Controlling AlInGaN/Silicon Interface Kinetics

控制 AlInGaN/硅界面动力学

• 批准号: 1710032
• 负责人: William Doolittle
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2020-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1710032&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Controlling; AlInGaN; Silicon; Interface; Kinetics

Nontechnical Description: The focus of this project is to develop an increased understanding of the synthesis of nitride-based materials on silicon, combining the two most widely available semiconductors - Silicon and Nitrides. In spite of their importance in a variety of devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), power transistors, and high-efficiency solar cells, much remains unknown about the crystalline growth processes occurring at the interface between these important materials. In order to achieve the integration of these materials for next generation devices, an improved understanding of the interface chemistry, growth mechanisms, metallurgical reactions, and resulting defect formation at this important interface is needed. This project utilizes a recently developed low temperature crystal growth process, capable of achieving commercially advantageous, high-throughput rates with various analyses to study the complex interfacial phenomena and extend the use of III-Nitrides to include the elusive material AlGaInN. A mechanism to control these phenomena, possibly reducing defects and enabling future applications is also targeted. This project provides graduate students access to cutting-edge technology and resources at the intersection of physics, materials science, and nanoelectronics. The resulting device platform has the potential to lead to innovations in energy saving devices, communications, solar cells, and medical device technologies. Social and academic outreach programs are expanded to include demonstrations for elementary to high school students. This research provides new opportunities for the dissemination and publication of detailed methods for achieving (AlGaIn)-Nitride and Silicon device integration.Technical Description: This project explores the development of heterostructures composed of quaternary III-Nitrides (AlGaInN) and Silicon for electronic and optoelectronic device integration. While AlN on Silicon is largely commercialized, all other commonly available III-Nitride alloys including GaN, InN, AlGaN and InGaN are substantially not implemented directly on Silicon substrates. Furthermore, the daunting challenge of growing quaternaries of AlGaInN has not been mastered, especially not on silicon substrates. Early attempts to control the naturally occurring growth phenomena at III-Nitride/Si interfaces were limited to the case where an insulating aluminum nitride interlayer was acceptable, as in lateral transistors like high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). For those cases where insulating barriers are not acceptable, as in future vertical conduction devices, e.g. transistors, LEDs, solar cells, and power devices, limited scientific understanding and no existing commercial success has been demonstrated. The recent demonstration of low temperature, rapid growth methods such as Metal Modulated Epitaxy (MME) with growth rates up to 9.8 microns/hr is providing new possibilities to "freeze in" new phases thought previously too challenging. Since MME is performed at extremely low temperatures (300 degrees C for indium nitride and ~500-600 degrees C for gallium nitride), the ability to control the interface diffusion, elimination of eutectic driven substrate etching, and control of interface planarity, all by using kinetically limited diffusion is viable. Furthermore, having already been proven to overcome phase separation challenges of InGaN, MME is viable for overcoming the same challenges of quaternary AlGaInN as well. The goal of this basic research effort is to better understand and control the interface kinetics of III-Nitride/Silicon heterojunctions, provide high quality quaternary III-Nitride materials and identify a better solution for vertical conduction devices integrated on silicon that eliminates the insulating AlN interlayer commonly used in silicon/nitride electronics today. The successful execution of this project has the potential to lead to a detailed understanding of the chemical and metallurgical interactions between III-Nitrides and Silicon including quantification of diffusion and reaction coefficients. This is the foundation required for next generation vertical power transistors on silicon that integrate smart CMOS devices with the enhanced power handling capabilities of III-Nitrides and LEDs for solid-state lighting grown on low-cost (even removable/disposable) large area silicon substrates.

