Growth and Properties of Novel Epitaxial Semiconductor Films

新型外延半导体薄膜的生长和性能

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-06839
• 负责人: Tiedje, Thomas
• 金额: $ 2.99万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=739135
• 关键词: Growth; Properties; Novel; Epitaxial; Semiconductor

Semiconductor materials are an essential part of many modern technologies. Silicon is used to make integrated circuits for information processing. Compound semiconductors are used in semiconductor lasers and for high speed optical and wireless communications. Gallium nitride, a relatively new semiconductor material, has enabled a new lighting technology based on light emitting diodes (LED) that uses only a fraction of the power of the incandescent lights that it replaces. LED lights have achieved mass market success in a remarkably short period of time. Even more revolutionary, solar cells based on silicon photovoltaic devices have achieved cost parity with fossil fuels for power generation in a growing number of regions. There is no sign that this impressive growth in the impact of semiconductor technology is slowing. For example in the last 10 or so years researchers have discovered a variety of new quantum phenomena in which semiconductor materials are central. A worldwide race is underway to build a new type of computer known as a quantum computer and to apply quantum technology to communications and sensing. These new quantum technologies are likely to be implemented using semiconductor materials. In parallel with the growth in semiconductor technology described above, there has been a steady expansion in the number of different semiconductors used in commercial products, selected because of their properties for particular applications. In most devices the semiconductor material needs to be in the form of a thin crystalline layer, or film, on a single crystal substrate wafer. The goal of this research program is to explore a promising class of semiconductor materials that up to now has been neglected, whose potential for useful applications is not known. We will grow these materials in the form of crystalline films by molecular beam epitaxy and measure their optical and electrical properties. The semiconductors of interest belong to the II3-V2 family of which Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 are examples. Unlike most conventional compound semiconductors this family of semiconductors includes materials made up of inexpensive and non-toxic elements that are ecologically friendly. Semiconductors in the II3-V2 class have potential applications in flexible electronics, energy harvesting from room lights, silicon solar panels with enhanced efficiency and in future quantum devices. This research program will train students in the area of semiconductor technology. People who understand semiconductor materials and devices are needed to help Canada succeed in the world-wide effort to develop new commercial optical and electronic technologies. Our lab at the University of Victoria has an international profile as a leading group in the area of compound semiconductor growth using molecular beam epitaxy.

半导体材料是许多现代技术的重要组成部分。硅用于制造用于信息处理的集成电路。化合物半导体用于半导体激光器以及高速光学和无线通信。氮化镓是一种相对较新的半导体材料，它实现了一种基于发光二极管 (LED) 的新型照明技术，该技术仅使用其所取代的白炽灯的一小部分功率。 LED 灯在极短的时间内取得了大众市场的成功。更具革命性的是，基于硅光伏器件的太阳能电池已经在越来越多的地区实现了与化石燃料发电的成本平价。没有迹象表明半导体技术影响力的惊人增长正在放缓。例如，在过去十年左右的时间里，研究人员发现了各种以半导体材料为核心的新量子现象。一场世界范围内的竞赛正在进行，旨在建造一种称为量子计算机的新型计算机，并将量子技术应用于通信和传感。这些新的量子技术很可能使用半导体材料来实现。 与上述半导体技术的发展同时，商业产品中使用的不同半导体的数量也在稳步增长，这些半导体因其针对特定应用的特性而被选择。在大多数器件中，半导体材料需要在单晶衬底晶片上采用薄晶体层或薄膜的形式。该研究计划的目标是探索一类有前途的半导体材料，这些材料迄今为止一直被忽视，其有用应用的潜力尚不清楚。我们将通过分子束外延以晶体薄膜的形式生长这些材料，并测量它们的光学和电学特性。感兴趣的半导体属于 II3-V2 族，其中 Mg3N2 和 Zn3N2 就是例子。与大多数传统化合物半导体不同，该半导体系列包括由廉价且无毒的生态友好元素组成的材料。 II3-V2 类半导体在柔性电子产品、室内灯能量收集、提高效率的硅太阳能电池板以及未来的量子设备中具有潜在应用。该研究计划将培训半导体技术领域的学生。需要了解半导体材料和设备的人才来帮助加拿大在全球开发新的商业光学和电子技术的努力中取得成功。 我们位于维多利亚大学的实验室在利用分子束外延生长化合物半导体领域具有国际领先地位。