Hydrogen in Transparent Conducting Oxides

****技术摘要****透明导电氧化物（一种新兴的电子材料）中氢杂质的物理性质是本研究项目的重点。透明导电氧化物结合了透明的可见性和高导电性。传统上，氧空位和阳离子间隙等天然缺陷被认为是电导率的来源。然而，最近的理论发现，在许多导电氧化物中，天然缺陷不太可能是它们导电的原因。相反，氢中心被预测为浅供体，产生强n型行为。虽然已经做出了许多令人兴奋的理论预测，但对透明导电氧化物的导电性和氢所起作用的现代理解仍处于起步阶段。红外光谱和拉曼光谱将用于探测氢相关中心的结构和反应及其与电导率变化的关系。这个项目的中心目标是教育学生。对半导体氧化物中的杂质和缺陷及其对电导率的影响进行实验研究，为学生了解材料的光学性质、表征方法以及缺陷如何影响性质提供了一个极好的机会。学生们与美国和国外领先的研究小组合作，通过第一手经验学习团队合作的价值。****非技术摘要****本研究项目的重点是氢在透明导电氧化物中的实验研究，这是一种不寻常的材料，结合了可见光的透明度和高导电性。透明导电氧化物广泛用于普通电子设备，如电脑平板显示器。氢的存在在金属氧化物中是常见的，在那里它形成强的O-H键并与其他杂质和缺陷相互作用。令人惊讶的是，氢被认为是电导率的重要来源。该项目的目标是对导电氧化物中的氢杂质，其迷人的反应化学以及氢作为导电性来源的作用有一个基本的了解。战略电子材料的研究是有趣的物理和重要的技术应用交叉的地方，为学生提供了一个很好的机会来了解半导体技术的最新发展，材料的光学特性，半导体的物理特性，以及缺陷如何影响特性。学生有机会对影响电子技术的问题做出重要贡献，这点燃了他或她在科学和工程领域取得成功的激情。

****Technical Abstract****The physics of hydrogen impurities in transparent conducting oxides, a rapidly emerging class of electronic materials, is the focus of this research program. The transparent conducting oxides combine transparency in the visible with high conductivity. Native defects such as oxygen vacancies and cation interstitials have traditionally been invoked as the source of conductivity. Recent theory, however, finds that in many conducting oxides, native defects are unlikely to be responsible for their conductivity. Instead, hydrogen centers are predicted to be shallow donors that give rise to strong n-type behavior. While a number of exciting theoretical predictions have been made, a modern understanding of the conductivity of transparent conducting oxides and the role played by hydrogen is in its infancy. IR and Raman spectroscopies will be used to probe the structures and reactions of H-related centers and their relationship to changes in conductivity. A central goal of this project is the education of students. Experimental studies of impurities and defects in semiconducting oxides and their effect on conductivity provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the optical properties of materials, characterization methods, and how defects affect properties. Students are engaged in collaborations with leading research groups in the U.S. and abroad and learn the value of teamwork by first-hand experience.****Non-Technical Abstract****The focus of this research program is an experimental study of hydrogen in transparent conducting oxides, an unusual class of materials that combine transparency in the visible with high conductivity. Transparent conducting oxides are widely used in common electronic devices like flat-panel displays for computers. The presence of hydrogen is common in the metal oxides where it forms strong O-H bonds and interacts with other impurities and defects. Surprisingly, hydrogen is proposed to be an important source of conductivity. The goal of this project is a fundamental understanding of the hydrogen impurity in conducting oxides, its fascinating reaction chemistry, and hydrogen's role as a source of conductivity. Research on strategic electronic materials, where interesting physics and important technological applications intersect, provides students with an excellent opportunity to learn about current developments in semiconductor technology, the optical properties of materials, the physics of semiconductors, and how defects affect properties. And the opportunity for a student to make important contributions to problems that have an impact on electronics technology ignites in him or her the excitement that leads to a successful career in science and engineering.