CAREER: New Device Opportunities enabled by Polar Dielectric and Semiconductor Heteroepitaxy

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The five-year career plan of W. Alan Doolittle, proposed herein, merges multidisciplinary education objectives with innovative research including the creation of an entirely new field of study; single crystal ferroelectrics integrated with wide bandgap semiconductors (WBGS) through epitaxy. The epitaxial toolsets developed under this initiative, thin film ferroelectrics grown on WBGS and thin film WBGS grown on ferroelectric substrates opens up a plethora of opportunities for unique devices and highly integrated systems of devices. Several novel device demonstrations will be undertaken including integrated optoelectronic modulators with III-Nitride transistors and photosensors, novel surface acoustic devices with greatly enhanced speed (3x), power transistors with 50-100 times higher power density than is currently state of the art, high speed, low voltage LiNbO3 optoelectronic modulators with intelligent phase and amplitude control, unique lateral polarization engineered devices such as deep UV frequency converters, lateral polarization heterostructures and lateral p-n junctions for photodetector applications. Support for statewide, historically rural and international education opportunities is also proposed in the form of an "Adopt-a-High-School" outreach program, statewide distance learning program participation to reach economically depressed regions of Georgia and an educational collaboration with a talented research center in Italy. Certain institute specific barriers to multidisciplinary education are also identified, with solutions proposed.The broader impact of this proposed effort includes outreach to minorities in the form of a summer internship participation, education and motivation of high school and junior high students thru the proposed "adopt-a-school" program, better multidisciplinary integration and improved communications among departments at Georgia Tech, universities in the state of Georgia and research centers/universities around the world. Given the novelty of several of the devices proposed herein, new companies are expected to form, providing an economic benefit as well.