Collaborative Proposal: Low-Cost Substrates for III-V Photovoltaics by Self-Templated Selective Epitaxial Growth of Germanium on Silicon

合作提案：通过硅上锗的自模板选择性外延生长实现低成本 III-V 光伏衬底

• 批准号: 0907365
• 负责人: Talid Sinno
• 金额: $ 29.94万
• 依托单位: University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0907365&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Proposal; Low; Cost; Substrates

'This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).' Technical. This project addresses epitaxial growth of high quality, single-crystalline Ge on Si substrates. The approach is selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of Ge on Si by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) conducted in a way so as to minimize the contact area/stress between the Ge overlayer and the Si substrate. The idea is to employ a perforated interlayer, through which epitaxially adhered Ge islands grow and subsequently coalesce to form a continuous film. The SEG process is well established in concept but suffers from defect formation during island coalescence, which is a topic addressed here from both experimental and theory/simulation perspectives. The project involves collaborative experimental and computational work that takes advantage of very high resolution microscopy capabilities for direct connections between experiments and atomistic simulations. Sequences of atomically resolved experimental studies will be combined with large scale molecular dynamics and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations based on state-of-the-art techniques. The aim is to delineate various phenomenological components of the overall SEG process in order to build a complete mechanistic picture. Goals include: (1) a quantitatively predictive atomistic-scale understanding of self-templated SEG and a way to optimize this capability, and (2) an analysis of several basic atomistic processes that have broad importance in a variety of heteroepitaxy applications beyond SEG. Non-Technical. The project addresses fundamental research issues in a topical area of electronic/photonic materials science having technological relevance. Lowering the cost barrier associated with Ge substrates is a key element in making advanced III-V photovoltaics as an economically viable option to generate electricity. This cost reduction may transformatively enable much wider use of solar energy than what is possible today. During the course of this collaborative effort, UNM will benefit from the computational capability at Penn, while Penn will benefit from UNM?s nanofabrication, growth, and analytic capabilities. The collaborative efforts will include frequent visits by the principal investigators (PIs) and graduate students to partner institutions. The research project also will offer an interdisciplinary educational environment for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students at each institution. In addition to research education, the PIs will develop materials for a course in Experimental and Computational Tools in Semiconductor Materials Science and Engineering, which will be taught simultaneously at UNM and Penn. The PIs will utilize a number of outreach programs at UNM and Penn to actively educate prospective students about research-oriented educational opportunities. These outreach programs have significant potential to improve the enrollment of minority students and women. This project also enhances the NSF EPSCoR initiative in nanomaterials in New Mexico.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。“技术性的。该项目致力于在Si衬底上外延生长高质量的单晶Ge。该方法是通过分子束外延（MBE）在Si上选择性外延生长（SEG）Ge，以使Ge覆盖层和Si衬底之间的接触面积/应力最小化的方式进行。这个想法是采用穿孔的夹层，通过外延粘附的Ge岛生长，随后聚结形成连续的膜。SEG工艺在概念上是成熟的，但在岛聚结过程中会形成缺陷，这是从实验和理论/模拟角度讨论的一个主题。该项目涉及协作实验和计算工作，利用非常高分辨率的显微镜功能，直接连接实验和原子模拟。原子分辨实验研究的序列将与基于最先进技术的大规模分子动力学和动力学蒙特卡罗模拟相结合。其目的是描绘各种现象学组件的整体SEG过程中，以建立一个完整的机械图。目标包括：（1）对自模板SEG的定量预测原子尺度理解和优化这种能力的方法，以及（2）对在SEG之外的各种异质外延应用中具有广泛重要性的几种基本原子工艺的分析。非技术性。该项目解决了具有技术相关性的电子/光子材料科学主题领域的基础研究问题。降低与Ge衬底相关的成本壁垒是使先进的III-V族光致发光器件成为经济可行的发电选择的关键因素。这种成本降低可能会改变太阳能的使用范围，使其比今天更广泛。在这一合作努力的过程中，UNM将受益于宾夕法尼亚大学的计算能力，而宾夕法尼亚大学将受益于UNM？的纳米制造、增长和分析能力。合作努力将包括主要研究人员（PI）和研究生经常访问合作机构。该研究项目还将提供一个跨学科的教育环境，指导每个机构的研究生和本科生。除了研究教育外，PI还将为半导体材料科学与工程的实验和计算工具课程开发材料，该课程将在UNM和Penn同时教授。PI将利用UNM和Penn的一些外展计划，积极教育未来的学生了解以研究为导向的教育机会。这些外联方案在提高少数民族学生和妇女的入学率方面具有巨大潜力。该项目还增强了新墨西哥州的NSF EPSCoR纳米材料倡议。