Dopant Incorporation and Properties in Zinc Selenide

该项目旨在对获得晶体硒化锌（ZnSe）（一种II-VI化合物半导体材料）所需的掺杂剂（受控杂质原子）的行为有一个基本的理解。这种材料具有重要的潜在应用，如发射蓝光的固态器件，包括激光器，这是目前无法获得的。这种装置将为光学信息存储系统、全彩显示器、激光打印机和其他用途提供优势。然而，由于无法像其他半导体材料那样控制ZnSe的导电性，迄今为止阻碍了它在实际应用中的使用。在有或没有强磁场影响的情况下，复杂的光谱学和电测量被用来探索材料中各种杂质的行为，并确定哪些杂质最适合以设备应用所必需的方式控制其导电性。与工业晶体种植者的密切合作是该计划的重要组成部分。

This project seeks to achieve a fundamental understanding of the behavior of the dopants (controlled impurity atoms) needed to obtain desired levels of electrical conductivity of crystalline zinc selenide (ZnSe), a II-VI compound semiconductor material. This material has important potential applications such as solid state devices which emit blue light, including lasers, which are not currently available. Such devices would provide advantages for optical information storage systems, full color displays, laser printers, and other purposes. However, the inability to control the conductivity of ZnSe in the way commonly done with other semiconducting materials has thus far prevented its use for such practical applications. Sophisticated optical spectroscopy with and without the influence of intense magnetic fields, and electrical measurements are being employed to explore the behavior of various impurities in the material, and to determine which ones are most suitable for controlling its conductivity in the way that is necessary for device applications. Close collaborations with industrial crystal growers are an important part of the program.