Engineering Band Gap Energy Through Structural Motifs in Nitride Semiconductors

通过氮化物半导体中的结构图案设计带隙能量

基本信息

批准号：
2003581
负责人：
Steven Durbin
金额：
$ 44.31万
依托单位：
Western Michigan University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2020-07-01 至 2024-06-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2003581&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Engineering Band Gap Energy Through

项目摘要

Nontechnical SummarySemiconductor materials form the basis for practically all electronics, from solar cells and solid state lighting, to complex integrated circuits such as microprocessors. Nevertheless, despite a century of investigation, researchers are still making fundamental discoveries in this field – discoveries which lead to improved device performance, reduced manufacturing cost, or streamlined integration with other technologies. The project activity is based on the unexpected discovery by the research team that the fundamental properties of semiconductor materials stem directly from atomic-scale structural motifs, and not deviations from periodicity as is generally accepted. By shifting that viewpoint, it is possible to achieve a much larger range of parameter values than previously realized. The result is a completely new approach to selecting materials for specific applications. The project also incorporates development of outreach activities for both middle school children and teachers, involving the community directly in the project by investigating how artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques are applied to image recognition and data analysis, thereby helping to ensure a diverse and motivated pool of young students for careers in science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) fields.Technical SummaryAs part of a previous study on how cation disorder changes the band gap energy of the earth abundant element, sustainably-sourced ternary heterovalent semiconductor ZnSnN2, the research team has discovered the unexpected role played by structural motifs in determining this most fundamental of all semiconductor parameters. Carefully designed experiments indicate that it is not only possible to close the band gap of this material through systematic variation of the type and concentration of motifs that make up the lattice, but it is also possible to access "negative" band gap energies, corresponding to inverted bands. Further, preliminary evidence indicates that the same effect is possible in other compound semiconductors, including the commercially important InGaN family of materials, again through the action of structural motifs. The project investigates the full range of achievable band gap energies of both of these nitrogen-based material systems using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy based crystal growth in conjunction with a complementary suite of optical absorption, Hall effect and electron and x-ray diffraction techniques, with a view towards understanding the ramifications for charge carrier transport, optical properties, and ultimately material selection choices for devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术摘要材料构成了从太阳能电池和固态照明到复杂的集成电路（例如微处理器）的几乎所有电子设备的基础。尽管如此，尽管有一个世纪的投资，但研究人员仍在该领域进行基本发现 - 发现提高了设备性能，降低制造成本或与其他技术的简化集成。该项目活动是基于研究团队意外发现的，即半导体材料的基本属性直接源于原子级的结构图案，而不是普遍接受的周期性。通过转移该观点，可以实现比以前实现的更大的参数值范围。结果是为特定应用选择材料的全新方法。该项目还通过调查了人工智能/机器学习技术如何应用于图像识别和数据分析，从而有助于确保多样性和积极进取的科学/技术/技术/数学元素的元素中的元素概述，从而确保了多样性的多样性，从而确保了多样性的多样性，从而确保了多样性的多样性，该项目还将社区直接与社区有关，从而将社区直接参与项目。研究团队三元异源半导体ZnSNN2发现了结构基序在确定所有半导体参数中最基本的意外作用。精心设计的实验表明，不仅可以通过构成晶格的基序的类型和浓度来缩小该材料的频带间隙，而且还可以访问对应于倒置频段的“负”带隙能量。此外，初步证据表明，通过结构基序的作用，在其他化合物半导体（包括商业上重要的Ingan材料家族）中也可能产生相同的效果。该项目使用等离子体辅助的分子束外延的晶体生长以及完整的光学滥用，霍尔效果和电子效果和X射线衍射技术的完整套件，以了解对电荷材料的选择，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料，以及最终的材料。 NSF的法定使命，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的审查标准来评估，被认为是宝贵的支持。