Development and Application of Non-Equilibrium Doping in Amorphous Chalcogenides

非晶硫族化物非平衡掺杂的研究进展及应用

基本信息

批准号：
EP/N020057/1
负责人：
Richard Curry
金额：
$ 48.56万
依托单位：
University of Surrey
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2016 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FN020057%2F1
关键词：
Development Application Non Equilibrium Doping

项目摘要

In the 20th century, the development of silicon-based electronics revolutionised the world, becoming the most pervasive technology behind modern-day life. In the 21st century, it is envisaged that technology will move to the use of light (photons) together with, or in place of, electrons, providing a dramatic increase in the speed and quantity of information processing whilst also reducing the energy required to do so. Making this transition to an all optical 'photonic' technology has proved to be a complex task, as the material of choice for electronics, silicon, is limited in its ability to control light. In the search for alternative materials, a class of glasses called amorphous chalcogenides (a-ChGs) have shown remarkable promise, to the point where they have been referred to as the 'optical equivalent of silicon'. Chalcogenides are materials which contain one or more of the elements sulfur, selenium or tellurium as a major constituent. These materials are already widely used in applications such as photovoltaics, memory (e.g. DVDs), advanced optical devices (e.g. lasers), and in some thermoelectric generation systems. It is accepted that the move to all-optical technologies will require an intermediate stage where information processing is undertaken using a hybrid 'optoelectronic' system. This provides a strong and compelling argument for the development of a-ChGs, as they can be deposited on Si to form a hybrid approach en-route to their use as an all-optical platform.Whilst the optical properties of a-ChGs may be controlled and modified it has proved to be extremely difficult to modify their electronic properties during the material preparation, which has typically involved melting at high temperatures. Any impurities that are added to these materials in order to change the electronic behaviour are ineffective under these conditions due to the ability of the ChG material to reorder itself when melted, and so negate the desired doping effect. We have successfully pioneered a method to modify their properties by introducing dopants into a-ChGs below their melting temperature, thus not allowing the material to reorder, using ion-implantation. This method of doping allows precise control of the type of impurity introduced and is widely used in silicon technologies. As a result of this work, we have demonstrated the ability to reverse the majority charge carrier type from holes (p-type) to electrons (n-type) in a spatially localised way. This step-changing achievement enabled us to demonstrate the fabrication of optically active pn-junctions in a-ChGs, which will act as the enabling catalyst for the development of future photonic technologies.In this project we will seek to develop a full understanding of the process of carrier-type reversal on the atomic scale, and use this information to optimize it, and the materials that are to be modified, so as to add further functionality. We will also develop the required advanced engineering methods which relate to the control and activation of dopants introduced using ion-implantation into a-ChGs. Together, these will enable the demonstration of a series of optoelectronic devices demonstrating the key functionalities required to build an integrated optoelectronic technology. This programme will consolidate the position of the UK as the world leader in the field of non-equilibrium doping of chalcogenides. We will, in this way, champion these materials in the world's transition to beyond CMOS technology and therefore directly contribute to the continuing growth of the knowledge economy. We will train the next generation of scientists and engineers in state-of-the-art techniques to ensure that the UK maintains the expertise base required for this purpose, aim to ensure that the impact of this work is maximised and accelerated where possible, and communicate the results widely, including to all stakeholders in this research.

20 世纪，硅基电子产品的发展彻底改变了世界，成为现代生活背后最普遍的技术。在 21 世纪，预计技术将转向使用光（光子）与电子一起使用或代替电子，从而大幅提高信息处理的速度和数量，同时减少处理信息所需的能量。所以。事实证明，向全光学“光子”技术的转变是一项复杂的任务，因为电子器件所选择的材料硅的控制光的能力有限。在寻找替代材料的过程中，一类称为非晶硫族化物（a-ChGs）的玻璃显示出了非凡的前景，以至于它们被称为“硅的光学等效物”。硫族化物是含有硫、硒或碲元素中的一种或多种作为主要成分的材料。这些材料已广泛应用于光伏、存储器（例如 DVD）、先进光学设备（例如激光器）和一些热电发电系统等应用中。人们普遍认为，向全光学技术的转变将需要一个中间阶段，其中使用混合“光电”系统进行信息处理。这为 a-ChG 的开发提供了强有力的、令人信服的论据，因为它们可以沉积在 Si 上，形成一种混合方法，以用作全光学平台。虽然 a-ChG 的光学特性可能是事实证明，在材料制备过程中改变其电子特性极其困难，这通常涉及高温熔化。在这些条件下，为了改变电子行为而添加到这些材料中的任何杂质都是无效的，因为 ChG 材料在熔化时能够自行重新排序，从而抵消了所需的掺杂效果。我们成功地开创了一种通过离子注入将掺杂剂引入到低于熔化温度的 a-ChG 中来改变其性能的方法，从而不允许材料重新排序。这种掺杂方法可以精确控制引入的杂质类型，并广泛应用于硅技术中。这项工作的结果是，我们展示了以空间局部方式将多数电荷载流子类型从空穴（p 型）反转为电子（n 型）的能力。这一突破性的成就使我们能够展示 a-ChG 中光学活性 pn 结的制造，这将成为未来光子技术发展的催化剂。在这个项目中，我们将寻求对 a-ChG 的光学活性 pn 结的制造有一个全面的了解。原子尺度上的载流子类型反转过程，并利用这些信息来优化它以及要修改的材料，从而添加更多功能。我们还将开发所需的先进工程方法，这些方法涉及使用离子注入到 a-ChG 中引入的掺杂剂的控制和激活。这些将共同展示一系列光电器件，展示构建集成光电技术所需的关键功能。该计划将巩固英国在硫属化物非平衡掺杂领域的世界领先地位。通过这种方式，我们将在世界向超越 CMOS 技术的过渡中支持这些材料，从而直接为知识经济的持续增长做出贡献。我们将用最先进的技术培训下一代科学家和工程师，以确保英国保持为此目的所需的专业知识基础，旨在确保这项工作的影响在可能的情况下最大化并加速，并且广泛传达结果，包括向本研究的所有利益相关者传达结果。