Hydrogen in Crystalline Semiconductors

技术：本实验研究计划的目标是对电子技术中重要的半导体主体材料中的氢杂质及其特性有一个基本的了解。轻氢原子的振动光谱已被证明是一种强有力的探测含氢缺陷微观结构和性质的方法，是本项目使用的主要方法。最近的进展使以下实验具有吸引力：(i)发现氢增加了稀III-N-V合金的带隙。振动光谱学提供了引起这种效应的缺陷的结构和它们所含氢原子的数量的信息。（ii）氢在硅中形成间隙分子，其旋转振动性质最近已被破译。利用红外光谱技术对间隙氢分子的邻对位跃迁进行了探测。（iii） H对ZnO等半导体氧化物的导电性有很强的影响。低温下注入ZnO的H的振动光谱研究了基本分离氢缺陷的性质。研究生和本科生对半导体中的杂质进行实验，这是本研究计划的重点。学生将学习半导体的物理学、材料的光学特性和晶体缺陷。这种经历为科学和工程领域的职业生涯提供了良好的基础。非技术：了解半导体中的氢杂质在电子技术中是至关重要的。无论是有意还是无意，氢很容易被引入半导体。氢一旦存在，就会改变半导体材料的电学性质和电子器件的行为。含氢半导体中缺陷“分子”的微观结构和基本特性的实验研究是本研究项目的重点。感兴趣的半导体材料包括硅，它对集成电路和太阳能电池很重要，以及化合物半导体，它对发光器件很重要。我们将研究扩展到半导体技术的相关领域。例如，已经开发了一种方法，可以检测工业上用于提高太阳能电池效率的方法引入硅中的小浓度氢，并用于研究制造过程。这个关于半导体中氢的研究项目为本科生和研究生提供了一个绝佳的机会，让他们经常与美国和国外的顶尖科学家合作，对影响电子技术的物理问题做出重要贡献。

Technical:The goal of this experimental research program is a fundamental understanding of the hydrogen impurity and its properties in semiconductor host materials that are important in electronics technology. Vibrational spectroscopy of the light hydrogen atom has proved to be a powerful probe of the microscopic structure and properties of hydrogen-containing defects and is the principal method used in this project. Recent advances make the following experiments attractive: (i) Hydrogen has been found to increase the band gap of dilute III-N-V alloys. Vibrational spectroscopy provides information about the structures of the defects causing this effect and the number of hydrogen atoms they contain. (ii) Hydrogen forms interstitial molecules in Si whose rotational-vibrational properties have recently been deciphered. Infrared spectroscopy is used to probe the ortho-para transition of the interstitial hydrogen molecule. (iii) H has been found to have a strong effect on the conductivity of semiconducting oxides like ZnO. Vibrational spectroscopy of H implanted into ZnO at cryogenic temperature investigates the properties of the fundamental isolated hydrogen defect. Graduate and undergraduate students conduct the experiments on impurities in semiconductors that are the focus of this research program. Students learn about the physics of semiconductors, the optical properties of materials, and crystal defects. This experience provides an excellent foundation for careers in science and engineering.Non-technical:An understanding of the hydrogen impurity in semiconductors is vital in electronics technology. Hydrogen is introduced easily into semiconductors, either intentionally or unintentionally. Once present, hydrogen modifies the electrical properties of semiconductor materials and the behavior of electronic devices. Experimental studies of the microscopic structures and fundamental properties of defect "molecules" in semiconductors that contain hydrogen are the focus of this research program. The semiconductor materials that are of interest include Si, which is important for integrated circuits and solar cells, and compound semiconductors, which are important for light-emitting devices. We extend our research to relevant areas of semiconductor technology. For example, a method to detect the small concentration of hydrogen introduced into Si by methods used by industry to improve the efficiencies of solar cells has been developed and used to study manufacturing processes. This research program on hydrogen in semiconductors provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to make important contributions to problems in physics that have an impact on electronics technology, often in collaboration with leading scientists in the U.S. and abroad.