaics and solid state lighting. High-quality samples of new materials also provide important opportunities in the broader semiconductor community to improve our understanding of thin film growth processes, and the nature and role of defects in determining fundamental material properties. Educating students in contemporary issues in semiconductor synthesis and characterization, as well as photovoltaics, provides them with important skills highly relevant to the semiconductor industry and the realization of next-generation devices. Exposing high school students to basic solar cell fabrication provides a valuable pathway to encouraging them to consider careers in science and engineering, while at the same time providing them insight into limitations of current photovoltaic technology.

技术描述：存在一个与（in，ga）n家族密切相关的半导体家族的知识，其中III列元素被有序的阳离子sublattice取代，该阳离子由相等数量的Zn和IV（SI，GE，SN）原子组成。尽管已经合成了含SI-和GE的构件，但基于SN的狭窄带隙成员 - 对于实现光谱的可见波长部分中的光子吸收和发射的关键 - 尚未限制该家族的应用程序前景，该家族的带状范围与（IN，GA）n非常相似。该项目的重点是氮锡锡锡高质量单晶薄膜的生长和表征，并确定其基本光学和电气性能，尤其是在缺陷和疾病的影响方面。使用血浆辅助分子束外延技术生长薄膜。使用原位反射高能衍射以及X射线衍射以及电子和扫描探针显微镜工具评估了结晶度和微观结构。使用使用离子束分析校准的能量分散光谱法评估化学计量。使用光学吸收和光致发光光谱评估光学性能，并使用Hall效应技术测量电特性。Non-Technical描述：许多无机半导体替代硅太阳能电池中含有ININIF的依赖，这是元素的丰富元素，其丰富的元素是需求量的大量增长的三倍。相比之下，II-IV二硝酸盐家族是由已经存在着重要的回收基础设施而综合的，从经济和环境的角度来看，光伏和固态照明从经济和环境的角度引起了人们的关注。高质量的新材料样本还为更广泛的半导体社区提供了重要的机会，以提高我们对薄膜增长过程的理解，以及缺陷在确定基本材料特性中的性质和作用。教育学生在半导体合成和表征方面以及光伏问题方面的当代问题，为他们提供了与半导体行业高度相关的重要技能，并实现了下一代设备。将高中生接触基本的太阳能电池制造提供了一种有价值的途径，可以鼓励他们考虑科学和工程领域的职业，同时，使他们深入了解当前光伏技术的局限性。

项目成果

Revisiting semiconductor band gaps through structural motifs: An Ising model perspective

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.102.115202
• 发表时间: 2020-09-08
• 期刊: PHYSICAL REVIEW B
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Makin, Robert A.;York, Krystal;Reeves, Roger J.
• 通讯作者: Reeves, Roger J.

Erratum: “Stabilization of orthorhombic phase in single-crystal ZnSnN 2 films” [AIP Advances 6, 075019 (2016)]

勘误表：“单晶 ZnSnN 2 薄膜中斜方相的稳定性”[AIP Advances 6, 075019 (2016)]

• DOI: 10.1063/1.5082196
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: AIP Advances
• 影响因子: 1.6
• 作者: Senabulya, Nancy;Feldberg, Nathaniel;Makin, Robert. A.;Yang, Yongsoo;Shi, Guangsha;Jones, Christina M.;Kioupakis, Emmanouil;Mathis, James;Clarke, Roy;Durbin, Steven M.
• 通讯作者: Durbin, Steven M.

Alloy-Free Band Gap Tuning across the Visible Spectrum

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.256403
• 发表时间: 2019-06-27
• 期刊: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
• 影响因子: 8.6
• 作者: Makin, Robert A.;York, Krystal;Reeves, Roger J.
• 通讯作者: Reeves, Roger J.