Infrared Quantum Materials Based on Scandium-Containing III-Nitrides

基于含钪III族氮化物的红外量子材料

• 批准号: 2004462
• 负责人: Oana Malis
• 金额: $ 43.19万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-07-01 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2004462&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Infrared; Quantum; Materials; Based; Scandium

Nontechnical descriptionThis project is developing new technologically useful materials by incorporating a rarely used metal (scandium) into traditional semiconductors. This combination has unique light emitting and detecting capabilities with broad benefits to society including novel devices for medical imaging and solar cells. The research aims to understand, control, and adjust the atomic arrangement of these new materials to maximize light absorption in the invisible infrared range. The project also explores the effect of atomic imperfections in the semiconductors on the movement of free electrical charge. This program also links the research with the educational goal of increasing learning opportunities for students of all ages, inside and outside the traditional classroom. The investigators and students involved in this project participate in outreach activities organized either in-house or at local schools to increase exposure of K-12 students and the general public to modern scientific topics in materials science in a fun, project-oriented environment. Lesson plans are designed and experimental demonstrations of basic optical properties of matter are built for the middle-school summer camp “Physics Inside Out” at Purdue. To maximize impact at the high-school level, the activities engage teachers in summer research. In particular, the teachers are developing inquiry-based lesson plans incorporating concepts related to quantum science into the high-school curriculum to fulfill Indiana standards. The researchers also organize a hands-on workshop with take-home materials for the annual meeting of the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers.Technical descriptionThis project sets the foundation for a novel type of infrared materials using optical transitions between quantized states in the conduction band of nitride semiconductors incorporating the group IIIB transition-metal scandium. These semiconductors have unique electronic properties that make them suitable for advancing the functionality of semiconductor optoelectronic devices into spectral ranges currently inaccessible with other material systems. The innovative approach employs an emergent optoelectronic material, the wurtzite phase of Sc-Al-nitride that is lattice-matched to GaN, to mitigate strain-related issues that have impeded progress of nitride optoelectronics into the infrared so far. The research effort is interdisciplinary and involves material design and growth, plus structural and optical characterization. Polar and nonpolar ScAlN/GaN heterostructures are designed using extensive band-structure calculations. To achieve maximum material purity and monolayer-control of the atomic structure, the Sc-containing materials are grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on high quality quasi-bulk GaN substrates. The decisive task is to identify the epitaxial growth conditions that satisfy the most stringent requirements imposed by near-infrared optical processes. In order to correlate microstructure with optical and electronic properties, the structure of the semiconductor materials is comprehensively characterized with high-resolution x-ray diffraction, advanced transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. The band structure of the materials is probed experimentally with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The growth of these emergent materials advances the state-of-the-art in transition-metal nitride epitaxy. Uncharted mechanisms of material growth on polar and non-polar GaN substrates are scrutinized. This research also contributes to the knowledge base of the physics of infrared optical transitions. These infrared materials are expected to enable optoelectronics with functionality unmatched by current technologies. Moreover, the novel class of Sc-containing semiconductors benefit other applications such as high-electron mobility transistors, ultraviolet, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and plasmonic devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术描述该项目正在通过将很少使用的金属（Scandium）纳入传统的半导体来开发新的技术有用的材料。这种组合具有独特的发光和检测能力，对社会有广泛的好处，包括新颖的医学成像和太阳能电池设备。该研究旨在理解，控制和调整这些新材料的原子布置，以最大程度地提高隐形红外范围的光抽象。该项目还探讨了半导体中原子缺陷对自由电荷运动的影响。该计划还将研究与增加传统教室内外的所有年龄段的学生的学习机会的教育目标联系起来。参与该项目的调查人员和学生参加了内部或当地学校组织的外展活动，以增加K-12学生和公众对现代科学科学的现代科学主题的接触，这是一个有趣的，面向项目的环境。课程计划是设计的，并为Purdue的中学夏令营“物理学”建立了物质基本光学特性的实验演示。为了最大程度地提高高中级别的影响，这些活动使教师参与夏季研究。特别是，教师正在制定基于询问的课程计划，该计划编码与量子科学有关的概念，以符合印第安纳州的标准。研究人员还为Hoosier科学教师协会年度会议组织了一个动手研讨会。技术描述该项目为新型的红外材料提供了基础，该项目使用量化状态之间的光学过渡为硝酸盐半导体的传导带之间的光学过渡奠定了基础，从而进口了IIIB过渡 - 过渡时间范围。这些半导体具有独特的电子特性，使其适合将半导体光电设备的功能推进到当前与其他材料系统目前无法访问的光谱范围中。这种创新方法采用紧急光电材料，这是与GAN匹配的SC-氮化物的Deadzite阶段，以减轻与应变相关的问题，这些问题阻碍了硝化酯光电子的进展到迄今为止的基础。研究工作是跨学科的，涉及材料设计和增长，以及结构和光学表征。极性和非极性Scarn/GAN异质结构是使用广泛的带结构计算设计的。为了实现原子结构的最大材料纯度和单层控制，含SC的材料是通过在高质量的准粉状gan底物上的等离子体辅助分子束外疗中生长的。决定性的任务是确定最满足最满足的外延生长条件。近红外光学过程施加的严格要求。为了将微观结构与光学和电子特性相关联，半导体材料的结构以高分辨率的X射线衍射，高级透射电子显微镜和原子探针断层扫描彻底表征。用傅立叶变换红外光谱和光致发光对材料的带结构进行实验探测。这些新兴材料的增长推进了过渡金属氮化物发作中最新的。仔细检查了极性和非极性GAN底物上材料生长的未知机制。这项研究还有助于基础光学转变的物理学知识库。这些红外材料有望通过当前技术无与伦比的功能来实现光电学。此外，新颖的含SC的半导体会使其他应用有益于其他应用，例如高电子移动晶体管，紫外线，热电，热电，压电和浆膜设备。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过该基金会的知识优点和广泛的criperia criperia criperia criperia criperia criperia criptia revaluation被认为是通过评估来通过评估来获得的。

项目成果

Elimination of remnant phases in low-temperature growth of wurtzite ScAlN by molecular-beam epitaxy

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0118075
• 发表时间: 2022-11
• 期刊: Journal of Applied Physics
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Brandon Dzuba;Trang Nguyen;Amrita Sen;R. Diaz;Megha Dubey;M. Bachhav;J. Wharry;M. Manfra;O. Malis