非技术描述：该项目的重点是加深对硅上氮化物基材料合成的理解，结合两种最广泛使用的半导体——硅和氮化物。尽管它们在发光二极管 (LED)、功率晶体管和高效太阳能电池等各种器件中发挥着重要作用，但人们对这些重要材料之间界面处发生的晶体生长过程仍知之甚少。为了实现这些材料在下一代器件中的集成，需要更好地了解界面化学、生长机制、冶金反应以及在这个重要界面上形成的缺陷。该项目采用最近开发的低温晶体生长工艺，能够通过各种分析实现商业上有利的高通量，以研究复杂的界面现象，并将 III 族氮化物的使用扩展到难以捉摸的材料 AlGaInN。还制定了一种控制这些现象的机制，可能减少缺陷并支持未来的应用。该项目为研究生提供了接触物理学、材料科学和纳米电子学交叉领域的尖端技术和资源的机会。由此产生的设备平台有可能带来节能设备、通信、太阳能电池和医疗设备技术的创新。社会和学术推广计划已扩大到包括针对小学生到高中生的示威活动。该研究为传播和出版实现（AlGaIn）氮化物和硅器件集成的详细方法提供了新的机会。技术描述：该项目探索了由四元III族氮化物（AlGaInN）和硅组成的异质结构的开发，用于电子和光电领域设备集成。虽然硅基 AlN 已基本商业化，但所有其他常用的 III 族氮化物合金（包括 GaN、InN、AlGaN 和 InGaN）基本上并未直接在硅衬底上实现。此外，生长 AlGaInN 四元化合物的艰巨挑战尚未得到解决，尤其是在硅衬底上。控制 III 族氮化物/Si 界面处自然发生的生长现象的早期尝试仅限于可接受绝缘氮化铝夹层的情况，如高电子迁移率晶体管 (HEMT) 等横向晶体管。对于那些不可接受绝缘屏障​​的情况，如未来的垂直传导设备，例如晶体管、LED、太阳能电池和功率器件，科学理解有限，并且尚未证明现有的商业成功。最近展示的低温、快速生长方法，例如生长速率高达 9.8 微米/小时的金属调制外延 (MME)，为“冻结”以前认为太具有挑战性的新相提供了新的可能性。由于 MME 是在极低的温度下进行的（氮化铟为 300 摄氏度，氮化镓为约 500-600 摄氏度），因此能够控制界面扩散、消除共晶驱动的衬底蚀刻以及控制界面平坦度。使用动力学限制扩散是可行的。此外，MME 已被证明可以克服 InGaN 的相分离挑战，也可以克服四元 AlGaInN 的相同挑战。这项基础研究工作的目标是更好地了解和控制 III 族氮化物/硅异质结的界面动力学，提供高质量的四元 III 族氮化物材料，并为集成在硅上的垂直导电器件找到更好的解决方案，从而消除绝缘 AlN 中间层当今广泛用于硅/氮化物电子产品。该项目的成功执行有可能使人们详细了解 III 族氮化物和硅之间的化学和冶金相互作用，包括扩散和反应系数的量化。这是下一代硅上垂直功率晶体管所需的基础，该晶体管将智能 CMOS 器件与 III 族氮化物和 LED 的增强功率处理能力集成在一起，用于在低成本（甚至可拆卸/一次性）大面积硅基板上生长的固态照明。

项目成果

Negative differential resistance in GaN homojunction tunnel diodes and low voltage loss tunnel contacts

GaN同质结隧道二极管中的负微分电阻和低电压损耗隧道接触

• DOI: 10.1063/1.5035293
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Applied Physics Letters
• 影响因子: 4
• 作者: Clinton, Evan A.;Vadiee, Ehsan;Shen, Shyh-Chiang;Mehta, Karan;Yoder, P. Douglas;Doolittle, W. Alan
• 通讯作者: Doolittle, W. Alan

Observation and mitigation of RF-plasma-induced damage to III-nitrides grown by molecular beam epitaxy

射频等离子体对分子束外延生长的 III 族氮化物造成的损伤的观察和减轻

• DOI: 10.1063/1.5097557
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Journal of Applied Physics
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Clinton, Evan A.;Vadiee, Ehsan;Tellekamp, M. Brooks;Doolittle, W. Alan
• 通讯作者: Doolittle, W. Alan

InGaN solar cells with regrown GaN homojunction tunnel contacts

具有再生 GaN 同质结隧道接触的 InGaN 太阳能电池

• DOI: 10.7567/apex.11.082304
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Applied Physics Express
• 影响因子: 2.3
• 作者: Vadiee, Ehsan;Clinton, Evan A.;McFavilen, Heather;Weidenbach, Alex S.;Engel, Zachary;Matthews, Christopher;Zhang, Chaomin;Arena, Chantal;King, Richard R.;Honsberg, Christiana B.
• 通讯作者: Honsberg, Christiana B.