Group IV Semiconductors Derived From Zintl Phases

非技术总结这个项目由材料研究部的固体和材料化学计划和既定的刺激竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)联合资助，专注于开发极薄的层状半导体材料，可以精确控制材料中原子的排列、每一层的表面以及层之间的间隙。这种水平的控制预计将导致对材料光学性质的控制，这可能使集成光子电路等新技术成为可能，这些电路使用光来传输数据和芯片，而不是电。集成光子电路有可能导致计算机和移动电话使用更少的电力和更快的操作。这项研究有望促进材料化学、纳米技术和半导体方面的基础知识。它探索了从原子上精确控制分层半导体结构的方法，这可能会导致新的合成方法，以创造具有多种性能的分层材料，这可能会使许多不同的应用受益。这个项目的社会效益是广泛的。由硅和锗制成的发光半导体可以实现更快、更高效的计算，这可能会对能源使用产生重大影响，也可能使量子计算等新型信息技术成为可能。预计这些材料将具有一些特性，使其适用于信息科学以外的应用，如传感和能量存储。该项目还整合了地区高中、社区学院和公立大学对教育工作者和学生的教育和培训，以扩大传统上在技术劳动力中代表性不足的群体的参与。综合教育计划给这个项目带来了广泛的社会影响，满足了可持续未来的技术需求，并为促进国家安全、繁荣和国民健康培养了未来的劳动力。技术总结由于严格的光学、电子和化学要求，将发光元件集成到微电子电路中一直是一项技术挑战。该项目的主要目标是展示一系列具有满足这些要求的性能的层状第四类半导体。这些层状的第四类半导体源于Zintl相，具有使能效高、超快的“集成光子”电路成为可能的特性。该项目的目标是(1)合成成分、结构和表面化学可控的层状硅锗合金半导体；(2)利用实验表征和密度泛函理论确定结构和化学对光电性能的影响；(3)表征它们的热稳定性和环境稳定性，以评估它们在现实世界中的应用潜力。锌相由被碱金属离子或盐隔开的原子薄的硅-锗合金薄片组成。Zintl相化合物将被脱嵌到由原子薄片组成的多层半导体中，其表面可以被功能化以钝化表面并控制其性能。除了计算外，这些材料还有望具有化学和光电特性，这些特性可能会使许多应用受益，如计算、传感和量子信息科学。与这项研究相结合的是与高中STEM教师和NSF资助的IINSPIRE-LSAMP联盟合作的计划，以通过增加代表不足的群体的参与并提高学生为推动对国家安全、繁荣和国家健康重要的技术做出贡献的准备来扩大未来的劳动力队伍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis project, jointly funded by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), focuses on developing extremely thin layered semiconductor materials with precise control over the arrangement of atoms in the material, on the surfaces of each layer, and the gaps between the layers. This level of control is expected to result in control over the material's optical properties, which could enable new technologies like integrated photonic circuits that use light to transport data and chips instead of electricity. Integrated photonic circuits have the potential to result in computers and mobile phones that use much less electricity and operate faster. The research is expected to advance fundamental knowledge in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and semiconductors. It explores approaches to gaining atomically precise control over the structure of layered semiconductors, which can potentially lead to new synthetic methods for creating layered materials with properties that could benefit many different applications. The societal benefits of this project are broad ranging. Light-emitting semiconductors made from silicon and germanium can enable faster and more efficient computing that can substantially impact energy usage and also have the potential to enable new types of information technology like quantum computing. The materials are expected to have properties that will make them useful for applications outside of information science, like sensing and energy storage. The project also integrates the education and training of educators and students at regional high schools, community colleges, and public universities to broaden the participation of groups traditionally underrepresented in the technical workforce. The integrated educational plan gives this project a broad societal impact that addresses technological needs for a sustainable future and also prepares the future workforce to advance national security, prosperity, and national health.TECHNICAL SUMMARYIntegrating light-emitting components into microelectronic circuits has been a technological challenge due to stringent optical, electronic, and chemical requirements. The main goal of this project is to demonstrate a family of layered Group IV semiconductors with properties that meet these requirements. These layered Group IV semiconductors are derived from Zintl phases and have properties that could enable energy-efficient, ultrafast "integrated photonic" circuits. The goals of this project are to (1) synthesize layered silicon-germanium alloy semiconductors with controlled composition, structure, and surface chemistry, (2) determine how structure and chemistry influence optoelectronic properties using experimental characterization and density functional theory, and (3) characterize their thermal and environmental stability to assess their potential for real-world applications. Zintl phases comprised of atomically thin silicon-germanium alloy sheets separated by alkali metal ions or salts will be synthesized. The Zintl phases compounds will be deintercalated into multilayer semiconductors comprised of atomically thin sheets, with surfaces that can be functionalized to passivate surfaces and control their properties. In addition to computing, these materials are expected to have chemical and optoelectronic properties that could benefit numerous applications such as computing, sensing, and quantum information science. Integrated with the research are plans to work with high school STEM teachers and the NSF-funded IINSPIRE-LSAMP alliance to expand the future workforce by increasing participation of underrepresented groups and improving students' preparedness to contribute to advancing technologies that are important for national security, prosperity, and national health.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.