NER: Feasibility Studies on ZnO Nanostructures And Their Device Applications

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PROPOSAL NO.: 0103096PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Lu, YichengINSTITUTION NAME: Rutgers University New BrunswickTITLE: NER: Feasibility Studies on ZnO Nanostructures And Their Device ApplicationsThis proposal addresses the exploratory research on zinc oxide (ZnO) based nanoscale structuresand feasibility study of their device applications. ZnO is a multifunctional material possessing uniqueelectrical, optical, acoustical, and mechanical properties. Semiconductor ZnO has a wide and directenergy bandgap (~3.3eV). ZnO can be grown at low temperatures, in contrast with the other widebandgap materials, such as GaN and SiC. Its ternary compounds, formed by alloying ZnO with CdO andMgO, permit bandgap tuning from ~2.8 eV to ~4 eV. Doped ZnO ternaries can be made magnetic orferroelectric, extending its applications beyond the traditional semiconductor confines. In this exploratoryresearch, we will study growth mechanisms and conduct substrate engineering for selective growth ofZnO nanotips and nanotip arrays on various substrates, including R-plane sapphire, Si, silicon-on-sapphire(SOS), and GaN-on-sapphire. Feasibility studies of ZnO nanotip applications will focus on field-emission,two-dimensional photonic bandgap (PBG), and fine instrumentation such as atomic forcemicroscopy and scanning tunneling optical microscopy. We will also explore the feasibility to form CdOquantum dots in ZnO using the activated alloy phase segregation mechanism, which may be proved as aviable alternative to the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism. These quantum dots have potential applicationsin UV lasers and integrated UV optoelectronic chips. The proposed work will extend the research onnanoscale structures and devices into the field of wide bandgap semiconductor nanoscale science andengineering. The research and development of nanoscale structures in ZnO and its ternaries will lead to afundamentally new class of devices, which integrate multi-phenomena and posses unprecedented multi-functionalcharacteristics.