CAREER: Opto- Thermo- Electronic Devices

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The ability to change and control precisely material properties ofsemiconductors by several orders of magnitude has revolutionized ourinformation age. While the research in semiconductor devices in the last40 years has been concentrated on the optimization and control of theopto-electronic properties, there has only been a limited work onthermo-electric properties. In this research program, we propose to usesame techniques of bandgap engineering and thin film epitaxy to improvethe thermal characteristics and design novel high performanceoptoelectronic components. The core of proposed research is based on thefact that semiconductor heterostructures and superlattices can modifythe average transport energy of electrons beyond what can be achievedusing bulk material. Such modifications in conjunction with judiciouschoice of device parameters can make the electron gas absorb thermalenergy from one area in the device and deposit it in another area near aheat sink. The integrated electrical, optical and thermal approach givesthe opportunity to improve the performance of existing devices. Asspecific examples, we will study the design of light emitting diodes andhigh power semiconductor lasers in which the device performance is leastaffected by ambient temperature changes. This research will beintegrated in an undergraduate class on Properties of Materials. In thisclass, students will perform simple transport measurements such as heatconduction, Hall or Peltier effect. Through the graphical representationof the transport equation developed for the research part of thisproposal, students will be able to see how the electron gas is movingthrough the semiconductor, why there is Wiedemann-Franz law, and howpassage from one semiconductor to another one gives rise to Peltiereffect.